Chapter 47

8 a.m. Thursday

Andy sat down in his seat and nodded to the physics teacher. He had successful avoided everybody that morning – except his mother and father, to whom he didn't mind talking.

Regan had finished her study session late and had only had time to wish him a good night – and to tell him that she had something to tell him the next time they had more than three minutes to talk.

He had timed his arrival until just before the warning bell and made a beeline for his physics class, staying away from Elizabeth and Chris that morning. It wasn't that he was angry at anyone. He just needed a few minutes alone without someone babbling in his ear.

"Mr. Drayton," the teacher said pleasantly.

"Mr. Ochs," Andy replied with a smile. Don Ochs was an institution at Eisenhower High School. He had grown up in the neighborhood in the 1960s, gone to college and started his teaching career at Eisenhower's predecessor. When consolidation came, Mr. Ochs had enough seniority to move to a far nicer environment – but he stayed. Now the man was almost 60 and he would retire soon. Andy wondered if physics would even be offered when the man departed. Andy was one of only seven students in the class.

His second class also was pleasant. He had Mrs. Herrera for fourth-year Spanish. She was a portly woman only a few years younger than Mr. Ochs by Andy's calculations. She was a native of Mexico but stressed that Spanish was a worldwide language – much to the consternation of the parents of the Mexican-American students in the school. Mexican-Americans were the largest ethnic group at Eisenhower by a wide margin. The Hispanics in Andy's building came mostly from Cuba, Venezuela and Costa Rica. But six blocks away was the "Barrio," a three-block area where the Mexican-American community had segregated itself from the rest of the Spanish-speaking regions – in an attempt to preserve their own "culture."

Mrs. Herrera taught not only language skills but she introduced elements of life from each country on the globe where Spanish was the primary language. A foreign language had been required during Andy's freshman and sophomore years but he'd enjoyed Mrs. Herrera's style and had taken the third- and fourth-year courses as electives. As with physics, the class was small, with only 12 students enrolled.

Andy had determined that his day started with the only two classes where he believed the instructors were qualified to teach their courses. After Spanish, Andy's day devolved quickly. His third period was economics, which consisted solely of copying definitions from the back of the book – because the social studies teacher hired to teach the required course hadn't had an economics class since his freshman year of college. Andy hit his bloc of Advanced Placement courses fourth period – the three classes he shared with Elizabeth Pena. The AP classes gave college credit upon their completion – and were required to be offered by the state board of education. The school board had grouped Andy's history, English and calculus classes around lunch because, until a week before school started, it was a very real possibility that the students enrolled would have to be bused to a different district for the classes.

It was in early August when a teacher qualified to teach calculus committed an offense deemed egregious enough – disorderly conduct at a downtown rally – to be sentenced to the dregs of the educational system rather than face dismissal for cause. Mr. Jenkins put forth little effort in his new post – and like the teachers at Thurmond Middle School, appeared terrified of the students in his classes that were darker than him (including Elizabeth Pena). Andy knew that despite receiving college credit for the three courses, they were not preparing him in the least for the rigors of Stanford University.

His day concluded with a rudimentary business course and a mandatory study hall that he usually spent in the library. The most students in any of Andy's classes was 24 – and that was in the economics class that all seniors in the state were required to take. The more advanced classes ranged from seven students to 13. Elizabeth had told him that 544 students had enrolled as freshmen the same year that Andy did. In a few weeks, less than half, 268, would cross the stage at graduation.

A handful of students had transferred to other districts or were being home schooled. More than 20 girls would receive their diplomas from one of several institutions for single mothers through the Homeward Bound program. Thirteen members of his class had died during their four years at Eisenhower but the rest were just as lost, Andy knew. Almost 40 percent of his class had dropped out before reaching their senior year. These kids weren't working at Target or Burger King. These were the kids working the street corners during the day as drug dealers or at night as prostitutes. He also knew that he'd barely avoided that sort of life.

If Camille had moved into a different building, Andy would have either been pressured to join a gang or been in constant danger from a gang. He had never fully understood how much Rico's protection had meant until he was able to view it from the outside. Now he thought he knew how much Rico had put on the line to keep him – and Lupe – safe in the neighborhood.

He wondered if Rico would, indeed, survive until his 25th birthday. A part of him wished the young man would just leave the building to whatever fate awaited it – but another part of him knew he would lose respect for Rico if he abandoned the people who had come to rely upon him for protection. Maybe in a year or two, another young man would step to the front and Rico could move to the suburbs to be near his children.

Probably not, Andy reasoned. Rico's life would mirror his father's or his uncle's. He would die in a prison cell or on a cold, wet street with a bullet in his chest. He didn't seem to realize that he had just as much potential as Andy.

Andy sighed and thought about happier thoughts. He had spent the past two evenings talking to his father – his father! – about life and the future. Two weeks earlier, he rarely even considered that he had a father. Now, he knew he did. And, better yet, Evan seemed cool. Andy was concerned about his mother, though. She wasn't prepared to deal with way life had turned. He wondered if that's how his grandmother turned into what she had. He hoped not. He would do what he could to keep Camille from losing her mind completely.

