The second semester seemed to fly by at a break neck speed. With applications in the waiting began; but with all the special events that were organized for the seniors it was much easier than CJ would have thought. With her lighter academic schedule CJ was also able to pull a few small pranks with the help of her buddies. Neither Steven nor Ainsley would suggest activities but they were both willing participants.
As the weather cleared and it could finally be called spring CJ brought in a bag filled with bubble wrap. A confused Steven had to ask exactly what she was planning on doing with it. A broad grin stretched across her face as she described that she had cut them to the width of most car tires and that with the help of the ever helpful duct tape they would tape the strip of bubble wrap to the tires of the teachers cars and watch as they drive away and hear the bubbles popping mimicking the sound of a machine gun.
"Do ya think that's such a good plan Ceejj" Steven asked a bit weary of anything that may get local LEO's involved again.
"Steven, of course I think it's a good plan! I brought the stuff didn't I?" CJ explained huffily.
"Ok… if you think so" he followed her into the cafeteria where they usually met Ainsley before classes started.
Both Steven and CJ had a spare right after lunch but unfortunately Ainsley did not. That meant the couple were flying solo so to speak. It was the perfect time to be in the staff parking lot. All classes in session, no one around or at least that was what was supposed to happen. But as Steven was duct taping a strip of bubble wrap to a silver accord, owner unknown, Mr. Van Horton, the auto shop teacher tapped him on the shoulder. From his crouched position Steven turned slowly to look up into an angry face.
Teachers would volunteer their cars for the students to work on. Therefore benefiting both parties; the teachers got free labour on their auto repairs and the students had a myriad of vehicles to work on getting lots of different experience. Of all the bad luck Steven was taping up the vehicle that had been designated for the shop class to look at that day. CJ heard the conversation but stayed hidden several cars away. There was about half a second she thought she'd turn herself in with Steven but that idea ran quickly out of her head. She'd been in trouble numerous times and no one ever stepped up to say they'd been part it. But she now understood when they had said "we really did feel badly leaving you there", because right now she felt awful.
"What exactly are you doing young man?" the shop teacher enquired.
"Ah.. Um.. I'm…" Steven stammered. He had never been caught before, well not directly, and had no idea what do to or say. In those few seconds floundering for words he realized that CJ had always taken the fall and he'd never had to explain his actions to anyone.
"Have you done that to any other car?" Mr. Van Horton demanded.
"Yes sir" was Steven's automatic response when stressed and in trouble.
"Go fix it" he said pointing Steven in the direction of the parking lot. Quickly removing the prank he had just set up Steven walked back carrying the evidence with him.
"Follow me" the teacher instructed turning towards the door that lead to the front office. Swallowing hard Steven jogged a couple of paces to keep up and then slowed his gait to match that of Mr. Van Horton. Worry and panic sparking deep in his gut. The less than a minute walk to the DP's office was enough to have Steven running through worst case scenarios in his head. What his things like this went on his permanent record? What if universities would see it? What if he didn't get into the Naval Academy because of a stupid prank?
Steven was always one to blow things out of proportion and CJ had always been there to calm him down and show him that the world would keep spinning regardless of his breaking a rule or two. Right now he didn't want CJ there to take the blame he just wanted her there for support.
It was now Steven's turn to fully understand something CJ had said whenever they, or rather she, got caught. If you visited the DP's office you also visited Natalie. And in Steven's case that was all the more embarrassing because she was actually his relative. Steven couldn't even look in her direction as his captor explained the situation and handed off his responsibility to the secretary.
When they were finally alone Natalie said with a smirk "You finally got caught did ya?"
Steven's head whipped up to meet her gaze and judge exactly what she'd meant by that comment. "You don't think I don't know that EVERY time CJ walked through that door" pointing to the entrance "that you weren't just as guilty, you always seemed luckily enough to skate through. But not today, eh?"
"I don't know what you're talking about" Steven tried, knowing he was the worst liar on the planet.
"You don't, REALLY?" she said sarcastically "do you want me to list the pranks that had CJ hauled into this office? 'cause I'm pretty sure you could rhyme them off just as fast."
Figuring pretty quickly that he wasn't going to be winning this battle Steven changed tactics "You've never said anything."
"Not my place to say anything… until now" she said raising her eyebrows and pursing her lips.
Sparks began to fly in his belly again "what are you going to say and who are you going to say it to?" he asked sounding like a scared 5 year old.
"Nothing to nobody but you… calm down…man you're no fun to play with… CJ has a much better sense of humor you know" Natalie laughed.
"She's more accustomed to these situations" he retorted.
"And we're back to so should you be! Now aren't we?" she'd gotten him again. His head and shoulders sagged. He looked like she'd kicked him in the shins not teased him.
"Look, stop worrying, everything will be alright" she tried to build up his confidence a little.
"Now you sound like CJ" he answered her. Throwing himself on the bench to wait. In his all13 years of his academic career Steven had never been sent to the office. He had less than 3 months left and here he was waiting for the Deputy Principal. In the few minutes he waited in silence for Ms. Turnbull he realized how lucky he'd been. CJ had always been the one to take the heat on any of their adventures; CJ was always the one to keep them out of trouble. This reminiscing of sorts was interrupted by a stern woman's voice "Mr. Arnott, in here please."
