Chapter 17

"TONY SIMS. PLEASE COME TO THE OFFICE."

I looked at Tami, and she shrugged. Robbie, on my other side, was no better help. Then I looked at Mrs. Conners. She was looking at me.

"I have a topic," I said with a big smile. "Resolved: Teenagers and debate teachers are prone to auditory hallucinations, but should learn to ignore them."

Mrs. Conners smiled but inclined her head to the door.

I sighed, picked up my books, and left, wondering which of my past indiscretions was coming back to haunt me now. I was just passing my locker when the final bell rang, and that meant speed round was starting. And this semester Mrs. Conners was getting tough. Well, tougher. She was docking points for every "uh," "ah," or other unnecessary pause.

I stepped into the office. Melissa Bates, a senior I knew to say hi to, was standing behind the counter, buffing her nails and reading a magazine. Mr. Reed was sitting on the extra desk, chatting with Mrs. Hatcher. I walked up to the counter. "Hi, folks."

"Tony, you have a phone call," Mrs. Hatcher said. I raised an eyebrow. "It's Mr. Hollowell at the middle school." She pointed at the phone on her desk.

"Thank you," I said as I came around the counter. Damn. I guessed the Morris business hadn't gone away. The pickledick had probably gone to Butz. I realized that I'd thought of Morris as pickledick and decided no more cousins for me, either. They were contagious.

"Hi, this is Tony."

"Tony, this is Mr. Hollowell. We have a problem."

"Mr. Morris," I sighed.

"No, I haven't heard anything more from him and don't expect to."

"Then..."

"Traci got in a fight."

"SHE DID WHAT?" I realized that six eyeballs were locked on me, but I ignored them.

"She got in a fight. I've tried your house and your mom's and dad's offices, but I can't reach them."

"Mom's in Portland and Dad's in Olympia. I've kind of got the duty right now. I'll be there in five."

I hung up the phone and looked at Mr. Reed. "Traci's in trouble, and I need to go over there. She..."

He smiled. "Go."

"I'll take care of signing you out," Mrs. Hatcher said.

I started around the counter.

"Tony." I looked back at Mr. Reed. "Ever hear of the mother's curse?"

Mother's curse? Oh. "May you have a kid just like you?"

"That's the one," he said, smiling.

I waited. There had to be more.

"Your mother's curse must be especially strong. It's starting early."

His damn smile had become a grin, so I stuck my tongue out at him and stuck my thumbs in my ears and wiggled my fingers for good measure.

'It's been an interesting week, ' I thought as I drove to the middle school. Monday, Cheyenne tries to give me heart attack doing a double by herself. Yesterday, Morris tries to get me fired from coaching. And today, little Traci gets in a fight. Tomorrow was an away meet, and I didn't even want to think what was going to happen there.

Mr. Hollowell was in the office when I walked in. He was talking to a secretary I didn't know. She was new this year, and if Traci had mentioned her name, I'd forgotten it. I nodded. "Can I talk to Traci for a minute?"

"She's in Mr. Banks' room. It's empty this period," Mr. Hollowell said with a nod.

Mr. Banks had the classroom next to the office. I went in. Traci was sitting in a straight chair under the front whiteboard, looking miserable. I walked to the front of the classroom, took a seat in Mr. Banks' chair, and looked at her. She looked back for a few seconds, then felt the need to inspect her shoelaces.

"Want to tell me about it?"

"No."

I watched her for a minute as she checked out her shoes, then the door, then the window where a light rain was beating. "Okay," I said, stood, and pushed Mr. Banks' chair back under his desk.

"Tony?" she said quietly when I was halfway to the door.

I turned and looked at her.

"Are you mad?"

"Should I be?"

She stood up, then changed her mind and sat back down. She was looking towards me, but not at me. "It's just ... Well, Mom left you in charge, then I go and..."

"Trace, one fight in thirteen years doesn't exactly make you a gangbanger."

"It's ... uh ... kinda not the first."

"It isn't?"

"I kinda got in a brawl with Torrie Wachman in the sixth grade and got suspended for three days."

"You did?" Where was I?

"And Beth Middleston in fourth. I asked Mom not to tell you, and we kept it a secret."

"A good secret." My sister the gangbanger.

"Are you mad?"

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

"Later."

"Okay. Before I try to talk Mr. Hollowell out of suspending you for a week, is there anything else I should know? Smoking? Cheating scandals? Gun running?"

Traci shook her head.

I smiled. "I'm not mad. But I wish Dad hadn't told me last week that I'm not as good as Sergeant Bilko."

"Huh?"

"Have you got one of those big paddle boards with the round holes in it? Mom and Dad put me in charge of her. I can authorize a public spanking. We'll call an assembly before school gets over."

Mr. Hollowell smiled. "Tony, stop trying to play me. And for the record, I took psych in college and know all about reverse psychology."

I grinned. "Force of habit."

"When does your mother come back? I'll need to talk to her. And Traci will be suspended for a week."

"Dad comes back Friday evening. Mom thinks she'll be here Saturday afternoon. But you don't need to talk to her, she left me in charge. I'll handle it."

"She may have left you in charge, but I doubt she expected anything like this."

"Trace has been in three fights in eight years of school. Mom handled the first two. Maybe I can do a better job."

Mr. Hollowell looked surprised. "I really have to..."

