EIGHT

 

I still wasn’t sure it was a good idea, but it was like a dare from Aviante so I went along with it. He didn’t put my name on the article. And he swore the Supreme Court or something said no one could get in trouble because of a newspaper.

He was wrong.

The paper came out on Tuesday. We found out on Thursday that Jeannie had been transferred to another school. And then on Friday the reporter came.

Mr. R grabbed me in the hall and marched me to his room. Aviante and some woman I didn’t know were there.

“Sorry, D, Robinson put the screws to me and I squealed. Besides, this could be really big, just like I thought,” Aviante said.

Mr. R pulled up a chair for me. “Destiny, this is Monique Atwater, a reporter from the Washington City Paper. She’s been investigating money and supply mismanagement and general crappiness by administrators in the DC public schools.”

“You got a hold of a great story for my cover article, especially with your use of the school newspaper,” Monique purred. Her nails were so ill I couldn’t stop looking at them.

I opened my mouth.

Mr. R jumped in. “You owe it to Ms. Jeannie for going behind her back with the paper.”

So I told Monique everything.

And that’s why Harmon Holt picked me for this internship job. I guess.