THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL was as chaotic as last year, and Skyler was knee-deep in confused students, a down computer network, and general turmoil. He had no time to think about the museum, thieves or murderers, and had to place it on the backburner in favor of his current situation at school. Skyler was so busy, in fact, that he skipped lunch and wolfed down a Powerbar instead as he worked on his files manually.
When sixth period finally rolled around and his new juniors trudged in, he smiled. His favorite class of students. He felt he could finally relax a little.
All the usual suspects were there: Amber and Heather, of course; and Alex and his boyfriend Rick; Heather’s boyfriend and football player Drew; Stewart, whose scraggly blond hair was even more scraggly and his scrappy goatee was trying to flourish. He’d had a rough patch when his mom came out unexpectedly about six months ago, but he seemed to be doing better.
And even über-Christian Becky had signed up for his class. Maybe she couldn’t get into another comp class, or maybe she really did like Skyler despite his sin of Sodom.
And finally, in came the newest football star. Elei Sapani was a big girl; broad shouldered, big arms and thighs, a wide flat face with a shower of dark, kinked hair spilling down past her shoulders.
Despite her status as new school celebrity, she seemed shy, almost embarrassed by the figure she cut, and she sidled into the aisles, head down, books clutched hard to her side like a football in play.
“Welcome everyone to the new school year! Some of you know me but I do see quite a few new faces. I’m Mr. Foxe and I am proud and pleased to be your comp teacher. I know it doesn’t feel like it now. It only feels like one more class you have to take to get through high school, but I can assure you that in my class, we are going to do far more than that!”
“That’s for sure,” quipped Rick from his usual spot in the front and center of the classroom. The others laughed.
“I’m not certain I want to know what you mean by that, Mr. Flores, but we will have a good time and learn something, too. It’s about communicating. And to that end, I think we should all introduce ourselves.”
The class moaned.
“I know it sounds lame, but we’re all going to get to know each other well in this class. It isn’t just a heads-down-let-me-do-my-work-and-please-god-don’t-let-him-call-on-me sort of class. My by-word is ‘class participation’, even as we write our compositions. And a composition is all about clearly communicating your ideas. So let us begin. Amber, will you start us off?”
Amber, only too happy to in a preppy skirt and blouse ensemble, jumped to her feet and faced the class, her red hair in pony tails bobbing. “I’m Amber Watson, and I’m running for Student Council again—”
“Hey, Watson,” said Rick, “no political speeches, eh?”
The class laughed, settling in.
She blushed and frowned at Rick. “I wasn’t doing that. I was just telling about myself. I was sophomore secretary last year, and I was on the dance committee, and now I’m running for Junior Secretary, and this year’s dance committee, and I’m also on the cheerleading squad.” She sat, satisfied.
Stewart was behind her and looked up awkwardly. “I don’t have to stand, do I?”
“No, Mr. Richardson,” said Skyler. “Whatever feels comfortable.”
“Um, okay. I’m Stewart. Hi.” He waved. “I’m a shredder when it comes to skating and I’m a BAMF when it comes to gaming.” He bowed when some applauded.
It went around the room and landed on a new student. Skyler couldn’t help but shoot a glance toward Amber.
The boy with the tan skin tones and dark hair rose. He was lank, like most of his fellow teens, but he seemed poised in his stylishly threadbare t-shirt, skinny jeans, and Muk Luk Cade sneakers. He adjusted his glasses. “I’m Ravi Chaudhri,” he said, with just the slightest of an Indian accent. “I’m an English major and I like to write. So though this isn’t a creative writing class, I've heard about Mr. Foxe and the fun kids have had in his classes, so I’m looking forward to it.” He sat. Several boys exchanged looks and rolled-eyes.
Amber seemed enchanted and Heather had to poke her in the shoulder to stop staring. Skyler noted that Ravi viewed her out of the corner of his own eye.
More students introduced themselves, some sullenly, some with a certain level of enthusiasm until it eventually moseyed to Drew. He never moved from his slouched position in his desk but to raise his hand straight up above his head and give a shaka gesture. “Drew O’Connor, wide receiver, number nineteen on the football team. Go Panthers!”
Students whooped and pounded their desks.
Alex sighed when it came to him in the back of the room. “Uh, Alex Ryan. Number forty-nine on the Panther’s team.”
He received a subdued response but Amber clapped loudly.
And finally it came to Elei. She seemed hesitant until Skyler gave her an encouraging smile. She stood and seemed to keep on climbing higher. Yup, she was taller than Skyler.
“Hey. I’m Elei Sapani. I’m new to this school. My family moved here from Hawaii…”
“Dude,” said Rick. “Why’d you leave Hawaii to come to the crappy Inland Empire?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. They wouldn’t let me play on the team in Hawaii, but I’m on the team now. Football. Um, number fifteen, wide receiver.” She waved to Drew, who gave her the thumbs up. “Me and Drew and Alex are all on the same team and I’m happy to be able to play.” She looked around sheepishly. “That’s it, I guess.”
“Are you Hawaiian?” asked Stewart.
