As usual, Doris pulled into Emmett’s drive in the morning. Unlike usual, Emmett was not in the kitchen. Instead, as Doris and Kaden stepped off the bus, he stuck his head out of the shop door at the end of the driveway.
“There are some blueberry muffins keeping warm in the oven,” he called out. “And I already made coffee. Make yourselves at home.”
Kaden told Doris about the fishing trip while they ate but Emmett never came in the house.
“I wonder what he’s doing out there,” Doris said. “I thought for sure he’d be coming in to join us.” She looked at her watch. “We need to get going.”
“I’ll go see what he’s up to. I have to get something anyway,” Kaden said. “I’ll meet you at the bus.”
When Kaden rushed out to the shop he was surprised the shop door was locked. Emmett never locked his doors. Kaden could hear the table saw going and he pounded on the door until he heard the saw stop. Emmett stuck his head out an open window.
“I’m working on the school sign,” he said. “You can’t come in. Nobody gets to see it until it’s up.”
“I need my trumpet,” Kaden said.
“Oh yeah. Wait right there.” A few seconds later the door opened again, just wide enough for Emmett to hand Kaden the black case.
Kaden sat alone in the middle of Ms. Ales’s classroom, his backpack on his desk, the black trumpet case beside his chair. It wasn’t long before Yo-Yo came in.
“Sweet! You’re going to get to be in band after all,” Yo-Yo said, nodding at the black case.
“Yeah, I forgot to tell you. Emmett got it for me. Gram doesn’t know anything about it, so don’t say a word to her.”
Yo-Yo just smiled and slapped his hand over his mouth.
First bell rang and students started entering the room. Elana noticed the trumpet case right away.
“How did you get that already?” she asked. “I didn’t think anyone got their instruments until band today.”
“I didn’t order it through Mrs. Strokowski,” Kaden told Elana. “I got it in Chapston City.”
“He probably burglarized the music store,” Luke sneered.
Elana ignored Luke’s comment. “I’m going to play the clarinet. What are you playing, Yo-Yo?”
“Sax,” Yo-Yo answered.
“How about you, Luke?” Elana asked.
“I didn’t sign up for band. Only losers would wear one of those dumb band uniforms.” As he said it, he gave the trumpet case a big kick. It skidded down the aisle just as Ms. Ales walked in.
“Whose is it?” she asked.
“Mine,” Kaden answered.
“Rules are you’re to take instruments to the music room when you arrive at school, not bring them into the classroom. You should have read that in the middle-school handbook. So go take it there now, please.”
“Don’t blame him, Ms. Ales. It’s not his fault,” Luke said. “Breaking the rules is a family trait, isn’t it, Kaden? He’s just following in his daddy’s footsteps.”
Ms. Ales ignored Luke, and Kaden said nothing. But as he walked to the music room he thought to himself, I’m glad people in band are losers. Every Tuesday and Thursday there will be a whole hour I won’t have to be around Luke.
When Kaden got home from school, Gram was waiting on the front porch.
“What’s this?” Gram said, holding up a piece of paper.
“It’s my class schedule,” Kaden said, puzzled by Gram’s angry tone.
“I know that,” Gram said. “What I want to know is what this is.” Gram pointed to fifth period, the class right after lunch. Kaden thought she had figured out he had signed up for band against her wishes.
“Study hall,” he answered.
“I can read,” Gram said. “What I asked is what it is. What do you do in study hall?”
“Nothing really. It’s in the cafeteria after lunch every day. You can get your homework done if you have any. Otherwise, you’re supposed to read a book or something. But most of the kids just talk. It’s kind of like recess in elementary; you just don’t go outside. Middle school doesn’t have recess. Study hall is our only break.”
The minute he said “break,” Kaden knew what would come next.
“What do you need another break for? You just had lunch. That’s why they call it lunch break. And when did they forget homework means work at home? Has everyone totally forgotten the meaning of the English language?”
Kaden took a deep breath. When Gram got on a roll, there was no stopping her.
“I don’t know, Gram. I don’t make the rules. That’s just the way it is.”
“And you go to study hall every day?”
“You do if you’re not in band. If you’re in band, you only go to study hall on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Band is after lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
Gram stared at the schedule a while longer, then handed it to Kaden. All evening Gram sat muttering on the porch glider but said nothing more about it until Kaden was in his cabin for the night.