The Dragon Lady of Hamilton High

by Lady Li Andre

  * * *

  8

  Tony’s eyes had gone wide. I pointed back the way we had come. He moved to the edge of the building. A couple of boys were looking in our direction. He groaned, leaned back against the wall, and closed his eyes. “Oh, give me a break. I swear, they follow me around like lost souls.”

  I risked another glance at the boys. They were moving cautiously toward us. I looked around. There was a deep entryway by a shop. It made a corner next to the window. I pulled Tony toward it. We ducked into the space as the boys came around the corner. They stopped where we had been just moments before. They were obviously watching us.

  I sighed and leaned closer to Tony. He looked surprised. I put my hands on his shoulders and dropped my voice. “I get it. You’re showing off for the guys. It’s a top dog thing. You want to look cool. Fine. You don’t want Rita hanging on you. I get that. But let’s get one thing straight. I’ll let you follow me around at school like a love sick puppy if that’s what you feel you need to do but that’s where it ends. Do you get what I’m saying? I have to go to work. You will not follow me.”

  He nodded. “Can I talk now?”

  I looked at my watch. “Two minutes and then I have to run.”

  I could see the boys creeping around to get a better look. So did Tony. He put his hands on my arms. “Please don’t hit me.” He took a shaky breath. “I’m sorry if I’m annoying you. I don’t know how to explain it.”

  The tone of his voice had changed. I could hear the difference. It had lost some of the slur that he used around the guys. I leaned closer and his hands slid around my back. He seemed even more surprised. I looked up at him. “If you don’t want to trust me and tell me what’s really going on, that’s fine.” His eyes went wide and he struggled to breathe. “I’ve been through my own hell.”

  He hugged me. “Please tell me I haven’t hurt you.” His voice was full of emotion.

  I hugged him back. “You haven’t.” I let him go. He looked ready to cry. “I have to go to work. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  I pulled away from him and hurried down the street. I glanced back as I turned the corner. The boys had joined him. Tony’s body looked droopy. I ran the rest of the way to the dojo. I don’t know what I was feeling. Confusion mostly.

  Steven met me at the door and held it open for me. “Man, fish could do the town in this weather.”

  I did my best to leave as much outside as I could. “It is definitely wet.”

  Max came from the back. “Well, should we build a boat?”

  Steven started to laugh. “Only if we don’t plan on packing it with animals.”

  Max grinned. “Susan is making dinner for us tonight. She said it was a surprise.”

  I tried to smile. “Then you just spoiled it.”

  He shook his head. “No. She always brings dinner on Thursdays. I just don’t know what it is tonight. That’s why it’s a surprise.” He seemed to be in a good mood.

  I didn’t want to spoil it. “I’m going to go change and get out of these wet clothes.” I headed for the locker room. Amy and Linda came in a few minutes later. I managed to smile at Amy. “Well, how did it go?”

  She grinned. “You were right. I went in this morning and explained what happened to the principal. He thanked me for being honest and for standing up for a fellow student. So I didn’t get in trouble.” Linda looked confused. Amy explained it to her as we got ourselves ready for class.

  Afternoon classes went okay. I had a couple of boys in my last afternoon class that just couldn’t stay focused. I considered how to deal with them. I whispered a direction that the rest of the class heard. I shouted, “Kia!”

  All the other students dropped to the mat. The two boys stood shaking, glancing around. They looked at me with wide eyes. I bowed to the class and clapped my hands. “Now, here is the lesson. When you are focused, unexpected events will not surprise you. Let’s continue.”

  After class, Max stopped me in the hall. “An interesting tactic. It seems to have worked.”

  “We’ll see how long it lasts.”

  Philip sat next to me at dinner. I hadn’t had time to really talk to him during the afternoon session. I had students asking questions between the first two sets and parents asking questions between the last two. He seemed unusually quiet.

  Susan had made the most amazing dinner. There were long rice noodles with vegetables, kebobs of barbecued chicken pieces, and the most amazing miso soup. After I’d finished, I turned and looked at him. “How has your day been so far?”

  “It has been very long.” His voice sounded tired. It didn’t have the usual happiness to it.

  Something in me felt wrong. Was I the cause? I didn’t know how to ask. “Are you done? We could go get a little extra practice in.”

  “Sounds good.” We washed and put up our plates. We went into the classroom. He handed me a pair of bastons and took a pair for himself. He had an odd look on his face. “Does it bother you to be my partner?”

  I was caught off guard by the question. It took me a moment to process it. “Why would you ask that? Does it bother you?”

  “No.” He smoothed down a piece of the wrapping on the stick. “It’s just, I am…” He looked up at me. “Black.”

  I could see the tension in his body. “I don’t care. Does it bother you that I’m not?”

  He looked down. “There are some people who think that it is wrong for a black man to be with a white woman.” His voice was very quiet.

  I moved right in front of him and looked up into his face. He was much taller than I was. With his head down, we were almost nose to nose. “There are things we can’t choose in life. We can’t choose when or where we are born or who are parents are. But we can choose to move past old ideas and form new ones. I’m honored to call you my friend and I will stand by you. I don’t care what other people think or say.”