Evan had been slightly more forthcoming with Andy about financial windfall coming to the Drayton family – something Camille had steadfastly refused to discuss with Andy at all. Evan said he and Camille had worked out an arrangement where he would pay her a third of his back due support each year for the next three years. Evan said Camille had accepted the numbers his attorney had provided and had been willing to forego the interest and penalties a judge would assess. She had agreed to a payment plan and would see the first of the money that afternoon.

Then, before she left for work, she borrowed $20 from Andy for gas. He had handed it over without comment and Camille had promised – as she always promised and as she always did – to pay him back on payday. Once she'd departed, Evan had broken into laughter as Andy simply shook his head.

Andy figured the sum Evan owed was fairly large and he wondered if money would change his mother. Not if she put it away and continued to live paycheck to paycheck, Andy thought. Evan had explained that the money she received would be tax-free because of an agreement the American courts had with Great Britain. Evan had paid his share of taxes on the money already, so Camille wouldn't have to shell out half to various governments.

Evan had not broached the subject of Andy's inheritance. The man seemed willing to let the decision rest where it belonged. In fact, Evan had never mentioned a single thing about the estate where he lived in England. Andy didn't even know for certain where it was. Nor had Evan offered to host a visit for Andy in the future. He seemed content to spend time with Andy and to let him come to terms with the situation in his own time.

What Andy found most amusing was that he had already slept in his bed once before – it was the same room that he and Regan had shared on Saturday night. Regan got a laugh from the fact – and laughed harder when he told her that his mother was spending her nights in the room where Joy and Ruth had so thoroughly corrupted Chris.

That morning, Evan had offered to host a large dinner party before prom – which would include not only Andy and Regan but also Chris, Elizabeth, their dates and their families. Andy wanted to mull the situation over before agreeing – which was why he had done his best to stay away from Chris and Elizabeth that morning. He wasn't certain that he wanted to spend dinner with Joy's father or Ruth's parents – not to mention that fact that the invitation would almost have to include Chuck Pena (and his date, Abby Barnes). Lupe would almost have to be invited if she was staying with the Pena family at that point – and that would be more than awkward.

"Mr. Drayton?" asked a voice from beside Andy. He broke out of his thoughts to look at Mr. Ochs, who was standing next to his desk smiling. Andy realized that the room now held the rest of the class. "I was a bit worried that you had been abducted by aliens. I've been trying to get your attention for several minutes."

"Sorry, Mr. Ochs," Andy said with embarrassment. "My life is a little crazy right now and I was trying to sort it out in my head."

"Well, don't let us stop you," Don Ochs said with a laugh. "I'm sure you'll find ruminating on what comes next far more useful in the future than physics."

"Probably not," Andy said, returning the man's grin. The rest of the class laughed along and another day got under way in Andy Drayton's world.

Regan tried to untangle herself from the bed covers when Ruth shook her shoulders.

"What?" she asked irritably and she kicked and flailed to get the sheets unwrapped from around her knees.

"Chemistry has been cancelled this morning," Ruth told her.

"Bitch," Regan muttered.

"Sorry," Ruth replied, thinking Regan was talking about her. "I would have just turned off your phone but I didn't know if you planned to call Andy this morning. I'm sorry for waking you."

Regan rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked up at her roommate. Ruth had backed away toward her own bed when Regan swung her feet to the floor.

"Andy's phone only has a couple of minutes left," Regan grumbled.

"I should have let you sleep," Ruth answered. "You must have tossed and turned all night. Is everything OK?"

"Why is chemistry cancelled?" Regan inquired, ignoring Ruth's question about her wellbeing.

"The message didn't say," Ruth told her. "It just said class was cancelled this morning and that was all."

"Stupid asshole is probably hoping to measure for drapes at the headmistress' house," Regan said to herself.

"Are you OK?" Ruth asked again. She had been asleep when Regan returned to the room. They hadn't spoken since supper the night before. Regan had also not spoken to Joy. Regan's late arrival at the session had left her in a different group from her friend and Regan had departed before Joy's group had concluded. Regan was angry – and a little bit ashamed – at having been accused of cheating.

The worst part was that she had cheated in the class before – something Miss Greyston probably knew. She had copied other people's homework, looked at their answers to quizzes and downloaded formulas to her mobile phone so she could check them during exams. Miss Greyston had never said a word. This time, she had done the work. She had memorized the formulas and the compositions – and this was the time when she wound up sitting in front of Ms. DuMont.

"I don't want to talk about it," Regan said as she reclined on her bed again.

"Well, you know where to find me if you change your mind," Ruth replied. She, too, put her head on the pillow for another hour's rest.

"They accused me of cheating," Regan announced after 30 seconds of silence.

"Andy?" Ruth asked. "He thinks you're cheating on him?"

"Miss Greyston and Ms. DuMont," Regan corrected.