Chapter 33

"How you feeling?"

I was sitting, eyes closed, on the floor, my back against my locker and my feet stretched out in front of me. But I didn't need eyes to know that Tami was standing above me. I lifted my hand out in front of me, palm down, and wiggled it.

"Poor baby."

I felt her sit down beside me. Then she pulled my head down into her lap, not that I resisted. I smiled, thinking that Parker would not have appreciated the scene, not that he was around anymore.

"Ever think your mother might have been right?" Tami asked softly.

Mom had suggested that I should take another day before going back to school.

"Of course she was right. But we can't let her know that. You know how parents are. They get uppity."

Again, I didn't need eyes to know that Tami was grinning. "I'll remind you you said that when we have those three sets of twin girls you want."

I was saved from answering by Robbie's arrival. "Cute picture. I guess with Parker gone, the public displays of affection rule is gone too."

I knew I should have a snappy comeback for that, but I didn't know what it was.

"This isn't a display of affection, public or otherwise. This is a medical prescription." Tami answered for me.

"Aw, poor baby." It sounded better when Tami said it. Besides I could have cut myself on Robbie's sarcasm. "Having a bad day?"

I slowly opened my eyes and focused on Robbie. "Drop it."

Robbie opened her mouth, changed her mind, and closed it again. She sat down next to Tami, and I closed my eyes again.

"Tony had a stomach flu on Sunday. He stayed home yesterday and should have stayed home today too," Tami explained.

"No, I shouldn't. The flu's done. I don't feel bad anymore, I just don't feel right yet."

"Been there, done that," Robbie said, actually sounding sympathetic.

"Tony wanted a nice quiet day, and I don't think it's working out that way," Tami added.

"Honey, you ain't just whistlin' Dixie." Damn! I hate when I channel my grandfather.

"Want to talk about it?" Robbie asked.

I started to say no, but decided it was things that Robbie should probably know.

"It started quietly enough. I was running late because of arguing with Mom about coming to school at all, and Tami and I got here just before first bell. When the bell rang, I went down to the gym to talk to Coach Vickers about Friday night."

"What'd he say? At practice he didn't say anything about it, but he seemed different."

"Well, he didn't come out and say it, but he was put out 'cause we didn't tell him what was going on."

Somebody must have been holding the cafeteria door open, 'cause I could smell food, though I couldn't identify what, a common occurrence with cafeteria food. My stomach did a quick back flip.

"I explained that we, the team that is, discussed it and didn't tell him, not because we didn't trust him but because we wanted him to be able to honestly say he knew nothing about it."

"Plausible deniability. Did he buy it?"

I smiled. "It's a good thing he doesn't have a first period class. It took me awhile. But I think he knows we were protecting him. He never said it outright, but I think he was proud of us for what we did."

"I know I was," Robbie said softly.

I smiled again. "Apparently, Coach Rich has quite a few controversial opinions about women, blacks, and stuff. But usually he's smart enough not to air them in public.

"So what's going to happen to him?" Tami asked, stroking my hair.

"Probably nothing. After all, we're kids. What do we know?" I could feel Tami shrug.

"Then what? That's not so bad." Robbie asked.

"I was on my way to second period and a freshmen stopped me. Felicia something, she was an office aide. Kinda cute."

I felt a hand on my forehead.

"Just slightly feverish," Robbie said. "Pretty soon he'll come to his senses and realize he can't handle what he already has."

She was right, but I sure wasn't going to admit it, so I ignored her. "She had a note that Mr. Reed wanted to see me. When I got there, he and Butz were waiting for me in the conference room."

"Butz? The superintendent?" Tami asked.

I nodded. "That would be him."

"Where have you been?" Butz snapped as I opened the door. "We sent for you an hour ago."

I stood in the open door and wondered if Butz was channeling Parker. "I was talking to Coach Vickers."

"Instead of coming here."

"I just got the note."

Butz looked skeptical. "Sit!" he ordered waving at a chair across the table from him and Mr. Reed.

"Woof!"

"Excuse me?"

"I said, woof. I figured if you wanted to treat me like a dog, I should try to respond like one."

Butz gave me a long look. I still hadn't moved from the doorway. "Mr. Parker was right about you," he said finally.

I smiled. "Charlie Parker resigned rather than face a hearing with the school board. If you think he was right, you might want to reconsider your career options." I wondered if there was a rule that every school had to have a 'Parker', and Butz was going to take over now that Charlie was gone.

"Mr. Parker was a dedicated professional who..."

"Charlie-boy was an asshole," I interrupted, shocking Mr. Reed. I focused on him for a second, "You said that I had to treat every employee of the school with respect, even Parker. He choose not to be an employee any longer, so I can call 'em as I see 'em." I looked back at Butz. "Parker had forgotten, or else never knew, that the students in this school are people.

"I wouldn't play peon for him, and I'll be damned if I'll play it for you. And I don't sit on command."

"You are very close to being expelled."

"Then you'll make Charley-boy's week. Should I go back to class while you draw up the paperwork, or wait here?" Butz looked flustered, not that I could blame him. I decided to put salt in the wound. "I never wanted to make my school a laughing-stock, but if that's the direction you want to go..."

Butz lifted his arm, his forefinger extended toward me. I wondered if it was his official expelling finger.

Mr. Reed put his hand on Butz's arm and caught his eye. Butz relaxed. "Tony, is there something I should know?" Reed asked. I noticed that he emphasized 'I'.

I smiled. "Larry King had a hell of a show last night."

"Friday night lights. Friday night in October, almost every town in America readies for football. But in one town in central Washington, the lights went off and the fans went home." Larry King's face faded, replaced by a football stadium, with four football players facing off as a referee flipped a coin. "While other teams waited for a coin to land, The Rebels picked up and walked off their field, taking a forfeit rather than sharing a field with the coach of the opposing Panthers. A forfeit that spoiled their perfect season."

King's report was fair and balanced. Tami even said so as she watched it with me. Coach Rich got his say pretty much blaming the media for taking his remarks out of context and the Rebels for making a mountain out of a molehill. So did representatives of the Washington and National Education Associations: they thought we were uppity. They didn't use that word, but they gave that impression.

Some history professor from Georgetown compared us to the students of the sixties, walking out of classes to protest the Vietnam War. I thought he was a little over the top and just liked to hear himself talk.

Mike Reed was interviewed by phone. "Sometimes you have to do what's right and to hell with the game." I wondered if I should shoot Larry an e-mail that Mike was the only one to vote against walking off. I was mentioned. Larry said that I was sick and couldn't be reached for comment. I decided that I was never talking to Mom again. My first chance to be a smart-ass on national television.

The last interview was Brent Tatum, the Panther's quarterback. "I was mad when the Rebels turned their backs and walked away. I mean, we came a long way to play ball, and they just walked. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized just what they gave up.