  He looked down at me. “You are special.” His soft voice touched a place in me that had never been touched before.

  I could hear the others coming. I didn’t want to embarrass him. “Thank you.” I sighed and glanced toward the door. “Sounds like everyone else is coming. Where do you want to start?”

  He swallowed hard and took a step back, drawing the bastons into ready position. “First set.” His voice shook. I matched his pose and we began the pattern.

  Max put on some music that sounded like a mariachi band playing a really fast waltz. It worked perfectly for the three beat patterns of Sinawali. By the end of the night, we had worked out the most amazing performance. Susan stayed and watched the entire practice. She came up afterwards. “That is absolutely beautiful. People are going to love it.”

  I changed and found Philip waiting for me. He handed me a cup of tea. “It’s my turn to serve you tea.” I smiled and took the cup. I sipped the hot tea. He was waiting. “Well, how did I do?”

  I laughed. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

  He gave me one of his big toothy smiles and drank his own tea. “I wish it was not a school night but I have to go catch my bus.”

  I washed my cup and put in on the rack. “I have to get home, too, or my mom will worry. But I live only a few blocks away. How long does it take you to get home?”

  “It’s about twenty minutes on the bus and then a couple of blocks. It’s not bad.”

  I pulled on my raincoat. “Except on nights like this.”

  We walked out the door together. Philip paused in the doorway and turned to me. “Erin, would you be upset with me if I kissed you?”

  I felt odd. “I don’t think so. I’ve never been kissed before.”

  He looked surprised. “Never? I would think such a beautiful woman as you would have been kissed many times.” He put his arm around me.

  I looked up at him. “There’s never been anyone I wanted to kiss before.”

  He leaned down. His lips touched mine. I felt lightheaded and was glad his arm was around me. His lips moved against mine. I became warm in a whole new
way. His mouth moved down to my ear. “I will teach you how to kiss.” He kissed my neck and slowly pulled away.

  I felt awkward. He obviously knew what he was doing. I could see the bus coming. “I know you have to go. Have a good day tomorrow.”

  He glanced at the bus. “You, too.” He ran for the stop. I was afraid the bus driver wasn’t going to see him in the rain. But the bus stopped, he got on, and it drove away.

  I walked home, ignoring the pelting rain. The memory of the touch of his lips was so powerful. I suddenly understood the couples I’d seen in the halls of every high school I had attended. It was as though he’d awakened something in me that I had never known existed.

  I was soaked through by the time I got home. Mom took one look at me and insisted I take a hot shower. I sat on my cot brushing my hair. I couldn’t stop thinking about Philip.

  Mom sat down on her cot at looked at me. “Erin, are you okay?”

  It was like reality hit me – hard. I looked over at the concern on my mom’s face. How long would we be here? What was I thinking? If I got involved with Philip, I would just end up hurting him when my mom pulled us away in our next mad dash. “I’m okay.” I could hear the shake in my own voice.

  Mom studied her hands. “Okay.” She sighed. Her eyes met mine. There was a glassy sheen to hers. “Is it something at school?”

  I closed my eyes. “Mom, it’s high school.”

  She laughed. I looked over at her. A tear rolled down her cheek. “I’m sorry. This can’t be easy for you. I keep dragging you all over the place.”

  Had our conversation last night gotten through to her? I dropped my brush and moved to her side. I hugged her. “It’s okay, mom. You’re trying to protect us. I understand that.” I wiped the tear away. “I just wish I understood who was chasing us and why. Aren’t I old enough to at least know that much?”

  She clung to me. “It’s not your fault.”

  That chilled me. When people say that, you know you’re somehow part of the equation. All kinds of things started going through my mind. I focused on breathing and got my heart to slow down. “Mom?”

  She pulled away. Her hand pulled a loose strand of my damp hair out of my face. “This isn’t fair to you. I keep hoping that I’ll get lucky and get to a place they can’t find us.”

  “Who? Who is looking for us? Is it my dad?”

  Her face seemed to crumple. She buried her hands in her face and began to cry. I didn’t know what to do. I held her and rocked her like she’d done for me when I was little. She finally quieted and laid down on her cot. I pulled the blanket over her and went to my own cot. I braided my hair and turned off the light.

  Friday morning was gray with heavy fog but at least there was a break from the rain. The fog was thick and smelled like the city. Mom had still been asleep when I left the apartment. I got to school early. I had several assignments I wanted to finish.

  Tony was already there with a couple of his boys. They saw me before he did and started in on him. He frowned. “Don’t you be saying things like that about my girl.”

  One of the boys laughed. “As if! She’s never going to be your girl. She’s too smart.”

  The other guys laughed. Tony moved away from them and met me at the door. “Allow me.” He opened it for me.

  I had pretty much promised him the day before that I’d play along. Whatever. I smiled. “Thank you.”

  Tony looked back at the boys with a look of accomplishment then followed me inside. He tailed me to my locker and leaned on the one next to it. “Let me guess. Homework in the library.”