Steven stood every muscle in his body seizing. He even felt like his chest was going to collapse and that he wasn't getting enough air into his lungs. Entering the small office he automatically closed the door and his stance quickly reflected his military upbringing.
"Would you care to elaborate on why you thought this" holding up the bubble wrap "needed to be affixed to several teachers' cars?"
"No ma'am" he replied quickly.
"No, you don't want to explain yourself?" she asked again.
"I don't think it will help, is all I mean ma'am" Steven tried to sound as contrite as possible.
"I see. And what exactly do you think I should do about this situation?" she asked looking across her desk to the large teen obviously trying to avoid her gaze.
Steven remained silent. He never liked this sort of question for an authority figure. He sort of felt you were damned if you answered it and damned if you didn't. In the past not answering generally was the better choice and so went with that premise.
"Well, Mr. Arnott, since you don't seem to have any suggestions I think I will make a few of my own. First you will go back to Mr. Van Horton and apologize for interrupting his class and messing with the vehicles that were entrusted to his care. Second you will get this punishment slip signed this evening by a parent. Do you understand?"
It took longer than it should have for everything to register. Apology, no problem. Getting a slip signed, no problem. But normally punishment slips meant you'd been punished and an apology wasn't REALLY a punishment. That's when Steven actually read the slip that had been handed to him. That's when he realized what was about to happen. That's when his face flushed beet red.
"Ma'am I … I really don't think that's necessary" he said waving the pink slip of paper towards her. "Nothing … happened…don't you think a paddling is like WAY overboard" his words jumbled together as his panic rose.
"Steven…today was NOT the first time you pulled a prank. Today WAS the first time you got caught" Ms. Turnbull's calm neutral expression difficult to read.
"I.. but… what?" his stammering continuing.
"Don't even go down that road… this may be a big school… but it's not THAT big… CJ has marched through this office too many times to count and not once has she had any one of her accomplices march alongside… not once has she indicated she had help… but COME ON ! do you guys really think we're that stupid… your group of friends in one of the closest knit groups I've ever seen. There is NO way on this planet that CJ worked alone with you guys looking on. Consider this punishment for every prank you've ever committed within these walls." Ms. Turnbull's matter of fact demeanor left no room to maneuver.
Instinctively Steven looked out towards Natalie's desk, the thought that she played some role in this discussion playing only momentarily in his mind.
"Don't go blaming her; she had nothing to do with this" the sternness back in the woman's voice.
"No ma'am I wasn't.." he didn't bother finishing his sentence.
Getting down to business she stood, retrieved the paddle from a cupboard on the opposite side of the room and returned to stand beside the now truly flustered teen. He was taking sidelong glances in her direction as she approached.
What you think about when under duress is sometimes comical or at least seems so under the circumstances. As Steven stood stock still waiting for an instruction he knew was coming he imagined all the times CJ had been in this very predicament and he wondered 'why the hell did she keep doing stuff? How could she do this more than once? And then he realized it was just who CJ was, the thrill of the prank always outweighed the consequences later. It was CJ's to hell with it attitude that brought a smile to his face and a questioning look from the DP.
"Something funny Mr. Arnott?"
"No ma'am" he answered quickly being brought back to the here and now.
"Then bend over" her instruction speedy and to the point. He hesitated momentarily which lead her to point to body parts and their supposed location. Finally in position Steven closed his eyes tight and held on to the edge of the desk he'd been instructed to hold.
The paddle fell with a swiftness and sting he was unprepared for. He was a good foot taller and a probably 100 lbs heavier than the deputy principal and yet she was more than capable of using the paddle in good measure. His thoughts about size differences and shock at how much it hurt were quickly dispersed when the second swat landed. 'Man' he thought this hurts like hell. After the third one found its mark he remembered Natalie on the other side of the very thin door. His pain quickly forgotten it was replaced with mortification. He was going to have to walk out of here, past his cousin, knowing she knew what had happened. Then the fourth one landed slightly lower and a grunt escaped involuntarily. The building burn in his ass once again over powering his embarrassment of the situation. The last 2 strokes were equally as solid and although no tears fell from his eyes they too were burning with the effort of keeping all signs that this was hurting for showing.
He heard Ms. Turnbull replace the paddle and the cupboard door close before she gave permission for him to stand, not that he could have done it any sooner anyway.
"You should be able to make it to your final class if you hurry" she said handing him both the punishment slip and hall pass just in case he was late.
"Yes ma'am" he answered as he trod quickly out of the office making sure he didn't look towards his cousin.
CJ found Steven at the end of the day at his locker just like every other day, what was different was how he was moving. She had expected that at the most he would have gotten a couple of detentions but that obliviously was not the case. Walking to the bus together he told her the whole story, including all of his thoughts about her and how CRAZY he realized she was because there was NO way he would ever get involved with another prank knowing that was what he had to go through. He said it all with a loving smile so she knew he wasn't actually angry with her.
"I guess I've lost my pranking buddies" she stated sadly watching Steven lower himself gingerly into the bus seat. Knowing that if Steven wasn't going to be part and parcel of her activities neither would Ainsley.
Riding home in silence CJ mourned the passing of an era. Maybe it was time, the problem was she just wasn't ready yet.