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From: John Wizard <johnwizard13@hotmail.com>
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Subject: {ASSM} The Trailer Park - The Fifth Year - Part 2[05/08]: Music and Lyrics by Wizard (mf, slow)
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Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2008 06:10:02 -0500
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[Section 5 of 8]


   The Trailer Park The Fifth Year: Music and Lyrics

   Wizard


   Mr.  Hollowell was in the office when I walked in.  He was talking to a
secretary I didn't know.  She was new this year, and if Traci had mentioned
her name, I'd forgotten it.  I nodded.  "Can I talk to Traci for a minute?"

   "She's in Mr.  Banks' room.  It's empty this period," Mr.  Hollowell
said with a nod.

   Mr.  Banks had the classroom next to the office.  I went in.  Traci was
sitting in a straight chair under the front whiteboard, looking miserable.
I walked to the front of the classroom, took a seat in Mr.  Banks' chair,
and looked at her.  She looked back for a few seconds, then felt the need
to inspect her shoelaces.

   "Want to tell me about it?"

   "No."

   I watched her for a minute as she checked out her shoes, then the door,
then the window where a light rain was beating.  "Okay," I said, stood, and
pushed Mr.  Banks' chair back under his desk.

   "Tony?" she said quietly when I was halfway to the door.

   I turned and looked at her.

   "Are you mad?"

   "Should I be?"

   She stood up, then changed her mind and sat back down.  She was looking
towards me, but not at me.  "It's just...  Well, Mom left you in charge,
then I go and..."

   "Trace, one fight in thirteen years doesn't exactly make you a
gangbanger."

   "It's...  uh...  kinda not the first."

   "It isn't?"

   "I kinda got in a brawl with Torrie Wachman in the sixth grade and got
suspended for three days."

   "You did?" Where was I?

   "And Beth Middleston in fourth.  I asked Mom not to tell you, and we
kept it a secret."

   "A good secret." My sister the gangbanger.

   "Are you mad?"

   "Do you want to tell me about it?"

   "Later."

   "Okay.  Before I try to talk Mr.  Hollowell out of suspending you for a
week, is there anything else I should know?  Smoking?  Cheating scandals?
Gun running?"

   Traci shook her head.

   I smiled.  "I'm not mad.  But I wish Dad hadn't told me last week that
I'm not as good as Sergeant Bilko."

   "Huh?"

   * * *

   "Have you got one of those big paddle boards with the round holes in it?
Mom and Dad put me in charge of her.  I can authorize a public spanking. 
We'll call an assembly before school gets over."

   Mr.  Hollowell smiled.  "Tony, stop trying to play me.  And for the
record, I took psych in college and know all about reverse psychology."

   I grinned.  "Force of habit."

   "When does your mother come back?  I'll need to talk to her.  And Traci
will be suspended for a week."

   "Dad comes back Friday evening.  Mom thinks she'll be here Saturday
afternoon.  But you don't need to talk to her, she left me in charge.  I'll
handle it."

   "She may have left you in charge, but I doubt she expected anything like
this."

   "Trace has been in three fights in eight years of school.  Mom handled
the first two.  Maybe I can do a better job."

   Mr.  Hollowell looked surprised.  "I really have to..."

   "You have to speak to a student's parent or guardian.  Mom put me in
charge.  That makes me the loco parent."

   "It's called in loco parentis.  It..." Mr.  Hollowell saw my grin and
stopped.  "Tony, this is serious."

   "And Traci WILL know that.  I promise."

   "Are you just trying to keep her out of trouble with your parents?"

   "That and a little blackmail.  You never know when you'll need some
leverage with a little sister." Mr.  Hollowell opened his mouth, but I held
my hand up.  "Sir, I don't like fighting.  That's why I always tried to
avoid them and almost always succeeded.  I guess Trace's had two other
fights.  I don't know the details, but Mom dealt with them, and it didn't
stick.  I can come at her from two angles.  I'm in charge, and she knows
and accepts that.  But I'm also a peer.  I'm just a few years older."

   Mr.  Hollowell nodded.

   "And trust me, she won't enjoy her one-day suspension."

   "I said a week."

   "Did you?  I must have misheard.  I figured one day was enough to get
the message across, and since she's been a good student the last couple
years..."

   Mr.  Hollowell sighed.

   "Did Traci start it?"

   "Uh...  I got different stories from the witnesses.  Jaime says Traci
started it, and Traci declined to comment." I didn't remember Traci
mentioning a girl named Jaime she was having trouble with.

   "If you need to know, I can get Traci to tell me, but otherwise we can
call it mutual combat and let it go with a pair of one-day suspensions."

   Mr.  Hollowell sighed again.  "Planning on law school?"

   "Hell no.  I hate to argue."

   "I'm not sure that Jaime's parents will be happy about Traci only
getting a one day suspension.  He lost..."

   "He?  Jaime's a guy?"

   Mr.  Hollowell nodded.  "You didn't know?"

   "Nobody said."

   "Anyway, Jaime lost at least one tooth.  His mom has him at the dentist
now.  They may think Traci deserves more than one day."

   "That would mean Jaime gets more than one day too, since we don't know
who started the fight.  You could remind them of that.  AND remind them
that no matter who started it, it takes two to make a fight."

   Mr.  Hollowell smiled.  "I don't think that's what you said when you had
yours."

   "I think I said that Peter threw the first punch.  The first three
punches.  I don't think I ever said that I didn't start it."

   Both Mr.  Hollowell's eyebrows shot up.  "You might also point out that
since Traci will be suspended tomorrow she'll be missing a meet, and that
will punish her a lot."

   Mr.  Hollowell nodded.  "Okay, for the moment we'll call her suspension
one day.  I'll be talking to Jaime's parents after school.  If that changes
anything, I'll let you know."

   "Fair enough," I agreed.  "I'm guessing that her suspension has already
started?" He nodded.  "Is it okay with you if she goes to practice
tonight..." Mr.  Hollowell started to protest but I held my hand up.  "Goes
to practice tonight, but does not participate, and that includes talking to
the team.  It would be easier on me and harder on her than sitting at
home."

   Mr.  Hollowell thought for a moment, then nodded.  "We're agreed?"

   I nodded.  "You're the boss."

   Mr.  Hollowell gently shook his head.  "Sometimes, I think we both
wonder about that."

   * * *

   The end-of-day bell was ringing as I collected Traci.  We hustled to the
gym.  Miss Calloway was already there, sitting on the same stack of mats
I'd put Cheyenne on and working on her grade book.

   "Tony, you're early," she said as we walked up.

   "I had something to do.  Now, I've got to run back and pick up Tami and
Stephy."

   "Okay."

   "Traci will not be participating today, but she will be watching
silently.  Can you keep an eye on her while I run to the high school.

   Miss Calloway looked surprised.  I guessed she hadn't heard about the
fight yet, but she nodded.

   I pointed, and Traci sat down next to her.  I put my hands on Traci's
shoulders and looked straight at her.  "I am not mad.  But you are being
punished.  Today you will sit here and not say a word.  If you need to go
to the bathroom or anything, you'll raise your hand just like in class. 
When Tami or I or Miss Calloway see you, you may come over and ask.  Do we
understand each other?"

   Traci looked like an embarrassed five-year-old, but she nodded, then I
sprinted for my car.

   * * *

   We got back just as the girls finished stretching.  Kelly and Suzie
headed for Traci.

   "Ladies!" I yelled.  They all hurried over.  "Some of you may know why,
the rest will hear, but Traci is an untouchable today."

   "You, like, mean chasing bad guys with tommy guns?" Suzie asked.

   "No, I, like, mean the lowest class of person in India.  Untouchables
are ignored.  They are not seen, they are not talked to.  Bad things happen
to girls who don't ignore untouchables."

   "Traci's my friend," Kelly protested.

   "Traci's still your friend.  That's an untouchable.  Traci will be back
on Friday.  Now!  Vaulters line up, everybody else stations," I ordered.  I
think it was the first time I realized that Morris had been right.  I did
run the practices, and Miss Calloway let me.