  I pulled out the books. “That’s how it works when you have a job.”

  He didn’t say anything, just stood there watching me get things organized for the day. He walked me to the library but paused at the door. He looked around. “Thanks, Erin.” He turned and walked down the hall.

  I went in and found a quiet corner. I had to force myself to focus on the assignments. There were so many things rolling around in my brain. All the stuff with my mom, Philip, and Tony. The Soc-Ec paper turned into a scary parody of my own feelings about racial issues.

  The bell rang and startled me. I pulled all my books together and headed for my locker. Tony joined me on the stairs and caught another student who’d been pushed. The kid probably wouldn’t have run into me but it could have been a bad fall. “Tony scowled at the pusher. “Watch it, pal! My girl is not part of your pinball game!”

  I wasn’t sure who looked more scared, the kid he saved or the one who pushed him. I didn’t say anything until we’d gotten to my locker. “That was a nice save.”

  He grinned. “Thank you.” He looked around. “Well, look who’s back.”

  I glanced in the direction he was pointing. Kevin was at his locker. He looked over at Tony. His face was drawn. He grabbed his books, shut his locker, and started down the hall.

  Tony grinned and pushed off the locker in his direction. I shut my locker and slipped my arm around his waist. “How about walking me to class?”

  He turned back and stared at me. A lot of the others in the hallway did, too, including Kevin. Tony glanced at Kevin then back at me. “As my Dragon Lady requests.” He put his arm around my shoulder and we walked down the hall. Other kids actually got out of the way.

  We got to the science wing. David was hurrying down the hall toward a different classroom. He stopped and stared. “What are you doing?”

  Tony scowled at him. “As if it’s any of your business. I’m walking my girlfriend to class.”

  The expression on David’s face was a mixture of fear and concern. He looked at me. “Are you okay?”

  Tony pulled me away. “I don’t want my lady to be late for class.” He looked back over his shoulder. “Aren’t you supposed to be somewhere?”

  Trying to figure out Tony and David was like working a thousand piece jigsaw puzzle without having a picture or even an idea of what it was supposed to be. We stopped at the classroom door. “Don’t you have to be in class?”

  He grinned. “I’ll get there, eventually. I always walk in late. It’s part of my image.”

  I shook my head. “Don’t bother Kevin. Okay?”

  “Was he carrying something again?”

  “Didn’t you see the look on his face? Something is wrong. Give him a break.”

  He hugged me. “Yes, ma’am.” He winked. “See you after class.”

  I took my seat. Several of the other kids looked at me in amazement. I wondered what they must be thinking. Mr. Yenny came in as the bell rang. I turned in my homework and we got into the lesson on Global Position Satellites.

  Tony caught up with me in the hallway after class. He stood beside my locker while I dropped my books inside then followed me to art class. He peered around the corner into the room. “What is this, a class on flower arranging?”

  I had to laugh. “Those are still lifes. We have to draw them from different angles. It’s part of a mural project for Senior Portfolio.”

  He traced part of the design on the sleeve of my jacket. “I bet you’re a really good artist.” His soft tone caught me off guard.

  The bell rang. “I have to get my art board. Have a good second period.” I went into the class room. I had no clue what classes Tony was taking, other than Senior Lit.

  One of the other girls sitting at my table looked at me as I sat down. “How did you manage to snag Tony Burns? From what I hear, he’s hot. Rita has been after him since day one and he won’t give her anything.”

  I didn’t even know her name. I’d been in class with her for two weeks now – sat at the same table with her – but I didn’t know who she was. As I began finishing the fine details and doing the highlights, I realized that had been the case a lot. I never bothered to know who the other students around me were because I knew I wouldn’t be there very long.

  Ms. Gilbert stopped beside me. “He looks sad.”

  I looked at the dragon in the picture. He did look sad. Like he didn’t really want
to be there. I looked at the whole composition. “They’re cut flowers. They’re dead. They have been deprived of their potential.” I have no idea where that came from. It just came out.

  Ms. Gilbert put her hand on my shoulder. “You have a great deal of potential.” Her voice was very quiet. She cleared her throat. “I think it’s a very powerful image. It goes well with the first one.”

  I finished it and sprayed it. I was just washing my hands as the bell rang. I headed for my locker. Kevin was ahead of me in the hallway. Tony was waiting at my locker. Kevin stopped when he saw him. Tony didn’t move.

  I walked around Kevin and stopped in front of Tony. I looked back at Kevin. “He’s not going to do anything to you. I made him promise.”

  Kevin looked unsure but walked around us and went to his own locker. Several of Tony’s boys were on the other side of the hallway. They were watching. He took my hand and held it to his chest. “Whatever my Dragon Lady asks.”

  I felt uncomfortable. His hand around mine was having an odd effect. It confused me. I slowly pulled it away and got the books from my locker. Tony looked concerned.

