E Eddie
What've we got here? Couple of losers stinkin' up the woods. [the girl sees Auggie and gasps] Holy crap! Look at his face!
7G 7th Grade Boy 2
He's a freak!
E Eddie
Jesus, I've never seen anything that ugly in my life!
7G 7th Grade Boy 2
Maybe it's an ork.
Jack Will
Dude, let's go.
E Eddie
Go where? Hey, talkin' to you, Gollum. This the one mask to rule them all? "My precious." [the girl laughs]
Jack Will
[Eddie reaches out for Auggie; Jack slaps his hand aside]
Hey, what's your problem?!
E Eddie
[shoves Jack]
Your boyfriend's my problem!
Auggie
Hey! Leave him alone.
E Eddie
What're you gonna do about it? [Auggie raises his fists] Get outta my way.
Auggie
No.
E Eddie
I said, "Get outta my way!"
Auggie
I said, "No"!
A Amos
[Amos shows up with Henry and Miles]
Yo, Jack, what's up, man?
E Eddie
What's this? More little freaks?
A Amos
What you call us, hick?
E Eddie
Come on, prep boy.
G Girl
[The public school and Beecher Prep boys start fighting]
Guys, stop! Guys, stop it! Guys, stop! Just stop, please! Stop!
Jack Will
[Jack and Auggie run for the beach]
Oh, man! Dude! Come on! Let's go! Let's get out!
Auggie
Are you okay?
Jack
Uh...
Auggie
Dude, you're bleeding.
Jack Will
[A rustling sound is heard coming from the woods nearby]
What was that? Something's coming. Amos?
Jack Will
Over here!
Auggie
Amos, come on!
Jack Will
[Amos, Miles and Henry run down to the beach]
They follow you?
A Amos
I think we lost 'em.
Jack Will
How did you guys know we needed help?
A Amos
We saw them follow you out of the lodge.
H Henry
I think they were seventh graders. They were huge.
Jack Will
Thanks, guys. You totally saved our butts.
Auggie
Yeah, thanks, guys.
A Amos
[turns and looks at Auggie]
You know, it was cool how you stood your ground, little dude. [claps Auggie on the shoulder]
Auggie
Good. And guess what? I got in a fight. [shows his grazed elbow]
I Isabel
Oh, my God, you're bleeding! Are you okay?
I Isabel
Auggie got in a fight.
N Nate
That's terrible, I'm sorry. [pause] Did you win?
RA Richard Albans
[Mr. Lawrence Tushman, the head of Beecher Prep School, is meeting with Julian and his parents, and he shows that Julian wrote "Do everyone a favor and die!" to Auggie on the back of a recent class picture.]
You wrote that, Julian?
JA Julian Albans
Yes, sir.
Lawrence Tushman
That one note was on the back of a class photo. [turns the picture over to show the front] Your son photoshopped Auggie out of it. [the picture shows Auggie was indeed photoshopped out of it, replaced with the words "No freaks allowed!"]
MS Melissa "Sarah" Albans
No. [clears throat] No, he didn't. I did. Of course, I didn't think that he would bring it to school, but when our friends come over and they see that picture, I want them to ask about our son, not the Pullman's.
L Lawrence
Mrs. Albans, when we pressed Auggie, he showed us these other notes...that your son left in his locker, and, and his desk and...chair. [shows other hurtful notes and hurtful drawings of Auggie]
M Melissa
[defending Julian]
Okay, look. If no one else is gonna have the courage to say it, then I guess I will. These kids are too young to be dealing with this sort of thing. Julian has had nightmares because of that kid.
M Melissa
[to Lawrence Tushman]
Did you know that? We had to take him to a child psychologist to help him deal with his night terrors.
L Lawrence
[calmly]
It's just a two-day suspension. [to Julian] You'll stay home from the Nature Preserve trip. That's all.
M Melissa
[in disbelief]
Two days for a couple of notes from a kid? After all the money that we have poured into this school?
R Richard
[threateningly; thinking he and Melissa would win]
We have a lot of friends on the school board, Mr. Tushman.
L Lawrence
[unfazed]
Oh. [exhales; rightfully shoots down the empty threat] Well, I have more.
M Melissa
[rhetorically]
So, what would you have us do? Bend over backwards for every single person in the world? Nobody can get their feelings hurt, ever? [scoffs] You are not doing these kids any favors.
L Lawrence
[sighs]
Mrs. Albans, Auggie can't change the way he looks. So, maybe we can change the way we see. [looks pointedly at Julian, who feels like he's gonna cry]
M Melissa
[sarcastically]
Yes. I will be sure to tell that to the real world. Thank you for this. We won't be back in the fall.
J Julian
[shocked; pleading]
Mom, I like this school. M-Mom-- I have friends, Dad.
R Richard
Let's go, Julian.
J Julian
[Julian's parents walk out, Lawrence shakes his head in disgust; Julian reluctantly walks out, but he turns back in the doorway] [remorsefully]
Mr. Tushman? I'm really sorry.
L Lawrence
[knowing that Julian's apology is genuine; sympathetically]
I know you are, Julian.
Jack Will
Dear Mr. Tushman, I'm sorry for punching Julian. That was wrong of me to do that. I know you may need to expel me, but, I'd still rather not say why I did what I did. It might get Julian in trouble, too, and that's not fair. Sincerely, Jack Will.
Mr. Tushman
Dear Mr. Will, One thing I've learned in 20 years in education is that there are two sides to every story, so I think I can imagine what started the fight. While nothing justifies striking another student, I know good friends are worth defending. So, after your two-day suspension, your scholarship will be waiting for you. So, just keep up the good work, and keep being the fine boy we all know you to be. Sincerely, Mr. Tushman.
Mr. Tushman
The final award this morning is the Henry Ward Beecher Medal to honor students who have been notable or exemplary. Usually, it's a "good works," a service award. But I came upon a passage that he wrote, which made me realize that good works come in many forms. "Greatness," he wrote, "lies not in being strong, but in the right using of strength. He or she is the greatest whose strength carries up the most hearts by the attraction of his own." Without further ado, this year, I am very proud to award the Henry Ward Beecher Medal to the student whose quiet strength has carried up the most hearts.
