Chapter 23

"Tony Sims and Tami Sharp, please come to the office."

Damn! I'd just finished getting dressed down for P.E., and now I have to deal with Parker. I opened my locker again and reversed the process.

When I got to the main hallway Tami was waiting by my locker. She smiled, but half heartedly. "How bad?"

"Depends." I opened my locker and pulled out my backpack. "If your mom doesn't ground you or put you on chore duty, we can have two weeks of empty houses while parents work.

Tami grinned. "That's my Tony. Already a plan."

I slipped my arm around her, my hand finding it's place in the back pocket of her jeans. I figured were already toast; a little public display of affection couldn't hurt worse.

"Hi, Mrs. Hatcher," I said as we walked into the office. "We were summoned." I held open the swinging gate for Tami. We headed for Parker's office.

"Not there. Mr. Reed wanted to see you."

I looked at Tami, surprised. We stepped over to the next office, and Tami knocked.

"Come in. Miss Sharp, Mr. Sims, glad you could make it."

"Miss Sharp? You always call me Tami."

"That was when you were my student. Apparently now you're a full-time journalist. I need to treat you with respect."

"You're mad at me," she said in dismay.

"Not mad, disappointed. I expected better of you."

"I..." Tami started.

"Parker..." I tried to say.

"No!"

We both shut up.

"This is where I get to talk. As an educator, I'm proud of you. You have become a journalist. The article you wrote Friday is excellent. You did your research and presented it well."

"Thank you," Tami said.

"But... as your friend, I'm not so impressed.

"But..."

"Tony, shut up and listen for once."

I listened.

"There is a name for what you did. It's called ambush journalism."

"But..." we said together.

"QUIET! Ambush journalism is very popular. All the tabloid shows use it. But a journalist, a real journalist, balances the story. You got your facts, as I said. Your research was excellent. But did you even consider giving Mr. Parker a chance to respond? Did you even try to get a comment from me or Mr. Butz?"

"I..."

"Now I and all your teachers are in the position of not knowing if we're talking to Tami the student or Miss Sharp the reporter. The tabloid reporter. If we make a joke, it could wind up on the front page. AND without a chance to explain ourselves.

"As I said, your facts were correct. You will probably be very happy to know that Charley Parker has been suspended. Now you're dismissed. I'm busy."

"I..."

"I said I was busy," he said coldly.

I stood. "We better go," I said.

Tami looked like she was ready to cry. "Hold me," she said as we shut the door behind us.

I hugged her close. "It's okay."

"No, it's not. It wouldn't hurt if he wasn't right."

"He's not."

"Tony, he is. If I was a journalist, I would have talked to him, too. To Mr. Reed and Mr. Butz. Even Luke. But I wasn't getting a story, I was getting revenge. For you, for Robbie, for everybody."

"Tami, he deserved..."

She held her finger up against my mouth. "Tony, it's not what he deserved. It's what I have to do if I want to respect myself. If I want you to respect me."

"I'll always respect you."

"But I won't. You know how you feel about lawyers? That's how I feel about tabloid journalists. And that's what I become the minute I don't balance the story. The minute I use it for an agenda." She reached into my front pocket and pulled out my keys. "I need to clear my head."

"Want some company?" I asked conscious of the fact we were discussing cutting class in front of the school secretary.

"Not this time." She gave me a last hug, then pulled away. "This one I need to do on my own."

I watched her leave. Like I said before, that's why I love Tami. She makes me better than I am.