Read Online Montana Hero by Debra Salonen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Debra Salonen
Ads: Link
neatly printed corrections in her son’s handwriting. Kat couldn’t look at Brady for fear she’d burst out laughing. Bad mother.
More sternly than necessary, she asked, “What’s his punishment?”
“We have a zero fighting policy. Two days mandatory suspension for both combatants. I believe Brady’s teacher has prepared a packet of homework. Brady will be able to Skype with the class during writing and math, if he wishes.” She gave Brady a no-nonsense look. “Audio only. He won’t be allowed to participate. If he has questions, he can email them to his teacher.”
Brady was ahead of his class in both subjects so Kat wasn’t worried about him missing something important. She did fear what this would mean to his relationship with the other students. “Will he be a pariah, now?”
“I’m glad you asked that. As a matter of fact, Serena James, the school’s new auditory therapist, has some ideas on how to help students resolve issues. Ms. James is waiting for you. She’s already spoken with the other boy and his parents. I believe the entire class can learn from this.”
Kat let out a sigh of excess tension and stood. Her phone, which she’d silenced as per the big sign in the waiting room, hummed in the zipper pocket of her uniform pants. She ignored it to shake hands with the principal. “Thank you. I appreciate your efforts to turn this into a positive. Brady hasn’t been that lucky in other schools. I really want him to make friends and be happy here.”
“As do we,” the principal said. She looked at Brady. “Do you know where Ms. James’s room is, Brady?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Overly polite. Playing the game.
“Good. Lead the way for your mother. And I want you to use the next two days to think about how you can avoid this kind of behavior in the future, young man.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Same exact inflection.
Kat hurried her son out of the room before the woman figured out Brady wasn’t listening to a word she said. Once they were alone in the hallway, Kat paused to look him straight in the eyes. His gaze bounced like the silly jumping beans that grossed her out so much at the street fairs in San Antonio. Finally, he took a breath and looked at her.
“Does your lip hurt?”
“A little.”
“Did you hit him back?”
“Once.” He held up his hand. As she suspected, his knuckles looked scraped up. “He had his mouth open. His teeth got me.”
“We’ll clean the wound and put an antibiotic ointment on the broken skin as soon as we get home.”
“I washed my hands, Mom. I’m not stupid.”
In an elementary school’s public bathroom. And you probably forgot the soap.
“It’s a mom-thing. Humor me.”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he turned and led the way down the shadowy hallway. She’d gone to school in the South mainly. Her buildings had been lighter and brighter. But she liked the vibrant posters incorporating the school colors.
The room they arrived at was very small, more like a big storage room, but the woman behind the old metal desk more than made up for the size with her exuberant personality.
“Ah-ha, pugilist number two,” she said, jumping to her feet.
She marched toward them, hand extended. “I’m Serena James. So nice to meet you both—even under less than ideal conditions. Are you ready to make lemonade—figuratively speaking? I am.” She smacked her lips and ushered them into the room.
Kat liked her immediately. Her name sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it…until she spotted a framed photo on the desk. A holiday shot of Serena James in a gorgeous white dress standing in the embrace of a man whose image she’d seen many times in the newspaper: Austen Zabrinski.
A thought Kat fought to ignore wiggled past her guard as she stared at the man’s movie-star handsome profile: He could be my half-brother.
Chapter Five
‡
A t the sound of the doorbell, Kat checked her watch. Five-fifteen. She felt like her day should have been
More sternly than necessary, she asked, “What’s his punishment?”
“We have a zero fighting policy. Two days mandatory suspension for both combatants. I believe Brady’s teacher has prepared a packet of homework. Brady will be able to Skype with the class during writing and math, if he wishes.” She gave Brady a no-nonsense look. “Audio only. He won’t be allowed to participate. If he has questions, he can email them to his teacher.”
Brady was ahead of his class in both subjects so Kat wasn’t worried about him missing something important. She did fear what this would mean to his relationship with the other students. “Will he be a pariah, now?”
“I’m glad you asked that. As a matter of fact, Serena James, the school’s new auditory therapist, has some ideas on how to help students resolve issues. Ms. James is waiting for you. She’s already spoken with the other boy and his parents. I believe the entire class can learn from this.”
Kat let out a sigh of excess tension and stood. Her phone, which she’d silenced as per the big sign in the waiting room, hummed in the zipper pocket of her uniform pants. She ignored it to shake hands with the principal. “Thank you. I appreciate your efforts to turn this into a positive. Brady hasn’t been that lucky in other schools. I really want him to make friends and be happy here.”
“As do we,” the principal said. She looked at Brady. “Do you know where Ms. James’s room is, Brady?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Overly polite. Playing the game.
“Good. Lead the way for your mother. And I want you to use the next two days to think about how you can avoid this kind of behavior in the future, young man.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Same exact inflection.
Kat hurried her son out of the room before the woman figured out Brady wasn’t listening to a word she said. Once they were alone in the hallway, Kat paused to look him straight in the eyes. His gaze bounced like the silly jumping beans that grossed her out so much at the street fairs in San Antonio. Finally, he took a breath and looked at her.
“Does your lip hurt?”
“A little.”
“Did you hit him back?”
“Once.” He held up his hand. As she suspected, his knuckles looked scraped up. “He had his mouth open. His teeth got me.”
“We’ll clean the wound and put an antibiotic ointment on the broken skin as soon as we get home.”
“I washed my hands, Mom. I’m not stupid.”
In an elementary school’s public bathroom. And you probably forgot the soap.
“It’s a mom-thing. Humor me.”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he turned and led the way down the shadowy hallway. She’d gone to school in the South mainly. Her buildings had been lighter and brighter. But she liked the vibrant posters incorporating the school colors.
The room they arrived at was very small, more like a big storage room, but the woman behind the old metal desk more than made up for the size with her exuberant personality.
“Ah-ha, pugilist number two,” she said, jumping to her feet.
She marched toward them, hand extended. “I’m Serena James. So nice to meet you both—even under less than ideal conditions. Are you ready to make lemonade—figuratively speaking? I am.” She smacked her lips and ushered them into the room.
Kat liked her immediately. Her name sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it…until she spotted a framed photo on the desk. A holiday shot of Serena James in a gorgeous white dress standing in the embrace of a man whose image she’d seen many times in the newspaper: Austen Zabrinski.
A thought Kat fought to ignore wiggled past her guard as she stared at the man’s movie-star handsome profile: He could be my half-brother.
Chapter Five
‡
A t the sound of the doorbell, Kat checked her watch. Five-fifteen. She felt like her day should have been
Similar Books