  David was standing at the classroom door. He looked angry. I got this really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. That’s the thing. When you don’t really connect with the people around you, you’re kind of like a ghost just passing through the crowd. You see things and hear things. Sometimes you learn things that shock you until you discover that it’s not unique at all it’s just nobody wants to talk about it. I was starting to wonder if David was jealous of me.

  We walked over to the classroom. Tony grinned at me. “I’ll see you at lunch.”

  David’s face contorted. I saw the intent. Too many years of training. My instincts took over. I caught his fist and redirected the blow. “Stop.”

  The world seemed to stand still. Everyone focused on us. There were a lot of amazed stares. David and Tony both looked shocked. Mr. Craig, who’d been seated at his desk, rushed forward. He looked pale. “Mr. Jenson! Did you just attempt to hit this young lady?”

  David was staring at me. “I…” He looked at Tony who shrugged then back at me. “Not really.”

  The bell rang. Mr. Craig looked at Tony. “I don’t believe you’re in this class, Mr. Burns.”

  Tony looked at me. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. You should go to class.” Tony gave a final look at David and walked away. I turned to Mr. Craig. “Sir, I think it was more of a misunderstanding. He wasn’t aiming for me.”

  Mr. Craig didn’t look convinced. “Regardless, that is unacceptable behavior.” He pulled out a hall pass and scribbled on it, ripped it off, and handed it to David. “You will take this to the office immediately.” David took the note. He glanced at me then pushed passed and headed down the hall.

  I went to my seat. Everyone was staring at me – again. I was starting to regret my promise to Tony. I pulled my jacket tighter around me. I was wearing Brinsop. It felt like David was Saint George at that moment. He came back to class near the end of the period. He didn’t look at me, just took his seat.

  The bell rang and I escaped the classroom. I went to my locker. Kiyana was at hers. She looked over at me. “Wow. You’ve only been here, what, two weeks? And you’re the talk of the school. I think that’s some kind of record.”

  I didn’t say anything. I pulled my book for Soc-Ec and Grapes of Wrath, shoved them in my backpack, and shut my locker. I headed for the lunch room. The cafeteria was already crowded. Tony was seated in the corner with a tray of something that might be food. He smiled at me and motioned to the space at the end of the table. “I saved your spot for you.”

  I sat down and pulled out my lunch. I ate quietly. Tony’s buddies showed up and created a living wall around us. They were all laughing and exchanging gossip. One of them pointed at me. “I hear your new girl is a real firecracker! Smack! How bad did she damage your cousin?”

  I was confused. By the look on Tony’s face, he was, too. He looked at me. I shrugged. He leaned toward the boy. “Lonny, what version of crazy are you spitting out?”

  “Ho! You gotta be kidding me, man. She decked him!”

  “I did not.” I shoved the container into my backpack and pushed away from the table. “I kept David from punching Tony. That was it.” I walked away.

  Tony jumped up and followed me. “Erin, I’m sorry. I don’t know how stuff gets blown up like that.”

  I didn’t turn around. “It’s high school. Deal with it.” I thought about Amy and her problem at school. Was I going to have to go to the principal and explain what happened?

  Tony grabbed my arm and stopped me. I swung around to face him. I had all of these questions going through my mind at that moment but some of the guys had followed us. “Erin.”

  I pointed behind him and dropped my voice. “Consider what you say. We have an audience.”

  He rolled his eyes. He looked back at them. “Don’t you have a life?”

  They snickered and backed off. I could hear a couple of them making bets on how long I’d still be Tony’s girl. That sounded wrong.

  Tony turned back to me. “I’m sorry.” He looked lost. “It’s complicated.”

  “I got that part.”

  Tony froze. I could hear Rita’s voice behind me. “It’s just one of those days.” He looked down at me.

  “I know. It’s Rita. Does she ever shut up?”

  Tony snickered. “I doubt it.”

  “Well, look who’s here.” Her voice was screechy. “I don’t understand, Tony. What do you see in her?”

  Tony put his arms around me. “Do you mind? My girlfriend and I are trying to have a private conversation.”

  The girls giggled. I glanced at Rita. She was scowling. It wasn’t a good look for her. I felt trapped between Tony’s boys, who were still hanging around at the far end of the hallway, and Rita with her crowd. I slipped my arm around Tony’s waist and pulled him down the hall. Let’s relocate.”

  His arm stayed around my shoulder as we walked down the hall. The boys got out of our way. I pulled him toward the library. He stopped outside the door. “I can’t exactly go in there.”

  I studied his face. “Why not?”

  “The librarian doesn’t like me.”

  I looked around. There were no other kids visible. I pulled him across the hall. “Fine. We’ll stay out here.”

  He took my hand. “How did you do that anyway?”

  I knew what he was asking. I shrugged. “I saw it coming.”

  He looked concerned. “Does somebody beat on you?”

  I wanted to laugh. I remembered the very first dojo that I found. We had left New York and ended up in Chicago. I missed Fusan. I was only six. The lady who my mom found to take care of me while she was at work often took me shopping. The door of the dojo had been open and the sound of the sensei’s voice echoed out into the street as he called the moves to his students.