   * * *

   About halfway through practice I saw Kelly sneak over to Traci.  I
watched for a minute.  I could see Kelly's mouth moving, but Traci's stayed
shut.  "Kelly, two laps!" I yelled.  "Then beam."

   * * *

   "Tony, can I talk to you?" Cheyenne asked as practice finished.

   "Sure.  Tami, would you escort the untouchable to the car?" Tami nodded.
"Remember, that no talking thing goes for coaches too." Tami started to
stick her tongue out, changed her mind, stuck her nose in the air, and
walked out with my sister.  I grinned at their backs.

   "What can I do for you Miss Wyoming?" I said turning back to Cheyenne.
The others had all left.

   "Miss Wyoming?"

   "Aren't you the capital?"

   Cheyenne looked disgusted.

   "Sorry, you probably get things like that too much."

   "Yeah."

   "Your tumbling looked real clean today." She hadn't thrown her double,
but she'd tried just about everything else in the book.  "What would you
like?"

   "Uh...  yesterday I had team at the club after practice here."

   I nodded.

   "Daddy talked to Gary about everything that happened.  The double and
everything."

   "Yeah?"

   "Gary exploded.  He kicked me out of the gym and said he wasn't sure
he'd wanted me back."

   I nodded again.  "Gary runs a good program.  He's big on safety.  I
don't think he's ever had a big injury in the club.  He doesn't want you to
be the first."

   Now Cheyenne nodded.  "He went ballistic on my dad, saying the only
thing you did wrong was not get tough enough on me.  He said a lot of the
same things about safety and injuries."

   I grinned.  "Gary's got a thing about safety, but he's also got a thing
about parents second guessing coaches.  You know, when you did your double
Monday, it was awesome.  You had good height and good rotation, and just
barely over-rotated your landing which made you sit out, and a lot of level
nines and tens who've been doing them for a while do that too.  But when I
looked over and saw you in the air, you scared the hell out of me.  'Cause
if you seriously over- or under-rotated you could have snapped your pretty
little neck."

   "Gary said that too.  I'm sorry."

   "I'll call Gary tonight.  He'll take you back."

   "Why?"

   "Why what?"

   "Why would you call him for me."

   I hesitated, deciding just how blunt I wanted to be.  "Cheyenne, I
really don't like you." Her face clouded.  "You are a major brat who's a
lot more concerned about yourself than anyone around you." I saw a tear
form in the corner of her eye then streak down her cheek.

   "But I think, I hope, you'll outgrow that.  I also think you're very
talented, and I want to see you push yourself as far as you can go."

   She nodded slightly.

   "As long as you push yourself the right way.  Deal?"

   She nodded again.

   "Go home and get some sleep.  You're all-arounding tomorrow, and I want
you rested.

   She nodded, turned, and fled to the locker room as I wondered if I was
going to hear from her dad about that little speech.

   * * *

   I drove home, sent Traci in the house to start homework, and walked Tami
and Kelly home.  The rain had stopped.  "Kelly, Traci's untouchable until
seven Friday morning," I said when we'd stopped in front of Tami's house.
"I hope you won't disappoint me again."

   "But..."

   "Kelly," I said warningly.

   "You used to be a lot more fun," she muttered as she nodded and walked
to her house.

   "It's okay, I still think you're fun," Tami whispered then kissed me.

   "Tonight, I think you're in the minority."

   * * *

   Traci was at the dining room table doing homework when I walked in.  I
ignored her and went to the kitchen to figure out dinner.  I thought about
having a steak while giving Traci bread and water, but decided that might
be pushing the point.  Finally I decided on some shrimp scampi over pasta.
I got everything working, then went out and sat across the table from
Traci.

   She looked up.  "You're really not mad?"

   I shrugged.  "Things happen.  Want to tell me what happened?"

   Traci looked hesitant.

   "Before you answer that, I've already decided on punishment.  If you
don't want to answer, it won't make a difference."

   "It just happened."

   "Okay.  First of all, Mr.  Hollowell is suspending you for one day."

   "Only one?" Traci said in surprise.  "It's supposed to be at least three
days for fighting.  Usually a week."

   "Well," I said, buffing my fingernails on my chest.  "I have some
Polaroids of Mr.  Hollowell and Mrs.  Kreiger at the teachers' Christmas
party last year..."

   "Tony!"

   "No, he and I bargained.  We decided that a one day vacation is all you
get."

   Traci looked relieved.

   "It's not going to be a fun day."

   Traci nodded.  "I know.  You're going to tell Mom?" she asked in a
little girl voice.

   "Do you think I should?"

   She sighed.  "I guess you have to."

   "I don't have to do anything.  Do you think I should?"

   Traci hesitated then nodded resignedly.  "I promised I wouldn't get in
any more fights after Torrie Wachman in the sixth grade."

   "I guess your promise wasn't worth much."

   "But Jaime...  I guess it wasn't.  She'll be so disappointed in me."

   "I'm not going to say anything to Mom or Dad.  And unless you have more
trouble at school, I don't think Mr.  Hollowell will."

   "He won't?"

   I nodded.  "Ready to hear about tomorrow?

   "No...  I...  Jaime is such a..."

   "Go ahead, say it," I encouraged.

   "A pickledick."

   I smiled.

   "He just...  nobody likes him, he's just annoying."

   I nodded again.  "I've known a few guys like that."

   "He's always asking girls out.  Almost no one ever goes with him.  He's
asked me a few times." Traci made a face, and I wished I had a camera with
me to capture it.  "I was hanging with Kelly before sixth period and he
came over.  She just broke up with Mike Hayward...?"

   She waited and I nodded, though I hadn't known Kelly was going with the
eighth grade quarterback, let alone had broken up with him.

   "He asked her to the dance at the Elks on Saturday, and I made some kind
of joke, I don't even remember what it was.  He got mad and started saying
some things.  Mostly about the team and how we'd never won a single meet."

   "In his defense, we haven't."

   "I know, but I didn't need that son-of-a-bitch rubbing it in my face. 
Anyway, Kelly and I kind of ignored him.  Then he started on Peter.  So, I
said I'd heard that he and Billy Lorenski, his best friend, had been
getting pretty friendly in the showers after P.E.  He slapped me, and I
decked him."

   "You know, there's really no excuse for fighting.  Unless he was talking
about me of course."

   Traci smiled weakly.

   "But that comes close.  Of course, if you hadn't decked him, knocking
out a tooth, I heard, he'd probably be suspended for a week right now,
instead of a day like you."

   "He's only suspended for a day?  That's not fair."

   "Life's not fair.  Besides, you didn't bother to tell me or Mr. 
Hollowell the story, and I guess the witnesses couldn't decide who started
it."

   "Oh."

   "I understand why it happened, and I don't blame you much, but fighting
in school isn't good."

   "I know."

   "Tonight, you'll be working on homework all night.  If you run out of
assignments, work ahead." Traci nodded.  "Tomorrow, you'll spend ALL day
working around the house and doing homework.  Even when I go to the meet."

   "The meet!  I forgot about the meet."

   "You might as well keep forgetting about it."

   "Can I go and watch?"

   "No." I felt bad about that, but Mr.  Hollowell had been real flexible,
and I didn't want to take advantage.  Not more advantage.

   "Okay."

   "Friday, you start with a clean slate."

   "Okay."

   "It could be a lot worse.  And if it happens again, it will be," I
threatened.

   "You're not a bad brother."

   "And if I had a brother, I'd want him to have a right hook just like
yours."

   Traci grinned, then went back to her homework.

   * * *

   The clock said three minutes after nine.  I looked over her shoulder as
Traci finished a page of problems from her math book.  "Okay, put it away,"
I said.  I glanced at the sink full of dishes and felt a little guilty, but
the dishes were only one of Traci's chores for tomorrow.

   "I'm going to take a walk with Tami, then it's bedtime." Traci nodded
without enthusiasm.  "Tami and I will probably take thirty minutes." Traci
looked up at me and nodded again.  "You and Peter can have ten."

   "We can?"

   I nodded, trying to suppress a smile.  I remembered when I been grounded
and Mom let me have a few minutes with Tami each night.  I'd decided when I
saw Traci ignore Kelly in the gym.  "If you want to follow Tam and me like
usual, okay.  If you want to go your own way, that's fine too."

