Chapter 6

Ted got out of his chair very quickly, but most of the effect was ruined when he knocked into Danny Cox's desk, and ended up tipping it, and them, over onto the hard tile floor. I took the opportunity, with all the noise and confusion, to kick each of them in the head before they could start to untangle and get back up. I didn't kick them very hard, just enough to let them know they should take my words more seriously than they apparently believed they should.

The study hall teacher ended up sending for the vice principal, and he, in turn, sent for the football team's coach. I hadn't said anything, either to confirm or deny what Danny and Ted were claiming I'd done. The vice principal turned out to be a nice guy. I could tell he didn't like a lot of what some of the school's athletes were allowed to get away with, but he had to deal with it carefully, because the principal and school board members were big booster's of the league championship team they were all expecting this year.

The football team coach was a big man too, probably an ex football player himself, would be my guess. He listened to what Danny told him, and then told the vice principal that I should be expelled for what I'd done to his two players.

"If I get expelled, both of them need to be expelled too. They both threatened me, and it was Ted jumping to get at me that caused them both to end up on the floor. I didn't kick them like they're saying I did. Ask the teacher what he saw. He was right there when it all happened."

The teacher said he saw Ted get up and dive at me, while Danny and I just seemed to be talking together. He said he didn't see me kicking anyone, and then added that he had been in a good position to see it if it had really happened.

"Just from that eye witness account from a teacher, you have more than enough to expel Ted. I think the coach doesn't want to see one of his starting players expelled. I was telling Danny, before Ted tried to attack me, that I was nearly certain he wouldn't be able to compete in any sports this year if he continued on with his bad attitude towards me, and towards nearly every other non Varsity Club member in this school. He seems to believe he's someone special, but even special people can get hurt if they keep insisting on provoking people."

"Are you threatening my quarterback?"

"What I'm telling him, and you, is that I think he's a very bad influence at this school. If you don't do something to rein him in, then I will. If I'm forced to do it, I guarantee you he won't be in a position to play football, or any other game, not for the rest of the year."

"You heard him, Mr. Gordon, he's threatening Danny, the team, and me. That is surely sufficient grounds for expulsion?"

"I have sufficient grounds for expelling all three of them. Mr. Cox, I've had several talks with you in the past, have I not? I warned you that there would come a day when all your misdeeds would place you in a position where no one's influence would help you. Before I was called here to handle this problem, I had four young female students sitting in my office, relating some of the things you've said and done to them in the recent past. I cannot ignore their complaints, or continue to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to what you've been doing. I'm suspending you for two weeks, effective today, and requesting a school board hearing for next week, to vote on my petition to have you permanently expelled from this school. Mr. Flanagan, I'm suspending you for two weeks too, for whatever part you played in this mess here in this classroom. Ted Meyers, you have a two week suspension also, and I'm going to request that the school board have you declared ineligible to participate in any interscholastic activities for the remainder of the school year. If you choose to act like a goon, I'll see to it that you are treated like one. Coach Cuchella, I'm certain you'll be wanting to get on the phone to try to drum up support for getting these decisions overturned. You too have now been warned that our tolerance for some of the athlete's behavior is wearing thin. I'll be recommending that your contract with this school should not be renewed."

"We'll just see what Mr. Gardner thinks when he hears about what you've just done."

"You should hurry to his office then. He's probably finished packing his personal effects right about now. Mr. Gardner has accepted a position with another school district, effective immediately, and I've been appointed the new interim principal of this school."

The coach and both his players left right after this, probably to see if the vice principal was telling the truth about the principal leaving. Mr. Gordon turned his attention back to me.

"You would be wise to take some time to reflect on how you wish the remainder of your high school experience to play itself out, Mr. Flanagan. From all that I've been able to gather from witnesses I've interviewed, it was you that kept on escalating that confrontation in the cafeteria today. It matters little to me what your provocation for doing this was, although I suspect you were angry with Mr. Cox on another's behalf. I will not tolerate the kind of baiting you were responsible for in this school today. It matters not that the end result was one I have long hoped to see. In the future, I would appreciate it if you would confine your activities, on this campus, to acquiring whatever further academic education you are seeking."

Less than one week into my senior year, and already I'd been suspended for two weeks. I knew both parents were going to just love this. I was surprised when Kevin started sticking up for me at the supper table that night. He told my parents what a lot of other students at the school were saying after the football players and I were suspended.

There had been trouble brewing for a few years at the school, with too much emphasis being placed on winning, and too little on maintaining some sense of proportion over what place academics and sports held within the school. To many students, athletes had been shown far too much favoritism at the school, and most students resented that fact.

"Other than those two cheap shots with your foot, Jimbo, I can't really see where anything you did deserves a two week suspension. Do you want me to go see that principal of yours, and try to get him to let you come back earlier?"

"No, Dad. He had to suspend me to avoid anyone saying he was playing favorites. What I'm most worried about is how people will react if our teams start losing games they were supposed to be winning with two of the best players suspended or expelled. A lot of high school kids take their sports teams very seriously."

