by E. Van Lowe
We continued to the front.
“Megan, Ms. Barnett, come up on stage,” Principal Lockhart said in a syrupy sweet voice, as if she was inviting us to tea. We mounted the short steps. It felt as though we were mounting the steps to the gallows.
“What’s going on?” asked Suze, her voice rampant with concern.
“This?” Principal Lockhart replied, gesturing at the arriving students. She was getting a kick out of my mother’s concern. “This is the expulsion hearing.”
“Why is it in the auditorium?” An edge crept into her voice.
“I realized this could be a valuable learning experience. I didn’t want any of our students to miss it.”
To my amazement my mother barked out a single laugh. It sounded like ha! “Learning experience? Let’s call it what it really is. You’re having them witness you slaughter a lamb so you can keep them in line.”
A sour expression darkened Principal Lockhart’s face. Her eyes moved to me, totally ignoring my mother. She lowered her voice. “I haven’t heard from you.”
Before I could say anything Suze spoke up. “No list!” she said with finality.
Principal Lockhart recoiled slightly. “You do understand that after the evidence against your daughter is presented, she will be expelled? No more AP classes. No more getting into a good college.”
“I understand,” Suze replied. A clipped response. “She’ll get into a good school.”
The condescending look Principal Lockhart shot my mother said she didn’t think so. She let out an exasperated breath. “I can’t believe that parents like you have the nerve to ask what we, the schools, are doing to your children. We all know who has let this current generation down.”
I think my mother was actually about to hit her.
“You want us to sit over there?” I asked quickly. I pointed to the table center stage. Expelled I could handle, mom being arrested for beating up the principal, I couldn’t handle.
“Yes,” she said in a breathy reply. “We will be starting soon.”
We moved to the table, Suze walking stiffly, as if she was still itching for a fight. A pad and pen were ominously placed on the table in front of one of the chairs. I sat and looked out onto the quickly filling house.
The front rows held the honor students and faculty, who made up what served as an expulsion committee. Everyone else was seated somewhere behind them. Tran and Geoffrey were on the committee.
Maybe I have a chance, I thought. If she takes a vote, maybe I can win. Those hopes were dashed when I attempted to make eye contact with Tran and he looked away.
Danny Tambor sat front row, dead center. He was wearing a bad fitting brown suit, his ridiculous round shades covering his eyes. The leg cast was gone. He didn’t look at me. When I saw him, all I could think was that this creep had somehow gotten influence over one of my best friends. When this was over, I was going to put an end to that.
Vice Principal Abernathy closed the large double doors. They slammed shut with a loud boom, and I felt as though all of my hope had been shut out of the room. I squeezed my mother’s hand, not for her sake, but for my own.
Principal Lockhart flipped the switch on the podium mic and shushed the crowd. After a brief introduction, she got down to business. “There is a plague sweeping across America,” she said in a booming, regal voice. “This plague is occurring among America’s youth. It is the plague of entitlement. You come by it honestly. Your parents are from the Me Generation and the Me, Too Generation.” She shot an accusatory glance at Suze and smirked. “But here at Glendale Union, we… as you kids like to say… don’t play that.”
This got a laugh from many of the students. She was playing to the crowd, and they were drinking it up like Kool Aid.
“At Glendale Union we pride ourselves on honor versus entitlement, responsibility to our fellow man versus selfishness.” This time her accusatory gaze found me.
Just then, the rear auditorium doors were flung open, making an echoing thud as they banged into the walls. In strode Harrison, wearing a blue blazer with a crisp white shirt open at the collar. The pony tail was gone. His golden hair was shining as it dropped to his shoulders. He looked like a God from Mount Olympus. He had on brand spanking new black cowboy boots, along with his trademark red jeans.
He walked down the center aisle towards the front with a sense of purpose.
“Excuse me, sir! May I help you?” Lockhart called in her most imposing voice.
“No, ma’am. But I’m here ta help you,” he said, shaping his words through his Australian accent. He continued down the aisle and arrived at the front.
