Chapter 38: Consequences

Johnny's POV

Tad's old lady wasn't really what I guessed she'd be. She looked kind of small, quiet. Her eyes were pink around the edges. In a weird way, she had the same nervous, shuffling thing about her that kind of reminded me of Bea. She had brown hair cut like Lola's. Maybe that's why he likes her - reminds him of Mommy.

"Do you think something is funny, Mr. Vincent?"

"No, Sir."

"I should hope not. That poor boy is in hospital undergoing surgery. Mrs. Spencer has been there for three hours on the phone demanding to know what happened. I have half a mind to expel every last one of you -" Bea gasped and clenched my hand. "- and I should very much like to if it didn't mean expelling more than half of the student body! Now." He stood up in front of his desk, trying to look taller. He must have thought we'd respect him like that. "I'm a reasonable man. There are people in this room who aren't troublemakers, albeit not many. Trudeau. Pasteur. You," he added, pointing at Algernon. "Mr Harrington, you'd best sit down too. Now, I want to know what happened here." His eyes flashed at me and the guys; he evidently wasn't going to ask our opinions. "If anyone at all has anything to say - and they wish to remain at this academy - then this is your last chance to speak up."

Trembling, Bea stood up at her name. She looked at the floor. Her foggy glasses made my whole body feel clouded with shame. She didn't want to talk. It didn't matter if I got kicked out(not to me) but she had a few dreams left. All her pencils were chewed. Her backpack sagged with all her books. Lola's backpack never sagged with anything. Other people carried her stuff around for her. Bea wasn't like that - she wasn't like me: school was important to her.

"Tell them what happened, Bea."

I made her eyes out through the steam on her glasses and found the surprise in them. Her bottom lip was red where she bit down on it.

Crabblesnitch glared at me.

"John Vincent, I wasn't asking you."

"Well tough shit." The curse slapped his mouth shut like duct tape for just long enough. "Look, it wasn't Bea's fault. The preppies started this. Tad got himself in hospital. Don't kick her out, okay?"

He stared at me, then studied Bea's face for a moment. Something started revving in his brain, I guess.

"You and him?"

"Uh..."

"Look, just don't kick her out. Or her friends. They were only looking out for each other." Don't you hate it when a room goes quiet? Grudgingly, I threw in a "Please," and that put him in stand-by for a sec.

"I see." He sat down. "Anyone who tells me what happened - and their part in it - is exempt from being expelled, though I will make other arrangements to ensure justice is served." He watched me like a juror watches the defendant, like he was trying to figure out what he thought of me. "But, if I leave this room and find out there are things I wasn't told... Are we all agreed?"

A nod rolled around the room and back to Crabblesnitch, who stepped forward and stood in front of me.

"Good," he said. "And seeing as you've been so talkative, Vincent, why don't you start things off?"