“Did Rowena put you up to it?” I ask Daisy the next morning at the metro station. She is wearing the same black leggings she got in trouble for wearing yesterday.
“I put myself up to it.” Daisy’s dark eyes shine. She is more offended now than when I turned her in to Germinato.
“I’m not saying Rowena bosses you around or anything.”
Daisy puts her hands on her hips. “It sounded like that’s what you were saying.”
“It’s just that Rowena is a very strong person. She talked me into running for the Student Life Committee. And that didn’t exactly work out.” I avoid looking at Daisy. “Aren’t you worried you’ll get in trouble?”
Daisy unbuttons her coat to show me the long grey sweater she is wearing over the leggings. “This tunic top passes the fingers test,” she explains.
“I don’t know,” I say, shaking my head. “He said leggings are strictly forbidden. He didn’t mention anything about tunic tops or the fingers test.”
Daisy shrugs. “If Germinato thinks leggings are too revealing, he shouldn’t object to an outfit that covers our butts and thighs. Rowena says it doesn’t make any sen—” Daisy stops herself.
So Rowena is behind this!
Which is why, when Rowena meets up with us, I am surprised that she is not wearing leggings. She gets prickly when I ask her about it. “The Germinator and I have a complicated relationship,” is all she’ll say.
When we get to school, Miss Aubin is standing by the painting of Marie Gérin-Lajoie. “Good morning,” she says to us. She raises an eyebrow at Daisy’s leggings.
“Miss Aubin, can I see you in here for a moment?” Germinato’s voice booms from his office.
“I’ll be right there, sir.” Miss Aubin waves us away with the back of her hand. “Keep out of his way,” she whispers to Daisy.
But Germinato must have heard her whispering, because he comes lumbering out of his office like a bear whose hibernation has been disturbed.
“What’s going on out here?” he asks.
The three of us are already rushing down the hall. “Rowena!” Germinato calls after us. “Do you have something to do with this?”
Rowena pretends not to hear him, but her face is flushed.
“Daisy!” Germinato’s voice bellows behind us. “Get back here this instant!”
For a split second Daisy freezes. Then she turns around and starts walking back toward Germinato. I hear her take a deep breath.
“You go with her,” Rowena hisses.
I could tell Rowena that she’s being bossy. But I don’t. Instead, I follow Daisy down the hall. I need to hurry, because she is picking up speed.
Germinato has a wild look in his eyes.
“You can’t even see my leggings, sir,” Daisy says.
Germinato laughs, but it’s not a happy laugh. It’s a diabolical laugh—the kind you’d expect from a madman, not a school principal. “I certainly can see them!” he says. “Once again you have violated the Lajoie High School dress code. And since this is your third offense, Daisy Fung, I have no choice but to suspend you for three days. Wait here while I phone your parents.”
“My parents?” Daisy’s voice quivers. “Please don’t do that, sir.”
Daisy’s plea makes Germinato laugh even harder.
I have to do something. Even if it means getting in trouble. “Mr. Germinato. Sir,” I say. “You made that rule up yesterday. Isn’t that kind of”—I suck in my breath before I say the next word, since I know it will tick him off—“arbitrary?”
I was right about ticking him off.
“Arbitrary?” Germinato shouts. “For your information, all rules are arbitrary, young man! Now go to your class this instant, or I’ll suspend you too!”
Daisy turns to me. “You should go,” she whispers. Her eyes are watery, like she is fighting back tears.
I am sitting by the window in math class when a navy-blue car pulls up in front of the school. A couple gets out, and I know they must be Daisy’s parents. They walk quickly into the building without speaking to each other.
I can’t concentrate on fractions. I keep checking to see whether the car is still there.
Daisy’s parents must be talking to Germinato.
The next time I check, Daisy’s parents are walking in single file toward the car. Daisy trails behind them, her shoulders hunched and her head bowed.
Since the temperature dropped, the heat has been on full-blast at school, and the windows are tightly sealed. It feels like I’m watching a pantomime.
Daisy’s dad waits at the curb while her mom gets into the passenger seat. Just before Daisy steps into the backseat, she looks back at the school. This time, she is not able to hold back the tears.