“You’re wrong,” she says. “Mom cares about us. It’s everyone else who doesn’t. You’re stupid if you can’t see that.”
I shake my head. I don’t want to have this fight. “Sure. Whatever you say. Look, we’re on the same side.” I pause. “Just know that if you need anything, I’m here. You don’t deserve to be treated like that, okay?”
She sniffs. “Yeah. Whatever.”
* * *
—
All the anger I bury deep down during that conversation is still simmering the next day when Matt passes me in the hallway before last period and says, “Hey, Teller. I heard May basically freaked out at our show the other week,” then gives a laugh, and I punch his fucking face. He looks at me in surprise for a second, holding his cheek with his hand, and then launches himself at me. He’s heavier than I am, but I am angry. I manage to get in a couple shots at his stomach before Mr. Ames pulls me off him and drags us both to the principal’s office.
To my surprise, May’s sitting in the waiting room when we walk in. Matt lets out an obnoxious guffaw when he sees her, and I strain against Ames’s grasp.
Ames throws us both into chairs on the other side of the room from where May’s sitting and looks down at us with a frown. “Jesus, guys. What’s gotten into you? I thought you were friends.”
I snort and Matt shoots me a dirty look. “Little behind the times, Ames.” I don’t even sound like myself, and I see May listening from the other side of the room. “Haven’t you heard? I don’t have any friends anymore.” I see Matt roll his eyes. “What? You have something to say?” I lean over to him in my chair and Ames takes a step toward me.
I hold up my hands like It’s cool, bro. All good here.
All good here.
What a fucking lie.
I’m sitting on one of the principal’s office’s uncomfortable chairs when Zach is dragged in by some teacher. His face is flushed and his eyes narrow. When I see Matt next to him, it’s not difficult to figure out what happened.
I try to catch Zach’s eye from across the room, but it seems like he’s deliberately avoiding my gaze. I feel bad; yesterday he said something to me about what the school is doing to mark the one-year anniversary of the shooting and I totally shut him down and walked away. And I didn’t answer his texts last night. It seemed like appropriate punishment that when I arrived at school today, I got a note saying Rose-Brady wanted to see me.
Rose-Brady sticks her head out of her office and motions for me to come in. As I stand, her gaze falls on Zach, Matt, and the teacher and she raises her eyebrows. “Glenn. What’s going on here?”
Mr. Ames pushes a hand through his short black hair and sighs. “Hi, Principal Rose-Brady. Sorry to bother. I found these guys wrestling in the hallway. I think a chat with you or Principal Kalb is in order.”
If I had to hazard a guess after seeing Matt’s eye closer up, I’d say that they were doing more than wrestling, but the teacher seems to want to downplay whatever actually happened.
“Is that right? Hi, May.” Rose-Brady’s face softens when she sees me, and she steps back to let me pass into her office. I settle into yet another uncomfortable chair in front of her desk. I swear to god, the administration deliberately picked these chairs to torture the people unlucky enough to end up here.
Rose-Brady continues, “I have to discuss something with May, but it should be quick. Glenn, do you mind staying with the boys until Principal Kalb can see them? He should be back in the office any minute. My secretary’s at a dentist appointment, and I’d rather not have them alone in here together after a fight.”
The teacher must nod, because Rose-Brady thanks him, shuts the door, and sits down at her desk. “Thanks for coming, May.”
Did I have a choice? I swallow down the words, because I’m trying out