   Traci grinned.  "Tomorrow?"

   "We'll see tomorrow."

   We grabbed jackets, and Traci skipped out of the house.  She didn't look
like someone getting punished.

   * * *

   The next day wasn't a lot of fun.  For either of us.  I took the day
from school and supervised as Traci cleaned the house.  In her and our
parent's bedrooms, I had her take everything out and move furniture, then
shampoo the carpets with a cleaner I rented at Safeway.  In the bathrooms,
she was on her hands and knees scrubbing grout with a toothbrush. 
Yesterday, I wasn't a bad brother.  I didn't think I'd ask her today.

   Her breaks were homework.  Since she'd finished all her assignments
yesterday, mostly I drilled her on her books.

   Just before two, Robbie showed up.

   "What's she doing here?" Traci asked from the chair she was standing on,
dusting the top of the glass-fronted curio cabinet Mom had in the living
room.

   "She's your babysitter."

   "I don't need a..." Traci stopped when I gave her a look.

   "Here's a list of chores." I handed Robbie the list I'd typed up
earlier. "After an hour-and-a-half of cleaning, she gets a half-an-hour
break for homework.  She finished everything that was assigned, so she can
read ahead, or you can drill on what she's already done.  Zero fun."

   Robbie nodded.  "Aye, aye Captain Bligh."

   "That's Admiral Bligh.  I was promoted," I said with a grin, then
escaped to my car before Robbie could come up with a comeback.  I had to
get to the high school and pick up Tami and Stephy, then meet the team to
get on the bus.

   * * *

   "LADIES!" I yelled after Tami, Stephy, Miss Calloway, and the driver had
gotten off.  The bus got quiet.  All the girls were sitting straight in
their seats, waiting.

   "Ya won one.  What more is there to say?"

   Cheyenne raised her hand, and I nodded to her.  "We could say we wish
Traci were here."

   I don't think the surprise showed on my face.  Maybe she was going to
try.  "And we do.  Go stuff yourselves."

   Kelly jumped up, hugged me, and raced for the door.  Then Suzie hugged
me and followed her.  One by one, all the girls gave me a hug until only
Cheyenne was left.  "I do wish she were here," Cheyenne said as she stood
up.

   "Then maybe I was wrong."

   "Maybe you weren't.  Gary called me last night.  I can come back to
practice tomorrow."

   "Good."

   Cheyenne looked at me as if trying to figure me out.  Then she grabbed
me in a quick hug and vanished out the bus door.

   Win one little meet and they get all emotional on you.

   * * *



   "How'd it go?"

   Robbie was reading in Dad's chair when I got home just before eleven.

   Robbie closed her book.  "Fine.  She's asleep.  She finished your list.
How'd the team do?"

   "We finally won one.  So how many games of cribbage did you play?"

   Robbie turned red.  "Just a couple.  For her arithmetic skills."

   "Un huh."

   "See if I babysit for you again," she said indignantly.

   "How many did she win?"

   Robbie looked away.  "Three out of five."

   "As long as she didn't have fun beating you."

   "God, I hate you sometimes."

   "Tami says that a lot.  Maybe you two should compare notes.  Did Traci
get her walk with Peter?"

   "She did.  You're not Captain Bligh, you're the captain of the Good Ship
Lollipop."

   "Nah.  I would have slapped that Shirley Temple brat clean off the
boat."

   Robbie shook her head, kissed me, and left.

   Traci had told me she only had one class with Jaime.  Second period. 
I'd told her that at the beginning of class she'd ask the teacher, then
stand in front of the class and apologize to Jaime for knocking him on his
butt and knocking a tooth out.  In those words.  Traci would be
embarrassed, and that was part of her punishment, but I'd bet my college
fund that Jaime would be more embarrassed.

   'All in all, a not unsuccessful suspension,' I decided as I headed for
bed.



   Chapter 18

   Mom got home Saturday afternoon and immediately collapsed in Dad's
chair.

   "Long day?" Dad asked.

   "Long four days.  Sometimes I'm sorry I took that promotion."

   "Tell you what...  Dad, if you'll make a store run for me, I'll cook a
dinner to revive any tired mother."

   "Deal," Mom said before Dad could have an opinion.

   I wrote out a quick shopping list.  "Why don't you take the brat.  She
needs to get out."

   Dad hesitated.

   "Maybe you could buy her an ice cream, do some of that father-daughter
bonding stuff."

   The look Dad gave me was not entirely trusting.

   "Mom, I've got something I think you'll appreciate," I said after Dad
and Trace had left.  I went to my room and got Bill O'Reilly's new book.  I
brought it out and handed it to her.

   "It's book marked," I said as I retreated to the kitchen to start
preparations.  I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called Tami.  "I"m
doing the gourmet thing for Mom.  She just got home and she's tired.  Want
to join us?  Your mom too."

   Tami laughed.  "Your idea of gourmet is a steak cooked medium rare."

   "And your point?"

   Tami laughed again.  "I'll ask and call you back."

   I went back into the living room.  Mom was staring at the pink paper I'd
used as a bookmark.

   "Oops.  You're not supposed to see that." I said, snatching it out of
her hand and stuffing it in my pocket.

   "Tony!"

   "No comment."

   "Tony!" she said again.  I stood mute.  "Your sister got in a fight and
got suspended?"

   "No comment."

   Mom stared at me, and it wasn't pleasant.  "But she only got suspended
for one day?

   "No comment."

   "You talked to Mr.  Hollowell?"

   "No comment."

   "Somehow you talked Mr.  Hollowell into one day instead of three or
four. The living rooms spotless.  Traci did this?"

   "No comment."

   Mom kept putting the pieces together like a jigsaw puzzle.  "One day, so
the other girl is okay."

   I figured that needed some clarification.  "Oh, boy!  I can't wait for
dinner."

   "A boy!  Traci got in a fight with a boy?"

   "No comment."

   "He's okay?"

   "I heard the only injuries at Trace's school Wednesday were a loose
tooth and some manly pride."

   Mom nodded.  "And you promised you wouldn't tell?"

   "No comment."

   "And just happened to leave her suspension form in your book?"

   "It was handy."

   "You are a sneaky so-and-so," Mom said after she'd stared at me for two
minutes.

   I grinned.  "No comment."

   "You obviously think Traci's been punished and I should ignore this."

   I started to say 'No comment,' but Mom raised her index finger in my
direction and I took the hint.

   "Is she going to tell me about this?"

   "She's a good kid." Which I hope Mom translated as fifty-fifty.

   Mom picked up the book in her lap and started reading.  "This dinner
better be damned good," she said threateningly.

   "No comment," I said as I retreated to the kitchen.

   My life is complicated, but sometimes it works.

   * * *

   I was sitting in Dad's chair, exhausted.  Mentally exhausted.  There was
a Scooby-Doo cartoon on the screen in front of me, and that was too much to
concentrate on.  Robbie, Tami and I had been debating welfare.

   It started at Robbie's house.  We'd been playing three-handed pinochle
with Fox News on the television in the background.  A nice easy Sunday
after dealing with Traci's suspension and everything else.

   There was a story on about a single welfare mother with five kids who
won twelve million dollars in the lottery.

   "It's nice that she won that money," Tami said.

   "It's a waste," Robbie commented.  "She'll probably blow it in a couple
years and be back on welfare."

   "Twelve million dollars?" Tami asked in surprise."

   "Twelve million dollars," Robbie agreed.  "She should at least have to
pay back all the welfare she's gotten."

   My first mistake was having an opinion.  My second was talking.  "What's
really wrong is a welfare mother with five kids.  If she's on welfare and
has a baby, the state should offer to have her tubes tied.  If she has a
second, they should throw her off welfare and let her starve."

   "Tony!" both girls said together.

   "Who are you, Adolf Hitler?" Robbie said.  "Forced sterilization."

   "First of all, I wouldn't force anybody.  But if someone can't even take
care of herself, she has no business bringing a baby into the world.  But
accidents happen.  After the first 'accident' I would give them the option
of having their tubes tied and I'd make sure they understood the
consequences if they didn't.  Second accident, and they're on their own."

