The hammer rang once. A spark jumped off the anvil and did not go out. It waited. They followed.

It rolled through the gate of Brightfield School on an ordinary Tuesday. It was the day of the trip to the river. Nothing big happened. Only one small thing, as everyone got on the coach.

The gate's new bar still had its tiny hammer.

This is how Beto told it.

"I got on first. I ran to the back and saved the window seat for Danya. I put my bag on it. When he got on, I waved. He looked right at me and walked past. He sat at the front. So he doesn't want to sit with me. That's that."

He told it to Manywhy at lunch, by the river, with his arms folded.

"That's one thread," said Manywhy. "Are there more?"

"No," said Beto. "That's the reason."

"Never stop at one reason," said Manywhy. "Who else was on the coach? Let's hear it from everyone."

How much did it hurt, really? Beto put the dial at: a lot.

This is how Danya told it.

"I didn't see Beto wave. I was looking at the floor. I always look at the floor when I get on a coach. I try not to think about it."

"Think about what?" asked Manywhy.

Danya shrugged and did not say.

How much did it matter to Danya? Danya put the dial at: hardly at all. He hadn't known Beto was waiting.

This is how Lan told it.

"I was in front of Danya in the line. The line went really fast, because Mr Ade wanted to leave on time. And Mr Ade was calling something out. I didn't hear what."

Lan put the dial at: not much. She had only been in the line.

Kindling had been on the coach too. She had a short black bob and a mustard-yellow hoodie, and she noticed when things started.

"Find the moment it started," said Kindling. "Right before, what happened?"

She thought back. "The line moved. And right then, Mr Ade called out: 'Front seats for anyone who feels coach-sick.' That's the trigger. Danya went to the front straight after he said it."

"I didn't hear that," said Beto slowly. "I was at the back, waving."

A girl with long braids and a purple cardigan was sitting on the riverbank, turning a little wooden bobbin of red thread in her fingers. Her name was Bobbin.

She did not ask Danya in front of everyone. She waited until the others went to look at the ducks. Then she sat next to him.

"Some reasons are quiet," said Bobbin. "Was there one you didn't say?"

Danya looked at the water for a while. Then he nodded.

"I feel sick at the back of coaches," he said. "Really sick. I didn't want the whole class to know. So I just went to the front."

"Nobody named that one yet," said Bobbin. "Do you want me to tell Beto, or will you?"

"You can," said Danya. "Just him."

A boy who ran the lights for the school play was skimming stones nearby. His name was Rheo. He took out a paper circle with an arrow on it. One end said a little. The other said a lot.

"Not a switch. A dial," said Rheo. "How much was it, really?"

Beto held the dial. He thought about the floor Danya had been looking at. Mr Ade's call. The quiet reason.

He turned the arrow down. Past a lot. Past the middle. To a little.

"He felt sick," said Beto. "And he didn't see me."

"Somewhere low," said Rheo. "That's your call."

On the way home, Beto got on the coach first. He did not run to the back. He sat in the front row, near Mr Ade, and put his bag on the window seat.

When Danya got on, Beto moved his bag. "Window seat," he said. "You can see the road from here."

Danya sat down. Beto passed him a cracker.

Back on the Green

The spark dimmed to a warm dot and settled back on the anvil. The Green was just the Green again.

The next week, a new boy sat on his own at lunch. Beto almost thought, "He doesn't want to sit with us." Then he went over and asked.