By the final bell, my butt was still sore. I was glad to miss practice, for once. I stalked over to the Junior High and felt my mood sour. Pop wasn't going to show up. He wasn't going to punish Tex. Even though I'd almost been excited when Pop came home, I knew nothing would change. I'd still be the parent, and Pop would ignore anything that required effort.
I scowled at Texas when I entered the office, but said nothing. He looked at his lap, paled a bit, and said nothing either.
"Come on in, Mason," Mrs. Johnson said. "You, too, Tex."
"I don't know if the old man is going to show up or not," I said abruptly.
"He said he would when I talked to him," Mrs. Johnson said. "And I remember him coming up here to talk about you and all those fights you used to get into."
It took all my politeness not to frown at her. We were supposed to be focused on Texas, not me.
"You know, I was never big on fighting," Tex said suddenly.
"You've been in here for everything else," I replied.
"Well, this is the first time Pop has had to come to school about me."
"It's not the first time he's been asked. Just the first time he may actually come," I said sarcastically and then felt badly. Tex never seemed to notice that Pop didn't give a damn about him.
There was a knock at the door and a teacher asked Mrs. Johnson to come look at what had been found in a locker. She got up to leave and stopped. She said, "I think I can trust you two to stay here, right?"
"Sure," said Tex. I said nothing. Once she left, I paced the room, getting madder and madder.
"I don't know why you have to go poking your nose in," Tex remarked.
I envisioned throwing him over a propped-up knee and tanning his hide. But I refrained. "I am poking my nose in because I don't want to see you get expelled," I snarled.
"You knew I might get expelled?"
"God yes—they were laying bets on it over at my school, you idiot."
When Mrs. Johnson got back, it was nearly 4:30. She sighed. "Maybe he got held up at work."
"Most likely," I said mockingly.
"Well, Mason, you heard my punishment this morning. I guess you're going to be taking Texas home now and dealing with his punishment there. Are you okay with that?"
"It's what I do. Why should today be any different?" I heard how fierce I sounded again and stopped. I looked my former principal in the eyes. I knew she understood, but still I said, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Johnson. I'm not mad at you. Just Pop mostly. …And Tex. Thanks for not expelling him. I know he has only three months left in your school and I would like to say that he won't be back in here, but I've met Texas, so that is not a promise I can make. I just know that I'll try to keep him away."
"Of course, Mason. And I hope you hear, Texas, how hard Mason is trying for you," Mrs. Johnson said sternly. "I expect you to do your best to live up to his efforts."
"Yes, ma'am," Tex said.