   "I can't believe you'd be so heartless," Tami said.  "A little baby..."

   "I said the mother would be in the street.  The kids would be taken care
of.  Orphanages may not be wonderful, but I think in some cases the kids
would be better off."

   "Tony!"

   "I notice you put it all on the woman," Robbie said dryly.

   "Not at all.  But the woman is easier to identify.  If you can track the
father, the same deal should apply.  First baby, vasectomy.  Second baby,
off the welfare roles.  And as long as I'm being heartless, I'd grab the
dough too.  If a welfare recipient wins the lottery, the welfare department
should grab it all, because they had no business playing it in the first
place.

   It went downhill from there.  Debating Robbie is never easy.  Say the
right thing the wrong way and she'd pounce.  And Tami was no slouch either.
I think I held my own, but if we'd had a judge, I'm not sure which side got
the win.

   Now I tried to concentrate on a cartoon mutt.  Tami had gone to dinner
with her mother and the family of one of her mother's friends.  Robbie was
at her house probably planning to take over the world and Mom and Dad were
having dinner at the Holiday Inn with some of Mom's coworkers.  Traci was
in the back with Peter.

   Maybe I could just zone out for a couple hours, then go to bed and this
week would be over.

   "You did WHAT with Robbie!" Peter's voice brought me back.  There was a
different cartoon on the screen, one I didn't recognize.  I looked at my
watch.  I'd been sitting here an hour.  I listened, and the back of the
trailer had gone quiet again.

   I guessed that Traci had decided that tonight was the night for honesty,
and that included her experiments with Robbie.

   I decided that the cartoon on the screen was stupid but didn't have the
motivation to reach for the remote six inches from my hand.

   "KELLY!  My sister?" Peter's voice startled me again.

   Traci and Kelly?  I'd never suspected.  I managed to stand and walked
through the kitchen to the utility room that connected to the main hallway.
I listened but couldn't hear any more from the back bedroom.  Peter was a
smart kid.  He'd realize that Traci had just been experimenting and that
she and he were meant...

   "Your BROTHER!"

   Oh, fuck.  I couldn't believe she'd told him about that.  Hell, I hadn't
even thought of it when she was talking about honesty.

   "Your own brother!" Peter wailed.  "You, you..." Then Traci's door
slammed open and Peter raced down the hallway.

   "Peter are you okay?" I asked stepping out of the utility room.

   "YOUR OWN SISTER!" he screamed and his fist slammed into my stomach.c I
stumbled backwards and caught myself against the washing machine.

   The front door slammed.

   I straightened up and took a deep breath.  Peter was no fighter,
certainly no Monster Girl.  I walked down the hallway to Traci's room.  She
was sitting on her bed, tears freely streaming down her cheeks.  "Are you
okay?"

   She looked up at me.  "No." She wiped some tears away, to little effect.
"So much for honesty."

   I walked over and sat down beside her.  "It sounded like you told him
everything."

   "Oh, Tony!" She buried her face against my shoulder.

   "It's okay.  He'll come back.  It may take awhile, but..."

   "I don't think so," she said, her voice partially muffled.  "I told him
about Gary.  He was the first one, the one on the road trip.  Peter wasn't
mad, he said it was okay.  I told him about the others, and he was cool."

   I wondered just how many others, then decided that I didn't want or need
to know.

   Traci looked up at me.  The tears had stopped flowing but her face was
red and puffy.  "I told him about Robbie, and he freaked a little, but then
calmed down."

   I smiled and nodded.  She knew I knew about Robbie.  I think she also
knew that I tried hard not to think about it.

   "I told him about Kelly, and that bothered him.  Mostly 'cause Kelly's
his little sister."

   "I hadn't known about Kelly."

   Traci blushed.  It was hard to tell with her already red face, but I
could.

   "We just...  just fooled around a little."

   I nodded.  "Then you told him about us?"

   "There was no us.  It was me.  You didn't want to.  But Peter freaked.
You heard him."

   "I did." I decided that I didn't need to mention he sucker punched me on
the way out.

   "What am I going to do?"

   I put my arm around her and hugged her tight.  "You're going to take a
hot bath and go to bed.  In the morning, everything will be better or it
won't.  You're just going to have to take it one day at a time."

   "Maybe I shouldn't have told him," Traci said, reaching up and wiping
the remaining tears away.

   "Maybe you shouldn't," I agreed.

   "Life is complicated," she sighed.

   I've only hit my sister once.  But when she said those three words I'd
used so often I wanted to slap her silly.



   Chapter 19

   "Okay, Trace, you're up."

   Traci frowned but stood up.  "I don't know why you signed me up for
this. I've been vaulting like shit."

   That was the truth.  Since her fight with Peter almost a month ago, she
hadn't been worth much of anything, in gymnastics or school.  I'd told Mom
about the fight with Peter, though not what it was about, and convinced her
to give Traci some space to work it out.

   Now I was ignoring my own advice.

   I ignored her comment, smiled at her, then walked up to the vaulting
table and announced her vault to the judges.

   Traci's run reminded me of a bull moose after a twelve-pack of beer. 
Not that I've ever seen a bull moose after a twelve-pack of beer.  She hit
the board, flew in the air, and somehow managed to get upside down.  Then
instead of hitting the vaulting table and popping up to finish her vault,
she kind of landed on it and fell off, though she did finish on her feet.

   "I told you," she said after she'd saluted the judges.

   "No, I'm going to tell you.  This is our last meet.  The district
championship, and a lot of our girls want to finish better than fifth like
we did last year.  I signed you up for this event because you're a damn
good vaulter.  But if you'd rather mope about Peter than help your team,
you might as well go sit down.

   "I know what you felt for Peter.  And I know what's going on now is
hurting, but ditching the rest of your life is not an option.  You can go
talk to him and see if you can make it better, or you can forget about him,
but this feeling sorry for yourself is done.  Now get out of my face, and
go sit down.  I'll tell the judges you're scratching." Traci glared at me,
but I turned my back on her.

   When I turned back, Traci was at the end of the runway looking
determined.  I didn't smile no matter how much I wanted to.  I signaled
Traci to throw her new vault, then told the judges.

   This time Traci's run still reminded me of a bull moose, but a bull
moose that wasn't going to get stopped by anything short of a bigger bull
moose.  Traci did a roundoff onto the springboard and exploded into the
air. She landed on her hands on the table, exploded again and twisted a
complete rotation before her perfect landing.  Now I smiled.

   "Bastard," she said between clenched teeth after saluting the judges. 
"I never want to talk to you again.

   I nodded, though she'd already turned her back to walk away.  She
disappeared into a small mob of girls full of congratulations, hugs and
kisses.  I could live with not talking to Traci as long as she rejoined the
rest of the world.

   "How come you're not in the middle of that?" I asked Kelly as she stood
off the side and stretched her wrists and neck.

   "I need to focus on my vault."

   "Okaaaayyyyy."

   Kelly gave me a dirty look, then glanced at the judges table where they
were just putting up a nine point six five for Traci's vault.  Her best
ever.

   She glanced at my sister, who hadn't noticed yet.  A smile snuck onto
her face, then quickly disappeared.

   'Now what?' I wondered as Suzie got ready to vault

   * * *

   It had been a rough month.  Not even my birthday last week could cheer
it up.  Of course, seventeen is kind of a blah year.  I mean, turn fifteen
and you get your learner's permit.  Sixteen and you get your license. 
Eighteen and you can vote.  But seventeen is just kind of there.

   Mostly, Traci sat in her room and listened to music.  Kelly was around
the first week, but after that it was Ann, and she hadn't changed much.

   I tried to talk to Traci a couple of times, but no luck.

   I was kind of surprised that it kept going on.  I could understand Peter
getting upset.  I mean, it was a lot to handle all at once.  Especially the
part about Traci and me.  Hell, I still don't handle that part very well.
But he and Trace seemed so natural together that I thought he would get
over it.

   Of course, Tami and I were pretty natural together, and our fights
always lasted way too long.

   * * *

   "Traci, awesome vault.  I saw your score," I said as I rejoined the team
after vault was over.  I have never been so thoroughly ignored in my life.

   "You were a little rough on her," Cheyenne said quietly.

