Tamar has always been bullied. But the notorious Simpson Boys mean to kill him after school in the wooded depths of Stoner Park. Fortunately for Tamar he happens upon a ‘mad-planning’ rabbit of the telepathic kind who offers to aid him in his quest to be free of bullies. The rabbit has a price though, and that price will forever alter Tamar’s relationship with the unfathomable world of adults.

Tamar!

The Restroom

The Simpson Boys

In The Hiding Place

The Fate of Joey Watkins

Smoking Hot

Buzz Bunny

Paybacks Are Cool

The Stoner Park War

Hack Wilson

Joey Watkins Settles a Score

Doctor Gupta

The Sky Blue House

“Once they decided to die rather than live in such misery.”

-Aesop, The Hares and the Frogs

“Tamar!”

He had fallen asleep—no, his eyes were still open—in Mrs. Bristol’s math class again.

“Tamar, are you okay?”

There it was, the drool hanging from his open mouth that so disturbed her. He felt as if he should wipe it away, or say something to make this nice lady teacher feel at ease. But no, he could still remember the eight, dressed up in a tuxedo, and twirling a cane, as he beat the mess out of the two large case Ps, fleeing down the hallway.

Her voice came in a whisper now, “Tamar, can you hear me?”

Another, harsher voice, the voice of Alex Simpson, sounded behind him, from a few rows back, “A course he can’ hear yah, he’s a retard.”

Laughter followed, and seemed to dissipate Mister Eight Cane and his letter victims. He felt his eyes blink. They did seem dry, and Mrs. Bristol was wiping the drool from his mouth with a tissue and saying nice things, “Tamar, I’m going to have Jesse walk you to the nurse’s station.”

Mrs. Bristol was now talking to Jesse, and also on her cell phone to Officer Searles, the school police. He closed his eyes. When he did so his number friends came to life again: Mister Eight Cane was chatting up Shorty Six, dressed in her Quaker dress; Little One was playing with his abacus while Lucky Seven looked on admiringly, licking her big cotton candy lollypop that kept getting stuck to her glasses. All was peaceful in Number Land, that place where everything added up and made sense—then the Small Case S Boyz began picking on Louis Two, in his wire frame glasses and snuggy, while the Large Case Ts that were supposed to protect the numbers from the letters just had lunch together.

Soon Mister Eight Cane got on his calculator and consulted with Mighty Zero. Mighty Zero then summoned Big Ten, who barreled through the door of Stick Figure World, which was just a sheet of paper in Tamar’s mind, and began clearing out—no, erasing—the Small Case S Boyz…

“Tamar, are you okay? What is up? You finally start smoking your brother’s weed?”

It was the voice of Jesse Cruz, Tamar Jackson’s only friend. Jesse was another teacher’s favorite that got picked on a lot while the teachers were in Teacher Land, and Officer Searles was chatting up Miss Marcy. They were walking down the hall to his surprise. “Wow Jesse, how did we get out here?”

Jesse laughed, and then looked down at him, “Because I’m walking your drooling butt to the nurse’s station dummy. What is up with you? Your eyes have been open the whole time and you have no idea what is going on.”

He really did mean to answer Jesse, but Mister Eight Cane popped up to shush him. So he just held Jesse’s arm more tightly and thanked him, “You’re my best friend Jesse—thanks.”

Jesse laughed, “I’m your only friend Tamar, and I’m the only Puerto Rican in this joint, so that makes it mutual. Look Tamar, heads up when you leave school. Alex Simpson got taken to the Vice Principal’s office—not that he cares. But it’s the idea. Besides, he won’t be able to play his I-pod there. I’m headed to a dentist appointment after I drop you off—my poppy is picking me up. I won’t be here for you, so look out. Okay.”

He looked up and smiled at big Jesse Cruz, who people teased and made fun of, but would never touch. Jesse had kind of been his protector, and he smiled back sweetly to Tamar. But in the 8 ½ by 11 paper world in the back of his mind Negative Nine was shaking his head and Lucky Seven was rolling on the floor getting tickled by Trifling Three while Fumbling Four giggled in the erasure bin and Fidgety Five tried to invent an ink-based flat-screen TV...