  I had stopped by the window to watch. Fusan had given me a basic foundation in several different arts, including Karate. I knew the kata. These were all older, advanced students. I walked into the dojo. The sensei noticed me. I bowed to him. He’d seemed surprised and asked me what I needed. I told him I wanted to join his class. The older students laughed but the sensei ignored them. He came and knelt in front of me. He’d asked me the same question. I’d simply told him that I knew the kata and wanted a place to practice. He humored me.

  “I’ve studied martial arts most of my life.”

  “Like Kung Fu fighting?” He made a couple of playful blocks.

  I tried not to laugh. “I’ve studied Wushu, and several other Chinese forms. I prefer Tai Chi.”

  He looked confused. “Huh. You mean you really could have decked him?”

  I considered the question. “If I would have needed to. A real martial artist doesn’t fight to do harm. We fight to prevent harm.”

  “Like self-defense.”

  “Yes.”

  Tony looked around. “I gues
s that’s a good skill to have in this school.” A boy walked around the corner and stopped. Tony tensed. He looked at me. “I have to go.” He leaned close. To anyone at a distance, it probably looked like he was kissing me. I didn’t want to think about that. He dropped his voice to a whisper. “Go into the library and stay there until the bell rings.”

  I recognized the change in the quality of his voice. It had lost the slur. His face was tight. I touched his arm. “Be careful.”

  He gave me an odd look then headed down the hall toward the boy. I went across the hall to the library but stopped in the doorway and turned around. Tony had stopped in front of the boy. “Well? Are you here to waste my time?”

  The boy grinned. “Wouldn’t dream of it. She looks hot.”

  “Just stick to the subject. Yes or no?”

  “You got the money?”

  Tony pulled something out of his pocket. “How do I know it’s the real deal?”

  The boy pulled something out of his pocket and held it in front of Tony’s face. “It’s prime.”

  Tony handed him the money, took the baggie, and they both walked away in different directions.

  My lungs were struggling to fill. I’d seen exchanges like that before. I had a pretty good idea what was in the baggie. I moved quietly to the end of the hall. The other boy was already out of sight. Tony turned the corner and headed down a different hallway. I followed.

  There was no one else in the hall. I could hear the squeak of Tony’s sneakers. He’d rounded another corner and stopped. I could hear him talking quietly to someone. I paused at the corner and peered around it. He was talking to David. Tony handed him the bag.

  “It took you long enough.”

  Tony leaned back against the lockers. “Just tell me if it’s real.”

  David took something out of an inside pocket and stuck it into the baggie. “It’s the stuff.”

  “He’s got to be the source.”

  “Of this? Good chance. But not the little pills. Results came back on them. No relation.”

  “Maybe I don’t get that until I’m higher up on his list?”

  David stuck the baggie in his pocket. “What happened this morning?”

  Tony started to laugh. “We’re going to have to change our tactics so Erin doesn’t seriously damage you.”

  David frowned. “I don’t like it. Don’t get her involved.”

  Tony chewed on his lower lip. “I don’t know. She’s cool with it. It’s gotten Rita off my case and won me points with the boys. I think that may have been what finally pushed Hasting over.”

  David grabbed Tony’s arm. “It’s a fine line. Don’t forget that.”

  Tony pushed him off. “I’m not. I know better.”

  I could hear other footsteps headed in my direction. I was shielded by the end of the lockers. I turned to see who it was. A couple had stopped in the hallway. I wondered if they were going to make out. The girl pulled something out of her pocket. “Why don’t you just go to the nurse’s office? It’s not like she won’t give you some.”

  He took the little bag. “I can’t. I’ve already been in there three times today. But this headache won’t stop. My ears are ringing.”

  She shrugged. “I hope you feel better.” She walked away.

  The boy pulled out a bottle of water and shook a couple of small blue pills into his hand. He swallowed them with the water. He put the bag in his pocket and followed the girl.

  I remembered to breathe. I glanced back around the corner. The hallway was empty. Tony and David must have gone out the other way. I went back toward the library. I was more confused than ever. David didn’t strike me as the kind of kid who did drugs. Tony looked like he could, sometimes even acted like he did, but I didn’t smell anything on him. I’d certainly been close enough for that today.

  The bell rang before I got back to the library. I turned back and went to Soc-Ec. Tony caught up with me before I got to the classroom door. “Sorry about having to ditch you like that.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I paused beside the door, turned, and studied his face. His eyes were clear. There was no indication that he’d used any of the drugs. “Who was that kid?”

  He looked uncertain. “Just one of the guys.”

  Several of his regular pack came swaggering down the hall. “Speaking of.”

  One of them pushed Tony on his back. He lost his balance and caught himself on the lockers to keep from crushing me. I’d braced him with my hands on his chest. Our faces ended up very close together. He looked startled. “Are you okay?” I nodded. He whirled around and faced off with the kid who had pushed him. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  The guys looked surprised. The boy who had pushed him put up his hands. “I didn’t mean anything, Tony. Honest.”

  Tony growled at him. “Don’t ever do that again.” The other guys laughed but they looked fearful. Tony turned back to me. “The bell is about to ring.”

