Orson Scott Card

“Well, now you know why I’m not a commander.”

“Actually, they promoted me twice, and I refused.”
Refused?

“The second time they took away my old locker and bunk and desk, assigned me to a commander’s cabin, and gave me an army. But I just stayed in the cabin until they gave in and put me back into somebody else’s army.”

“Because I won’t let them do it to me. I

Ender checked the rosters on his desk that night. Four boys turned up on medical report. One with bruised ribs, one with a bruised testicle, one with a torn ear, and one with a broken nose and a loose tooth. The cause of injury was the same in all cases:
ACCIDENTAL COLLISION IN NULL G
If the teachers were allowing that to turn up on the official report, it was obvious they didn’t intend to punish anyone for the nasty little skirmish in the battleroom. Aren’t they going to do anything? Don’t they care what goes on in this school?

“Hey Third.”
Don’t answer. Nothing to say.
“Hey, Third, we’re talkin to you, Third, hey bugger-lover, we’re talkin to you.”
Can’t think of anything to answer. Anything I say will make it worse. So will saying nothing.
“Hey, Third, hey, turd, you flunked out, huh? Thought you were better than us, but you lost your little birdie, Thirdie, got a bandaid on your neck.”
“Are you going to let me through?” Ender asked.

Stilson began pushing him with one hand; someone behind him then pushed him toward Stilson.

But they let go of him. And as soon as they did, Ender kicked out high and hard, catching Stilson square in the breastbone. He dropped.

So Ender walked to Stilson’s supine body and kicked him again, viciously, in the ribs. Stilson groaned and rolled away from him. Ender walked around him and kicked him again, in the crotch. Stilson could not make a sound; he only doubled up and tears streamed out of his eyes.

It was the teachers who had done it. And it wasn’t an accident. Ender realized that now. It was a strategy. Graff had deliberately set him up to be separate from the other boys, made it impossible for him to be close to them.