"You have to speak to a student's parent or guardian. Mom put me in charge. That makes me the loco parent."

"It's called in loco parentis. It..." Mr. Hollowell saw my grin and stopped. "Tony, this is serious."

"And Traci WILL know that. I promise."

"Are you just trying to keep her out of trouble with your parents?"

"That and a little blackmail. You never know when you'll need some leverage with a little sister." Mr. Hollowell opened his mouth, but I held my hand up. "Sir, I don't like fighting. That's why I always tried to avoid them and almost always succeeded. I guess Trace's had two other fights. I don't know the details, but Mom dealt with them, and it didn't stick. I can come at her from two angles. I'm in charge, and she knows and accepts that. But I'm also a peer. I'm just a few years older."

Mr. Hollowell nodded.

"And trust me, she won't enjoy her one-day suspension."

"I said a week."

"Did you? I must have misheard. I figured one day was enough to get the message across, and since she's been a good student the last couple years..."

Mr. Hollowell sighed.

"Did Traci start it?"

"Uh ... I got different stories from the witnesses. Jaime says Traci started it, and Traci declined to comment." I didn't remember Traci mentioning a girl named Jaime she was having trouble with.

"If you need to know, I can get Traci to tell me, but otherwise we can call it mutual combat and let it go with a pair of one-day suspensions."

Mr. Hollowell sighed again. "Planning on law school?"

"Hell no. I hate to argue."

"I'm not sure that Jaime's parents will be happy about Traci only getting a one day suspension. He lost..."

"He? Jaime's a guy?"

Mr. Hollowell nodded. "You didn't know?"

"Nobody said."

"Anyway, Jaime lost at least one tooth. His mom has him at the dentist now. They may think Traci deserves more than one day."

"That would mean Jaime gets more than one day too, since we don't know who started the fight. You could remind them of that. AND remind them that no matter who started it, it takes two to make a fight."

Mr. Hollowell smiled. "I don't think that's what you said when you had yours."

"I think I said that Peter threw the first punch. The first three punches. I don't think I ever said that I didn't start it."

Both Mr. Hollowell's eyebrows shot up. "You might also point out that since Traci will be suspended tomorrow she'll be missing a meet, and that will punish her a lot."

Mr. Hollowell nodded. "Okay, for the moment we'll call her suspension one day. I'll be talking to Jaime's parents after school. If that changes anything, I'll let you know."

"Fair enough," I agreed. "I'm guessing that her suspension has already started?" He nodded. "Is it okay with you if she goes to practice tonight..." Mr. Hollowell started to protest but I held my hand up. "Goes to practice tonight, but does not participate, and that includes talking to the team. It would be easier on me and harder on her than sitting at home."

Mr. Hollowell thought for a moment, then nodded. "We're agreed?"

I nodded. "You're the boss."

Mr. Hollowell gently shook his head. "Sometimes, I think we both wonder about that."

The end-of-day bell was ringing as I collected Traci. We hustled to the gym. Miss Calloway was already there, sitting on the same stack of mats I'd put Cheyenne on and working on her grade book.

"Tony, you're early," she said as we walked up.

"I had something to do. Now, I've got to run back and pick up Tami and Stephy."

"Okay."

"Traci will not be participating today, but she will be watching silently. Can you keep an eye on her while I run to the high school.

Miss Calloway looked surprised. I guessed she hadn't heard about the fight yet, but she nodded.

I pointed, and Traci sat down next to her. I put my hands on Traci's shoulders and looked straight at her. "I am not mad. But you are being punished. Today you will sit here and not say a word. If you need to go to the bathroom or anything, you'll raise your hand just like in class. When Tami or I or Miss Calloway see you, you may come over and ask. Do we understand each other?"

Traci looked like an embarrassed five-year-old, but she nodded, then I sprinted for my car.

We got back just as the girls finished stretching. Kelly and Suzie headed for Traci.

"Ladies!" I yelled. They all hurried over. "Some of you may know why, the rest will hear, but Traci is an untouchable today."

"You, like, mean chasing bad guys with tommy guns?" Suzie asked.

"No, I, like, mean the lowest class of person in India. Untouchables are ignored. They are not seen, they are not talked to. Bad things happen to girls who don't ignore untouchables."

"Traci's my friend," Kelly protested.

"Traci's still your friend. That's an untouchable. Traci will be back on Friday. Now! Vaulters line up, everybody else stations," I ordered. I think it was the first time I realized that Morris had been right. I did run the practices, and Miss Calloway let me.

About halfway through practice I saw Kelly sneak over to Traci. I watched for a minute. I could see Kelly's mouth moving, but Traci's stayed shut. "Kelly, two laps!" I yelled. "Then beam."

"Tony, can I talk to you?" Cheyenne asked as practice finished.

"Sure. Tami, would you escort the untouchable to the car?" Tami nodded. "Remember, that no talking thing goes for coaches too." Tami started to stick her tongue out, changed her mind, stuck her nose in the air, and walked out with my sister. I grinned at their backs.

"What can I do for you Miss Wyoming?" I said turning back to Cheyenne. The others had all left.

"Miss Wyoming?"

"Aren't you the capital?"

Cheyenne looked disgusted.

"Sorry, you probably get things like that too much."

"Yeah."

"Your tumbling looked real clean today." She hadn't thrown her double, but she'd tried just about everything else in the book. "What would you like?"