   I bit my tongue to stifle the first response that came to mind. 
"Cheyenne, I really appreciate that you're trying to be more about the
team, but trust me, this is one you don't want to get in the middle of."

   Cheyenne looked like she had to reject her first thought too.  "Okay."

   * * *

   "Cheyenne!"

   She looked startled.  We were just getting ready for our one-touch on
floor.  In long meets, like districts, they give the next four or five
gymnasts in a rotation a one-touch warm-up just before they competed.  On
vault, bars, and beam, that meant exactly like it sounded.  The gymnast got
to touch the apparatus one time.  That's one vault or one sequence of three
or four moves on beam and bars.  On floor, three or four tumbling passes.

   "Coach?" she said tentatively as she walked over.

   "You feeling your double?"

   Her face lit up.  "You mean it?"

   "Gary said if you were having a good day, you could throw it.  You want
to do it today or save it for the club meet next week?"

   "Are you kidding?"

   I took that as a yes.  "Okay, we're going to throw it on your first
tumbling pass when you've got lots of energy."

   The judge signaled we could start one-touch.

   "Right now, I want your second pass first, then your third pass, then
we'll try two doubles and decide from there."

   Cheyenne nodded and ran to the corner to wait her turn.

   Cheyenne's second tumbling pass was a front handspring into a front
flip, walking out into a roundoff Shusanova.  A Shusanova is where she
rebounds out of the roundoff, does a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree straddle
jump, but lands with her whole body flat on the ground.  "Too much knees,"
I said when she finished.

   Her third tumbling pass was her easiest.  For her anyway.  A
double-twisting back flip.

   "Good height, but you over-rotated a little."

   Cheyenne nodded, probably having already figured that out.

   "You ready for this?"

   She nodded again.

   As Kelly finished her third pass, I walked out onto the floor, then
nodded to Cheyenne.  She nodded back, looked down at the floor for a
second, then exploded in her run.  Roundoff, back handspring, then punch
into the air.  I was there when she punched, but saw she didn't need any
extra power.  Cheyenne pulled her knees up sharply and started her
rotation, one, she was looking good, two, I was set up under her, saw her
open up and knew she had it.  I backed off.

   "I nailed it," Cheyenne said with a huge grin as she ran to the corner
to wait her last practice pass.

   "You did," I agreed.  "Do it like that in the meet and the judges may
have to figure out what comes after ten."

   Impossibly, Cheyenne's grin got bigger.

   "You want me out there?"

   I could see the word no on her lips, but she hesitated.  "Am I safe
without you?"

   I smiled.  "Cheyenne, no trick questions.  If you're confident, I'm
confident."

   Cheyenne looked out at the floor.  "I'm good."

   I nodded and moved over next to Tami.  Cheyenne's second double was even
better than her first.

   * * *

   I hugged Kelly as she ran off the floor.  It was probably her best floor
routine this year.  In fact, everyone seemed to have peaked tonight. 
Cheyenne got the signal to start from the judge and walked out to the
middle of the floor and took her starting pose.

   Tami, over on side, saw she was ready and started her music.  Cheyenne
started her routine on the third measure, dancing her way to the far
corner. The music changed, Cheyenne glanced at me, then burst into her
first tumbling pass.  After her back handspring she exploded upward into
what looked to me to be a textbook double.  She landed, grinned, then
danced away.

   When she finished her routine just over a minute later she saluted the
judges, then tackled me in a hug.  "How are your grades?" I asked when I
got my breath back.

   "My grades?"

   "IF you flunk, we can do this again next year."

   * * *

   We gathered our stuff and moved off to the side of the gym.  There was
still one school to go on floor and several competitors on beam and bars.
Vault looked like it was done.

   "Looks like you've got a new favorite," Kelly said with more than a
touch of spite as she shouldered her gym bag.

   "Not hardly.  You're still my favorite munchkin.  When you talk to me at
least.  You haven't been by the house in a couple weeks."

   "I...  I've been busy with other friends and stuff."

   "Un huh.  At least Cheyenne doesn't lie to me." I walked past her to the
rest of the team.

   * * *

   "Ladies!" I yelled.  The girls all sat up straighter in their seats. 
From the corner of my eye, I saw that Tami, Stephy, and Miss Calloway
hadn't gone into the pizza place like usual but were hanging just outside
the bus.  "You are making my job almost impossible."

   They were quiet, waiting.

   "We have one little tradition.  After a meet, I yell at ya." I noticed a
couple of parents had joined the coaches outside the door.  "But I have
nothing to yell about."

   "We came in third," Suzie suggested.

   "Nah, I can't yell about that 'cause it's two places better than last
year.  And we have girls in all four event finals tomorrow.  Besides--I
think, I'll check the stats to be sure--but I think that every girl on this
bus had at least one season best score, and for most of you, it was a
personal best too.

   "Seriously, I couldn't be prouder if I'd invented you.  Just remember
when anyone asks, I was your coach.  Miss Calloway, Tami, and Stephy just
sat around, ate bon bons and buffed their nails."

   "I heard that!" Stephy's voice came from outside.

   "What about next year?" Suzie asked.

   "Next year?  Unless your grades are worse than I've heard, there is no
next year."

   "What about high school gymnastics?"

   "That's not up to me.  If you want a team in high school next year, you
need to get your parents off the sofa and to the school board meetings. 
They need to petition the board."

   "Will you coach us if we get a team?" Cheyenne asked.

   "I'd hate to desert the middle school, but we'll worry about it when you
talk the board into it.  Besides, whoever coaches the team may not even
want me."

   "They'd better," Suzie chimed in.

   I grinned and shrugged.  "Go eat too much pizza!" I yelled.

   Suzie was the first one into the aisle, and she hugged me.  Cheyenne was
second with my hug.  Traci was the third one into the aisle, but she just
pushed past me.  One by one, all the girls gave me a hug until only Kelly
was left, still sitting in her seat.

   "Can I talk to you?"

   "Anytime and anywhere," I said swinging into the seat in front of her.

   Kelly hesitated.  "Do you know what she did?" she blurted finally.

   "I assume we're talking about Traci.  No idea.  Is this about her and
Peter?"

   "No.  Well, not really."

   I waited.  I'd learned my lesson last year.  With Kelly I had to wait
until she was ready to talk.

   "I guess it started there."

   "Okay."

   "When they had their fight, or broke up, or whatever they did, I decided
that I wasn't going to let myself get sucked into it.  Traci was my friend,
and Peter's my brother." I noticed the past tense she'd used on Trace.  "It
kinda worked, but Peter kept giving me funny looks.

   "I mentioned it to Traci, and she said...  well...  she...  uh...."

   "She said she'd told Peter that you and her had sex."

   Kelly went crimson.

   "You...  how...  when...  I...  uh...  Did Traci tell you too?

   "No.  Actually, Peter did."

   "Peter?"

   "When Traci told him, he repeated it at full volume."

   "How could she tell him something like that without talking to me
first?"

   "Come here," I said to stall for time.  Kelly got up and came around the
seat.  I pulled her across my lap.  "Traci had some secrets that she
thought she should tell Peter to make their relationship more honest.  She
forgot the other people in those secrets.  She's not real happy with how
that turned out."

   "Me and Traci, is that what has him weirded out?  It was just a couple
of times."

   I hesitated.  "No, I guess he was surprised but took that okay." I took
a deep breath and looked straight at Kelly.  "It was me and Traci that
bothered him."

   "YOU!"

   I nodded.  "It was just once.  On the road trip.  But Peter..."

   Kelly sighed.  "My brother's kind of conventional."

   I nodded.

   "But how could she tell him.  What if he...?"

   "Peter's not going to say anything about you."

   "How can you be sure?" Kelly asked.  "I mean, guys like to talk, and
that's kind of juicy."

   "Because Peter's known about you and me and Mikee and me for a long
time."

   "But how?"

   "I never asked.  But he and I were talking once and he told me he knew
about me and his sisters.  Peter you can trust.  Now if Kenny had known...
well, you might as well have put in on CNN."

   Kelly nodded.  "But Traci?  How can I trust her?"

