Dan showed up first. He sat next to Nathan on the other side of me. There
was a seat between me and Nathan and a seat on the other side of me. Keith
sat next to me, away from Nathan.
Keith said, "Hi Danny, Nathan, Luke."
Mr. Andrews shook hands with each of the parental units.
Dan did not acknowledge Keith.
"So your boys were fighting."
Dan put his hand around Nathan's neck. Nathan winced.
"They are both suspended for three days," Mr. Andrews said.
I could feel Keith's eyes glaring a hole in the side of my face. Dan's grip tightened on Nathan's neck. His knuckles were turning white.
While Dan was arguing with Mr. Andrews yelling about how his son was too good to be suspended, or something like that, I nudged Keith and gestured in the direction of Dan's grip on Nathan.
Keith nodded. "Danny," Keith said.
Dan turned sharply toward Keith, "What?"
"Let go of Nathan." He pointed at his hand on Nathan. Nathan's eyes grew quite a few sizes. He was terrified.
"Who are you to tell me what to do?" Dan shouted.
"Just let him go, Dan."
Dan let go of Nathan. There were five distinct finger marks on the back of his neck. "Happy?" Dan asked.
Keith nodded.
Mr. Andrews didn't want to discuss the signs of abuse Dan was showing. He wanted to talk about our suspension. So he did, "I want to stress the severity of this offense. Behavior like this is not acceptable at this school, as I have already explained to the boys. I hope you will talk to them at home so this does not happen again."
"It won't," Keith answered the non question.
Dan and Keith talked, but I tuned out. Nathan said nothing. I couldn't remember ever hearing Nathan say anything except "yes, father," or something to that degree to his father. I stopped listening. There were collages from each graduating class on the wall. Graduation seemed like so far away. Then I started thinking about how I was going to afford college, when Keith and Dan stood up. Nathan stood with Dan. Keith pulled at my sleeve. "We're done, Luke. Let's go."
"Huh?"
"Let's go." He repeated.
"Where?"
"I have to open up the shop. You're coming with."
"I veto that idea," I said.
"We'll talk in the car. Let's go." He tugged at my sleeve again. This time I got up. I followed him to the car.
He didn't seem that angry. I might make it to my next birthday. One can dream... I was already grounded, twice. What could he do to me?
Apparently he didn't know what to do with me, either.
"Why the hell did you fight Nathan?"
I shrugged.
"Please tell me you have something better than that."
"He was being an ass. I-"
"Lucas," he cut me off. "Please don't talk about people like that."
"He was provoking me. He pushed me first."
"And that means you should punch him? I saw his lip, you did some major damage."
"Can we skip the lecture?" I suggested.
"No!"
"You're not my mom, Keith."
"I don't claim to be."
"Then why the lecture?"
"Because you got suspended!"
"Then by all means, continue with the lecture." I said sarcastically.
"Watch it, Lucas," Keith warned.
"What?"
"You may be angry with me, but that doesn't mean you can be disrespectful."
"Sorry," I muttered.
We stopped at the shop.
"What are we doing?" I asked.
"I need to work. You need something to do. You know how to work...Do you see where I'm going with this?"
"You're gonna make me work all day?" I asked disbelievingly.
"Yeah, that's pretty much how it goes. Consider this your punishment."
Keith said, "Hi Danny, Nathan, Luke."
Mr. Andrews shook hands with each of the parental units.
Dan did not acknowledge Keith.
"So your boys were fighting."
Dan put his hand around Nathan's neck. Nathan winced.
"They are both suspended for three days," Mr. Andrews said.
I could feel Keith's eyes glaring a hole in the side of my face. Dan's grip tightened on Nathan's neck. His knuckles were turning white.
While Dan was arguing with Mr. Andrews yelling about how his son was too good to be suspended, or something like that, I nudged Keith and gestured in the direction of Dan's grip on Nathan.
Keith nodded. "Danny," Keith said.
Dan turned sharply toward Keith, "What?"
"Let go of Nathan." He pointed at his hand on Nathan. Nathan's eyes grew quite a few sizes. He was terrified.
"Who are you to tell me what to do?" Dan shouted.
"Just let him go, Dan."
Dan let go of Nathan. There were five distinct finger marks on the back of his neck. "Happy?" Dan asked.
Keith nodded.
Mr. Andrews didn't want to discuss the signs of abuse Dan was showing. He wanted to talk about our suspension. So he did, "I want to stress the severity of this offense. Behavior like this is not acceptable at this school, as I have already explained to the boys. I hope you will talk to them at home so this does not happen again."
"It won't," Keith answered the non question.
Dan and Keith talked, but I tuned out. Nathan said nothing. I couldn't remember ever hearing Nathan say anything except "yes, father," or something to that degree to his father. I stopped listening. There were collages from each graduating class on the wall. Graduation seemed like so far away. Then I started thinking about how I was going to afford college, when Keith and Dan stood up. Nathan stood with Dan. Keith pulled at my sleeve. "We're done, Luke. Let's go."
"Huh?"
"Let's go." He repeated.
"Where?"
"I have to open up the shop. You're coming with."
"I veto that idea," I said.
"We'll talk in the car. Let's go." He tugged at my sleeve again. This time I got up. I followed him to the car.
He didn't seem that angry. I might make it to my next birthday. One can dream... I was already grounded, twice. What could he do to me?
Apparently he didn't know what to do with me, either.
"Why the hell did you fight Nathan?"
I shrugged.
"Please tell me you have something better than that."
"He was being an ass. I-"
"Lucas," he cut me off. "Please don't talk about people like that."
"He was provoking me. He pushed me first."
"And that means you should punch him? I saw his lip, you did some major damage."
"Can we skip the lecture?" I suggested.
"No!"
"You're not my mom, Keith."
"I don't claim to be."
"Then why the lecture?"
"Because you got suspended!"
"Then by all means, continue with the lecture." I said sarcastically.
"Watch it, Lucas," Keith warned.
"What?"
"You may be angry with me, but that doesn't mean you can be disrespectful."
"Sorry," I muttered.
We stopped at the shop.
"What are we doing?" I asked.
"I need to work. You need something to do. You know how to work...Do you see where I'm going with this?"
"You're gonna make me work all day?" I asked disbelievingly.
"Yeah, that's pretty much how it goes. Consider this your punishment."