Megan was the one who had told Genevieve what was going on. She’d overheard Skip bragging about their plan to Katy after lunch. It embarrassed Landon that Megan knew what had happened, but he couldn’t help also feeling grateful that she had helped save him from what would have been a disastrous new assault. Those were Landon’s thoughts as he and Genevieve sat in the principal’s office waiting for their father.
It took over forty minutes for him to finally arrive, ducking through the door and clicking his tongue. His first words were worried. “Oh, kids. Are you okay?”
Mr. Sanders popped through the door, all business. “Mr. Dorch? Somehow I was expecting your wife.”
Landon’s dad bit a lip and his cheeks reddened. “Oh, she’s on her way. I told her it was an emergency. She’ll walk through that door at any minute.”
Landon’s dad turned a hopeful face toward the door.
Mr. Sanders considered Landon and Genevieve. “I’m not sure it’s an emergency, but a suspension does go on their disciplinary record.”
“Suspension?” Landon’s dad looked shocked.
“Your son was warned,” the principal said, and then he nearly gagged on his next words. “Landon was choking another student, Mr. Dorch.”
Landon wanted to look down, but then he’d never know what they were saying. When people were angry or serious, their tones always dropped, rendering his cochlear implants nearly useless on their own. So, he watched his father react with shock, sadness, and worry, until he realized that Genevieve was spouting off.
“. . . picture of Landon using the bathroom, which is totally illegal!” Genevieve’s face was on fire.
“You’re not a lawyer here, miss.” The principal shifted his scowl from Landon to his sister. “You’re a young lady in a lot of hot water. Assaulting a fellow student? Destruction of property?”
“I didn’t assault him.” Genevieve glared right back at the principal. “I tackled him because he took a picture of my brother using the toilet and he was going to post it. Is that okay with you?”
Landon kept his eyes moving to see who would speak first.
It was a standoff.
Then the door flung open and their mother burst into the room.