   "I remember a couple years ago when someone who shall remain nameless
told your parents about a present Alana was going to give them for their
anniversary." Kelly turned crimson again.  "Did Alana stop trusting you?"

   "Maybe for a little while."

   "But she got over it."

   Kelly nodded.  "You think I need to get over it?"

   "I think right now, Traci needs all the friends she can get."



   Chapter 20

   "We need to talk."

   So much for my dream of a quiet Sunday afternoon after a long weekend of
gymnastics.

   Traci stood over me looking pissed.  She'd looked that way a lot this
weekend.  Kelly had just left.  The two of them had been closeted together
for almost three hours.  "What makes you think I need your help with my
friends?"

   Okay, that's it.  I stop trying to help.  Sisters, at least.

   "I..."

   "Kelly told me you talked to her Friday after the meet."

   "I did."

   "Why?"

   I got up out of Dad's chair.  "Certain brats may have forgotten, since
they've been so wrapped up in their own problems, but Kelly is my friend
too.  And MY FRIEND wanted to talk."

   Traci's jaw dropped.  I walked to my room and closed the door.

   * * *

   "Maybe I shouldn't go."

   "Maybe you should quit the job you love and stay home.  You can home
school the brat.  That way you can keep her in a bubble and protect her
from the world."

   "Tony!"

   I think I managed to shock my mother.  I smiled and let her think about
it.

   "You think I'm smothering her?"

   I shrugged.  "Not usually.  Usually you have a sometimes irritating
habit of letting us dig our own holes, then try to climb ou.  But right now
your only daughter is hurting and you want to help.  You want to make
everything better."

   "You don't?"

   "I know I can't.  Only Traci can make it better.  Either she and Peter
work something out, or she has to get over it."

   "Damn.  It's hell when your kids get smarter than you."

   I smiled.  "Not smarter, just more objective.  I can take a step back
and see that it's Traci who has to make the next move.  You can't.  You're
Mom."

   Mom climbed out of Dad's chair, came over, and ruffled my hair.  "So we
wait?"

   "Patiently."

   I sat on the sofa and watched as Mom paced the living room.  Traci was
over at Kelly's, which at least got her out of the house.

   "If I strangle the kid, will you bury the body for me?"

   "Peter?"

   "It's all his fault she's hurting."

   "It's..." Damn!  "It's nobody's fault.  It's just...  one of those
things."

   "You know.  You know, don't you?  What this is all about."

   Damn, Damn, Damn!  When I'd told Mom about the fight I'd managed to give
the impression that I didn't know what it was about.  "Yes," I said
finally."

   "Then..."

   I sighed.  "You already know my answer to that.  Is there any sense in
us getting in a fight, too?"

   "It's not your secret to tell," she said resignedly.

   I nodded.

   "But maybe I could help."

   "If Trace wants you to know..."

   Mom's turn to nod.  "So I wait?"

   "No, you go to Philadelphia.  You sit through three days of meetings and
pretend you couldn't have learned just as much in a one-page memo.  You
visit your old friend Mary and relive your glory years of protests and
getting hauled off to jail.  Then you call Dad and meet him in San
Francisco for a weekend and wonder why you ever had kids." Dad had a
planners' conference all week and had left today.

   "What about baseball?"

   "Doesn't start until next week.  I actually have a week with nothing
extra to do.  No football, baseball, gymnastics.  No play.  Nothing."

   "But she's not even talking to you."

   "Which just means it's a quiet week, too."

   * * *

   "Can I talk to you?"

   Traci stood in the door of my room, several large white specks in her
hair giving me a hint that either the weather had changed or Traci needed a
stronger shampoo.

   "If you can wait three-and-a-half sentences..." I was just finishing a
paper comparing international aid programs to the welfare state.  I typed
the last period and saved the paper, then turned to my sister.  The white
specks had disappeared, so I assumed they were snow and not dandruff.

   "Yes?" Considering our conversation that afternoon, I tried to sound as
neutral as I could.

   "I...  I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

   "For what?"

   "For jumping on you today.  I thought you were interfering."

   I smiled.  "I'm a big brother.  Interfering is in my job description."

   Traci ignored my joke.  "Kelly said she talked to you, not the other way
around."

   Traci stood, scuffing her feet.

   "Did you get why she was mad?" I asked after a minute.

   "Yeah, I guess I never thought...  I...  I wish I'd never talked to
Peter."

   You and me both.  "Trace, I don't want to pry." Pry, hell.  I don't want
to know.  "I don't know if you and Robbie...  or you and Kelly...  still...
I mean, if Peter had found out the hard way, walking in on you...  it would
have been worse." That had to be the most disjointed sentence I'd ever
uttered.

   "Sometimes." She didn't specify if she still played with Robbie or Kelly
or both.  I figured I'd leave it there.

   There was another long silence.

   "Trace, if it's any consolation, you're not the first teenager to wish
life had a do-over."

   * * *

   "TONY SIMS.  PLEASE COME TO THE OFFICE."

   I snapped my book closed.  "Didn't we do this last month?" I said in
disgust.

   "And always debate," Robbie pointed out.

   "Maybe if you had an unlisted address," Tami suggested.

   "Have I ever mentioned just what a comfort you two are?"

   They shrugged in perfect unison.  I gathered my books, nodded to Mrs. 
Conners, and left.

   The scene in the office almost duplicated last month's.  Melissa Bates
was still buffing her nails while reading a magazine that was open on the
counter in front of her.  Mr.  Reed was chatting with Mrs.  Hatcher, but
this time instead of sitting on the edge of the spare desk he was sitting
in the chair behind it.

   "People."

   "Tony, you have another phone call.  Mr.  Hollowell."

   Without waiting for an invitation I came around the counter, picked up
the phone, and pressed the flashing button.  "Tony Sims."

   "Tony, This is Miss Stanton at the middle school.  Mr.  Hollowell had to
step away.  There's been another fight.  Traci..."

   "I'll be right there," I interrupted.

   Well, Mom can stop worrying about the brat, 'cause I'm gonna kill her.

   * * *

   "Where is she?"

   Mr.  Hollowell was back in the office when I got there.  He looked
startled at my tone.

   "In the nurse's station.  She said your parents were out of town again.
She..."

   "Can I talk to her?"

   "Yes, but you should know..."

   "I'll be back in a minute." As I walked to the nurse's station I counted
to ten in Aztec.  I was just learning and wasn't sure of my pronunciations.
I was probably as mad as I'd ever been.  We'd just done this last month,
and I thought she understood.  Mom was going to freak.

   I opened the door, walked in, and stopped short.  Traci was sitting on
the examination table.  One cheek was swollen, and turning a dark purple.
There was a small cut under her eye, but that couldn't account for the
volume of blood on her t-shirt.

   Traci saw the anger on my face and looked scared.

   But the anger faded quickly as I looked at her.  "What...?"

   "I didn't fight.  I didn't."

   "I...  Are you okay?"

   "Tony?" said a voice behind me.  I looked back and saw Mr.  Hollowell
had followed.  I looked back at Traci.

   "I didn't fight," Traci repeated.

   "Jaime?" I asked, and Traci nodded.  I stepped forward and took a closer
look at her face.  "The blood?"

   "Is Jaime's."

   I decided to be nicer to my sister.  She was tougher than I thought. 
"Where does it hurt?"

   "My jaw and my ribs.  He kicked me."

   The kid was dead.  "What happened?"

   Traci hesitated.

   "Did you start it?" Traci shook her head.  "Then tell it," I ordered.  I
figured even after getting hurt, she didn't want to squeal on the walking
corpse.

   "If it helps, I've already talked to Kelly Temple, Suzie Calloway, and
several others," Mr.  Hollowell said from behind me.

   "I kinda cut my sixth period class.  I mean, I just wasn't in the mood
for algebra.  Kelly, Suzie, and I went up on the stage.  There was about a
dozen kids hanging out."

   "Were you smoking?" Mr.  Hollowell asked.

   "No.  A couple of kids were, but I don't.  Tony would kill me, if Mom
didn't get to me first."

   You got that right.

   "Who?" Mr.  Hollowell asked and Traci clamped her mouth shut.

   I suppressed a smile.  "What happened next?"

