Chapter 2
Thursday morning found Neal's eye lightly bruised but catching Tony's eye nonetheless. "What happened to you?" he asked as they walked to school.
"Michael took offense at what I told him at recess yesterday and showed his displeasure after I left you," Neal replied lightly. "He also wants me to do his Latin assignment, not because he can't do it himself just because he doesn't want to," Neal added.
"And you told him NO!"
"Yep, and he hit me again and said that if I didn't help him he would mistreat Kate so I agreed," acknowledged Neal.
"I'll protect you…it isn't fair that you do his and your own," cried Tony.
"No…the more I thought about it the more I think I can use this for our good," Neal said and then since Tony wasn't following he stopped to explain, "Michael is going to bring me his biography for me to translate into Latin and when he does I'm going to add some facts to it...like him being a bully and forcing younger and smaller kids into doing his homework for him and also this Latin assignment so when he gets up to read it in front of students and parents they will hear from his own lips the he is a bully."
As Neal explained you could almost see a light bulb light up for Tony as understanding finally came. "But what happens when he reads over the assignment before he hands it in; he's going to know that something is wrong."
"I'm not going to give him time to read over it; I'm not going to give over the completed assignment the middle of lunch hour; it should just give him time to recopy it before he has to hand it over. It won't be until Mr. Stevens hands it back and he is actually reading and translating that he's going to learn the truth. He can either continue reading and admit that what he is translating is the truth or say that it isn't but if he does that then he will be admitting that he is cheating and Mr. Stevens will carry out the punishment he warned us about yesterday in class. He's doomed whatever way he goes…but either way maybe his mom will finally see him like we all do…as a mean and hateful person," Neal explained.
"You know he will want revenge on you for this," Tony said calmly, "but don't worry I will protect you."
Neal smiled and looking beyond Tony saw Abby approaching. "Hey, let's keep this to ourselves; no need to worry the girls." Tony nodded as Abby yelled,
"What's keeping you two; if we don't hurry we are going to be…Neal what happened to your eye!"
"I wasn't paying attention last night and walked into a door," lied Neal.
Abby looked at him but couldn't decide if he was telling her the truth or not and accepted it for now. She would worry Tony about it later and find out…but for now there wasn't time and they all took off on the run to make it to class on time.
*****************
It was while Neal and Kate were walking to meet up with Abby and Tony for lunch that Michael appeared. "Here," Michael said as he pushed several papers into Neal's hand, "I decided that I wanted it longer than the minimum four paragraphs. You had better do a good job or else," he added as he showed Neal is fist.
Neal looked down at the papers and started to smile, 'this was going to work out great,' he thought before Kate asked,
"What are you doing? Neal weren't you listening to Mr. Stevens…he said that he would thrash any one he caught cheating and you doing Michael's assignment is cheating," she exclaimed fearfully.
"Don't worry about it Kate, Mr. Stevens also said that if anyone was being bullied into doing someone's assignment that the bully would be the one in trouble…what I have planned should end Michael's bullying ways forever," Neal quickly assured his girlfriend.
"He has just given me plenty of material to work with…that was why I was smiling. Look I'll explain it all to you and Abby over lunch," he added soothingly.
************
"I knew you weren't telling me everything earlier," cried Abby as she hit Neal lightly on the arm. "He really threatened you and Kate?" she asked a minute later.
"Yep, and I couldn't just stand there and not do something to protect her; I mean for myself I could have stood the abuse but not for Kate."
Kate smiled at him and for his gallantry gave him a peck on the cheek which caused Neal to blush with the attention.
"Well hand it over," cried Abby anticipating Michael's biography.
"Not so loud Abby," cautioned Neal, "I don't ant him even thinking that we may be up to something; I'll share it at Tony's after school while we study."
**************
"Aunt Shannon, these cookies are so good," praised Neal as he grabbed yet another one from the stack in front of them. "What are they called again?"
"Toll House Cookies, because that is where they were invented but for most people they are known as chocolate chip cookies," Shannon explained as she poured him another glass of milk. "I've always liked dunking my cookie in the milk before eating it," she added as she quickly demonstrated.
As soon as Neal saw it demonstrated in front of him he had to give it a try and quickly consumed the cookie but before he could reach for another Shannon quickly picked the cookie jar up. "That's enough, if you eat anymore you won't be hungry for supper and that won't make your mom happy."
"Yes, ma'am," pouted Neal as he quickly finished his milk and turned to the others finally producing the biography Micheal had given him earlier. "As you can see he has listed his full name, birth date and birth parents. He says he has a love for sports and is constantly playing some type of sport whenever he can. He says he is a thoughtful son who is obedient and studious and strives to help others. He says that there is not a day that goes by that he isn't helping some unfortunate do their homework; that is main interest is to help others," Neal read in a low voice as not to alert Tony's mom to what they were up to.