  “I’ll see you in Lit.” I went into the classroom.

  Ms. Green was collecting homework. I pulled mine out and handed it to her. She looked at me. “Erin, is everything okay?”

  I was surprised by her tone of concern. Had she seen the confrontation in the hallway? “I’m fine.”

  She didn’t look convinced. I went to my seat. Rebecca was still absent. One of the other girls looked over at me. “So, is he a good kisser?” A couple of other girls giggled.

  I ignored them. Gossip flew around the room until Ms. Green called the class to order. She finished up the unit on the South and warned everyone there would be a test on Monday. Groans echoed around the room. I picked up my books and headed out the door.

  Tony met me at my locker. I already had the novel with me. I swapped out textbooks. Tony was watching me. I closed my locker. He leaned close. “Are you mad at me?”

  “I don’t get mad.” But I had a lot of other confusing feelings running around inside at the moment.

  He put his arm around me and guided me through the rush of students in the hallway. We walked into class. David was already there. He frowned at us. We walked back to our seats. David turned and looked at Tony. “Seriously?”

  “Shut up!” He’d said it loud enough that everyone in the room turned to look at them. Tony got out of his seat and leaned over David. “The only reason I haven’t mashed your face is because my lady asked me not to. Be thankful for that and keep your mouth shut.” He sat down again. The room was still.

  David glanced at me and turned around. Professor Linton walked into the room. He paused at the door and studied the silent class. He shook his head and went to his desk, picked up a stack of papers, and began exchanging them for finished assignments.

  I pulled out the paper I’d written that morning. The struggle of the Joad family to prepare for the trip to California hit home with me because of all the times I had moved. My mom and I had our lives down to a fairly organized set of essentials. I had felt sorry for the farmers who had been trapped by necessity to accept the unfair deals of the salesmen and pawnbrokers.

  Professor Linton came to my desk. “Excellent analysis of the Joad family, Ms. Dawson.” I handed him my paper. He turned to Tony. “Mr. Burns, great observations.” He took his next paper and moved to David. “Mr. Jensen, interesting perspective.”

  I looked over at Tony. He was reading the notes that had been written in the margins of his paper. I looked at my own. Professor Linton liked to comment on things. There were little comments with arrows all around the paper. He’d written Great Job! at the top. It almost felt condescending but that seemed to be his norm.

  During the discussion, Professor Linton asked Tony what the most memorable part of the reading was. He grinned. “I thought it was pretty funny that they drugged Grandpa.”

  Others laughed. Professor Linton looked thoughtful. “Why do you think the family resorted to that?”

  David raised his hand. “Because Grandpa wasn’t smart enough to know they had no choice but to move on.�
��

  The bell rang before Professor Linton could make a response. He reminded everyone of the reading and homework assignment as the class filed out. Tony looked at David. “Grandpa wasn’t dumb. He just didn’t want to give up.” David gave him a look and went out the door.

  I looked at Tony. “Are you ever going to tell me what the deal is with you and David?”

  He put his arm around my shoulders. “Maybe someday.”

  He left me at the gym. I walked into the locker room. The gossip was thick. Jill looked at me with wide eyes. “Did you really knock out Davy Jenson?”

  “Oh, brother. This is like a bad game of telephone.” I pulled out my leotard. “I didn’t hit anyone. I kept David from hitting Tony. That was it.”

  She pulled on her own leotard. “Why are you going out with him? Tony seems like a jerk.”

  I hate lying to people. I considered what to say. “He made a promise not to beat up on other kids if I did.”

  She stared at me. “Seriously? You’re going out with him to protect other kids? Erin, you’re either a saint or insane.”

  Rita came around the lockers. “Hah! And just how far are you ready to go? I’d go all the way but you’re probably still a virgin.”

  I was and more than happy about it. I’d been in high schools where half the senior girls were pregnant, some of them, on their second kid. No thanks. I saw what my mom went through trying to keep us alive. There was no way I wanted to even think about a kid yet. I decided to ignore her.

  Jill followed me out into the gym. It was just mats today. Jill frowned. “There’s a basketball game. My friend goes to Shoreview. She says they have two gyms there. Their gymnastics class has gone to state every year.”

  I seriously doubted that was why but I understood her sentiment. I’d started working on a new routine on the uneven bars. No practicing that today. I went over and began to stretch. Rita and the other girls from the team seemed to be having a competition to see how far each of them could take the stretch. I could see the look of pain on one of the girls face as she tried to bend her back even tighter.

  Ms. Addison came out of her office and called everyone together for warm-ups. I focused on my new floor routine. Rita kept making rude comments about it. Jill shook her head. “She’s just jealous. I don’t think she can do some of those moves. I really like the combination in your last pass. You come out of that back handspring into an arabian and stick your landing every time.”

  “Thanks. I think the flow of your routine is really powerful.” Jill was taller than me. I could see how challenging some of the moves were for her but she was really trying.