   "Jaime and a couple of his friends came up a few minutes later.  He saw
us and came over.  He said something about how good I looked, then said
he'd heard I'd broken up with Peter and would I like to catch a movie.

   "I knew he liked Superman comics, so I said I wouldn't date him even in
an upside-down Bizarro universe.  He got mad and said that Peter was
telling everyone that sex with me was like one potato chip, over quick and
not very satisfying.  I knew Peter would never say that."

   "No, he wouldn't," I agreed.

   "So I laughed and told him his sex life was always going to be his right
hand, and the hand was already complaining it was bored."

   I smiled in spite of myself.

   "Then he slapped me.  I asked him if his mother taught him how to hit.
That's when he hit me with his fist.  It hurt, but I didn't hit him back."
Traci looked straight into my eyes.  "I didn't fight." I nodded and smiled
to let her know I was proud of her.

   "I said something about if that's as hard as he can hit, it's no wonder
he got beat up by a girl.  That's when he hit me again.  In the same
fucking spot."

   I didn't bother correcting her language, and behind me, neither did Mr.
Hollowell.

   "When he hit me the second time, I lost my balance and fell backward.  I
looked up at him and told him he was pathetic.  That's when he kicked me."

   Hailey had told me about Suzie's sister Caroline and her surgery on a
boyfriend.  Maybe if I bought Caroline a ticket, she'd come up for a
vacation and practice her knife skills.

   I lifted her t-shirt up and looked.  There was a large bruise on her
right side.  I gently felt along her ribs.  She winced, but I didn't think
there was anything serious.  Since Cousin Wynter didn't have her own x-ray
yet, I figured I'd take her to the hospital and use theirs.

   "That's when...  uh...  some guys grabbed him," Traci continued.

   "What Traci's trying not to say is Mike Hayward, Doug Reiner and Charley
Rositer pulled Jaime off her and worked him over a little.  That's where
the blood came from," Mr.  Hollowell clarified.

   "Are they in trouble?" Traci asked.  "They were just helping me."

   "They went too far.  They'll get three day suspensions."

   "Tony," Traci said pleadingly.

   I turned and looked at Mr.  Hollowell.  "Five days."

   "Tony!" "Five days?" Traci and Mr.  Hollowell said together.

   "Five days to send a message that fighting is not tolerated."

   "Tony!" Traci repeated.

   "Then you can suspend the sentence to acknowledge the extenuating
circumstances."

   Mr.  Hollowell smiled.  "If I ever get in trouble, will you represent
me?"

   I smiled back.  "Even if I have to go to law school to do it."

   "What about Jaime?" I asked.

   "I'm recommending expulsion.  What about Jaime?" he threw my question
back at me.

   "Five days, suspended?" I asked.  He nodded.

   "You're taking care of Traci's heroes so I owe you.  Tell Jaime if he
ever says a word to Traci again, I'll make sure he spends the rest of his
life in pain."

   Mr.  Hollowell nodded.  I think he accepted that I hadn't made an idle
threat.  Hopefully, Jaime would realize just how lucky he was.

   "Can I take Traci now?  I think her ribs are okay, but I want to get an
x-ray." I helped Trace of the table.  "Can she come back tomorrow?"

   "She's not in trouble for the fight.  And I think we can overlook the
cutting class if she promises not to do it again this year."

   Traci nodded.

   I put my arm around her, and she leaned against me as we walked out.

   "Think you could do me one favor?" I asked.

   "What?"

   "The next time you don't fight, do it when Mom is here.  I've got to
make a phone call I'm not looking forward to."

   Traci grinned, though it obviously hurt to.  "That's why they pay you
the big bucks."



   Chapter 21

   "TONY SIMS.  PLEASE COME TO THE OFFICE."

   Fuck!  There is no way.

   Mrs.  Conners shot me a dirty look but didn't say anything as I closed
my notebook.  We were getting ready for a team debate, and I'd been jotting
down ideas.

   "ROBBIE TATE.  PLEASE COME TO THE OFFICE."

   Robbie grinned at me.  "Maybe my little sister got into a fight too."
Darlene was a month-and-a-half younger than Robbie.

   "Maybe tomorrow you'll stay for the entire class," Mrs.  Conners said
dryly.

   "The way things are going, I may not make it at all."

   "Think Wa-say's ganging up on us again?" Robbie asked when we were out
in the hall.

   "Don't know, don't care.  I'm going to think pleasant thoughts as long
as I can."

   "What?"

   "Tami and me on a beach all by ourselves this summer."

   "No road trip?"

   I grinned.  "You can drop us off, then pick us up on the way back."

   We turned into the office.  Melissa Bates was alone in the office. 
Instead of standing at the counter buffing her nails, she was sitting at
the spare desk with her magazine in one hand and twirling a lock of hair
with the other.

   "You're supposed to go in there," she said, pointing at the conference
room.

   I held the gate for Robbie, and we walked toward the door.

   "Wa-say," I sighed.  "After yesterday, I don't know how much I can
take." Traci's x-rays were clear, but as predicted, the phone call to Mom
wasn't fun.  It took almost an hour to convince her that Traci would be
okay and she didn't have to jump on the first plane.  The call to dad was
less intense but not much better.  I knew it wasn't my fault, but I still
couldn't help feel I'd let them down.

   "Maybe I'd better do the talking," Robbie suggested.

   "Yeah, you're more concise," I said sarcastically, reminding her of a
comment she'd made last month.

   "True," she said, opening the door.

   I considered a comment about three thousandths of a point but decided
there was already one black-and-blue Sims.

   We expected Spaulding, Kennedy, and Rosen from WSAA, but we got three
boys and a girl about our own age sitting at the conference table.  If
Robbie was surprised, she didn't show it.  "Hi, I'm Robbie Tate, and this
is Tony Sims.

   The boys stood.  "Hi, I'm Billy Polaski," the tallest said holding out
his hand to Robbie, then me.  "This is Kyle Landers and Jake Liu." The two
boys also shook hands.  "And this is Marsha Zwicker."

   "The devil," I said leaning across the table to shake hands with the
seated girl.  Robbie looked surprised.  "The play contest," I explained,
and she made the connection.

   "You were the devil," I accused the girl.

   Marsha smiled.  "Most of my teachers didn't think playing the devil was
much of a stretch.  I'm surprised you recognized me, with all that
make-up?"

   I smiled.  "You were excellent.  I've watched the DVD twice." About a
week after the banquet, we got a package from the foundation with six DVDs.
One for each of the finalist plays.  None of them had copyright warnings,
so I used my computer to make copies for all of us.  If they'd had
copyright warnings, I probably would have made the copies anyway.

   "Kyle was in it, too.  He was one of my demons."

   I was glad I hadn't added a comment about the rest of the cast not being
up to her standards.

   "We came to see you...  and...  uh..." Billy stammered.  "We're from
Lake," he admitted.  I was surprised.  I'm sure that the schools were
identified in the beginning titles and end credits, but I hadn't paid any
attention.

   Robbie and I exchanged looks.

   "Kyle, Jake, and I are on the baseball team.  Marsha plays softball."

   "Okay," Robbie said.

   "We want to play ball."

   Robbie looked at me, and I knew the ball was in my court.  It was nice
to know that she trusted me to be the spokesman.  Of course that trust
would only last as long as I said what she wanted said.  "Why aren't you in
school?"

   "We cut.  We wanted to talk to you."

   "So this was your idea?" Robbie asked.

   "Mostly," Billy said.  "My dad and I talked about it."

   I was glad I hadn't jumped to a conclusion.  Spaulding from WSAA had
assumed that teenagers couldn't make their own decisions and I almost
followed in his footsteps, thinking their principal or athletic director
had sent them.

   "What do you want us to do?" Robbie asked, sitting down across from
them. The boys sat and I followed suit.

   "You're supposed to be our first game.  Our first league game.  We want
you to play," Billy said.

   "We heard about your team last year," Jake added.  "You're the team to
beat."

   "We want our chance," Kyle finished.

   "The problem is Coach Rich..." I said.

   "He's the problem," Billy agreed.  "I know he's a sexist."

   "And a fascist," Kyle added.  "I played JV football my freshman year,
but not the last three 'cause I didn't want to play for him.

