Ben nodded. “Well, that's nice of you, Laurie. But I've already decided this is one lesson I'm going to skip in next year's course.”
David and Laurie looked at each other and smiled. They said good-bye to Mr Ross and turned to leave the auditorium.
Ben watched Laurie and David and the last of the former members of The Wave leave the auditorium. When they were gone and he thought he was alone, he sighed and said, “Thank God.” He was relieved that it had ended well, and thankful that he still had his job at Gordon High. There would still be a few angry parents and incensed faculty members to smooth over, but in time he knew he could do it.
He turned and was about to leave the stage when he heard a sob and saw Robert leaning against one of the television sets, tears running down his face.
Poor Robert, Ben thought. The only one who really stood to lose in this whole thing. He walked towards the trembling student and put his arm around his shoulder. “You know, Robert,” he said, trying to cheer him up, “you look good in a tie and jacket. You ought to wear them more often.”
Through his tears, Robert managed a smile. “Thanks, Mr Ross.”
“What do you say we go out for a bite to eat?” Ben said, leading him off the stage. “There are some things I think we should talk about.”
Afterword
“The Wave” disrupted an entire school. The novel dramatizes the incident, showing how the powerful forces of group pressure that have pervaded many historical movements and cults can persuade people to join such movements and give up their individual rights in the process — sometimes causing great harm to others. The full impact on the students of what they lived through and learned is realistically portrayed in the book.
In addition to the novel,
Harriet Harvey Coffin
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