  The last bell rang. I was relieved. I escaped from the locker room and headed out of the gym. When I got to the front hall, I noticed Tony and his boys hanging out together. He was acting very strange. I paused and looked around the hallway. The kids swarmed out of the school. Very few were standing still. That’s how I picked him out. It was the boy who had given Tony the baggie earlier. He was watching Tony.

  I didn’t know what to do. I heard Principal Granger’s voice in the office. He was coming toward the door. If he saw Tony, chances are things would be bad. I moved across the hall and came toward him.

  Tony looked up at me. “Ah, and there’s my baby.” His words were more slurred than normal.

  I caught the movement of the office door out of the corner of my eye. I slipped my arm around his waist. “Come on. Walk with me.”

  He leaned on me. “Not now, baby.”

  I pulled him toward the door. “Now is a good time to make an exit. You’re audience has gotten it. Okay?”

  He looked over at me. His eyes were clear. He looked back at the boys. “See you guys. I’m going to have a good weekend.” He let me lead him from the building.

  I looked at him. “Thanks so much for that last remark. Do you have any idea what rumors are going to be going around school by Monday?”

  “Oops.”

  I let go of him after we turned the corner. “You owe me.”

  He pouted. “How much?” His voice was clear again.

  “An answer. What is going on with you and David?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Erin, I can’t.” He started walking down the street.

  I followed him. “Why not? Are you afraid? Embarrassed?”

  He stopped and turned back to me. “It’s complicated.”

  “Life is complicated.”

  He reached out and put his hands around my face. “Please, ask me anything else. I’m sorry if I’m made things difficult for you. I didn’t mean to.”

  The feeling of his hands on my face was having a strange reaction on me. It confused me. Part of me wanted to push him away but there was a part of me that wanted him to pull me closer. I stood still. “Okay. What about the boy in the hallway?”

  “He’s just one of the guys.”

  “Who sold you drugs.”

  He inhaled sharply. “How did you… You didn’t go into the library, did you?”

  “No.” He let go of me and started to turn away. “Tony.” I grabbed his arm. “That act was for him. I could tell. He was watching you.”

  Tony kicked at a crack in the sidewalk. “You gotta look cool. You know?” He turned back to me. “You do it with your dragons. I do it by looking tough. That’s why people leave me alone.”

  If I hadn’t seen the conversation between him and David afterwards, I might have believed it. “What did you do with them?”

  “I got rid of them.”

  I could hear voices coming from the other side of the corner. I took his arm and started walking. “All that is a show so you look tough?”

  He glanced behind us. “Oh man.” His attitude changed. “If things go bad, you need to get out of here.” He staggered.

  I pulled his arm around my shoulders. “This totally redefines extreme.”

  One of the guys following us called Tony’s name. He leaned into me. “Run and don’t look back.”

  “Not a chance.”

  The guy had caught up with us. “Hey, Tony, my man. What’s you got for me?”

  Tony let me go, spun around, and planted his fist in the boy’s face. “How’s that?” The guy laid on the ground, dazed. Tony made a good show of being high on something. “Batter up!” The other guys laughed nervously.

  I was in a ready stance without even realizing it. I sized them up. There were still four standing. I hadn’t seen any of them in school.

  The guy on the ground struggled to his feet. “That ain’t very nice.” His body moved. I saw the intent and the fast glint off of metal. Tony must have seen it, too. He back pedaled but not fast enough.

  My foot intersected the guy’s wrist lest than an inch from Tony’s gut. The blade went skittering into the street. He swore and grabbed his wrist. The other guys backed up a step. I took Tony’s arm and pulled him away. I didn’t run, just walked.

  Tony eventually glanced back. “More of that Kung Fu fighting stuff, huh?”

  “Actually, that was a Karate move.” We were almost up to the dojo. I looked at my watch. “I have to be to work in five minutes. What did they decide to do?”

  He looked back again. “Looks like they turned back.”

  I sighed. “That’s good. I haven’t seen those guys in school.”

  Tony laughed. “Nobody sees them in school. Those are the No Names. They’re a gang. The only reason they’re even at school is their parole officer makes them go. No kid left behind. Even brain dead ones like that.” He stopped, forcing me to stop as well. “Thank you. That could have really been bad.”

  “Collisions of any kind usually are. Will you be okay?”

  He got the most peculiar look. “You know what’s bad? It’s usually the guy who asks the girl that.”

  I shook my head. “I have to go to work.” I could see the students filing into the dojo. “I’ll see you Monday.” I gently pulled free and ran the last half block to the dojo.

  Max was at the front desk greeting stude
nts and parents. He waved me over. “I was starting to get worried. Are you all right?”

  “Just a little drama after school. Sorry I’m late.”

  “As long as you are whole, it doesn’t matter.”

  I managed to smile. “I better get changed.”

  My first class was waiting in the classroom. We made a lot of progress. One of the parents came up to me after class. “I’m Scott’s mom. I just wanted to thank you. He really likes you as a teacher. Not that the previous one was bad but he says your better.”

  “Thank you.” That was awkward. I didn’t know who Scott’s previous teacher had been, not that it would have made a difference. I liked all of the other junior masters at the dojo. “He’s made a lot of progress in the past couple of weeks.”

