“Alright.” Uncle Billy slowly cruised the car to a stop in front of the building. “You can get out now.”
Andrew glanced with consternation at his school and then back at his uncle. “Well, aren’t you coming with me?”
His uncle sat there and barely even looked at Andrew. He smirked. “I don’t need to hold your hand anymore. Your principal said for you to meet him today, not me.”
“I’m sure he meant for you to come too.” Andrew felt his body tense up. Great, I really don’t need to get the principal even madder at me by not having my uncle with me. His thoughts jumped around half-crazed in his head. “What if I’m suspended or expelled? How am I going to get back home?”
“You should have thought about that before you went along with your friend’s plan,” Billy replied coldly.
Andrew opened the door and got out, hoping his uncle was just kidding around. When he realized that the car was still running, he knew that his uncle was serious.
He slammed the door closed and turned from the car, which began to rapidly pull away as he approached the school. Only a few students were hanging out in the lobby as Andrew entered, and he wondered if they were watching as he reached the principal’s office.
Andrew was about to knock, but then he saw a silhouette through the hazy frosted glass of the small window in the door, so he lowered his hand. The figure in the office headed towards the door from the other side, and soon opened it.
“Andrew.” Principal Hart inclined his head at him and motioned, “please, come in.”
As he walked past his principal, he saw Senior Counselor Robertson in the room as well. The man gestured for him to take a seat. His face, just like the principal’s, was free of any noticeable emotion. “Thank you for coming again, Andrew.”
Andrew just shrugged in response. Like I had a choice.
The principal still held the door open and peered out into the lobby for several moments. “Is your uncle joining us?”
Feeling almost embarrassed to admit it, Andrew replied, “No, he’s not.”
“Oh.” the principal’s voice was cool and measured. “I suppose I should have been clearer and invited him then.”
Andrew sat up straight, trying to sense what would happen next, but Principal Hart was hard to read. His serious face gave away nothing, leaving Andrew dwelling in his own fears.
Upon closing the door and taking a seat behind the large wooden desk, Principal Hart leaned forward and put his hands together. “I have spoken to Principal Thorton and I have explained to him everything you have told us. I would like to let you in on something that may surprise you. Westview High School has security cameras throughout their school building and on the parking lot as well.”
Andrew stared at him in confusion and in shock. Would that help or hurt me even more? “You mean everything was recorded?”
“Not quite,” Principal Hart admitted. “For security reasons, I can’t disclose anymore about it, except that the license plates of the two cars were not fully readable on the security footage. Your testimony about it being your classmates’ cars has checked out, and your story of the events that had taken place that night were verified and found to be accurate.”
Matching the principal’s stare, Andrew once again attempted to read his expression, but was left uncertain.
“Senior Counselor Robertson and I have reviewed your previous academic record.” Principal Hart made a show of pulling out a file and browsing through it. “You were an A-student and had a clean school record. No absences, no detentions or anything of concern. It seems that since transferring to this school, you had just been involved with the wrong kind of friends. In light of that fact, and along with your honesty regarding what had occurred, with Counselor Robertson’s recommendation as well as my own, Principal Thorton of Westview High School has decided not to press any charges against you.”
A wave of relief swept over Andrew as he relaxed in the chair and smirked. Awesome. He then stood up and said, “I appreciate it. May I head off to homeroom now?”
“Not so fast.” Principal Hart’s voice turned colder and he narrowed his eyes.
Andrew looked at the counselor who motioned for him to take a seat once more. He sank back into the chair and stared forward. Mixed emotions flooded his thoughts and the fear he had first felt had now returned.
“Principal Thorton will not press charges,” his principal continued, “since I have assured him that you will be held accountable for your actions regarding the incident.”
“I’m still going to be punished?” Andrew asked with concern apparent in his voice.
Principal Hart nodded his head. “After school today, I ask that you report to Senior Counselor Robertson’s office on the fourth floor.”
“Andrew.” Counselor Robertson’s eyes softened and he spoke gently. “Try not to view it as a punishment, but as an opportunity to grow as a person. To get on the right track again.”
“You will meet with your counselor each and every day after school,” the principal continued, “and you will be required to participate in community service. Counselor Robertson will explain more about that later.”