“Who are you?” she asked looking down on him.
“The voice of reason,” he replied. “I’ve been listening to ya from outside those doors back there, and it seems I’ve arrived just in time.” With this he climbed the steps to the stage, brushing past her as he moved to the table where he stood by my side.
“What are you doing here?” I said in a loud, annoyed whisper.
“Megan, do you know this man?” Principal Lockhart interrupted.
I nodded meekly. “Yes, ma’am,” I mumbled. Suze was as surprised by my answer as Principal Lockhart.
“Who is he?” she asked, clearly thrown. “Is this your… brother?”
“I am her counsel,” Harrison replied in a bold voice.
Lockhart shot him a steely gaze. “This is not a trial, sir. Miss Barnett doesn’t need counsel.”
“Is there a witness against her?”
Her voice faltered. “Y… yes, but—”
“Then, I think she does.” He plopped down in the seat next to me, shooting her his infernal arrogant grin. I’d never been happy to see that grin in my entire life. I don’t know why he showed up to defend me, but I was glad he was there, since I was in no frame of mind to defend myself.
Principal Lockhart was not to be denied. “Why don’t we let Miss Barnett decide whether or not she needs counsel?” Her challenging gaze moved to me.
I slumped in my seat. “I do,” I said softly.
“Excuse me?” she asked, raising her voice in disdain.
“I do need counsel!” I replied loud and clear. I sat up straight in my chair.
She looked at me with great disappointment. “As you wish.” She looked back into the crowd. “Where was I before I was so rudely interrupted? Although, with some students, rudeness is to be expected,” she added throwing in a final dig. “Oh yes, I believe we were talking about responsibility. Most students at Glendale Union would do the responsible thing, the honorable thing, and come forward, rather than waste your precious learning time.”
A titter rose from the audience. None of them thought learning time was precious. This was unintended. Principal Lockhart glared into the crowd.
“Do not stoop to her level!” she said, her words coming in a low growl. “Miss Barnett had the opportunity to do the right thing and turn over the names of her accomplices. She had a full week, and she hasn’t done it. I’m afraid there’s nothing left to be said.” Her eyes moved the Poplarati. She glared at them for several seconds. Then she faced me, her expression ice. “Either write down the names of your accomplices, or you can clean out your locker.”
“Or… she can do the noble thing,” Harrison said loudly. He stood, commanding his space like a great attorney. “Ya talked about honor. Ya talked about responsibility. I can’t tell ya if Megan’s desire to protect classmates who are ready ta throw her under the bus is the right thing. But I can tell ya Megan Barnett is the most honorable person in the room.”
“Oh really?” Lockhart said with a sneer.
“Absolutely. They know,” he said gesturing towards the crowd. A few of the Poplarati slumped in their seats. “While you’ve been busy administratin’, the young people in those seats have been getting’ ta know Megan. They know the stuff she’s made of.”
He had moved away from the table and was facing the audience. “They know,” he said lowering his voice so you
had to strain to hear him. “They also know that punishing someone for standing up for her principals is wrong. I know something about this girl. I know what she is willing ta risk ta do what’s right.” He looked at me, his hazel eyes softening. It was a quality I hadn’t seen before. “You can’t destroy her. I know ya want to because she won’t do yerbiddin’ for ya, but ya can’t. Better demons than you have tried.”
A wave of laughter erupted. In that moment, I knew he had been sent by Guy. My spirits lifted.
“Silence!”Principal Lockhart shrieked.
“I apologize for the off-color remark,” Harrison said with a bow and flourish. “But let me ask ya something. What kind of message are yasendin’ to these young, impressionable minds?” He winked at the crowd and they chuckled. He was playing them better than she had. “Is the message save yer own skin at all costs? Because if that’s the message, no wonder America’s in the state it’s in. Thank God I’m Australian.”
This elicited a huge laugh from the crowd. Harrison shushed them without any prompting from Lockhart.
