Meeting The Unprofessional Mr Bonds.

Chris chewed his thumbnail nervously and strained to hear what was being said in the room behind him. He was sat on the bench outside the principal's office while Gordie was inside with Mr Bonds. Chris didn't really care too much about what happened to him- after all he was a Chambers he was used to being screwed over- but Gordie was different. Chris appreciated what Gordie had done for him back in the classroom but at the same time he couldn't help but wish Gordie hadn't bothered. Gordie was going to be a real success in life, Chris could tell, but if Gordie kept sticking up for Chris then he was going to end up drowning too.

"What's taking so long?" Chris muttered to himself trying to imagine all the nasty crap Mr Bonds would be saying to Gordie. It went without saying that Mr Bonds would do the old compare-Gordie-with-his-brother-Denny. Chris just hoped it wasn't too painful.

Inside the principal's office Gordie was sat in sullen silence, as Mr Bonds talked about- you guessed it- Denny Lachance. Gordie loved his brother, he missed him every day, but when were people going to accept that he wasn't Denny?

"Your brother would never have pulled this kind of thing, Gordon," Mr Bonds said, "but then Denny had some school spirit. I notice that you haven't joined any sports teams, why is that?"

Gordie shrugged. "I don't know, Sir, there just isn't time."

Mr Bonds frowned. "Still hanging around with that Chambers kid? It won't do you any good, I promise you. No Chambers kid has ever made anything of themselves."

Gordie's anger flared. "Chris will! Chris is different."

Mr Bonds laughed. "Christopher Chambers is making a mockery of the college courses. Yes, I agreed to let him give it a try, but really the time has come to stop this charade. Chambers belongs in the shop courses, if he applied himself there he could get a good labour job after high school."

Gordie's fists were clenched. "Maybe if people showed some belief in Chris he would do better!" He paused. "Besides he's not doing… so badly."

Mr Bonds leaned forwards. "Would you be surprised, Lachance, if I were to tell you that Christopher Chambers is failing every one of his classes?"

Gordie felt as jolt of surprise. He knew Chris was finding things difficult but he didn't know he was failing. Still, he wasn't going to give Mr Bonds the pleasure of acting all shocked.

"He's not really failing," Gordie replied, trying to keep his voice even. "He's doing really well in English and social studies."

Mr Bonds shook his head. "Believe what you want, I think we all know how this is going to turn out." He paused and withdrew a set of slips from his desk drawer. "Anyway, on the matter of your behaviour in Mr Stanley's class, I think a couple of detentions will suffice. Three o'clock today and tomorrow. You know where."

"Yes Sir," Gordie said sombrely, reaching across to take the detention slips. He stood up to leave.

"Send Christopher in," Mr Bonds said, a glint in his eye.

Gordie felt his heart plummet; this was going to be bad.