   "And a pervert," Marsha added.

   "But we're stuck with him," Billy finished.  "The school board won't do
anything."

   "We're trying to make a point," I said.

   "You've made it.  But the fact is, Rich could care less if a few
basketball games get canceled.  Or baseball, softball, whatever.  And he
figures it will all blow over, over the summer.  The ones who care are the
players.  We want to play ball."

   When Billy finished, Marsha stood up and leaned across the table. 
"Look, we've got a pretty decent school.  Most of the teachers are cool,
and we've got good coaches in all our other sports.  How come we're getting
punished for one fucking jerk."

   I looked at Robbie and had a feeling that she was thinking the same
thing I was.

   "It's your call," she said finally.  "I just wanted to tackle the S.O.B.
and take out both his knees."

   I looked back at Billy and offered him my hand.  "We'd be happy to come
to Lake and teach you how to play baseball."

   "In your dreams," he said, shaking it.

   "No, it's going to be your nightmare."

   "If it's any consolation, my dad's brought up Coach Rich at three
different school board meetings.  It gets tabled every time," Billy said.

   "Other people have brought it up too.  Every meeting since you guys
walked out on us." Kyle added.

   "My dad's going to try again at the meeting in two weeks."

   "Um." I looked at Robbie.  She had a look on her face that said somebody
should be afraid.  Very afraid.  "Does your dad really want the board to
fire Rich?"

   "Maybe not fire him, but a letter of reprimand or something."

   Robbie grinned.  "I think that can be arranged."

   'Now what?' I wondered as I shook hands with the delegation.  And was it
going to get me suspended again?

   * * *

   Tuesday was Traci's fight.  Yesterday the Lake delegation ambushed us. I
wondered what was left for today and tomorrow as I looked around the
crowded cafeteria.  Mikee and Tami were sitting on either side of me.  Both
were sipping the soup.  I figured if they were still upright a minute from
now, I'd have a taste.  Chicken noodle was one of my favorites.

   Robbie and Darlene walked up with their trays, giggling about 'him'.  I
didn't know who him was and wasn't sure I wanted to.  "Ladies," I greeted
as they sat down.  Peter hadn't eaten with us since his fight with Traci,
though I'd told Mikee to let him know he was welcome.

   "What are you two doing Friday?" I asked.

   "That's tomorrow," Darlene said.  I nodded that it was.  "The usual."

   I knew she'd been going out with Tyler Brock, but didn't know what the
usual was.

   "I thought I might catch a movie with...  someone." Robbie added.

   I wondered if someone was related to him.

   "You are both invited to a party."

   "A party?" Darlene echoed.

   "Nice you could give us so much notice," Robbie added.

   I bowed in my seat, then tried the soup.  It was excellent.

   "Whose party?" Darlene asked.  "I hadn't heard anything." As one of the
cheerleaders she usually did.

   "Traci's.  I'm giving it for her."

   "I thought you were mad at her?" Robbie said.

   "Nope, she's mad at me.  Big difference."

   "And you think a party will help?"

   "It's not a bribe, if that's what you're thinking.  She made me proud
Tuesday.  I owe it to her."

   Robbie nodded.

   I looked straight at her.  "She really doesn't like you, but I have to
invite you.  It's at your house."

   Robbie had just taken a sip of her Coke.  It came back through her nose
as she snorted.  "My house!" she exclaimed as she wiped her face with a
napkin.

   "Mine isn't big enough for a big party," I said innocently.  "I cleared
it with your dad, but he said I HAD to invite you."

   Darlene, Tami, and Mikee were trying hard not to giggle as Robbie
glared.

   "I wouldn't come to one of your parties if you paid me," Robbie said
finally.  "But I'll come for Traci.  I'm proud of her too.  Though I would
have turned the creep into a eunuch."

   * * *

   "Where's Kelly?"

   Traci wandered through the living room, picked up a magazine, looked at
the cover, then dropped it.  "She has a date with Charley Rositer."

   "What about Ann?" I managed to ask without making a face.

   "She went out with Coleton Reeves." Traci made a face and I guessed she
didn't like Ann's boy of the week.

   "So Friday night and nothing to do?"

   "I guess."

   "Good!" I said and climbed out of Dad's chair.  "You can help me."

   "Doing what?"

   "I have to pick up some stuff at Robbie's house."

   "I don't..."

   "You've been sitting around since you got home from school.  Get your
coat."

   "Okay," she mumbled.  Since she and Kelly got back to being friends,
she'd forgotten she wasn't talking to me.  But she hadn't forgotten she was
mad.

   "What's going on?" she asked when we pulled up at Robbie's a few minutes
later.  The house was brightly lit and music pounded at us.

   "Some kind of party.  Let's go."

   We walked in, and Traci quickly recognized most of the guests.  About
twenty middle schoolers were hanging out in Robbie's big living room, more
in the dining room.  On the stage I'd put together that afternoon in the
dining room, Robbie and Unrehearsed were performing one of Britney Spears'
songs.

   "What...?  Traci mumbled as she realized that almost everyone was from
the middle school.

   I pulled her through to the dining room.  The group was just finishing
the song, so I jumped up on the front of the stage.  "LADIES!" I yelled and
in a few seconds, the whole gymnastics team materialized in front of the
stage.  I looked at Trace, "Aren't you part of this team?"

   Looking confused, she walked over and stood next to Kelly.

   Robbie handed me a microphone.  "Peoples," I said and listened as my
voice echoed through the house.  Slowly everyone moved into the dining
room. "Most of you have probably heard that the gymnastics team took third
in districts."

   There was scattered unenthusiastic applause.

   "Some of you may think that's not very good, but remember, last year we
were the only new team in the district.  We lost every meet.  And only
through superior coaching did we manage to squeeze out fifth place at
districts."

   Kelly blew me a raspberry.

   "This year, we won two."

   "And tied one," Suzie yelled.

   "And tied one," I said making a face.

   The team laughed, but everyone else looked confused.

   "Then went on to take third in the district meet."

   "Through superior coaching," Suzie yelled.

   I took a small bow.  "Your third place on their way to being a
championship gymnastics team," I yelled spreading my arms to encompass the
team.

   This time, the applause was loud and long.

   "At districts, every one of these girls had some of their best scores of
the whole season," I continued after the applause died down.  "And for
everyone to peak at the same time is a special thing."

   A little more applause.

   "Two of the girls, went a little further.  Cheyenne, come on up."

   Cheyenne turned pink but stepped onto the stage, then turned, facing the
crowd.

   "Before she met me, she could barely do a cartwheel.  Ladies and
gentlemen, the DISTRICT all-around champion, Cheyenne Morris!" I leaned
down and kissed her, and the pink turned bright red.

   "At the meet, for the first time in competition, Cheyenne did a double
back.  And it was the best one I've ever seen in all my years of coaching."

   "All one of them," Kelly yelled.

   "Kiss him again," some boy yelled.

   Cheyenne, who'd almost gotten back to her normal color, turned red
again, but put her arms around my neck and kissed me again for several
seconds.

   "Wow!" I said when she pulled away.  "Guys, if she already has a
boyfriend, put your name on the waiting list."

   Cheyenne, still beet red, escaped to the team.

   "One more gymnast to mention, ladies, gentlemen and seventh graders, the
two thousand and six district vaulting champion, Traci Sims!"

   Traci looked stunned, though she had to know it was coming.  Kelly gave
her a push toward the stage, and she stepped up.

   I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.  "And that's all she's getting," I
said and got a big laugh.

   "This party is about heroes.  These are your gymnastic heroes, but we
also have three real-life heroes.  Three guys who rescued my sister
Tuesday. Mike Hayward, Doug Reiner and Charley Rositer.  Guys."

   The three guys came up, and I shook their hands.  "Trace, I think you
owe these guys something special."

   Traci managed to turn redder than Cheyenne had, but gave each one a long
kiss.

   "That's enough," Kelly yelled after Traci's kiss with Charley lasted
about ten seconds.

   "Enough talk," I yelled.  "Let's party!"

   "I still hate you," Traci said softly.

   "Can't blame you."




-- 
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