“That’s a lovely speech Mr… what did you say your name was again?”
“I didn’t,” was Harrison’s steely-eyed reply.
“Okay…” Principal Lockhart was seething, yet somehow managed to keep her composure. “But now we need to get on with the proceedings.
"These young impressionable minds still have school today. Thank you for your heartfelt comments,” she said in the most condescending tone possible. She turned away from him to address the crowd.
“What do ya mean ya need ta get on with it?” Harrison snapped, all puffed up with outrage. “This isn’t yer call. This is their call,” he said jabbing a finger towards the students. “Administrators don’t make the school; teachers don’t make the school. Students make the school.” He again faced the crowd. “Are you going to let them take this from ya?”
The audience stared back in silence. Several of the Poplarati squirmed in their seats. I locked eyes with Jeremy Bowen, who slunk even lower.
“Ya get very few chances to be a hero in life. Most of us don’t get any. And some of us that do, mess it up,” Harrison said lowering his voice, and I knew he was talking about himself. “Those of you who attended The Explosion have the opportunity ta be heroes today. Tell this administrator, I don’t care what ya say. This is our school. And we’ve got pride in it, even though yer trying to destroy our pride, along with our self-worth.”
He again lowered his voice. “Ya want to be real American heroes? All ya have to do is stand up, and admit you were at The Explosion. Don’t let this sweet, intelligent, loyal girl take the rap fer ya. Show some guts… and some pride, and stand up fer somethin’ fer once in yer lives!”
He finished his impassioned plea and stared out into a sea of unchanging faces. He waited a full minute, his face slowly falling, as he realized the audience was not swayed. He turned to me and shrugged, as if to say, I tried.
Meanwhile, a satisfied grin had slithered across Principal Lockhart’s lips. She did a brief one man applause. “Thank you again, Mr. whatever your name is, for more heartfelt words.”
Just then I heard a small voice say: “I was at The Explosion.” My eyes moved to Maudrina, standing in front of her seat.
No! I wanted to scream. Don’t go down with me.
Jeremy Bowen stood. “I was there, too.” Then, Alonzo Briggs.“Me, too.” And to my surprise all the jocks stood up. But it wasn’t over yet. Tran and Geoffrey stood, as well. My eyes bulged in surprise. Not only were they not at The Explosion, they would never have been invited. Yet, there they stood. Tran looked at me and nodded.
Principal Lockhart’s eyes widened as well. A satisfied grin appeared on her lips. “Now, we’re getting somewhere,” she chimed. “Vice Principal Abernathy, get the names of all who are standing,” she called.
Ashley Scott stood next. Then all of the Poplarati sprang to their feet, like flowers springing from the earth at hyper speed.
That’s when the miracle happened. One-by-one, the rest of the students seated in the auditorium stood and spoke up: “I was at The Explosion… I was at The Explosion… I was at The Explosion.” Like a swelling wave, rolling across the sea, students rose to their feet and lifted their voices. “I was at The Explosion.” With each declaration, Principal Lockhart winced. It was as if she was being stabbed again, and again, and again. “I was at The Explosion.”
From where I was sitting the students rising and coming to my defense was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I had never been that popular. But they weren’t just defending me. Harrison was right. This is our school. The school is what we make it. The teachers and administrators are here to help us learn and grow. They are not here to ride roughshod over us. My fellow classmates were defending themselves against tyranny. I thought of the words of Thomas Jefferson: All Tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.
American History I, thank you very much.
Most of my classmates weren’t at The Explosion, but they all stood up in solidarity. It was like a sixties sit-in. Trust me, a fifteen year-old trivia buff knows these things. By the time it was over, every student in the house, and a few teachers, too, were all on their feet.
Suze and I sat aghast. Harrison looked over, shooting us his most arrogant grin, as if to say, I told ya so, in his infernal accent. I couldn’t help but grin back.
“So what are ya goin’ ta do now?” Harrison asked, turning his attention to Principal Lockhart. “Expel them all? You know what they call a school without students? A building.”