“I understand.” The fear had dissipated within him, but Andrew still felt disappointed. For a few moments he had seriously thought he had gotten away with it all. Did Darren and the boys get community service? Maybe they won’t blame me too much when they realize that my punishment is the same as theirs.
Principal Hart stood up and stared down at Andrew. “The vandalism at Westview High School has already been erased. The investigation is over, and everyone involved in the incident has been addressed. This matter is to be kept confidential as to maintain respect for everyone’s privacy.”
“Yes, sir.” Andrew nodded. “Thank you.”
His principal shook his hand and opened the door for him. Before leaving, Counselor Robertson called out, “I’ll see you after school, Andrew. Take care.”
Andrew gave him a sharp nod and headed to his homeroom.
He had arrived there before most of the other students had, and he took his seat. As he glanced at the empty chairs behind him, he realized that Darren Dunlap should arrive shortly after. He feared that his former friend would not be glad to see him again.
I hope Darren doesn’t blame me for anything, Andrew thought worriedly. I had to be honest.
The closer it got to the first bell ringing, the tenser Andrew became. When the bell finally rang, the homeroom teacher took attendance.
“Mr. Adams?” Mr. Carlisle scanned the room with a practiced eye.
“Here,” the student replied lazily.
Andrew listened intently as the students’ last names were being called out, especially when the teacher reached the names starting with the letter D.
“Mr. Diaz?” he called. When the student replied, he then rattled out, “Mr. Dyson?”
What? Andrew pondered. Why didn’t he say Dunlap?
No one else in the room appeared to be concerned. Andrew swallowed his fears and slowly turned around. As he stared behind him at the students’ faces, he noticed one empty chair in the back row.
He’s not here, Andrew thought feeling mixture of relief and concern. Maybe he’s late. But, then the teacher still would have called his name.
Andrew was left in confusion throughout the rest of homeroom and his first two classes of the day. As the bell rang for lunch, Andrew headed to his locker, then went down the stairs to the bottom floor and entered the cafeteria.
He held his bagged lunch as he looked for an empty table to sit at. As he glanced across the cafeteria, he saw the table of his former friends. Andrew only looked long enough to spot Shawn and Max, but he did not want them to see him too. Beyond their table, at the far corner of the room, he located an empty table. Andrew took the long way around, and tried not to catch his friends’ attention.
On the way there, and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his sister. But, i
nstead of sitting with the cheerleaders as usual, Angela was alone with Carson. Andrew shook his head in disapproval and finally reached the empty table moments later. As he took his lunch out of the bag and began to eat his ‘Skippi’ Peanut Butter sandwich, he saw a shadow loom over him.
“Well, look who it is.” Johnny’s voice dripped with venom, “the rat.”
Andrew turned around as several guys surrounded him.
“Some friend you are squealing on all of us like that.” Max glared at him and flexed his arms menacingly.
Shawn shook his head in reproach and sneered down at him. “I can’t believe you did that.”
“Guys,” Andrew swallowed hard. “Take it easy.”
Max was livid. “You got caught, so you ratted on all of us to save your own neck. You are the lowest of the low.”
“That’s not what happened!” Andrew bit his tongue. Even though he would have phrased it differently, there really wasn’t anything to contest. He had ratted on them, but only after knowing they had deserted him.
“If it wasn’t for you,” Johnny continued spitefully, “Darren would still be here.”
“What are you talking about?” Andrew asked with a sinking feeling.
“Don’t play clueless.” Max slightly shoved Andrew’s shoulder. “You know what happened.”
Andrew raised his hands while shaking his head. “I seriously don’t have any idea what you are talking about. I noticed Darren wasn’t in Homeroom, but I don’t know why.”
“Because of what you told the principal,” Shawn spit out, “Darren was expelled.”
As Andrew looked at each of their faces, he realized that it was true. That could have been me.
“You just better watch your back.” Johnny leaned down close to Andrew, “because nobody likes a rat. And, without Darren on the football team, they’re going to start losing badly. Once everybody at the school hears that you were the one that sold him out, no one here will talk to you ever again.”
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