"That new principal will probably be the one who gets most of the blame for things like that. How are you supposed to be keeping up with your studies while you can't go to school?"

"Mr. Gordon told me that he'd see that Kevin got all my class assignments and brought them home to me. I can't turn anything in, not until after I finish serving the suspension, but I should be able to get some credit for actually doing all the work assigned. The main thing is, having all the class assignments means I can keep up with what everyone else is learning, and won't be too far behind after I can come back."

Dorothy Ross came over to our house the first Saturday after I got suspended. My father and mother had taken Nancy and Willy shopping with them. My mother wanted new bedroom furniture for Nancy's room. Kevin was over at his girlfriend's house.

"I came over to tell you thank you for what you tried to do. I don't know why Danny likes to pick on me like he does. I've never done anything bad to him or to any of his friends. If anyone should be mad, it should be me, not them."

"He's just a jerk. He makes himself look bigger and more important by dragging other people down. I just heard the school board has decided not to hold a hearing to see about expelling him."

"Someone said he was transferring to another school. Some Catholic high school with a really good football team. Danny's father is supposed to have said he'd sue the school board if they tried to expel him. This is one of the big models, right? Only three were sold I heard. Does it really have five bedrooms?"

"I think it was supposed to be four bedrooms and a den, but we use it as a fifth bedroom instead."

"What's a half bathroom, just a sink and a toilet?"

"Yes, its supposed to be a guest bathroom, for when you're entertaining. My bedroom has its own outside door, so I can come and go without having to go through the living room."

"I heard that you kicked Danny in the head. I wish I could have seen it. I hated some of those names he used to call me, and some of the things he used to tell people about me."

"You shouldn't let stuff like that bother you. Nobody believes any of the crap he used to say."

"Maybe what he said about some of the others, but they believed what he said about me. It was mostly true anyway."

"Well it doesn't matter if it was true, or if it wasn't. It was still a creepy thing to do, going around telling people things like that."

"If you hadn't given me that ride, probably none of this would have happened."

"You're wrong about that. I've never been able to stand people like him. As soon as I met him, I knew we weren't going to get along. He really believes he's something great, just because he's a good athlete."

"He's a lot better than good. He was miles better than anyone else at football, basketball, and tennis. He was good at everything having to do with sports. He's very good looking too."

"I never noticed that part. He's still a miserable human being."

"I can't argue with you about that. Do you think you'll be able to catch up in all your classes and still be able to graduate?"

"I only have four real classes, and one of them is PE. I have two study halls, during sixth and seventh period. All I have left are the compulsory classes. I finished all my electives already. In Ohio, we had eight periods, not just seven. I went to Summer school for two years too. I've got enough credits to graduate now, but the state has classes I still need to take in order to graduate."

"Would it be too much trouble if I asked you to show me around your house? We saw the model, but it isn't the same as a house people are really living in."

I showed her the house. It took about ten minutes. I remember thinking that my parents really needed all new furniture. The stuff we'd brought with us wasn't enough for this big of a house, and most of it was old and shabby looking anyway. We ended up in the kitchen.

"Which one was your bedroom?"

"We didn't go there. It's over here, that door right there." I pointed at the door to my room.

"Aren't you going to show me that one too?"

"Its pretty messy right now, and I don't really have it fixed up the way I want it yet."

"You should still show it to me."

I walked over and opened my bedroom door. There wasn't much for her to see. I had a single bed, one narrow chest of drawers, and a closet with the rest of my clothes and things. I wasn't someone who collected lots of things, or liked to put things up on my walls like my brothers and sister seemed to.

"Not much to look at yet, but I'm going to be fixing it up soon. I'll probably get a bigger bed, and maybe a mirror for the wall. I want my own table and chair in here too, so I can study in peace. With three brothers and sisters, there is never anyplace quiet to study or read."

"You have your own bedroom, that's something I'll never have. I have three brothers and three sisters. We barely fit in our three bedroom house. My parents have one bedroom, my two oldest brothers sleep on the couches in the living room. My youngest sister and I sleep in a bedroom with my youngest brother. My two oldest sisters have the other bedroom together. I shouldn't complain though, because the place we lived at before was even smaller. My uncle owns the house we live in now. He bought it as an investment. My father and mother, two of my brothers, and my two oldest sisters work for him, at several of his dry cleaning businesses. My uncle says we can buy our own house someday, just as soon as we finish paying him back all the money we owe him. My father lost a lot of money with the business he used to own. My uncle has been helping us ever since."

"That's my door. My favorite thing about this room."

"If you want to do me, its all right."

I turned around so that I could look at her. I felt a bit of a tingle as my excitement grew, because of what she'd just said. I tried to think of some other possible way to construe the words she'd just uttered.

"If I want to do you?"

"You know, on the bed, screw me. Its all right if you want to. I wouldn't mind if you did."

"Would you like a Pepsi Cola? That's all we have right now. My father doesn't like the taste of Coca Cola. Why don't we go out in the kitchen and we can talk about what you said?"