"Boy is he full of it…too bad Mr. Stevens didn't want us to do a piece of fiction, or Michael would ace it with this bull," remarked Tony.
"Yeah, but he has given me several openings to add a word here and to rearrange a word there. This is going to work out great," Neal said smiling.
"Does he also want you to decorate the covers?" asked Kate.
"Yep, but I'm only going to do a border; everyone knows that Michael can't draw. Look once I'm finished I'll show you…and I'll read my version of his biography as soon as I'm finished," promised Neal.
Finally the day arrived, and Neal stayed out of Michael way for the majority of the morning so he wouldn't have time to read over the biography Neal wrote and discover the changes. It ws while Neal was having lunch with his friends that Michael appeared and demanded his assignment. "Oh, I'm sorry Micheal I was going to give it to you as soon as I finished lunch. You still have time to copy it before it is due," responded Neal as Tony, Kate and Abby gave him hostile stares.
Micheal yanked it from Neal's hands and took a moment to look it over from cover to cover nodding his approval. "You did a good job on the cover, the rest had better be just as good or you and my fist will be meeting later on…but now I barely have time to copy before it is due," he cried as he dashed off.
"Neal, he is going to be so mad once he translates it in front of everybody Friday…but it sure was funny the way you changed his words around for him to incriminate himself…I can't wait for Friday to come," Tony said excitedly.
It was in Latin class a few minutes later that Mr. Stevens told them further news about their assignment. "Class as you know, you will be translating your work Friday in front of fellow students and family but I've just learned that the President of the School Board and Principal Nichols will be in attendance as well."
When Mr. Stevens stated that Kate, Tony and Neal all exchanged glances and smiled Friday was going to be fantastic…and Michael would trouble them no longer….
Friday afternoon finally arrived and with it as many parents and relatives of the fifth and sixth grade students. The students were excited and a bit nervous about getting up and reciting in front of them. Tony and Neal peeked out and saw their parents seated in the very front and gave them a wave before ducking back behind the curtain where they were stationed.
They were all seated just waiting their turn to perform and as soon as the curtain was raised Mr. Stevens introduced himself and told a little bit about what this assignment was all about. Neal noticed that Michael's parents were sitting a few places down from his and steadied himself for what was about to happen.
The students were announced, and Mr. Stevens was going alphabetically so Neal went ahead of Michael. As soon as Neal had reached the podium he was handed his report. Neal then showed the audience the cover before opening it and beginning. He read it first in the Latin language before he began translating. He told of his life on the streets after his mother had died and how he had been so fortunate to be adopted by Peter and Elizabeth Burke. He told of his love of art and how he hoped one day to follow in the footsteps of his Dad and become an US Marshal. He translated beautifully before he finished and sat back down. It was then that he noticed the grade he had received for his effort…an A+.
A few more kids performed before it was time for Michael who swaggered up and received his report from Mr. Stevens who gave him a pointed look that Neal caught but Michael missed completely. Michael held up his report showing the covers Neal had painstakingly drawn the border on and upon opening it read it out frits in Latin before starting his translation.
"My name is Michael William Decker and I was born fourteen years ago to Mr. and Mrs. William Decker," Michael began to read. He translated correctly of his love for sports and his desire to become a baseball player but when he got down to the part that a day didn't go past that he wasn't helping other student with their homework Michael was forced to translate it as Neal wrote it. "A day doesn't go by that I don't bully others into doing my homework and that it was my main purpose in life to threaten another into doing this very assignment even to the decorating of the covers. You see although I could do it myself why should I when I can bully and threaten another to do it for me…for I am a bully and richly deserve the punishment my confession will earn me," Michael finished angrily to the gasp of the students and his parents. He then turned and throwing his report down would have charged Neal if Mr. Stevens hadn't stepped in his way.
"Excuse us, we have some business to take care of," he said as he took Michael by the arm to led him away. "I won't be long," he added over his shoulder as he left with the Decker's following closely behind.
When Mr. Stevens returned fifteen minutes later with a subdued Michael in hand the competition continued. Neal changed a glance at Michael and saw his red eyes and realized that Mr. Stevens had kept his word and had thrashed Michael for cheating and was even now making him making him sit until the every student had recited their biographies. A glance at the audience showed that the Decker's had left. It wasn't until the last student had shown and then translated their assignment that Mr. Stevens got up to announce the winners.
"This was a hard choice to make; there were several good possibilities but would Neal Burke and Abby Scuito please come forth…these are my two winners for fifth and sixth grades…and here are your prizes," Mr. Stevens announced as he handed both Abby and Neal a five dollar bill and a blue ribbon to the applause of everyone there.
Afterwards the students were given the rest of the afternoon off and Tony and Neal walked home with their parents…a great ending to Michael problem…or so they hoped…only time and tomorrow would tell.