  The other two afternoon classes also went well. There were a lot of questions about the open house the next day. Fortunately, Max had a poster by the front door with most of the answers on it so all I had to do was direct them to the poster.

  By the end of the afternoon session, I was ready for dinner. I grabbed a plate and slid into the chair next to Philip. He looked over at me and smiled. “You look tired.”

  I dished out several things that looked tasty. “There was a lot of drama at school today.”

  He laughed. “Your school is like that, too?”

  “All high schools are like that. I know. I’ve been to a lot of them.” I started eating and so did Philip. He ate quietly. I wondered if it was because of me.

  I had three evening classes because of Friday night. There was an extra beginners class right after dinner. Max had told me most of the kids had parents who worked at the military base and because of traffic, it was hard for them to get here sooner. That meant all the classes from Wednesday night started an hour later.

  Robert was in my last class of the night. I was hoping to be able to ask him about Rebecca after class. I was surprised when she walked in as we finished the last set. I went over and hugged her. “I’ve been worried about you. Robert said you were in the hospital.”

  “I was. It was scary. The doctors still aren’t sure what was wrong but I’m not allowed to take any more aspirin at school. I get to go back on Monday.”

  “Oh, you’re going to be walking into a test in Soc-Ec. Ms. Green will probably let you off the hook since you missed so much.”

  She opened a bag she’d been carrying. “I brought a shirt. I was hoping you might have enough time to draw a dragon for me.”

  I looked at the blank sky blue shirt. “It does take a little while. It won’t be too late for Robert, will it?”

  “It’s Friday night. He usually stays up late anyway. Besides, he wanted to watch, too.”

  “I have to get my backpack. All my pens are in it. And I should make sure Max isn’t in a hurry to close up.” I found Max in his office and explained things to him.

  “It’s not a problem. Susan just got here. She and I are going to hang some posters for tomorrow anyway.”

  I got my backpack and went back to the classroom. Robert was sitting next to his sister. He looked excited. “Are you really going to do it right now?”

  “Max said I have time.” I pulled out the cardboard and slipped it inside the shirt.

  Philip stopped in the doorway. “There you are.”

  Robert pointed at the shirt. “Erin is going to draw a dragon for my sister.”

  “Cool! Can I watch?”

  I had never had an audience before. “You won’t miss your bus?”

  “They run later on Fridays and Saturdays.”

  I patted the floor beside me. I looked over at Rebecca. “Is it okay with you?”

  “Sure.”

  I took a moment to really study her face. She was very pretty. I began to see the dragon there. I blocked out my starting points and filled in the basic shape. The head of the dragon was centered on the front while one forearm went over a shoulder and the other under the opposite sleeve. The back legs and tail seemed to wrap around her waist.

  I was so focused on my work that I didn’t realize others had come it to see what I was doing. After I put the final touches on to make the highlights stand out, I held it up for her to see. Everyone in the room started to talk at once. I looked around. Even Max and Susan were there.

  Philip leaned over and hugged me. “Erin, you are truly gifted.” His voice was thick with emotion.

  Max looked ready to cry. “That is absolutely incredible. It even looks like Rebecca.”

  Robert frowned. “But it looks like a boy dragon.”

  I studied the face. “Huh. I guess it does.” I pulled the cardboard out and handed the shirt to Rebecca. “Remember, dragons only come to those who are worthy to wear them. Keep your mind, body, and soul pure.”

  She nodded and took the shirt. She laid it on her lap so she could see the face. “What’s the dragon’s name?”

  I hadn’t based the dragon on a historical one, but on her. I thought for a moment. “Rubicon.” It sounded like a cool name for a dragon.

  She smiled broadly and traced the face with her finger. “Hey, Rubicon.” She looked up at me. There were tears in her eyes. “Thank you, Erin.”

  The others began to disperse. Ryan waved. “See you tomorrow.”

  I walked Robert and Rebecca to the door. “Have a great weekend.”

  Robert grinned at me. “We’ll see you tomorrow. I’m bringing some of my friends from school so they can see the dojo.”

  “That’s great!” I let them out and locked the door. Philip was waiting beside the front desk. I was still in my gee. “I need to change.”

  “Not a problem. I will wait for you.”

  I hurried to the locker room and got into my street clothes. Susan was coming out of the kitchen as I left the locker room. She smiled at me. “You are an amazing artist. There’s a really good art school in Seattle. Have you thought about where you’re going to go to college?”

  I was still wondering if I was going to finish high school. “Haven’t decided yet.”

  Max called her name from his office. She smiled at me. “See you tomorrow.”

  I said good night and rejoined Philip. We walked out into the night. He hugged me. “What you did for your friend, that was so special. Robert said his sister had been very ill.”

  “I had promised her the shirt before she got sick.” I paused near the bus stop. “What time does your bus come?”

  He pulled me close. I liked the feeling. “You said you don’t live very far from here. I bet there is a bus stop close to your home. I could walk with you.”