Chapter 10

Usually a three-day weekend is something kids live for, but this one seemed to drag on forever. At least the weather cooperated. Saturday, Tami and I, with Robbie and Mark Russell, went out to the National Forest and hiked for about four hours. That night Tami and I played Monopoly with Traci and Peter, Mikee and Sam, and Kelly and a freshman named Kyle. Robbie and Mark were supposed to play too, but spent most of the evening in my room with the door shut, something that Sam and Kyle noticed and kept giving each other nudges about. Peter, the girls, and I ignored them.

Sunday, Tami and I took her mom and my family to the city park for a barbeque. We'd bought huge rib-eyes and all the fixins. We'd decided that we'd gotten pretty lucky in the parent department and needed to show them some appreciation. Traci only got to come because I couldn't find a babysitter at the last minute. Peter came because somebody taught Traci how to pout with big puppy-dog eyes.

Monday, another barbeque. But this time Tami and I were the guests and Robbie's dad was doing all the cooking. Robbie had invited Mark, but he had a family thing.

Tami, Robbie, and I hung around the backyard and played volleyball. Well, actually, they played volleyball. I tried not to drool, 'cause Robbie's sister was home. Samantha had just turned twenty-three and was every guy's wet dream. She'd just missed the cover of Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition a couple years ago and had turned down Playboy a couple of times. According to Robbie, Samantha made more money than her dad, and that was just working six or seven months a year. The rest of the time she was a professional student. Right now she was doing archaeology at Arizona.

I kept having this daydream where's she'd ask if everything Robbie said about me was true, then led me up to her bedroom to find out. And every time I came out of the fog, Tami and Robbie were looking at me knowingly. Damned telepathy.

All in all, it would have been a hell of a weekend if I hadn't been waiting.

"Good morning, Mrs. Price. This is Tony Sims."

"Morning, Tony. How was your Labor Day?"

"Just great. Did the barbeque thing a couple of times. How 'bout yours." I figured it never hurt to shmooze a secretary.

"Nice and quiet."

"I was wondering if I could get an appointment to see the superintendent this morning or this afternoon?"

I could hear the hesitation in her voice when she answered. "He's booked solid this morning, but you could have a few minutes about two."

"Two would be fine," I agreed. "See you then.

I hung up the phone and grinned.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Price," I said as I walked into the office.

"Afternoon Tony," the little old lady said. "He's on a long distance call, but it won't be too long." She hesitated, and I wondered if there was something more she wanted to tell me, but then she went back to her paperwork.

The new Time was on a table and I picked it up. The cover story was on heart attacks, which didn't interest me, but I started flipping through the magazine anyway.

"You can go in now," Mrs. Price said a couple minutes later. I set the magazine down. It never fails: just when you finally find an article worth reading.

I nodded to her as I walked through the office to the superintendent's door. "How was your summer, Mr..."

Mr. Mulino wasn't sitting behind the desk.

"You would be Tony Sims," he said, looking up from some paperwork on his desk. Where Mr. Mulino looked like a big friendly Jackie Gleason, this guy looked more like that Marine drill sergeant on Mail Call on the Discovery Channel.

"Yes, sir," I admitted, startled. "I was hoping to see Mr. Mulino."

"Mr. Mulino isn't with the district anymore."

Nobody ever tells me anything. "There's nothing wrong is there?" I asked, thinking he was too young to retire.

"Mr. Mulino left to take over as superintendent of the Seattle school district."

I relaxed.

"Sit!" It was a command rather than an offer.

I'd still been standing in the doorway. I stepped in and closed the door. I considered standing just because I didn't like being ordered around like a dog, but decided it was probably just his style.

"Uh, I didn't get your name." I said after we'd stared at each other for several seconds.

"I'm Mr. Butz," he said sharply, without bothering to offer his hand. I decided this wasn't the best time to make a joke about his name.

"Yes, sir. I was hoping to..."

"It seems, Tony that you've had rather free access to this office," he interrupted.

"I don't know about..."

"That is over. I am not here to make sure you're having a good time."

"I see," I said simply.

"I hope you do. I don't like having my time wasted."

I stood. "Thank you for seeing me," I said dryly.

He nodded in dismissal.

At the door, I stopped. "There's a board meeting tonight. Would you add me to the agenda?"

"No."

"No?"

"The board has more important things to do than hold your hand. Since you're suspended, you're obviously not representing an official school organization."

I counted to ten under my breathe. First in English, then Spanish, French and German. "Thank you," I said and closed the door behind me. Outside I counted to ten again in Russian, Swahili, Chinese and Hebrew.

I took a breath and started toward the door.

"Thank you," I said as I passed Mrs. Price's desk, thinking that she might have warned me.

"I miss him too," she said.

As I climbed into my Mustang, I wondered how many more languages I could learn one to ten in.

"Could I say something?" I asked, standing.

"Tony?" Mr. Whitting said in surprise.

"Sims!" Mr. Parker said in annoyance.

"Sit down!" Mr. Butz said in command.

I stayed on my feet. Butz rose to his, came around the table and stood on the edge on the stage, looking down at me. "Mr. Sims, as I told you this afternoon, the board has important matters to discuss, and doesn't have time for you. You will leave now, or be suspended for an additional two weeks."

"Okay," I agreed, surprising Tami and Robbie sitting beside me, and my parents and sister in the next row.

"By the way, this meeting is now in violation of the state open meeting law and I'll file the formal protest with the Attorney General in the morning." I turned my back and started to edge past Robbie to leave.

"That law, young man is not about students disrupting important meetings."

"THAT LAW, Mr. Superintendent, says 'member of the public'. It does not contain any reference to age or school standing. And I did not disrupt anything. I asked if I could address the board, which is customary in this district. The CHAIRMAN can choose to recognize me or not. But since you have ordered me out, in violation of state law, you can explain it to the Attorney General and the State Board of Education. I believe the fine is a hundred dollars."

"I WILL NOT BE SPOKEN TO LIKE..."

"Mr. Butz.' Mr. Whitting wasn't loud, but there was enough authority in his voice to shut Butz up. He turned and faced the board.

"All of us know Tony," he indicated his fellow board members. "Personally, I've known him since he pulled a couple of my neighbors out of a fire."

I thought I detected a change of skin color on the back of Butz's neck.

"I know him well enough to know that he wouldn't waste our time. And he is correct that state law gives him the RIGHT to be here, because sixteen-year-olds are still members of this community."