The room fell silent as Principal Lockhart looked from me, to Harrison, and finally into the sea of students.
“Very well,” said Lockhart dry-mouthed. Her shoulders were slumping, as if all the fight had been stabbed out of her. “I know you all weren’t present that day. I appreciate the honorable—although misguided—gesture. And since it seems as though we are never going to get to the bottom of this, I have decided it will be in the best interest of the school, and the student body, to rescind my order of expulsion. As of today, Megan Barnett is fully reinstated with no penalties for attending the unsanctioned event known as The Explosion.” She faced me. “But if I ever hear of something like this happening again…” her words trailed off.
“You won’t,” I assured. “Promise.”
“I can vouch for that,” added Suze.
Lockhart again turned to the crowd standing before her. “This means from any of you, or there will be hell to pay. Now, get to class!”
Thunderous cheers and applause rang out in the auditorium. The sound was deafening, but oh, so sweet. I/we had won. I wasn’t sure what this victory would mean down the road. It was the first time the entire student body had ever been united on something. But if we were united once, we could be united again, and together we could change the world.
Harrison left the stage, strode down the aisle, and out the door.
Chapter Twenty-eight
“Who was that man?” Suze asked as we started out.
“A friend of Guy’s.”
“Really? He must be a very good friend. Is he a lawyer?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure.” Harrison was a demon tracker. But of course, I couldn’t tell her that.
“I must thank Guy the next time I see him.”
I could tell by the way she was looking at me she was adjusting her opinion of Guy. I knew that somehow he had gotten word to Harrison to help me. Guy has never let me down. I again wondered if I had seen the last of him.
When we arrived in the parking lot, I saw Harrison about to climb into Guy’s Mustang. “I want to thank him. Mom.”
“I think we should.”
I held up my hand. “No. I want to do this alone.”
“Oh. Okay.” There was a question in her eyes that she didn’t ask.“Thank him for me, too, please.”
I moved across the lot. When Harrison saw me coming, something flashed in his eyes, b
ut it was gone so quickly, I wasn’t sure what it was.
“My mother and I both thank you,” I said walking up to him.
“Yer welcome.”
“Did Guy send you?” I blurted.
“Can’t a man do a noble deed on his own?” I stared into his eyes. They betrayed nothing.
“Fair enough,” I said. “Let me ask you something else? Did you use Angel Eyes on my classmates?”
He chuckled. “Do not underestimate yer fella man, Megan. I’ve already made that mistake. Don’t you make it, too.”
“You didn’t answer either of my questions,” I said unwavering.
“And I don’t intend ta. Keep a sense of mystery in yer life. It keeps ya on yer toes.”
I let out a sigh. “You are exasperating, you know that?”
“I do,” he replied. Slowly the arrogant grin made its way to his lips. I found myself grinning back. “And now, believe it or not, I have ta get goin’. There are demons in the world that require my attention.”
“How did you wind up with Guy’s car?”
Harrison chuckled again and shook his head. Then he put on his sunglasses and climbed into the car. “You’re wicked smart, Megan Barnett. I’m sure you’ll figure it all out.” With those words, he put the car in gear, and drove out of the parking lot.
I wondered why he’d come to my defense. Even if Guy had asked him, he had good reason not to. I had denied him the opportunity to use The Book of Calls to even the playing field for Nephilim among the angels. But Harrison had more power than he thought he did. I hoped one day he’d realize he doesn’t need The Book of Calls to accomplish his goals.
No matter why he did it, I owed him big time.
Danny Tambor was moving across the parking lot towards a Harley parked by the fence. Erin was standing next to the Harley. The best way to describe her outfit du jour was hooker chic.
I had to save her. I tried catching her eye. I got the feeling she knew I was staring at her. She seemed too intent on not looking in my direction. Without a word to her, Danny got on the bike and fired it up. Its throaty rumble had everyone in the parking lot staring. Erin climbed on the bike behind him, put on her helmet, and together they drove away.