“No. I’m Samoan. That’s like twenty-five hundred miles from Hawaii to American Samoa.”
“Whoa,” said Rick. “That’s like a whole United States away.”
“Very good, Mr. Flores,” said Skyler.
Alex made a muttered comment from the back of the room and Skyler raised his chin. “What was that, Alex?”
“Nothing, Mr. Foxe.”
“He said, that she should have stayed in Hawaii,” said Tyler, a boy with long brown hair and a smug expression.
Everyone turned toward Alex.
He seemed as if he had been simmering…and then finally exploded. “Well she should’ve. Girls don’t belong on a football team!”
“Alex!” said Skyler.
The room erupted in shouts and put downs. Some were on Alex’s side, but most were on Elei’s.
Elei shrunk down in her seat, arms tight over her chest, shaking her head. She wouldn’t look back at Alex.
Skyler tried to quiet everyone. “Anyone has the right to be on the team, Alex, as long as they can fulfill their roles. It doesn’t matter who they are.”
“That’s not true, Mr. Foxe,” he said. His face was reddening. “She can play okay but she wasn’t the best. I think Coach just picked her cause he wants all this equality crap.”
Skyler was speechless, but not so much for the students.
“Alex Ryan, you sexist fucktard,” said Heather.
Skyler nearly choked. “Ms. Munson! We don’t call people names in here…and we especially use a better choice of vocabulary.”
“Sorry, Mr. Foxe. But I call ‘em like I see ‘em.”
“Alex, dude,” said Drew, twisting in his seat to stare back at the angry teen. “You gotta get over it. Elei is great. She’s dope on the field. Even you could see that.”
“All I see is we gotta be careful around her. ‘Elei can’t get hurt,’” he said in a mock “adult” voice. “’Elei doesn’t ask for special favors’… but she gets them.”
“Like not changing in the same locker room?” asked Heather, the same sneer on her face from her first remark. “Where’s she supposed to change? In a bathroom stall in the boy’s locker room?”
“That makes her not part of the team.”
“Just ’cause she can’t shoot a jock strap at you?” asked Stewart. “Dude, that’s hella false.”
Elei jolted from her seat and spun toward Alex. “You’ve been an asshole to me since day one.”
Rick had turned all the way round in his desk and was shaking his head at Alex. “Homey,” he whispered.
Alex stumbled out of his seat and stomped toward her.
Skyler moved to get between them. “Sit down! Both of you.”
Elei, bristling with emotion, jutted a finger at Alex. “All I hear out you, Ryan, is bitching, and I don’t see a lot of playing.”
Alex pushed against Skyler. “Coach is crazy. And you’re the bitch!”
Drew rose and stepped toward them. “You’re out of line, Ryan. She plays just as good as you!”
“Fuck you, O’Connor!”
Skyler grabbed Alex’s shoulder. “Sit DOWN, Mr. Ryan! That’s enough out of you. And you sit down, too, Drew.”
“Girls don’t belong on the team. What happens when she goes all PMS?”
It happened so fast Skyler could barely tell what happened. The class went ballistic after Alex’s remark. Some of the boys were giggling into their hands, but all of the girls began yelling, some rose to their feet, an arm shot past Skyler and suddenly Alex was down.
Skyler looked back at Elei who was rubbing her knuckles and not looking contrite in the least. And Alex was sitting on the floor, looking up at her and clutching his jaw. He sprang to his feet and postured, fists flexing until he seemed to realize he couldn’t hit back.
But now all the jeering was aimed at Alex. Catcalls of “pussy!” and “Ryan got knocked out by a girl!” filled the rafters.
Rick was at Alex’s side. Red-faced and tight-lipped he held on to his boyfriend’s arm.
But Skyler snatched that same arm and gripped it. He yanked Alex and Elei out to the hallway.
Over his shoulder he called back to the room, “Everyone better be sitting down and quiet by the time I get back or everyone’s getting detention!”
He marched them to the hall and down the corridor. He stopped on the landing, away from the prying eyes of the other classrooms and let them go.
Breathing hard he calmed himself before he spoke. “Mr. Ryan, I don’t know what the heck’s gotten into you but I hope you know that this outburst jeopardizes your place on the football team.”
“But she—”
“Not one more word, Alex! Of all the people… Don’t you know that everything you just said, has been said, is being said about gay people?”
Alex, still red-faced, still tensed with arms bowed and ready to strike out… sagged against the wall. “It is?” he asked, panting.
“Of course it is! Don’t you think Coach makes sure no one says that or thinks that about you?”
With the contortions of his brows Alex seemed to be processing that information. Disgusted, Skyler turned toward Elei. “And what was all that about, Ms. Sapani? I will not have violence in my class. You just might have lost your chance to stay on the team.”
“He’s always baiting me!” she shouted, eyes shimmering with tears.
“Keep your voice down,” Skyler hissed. He stared his harshest teacher glare at them. “You should both be sent to the office.”
Alex, looking sheepish, had completely recovered from his rage and had apparently figured out the error of his ways. “Mr. Foxe…”
“Don’t, Alex. What have you got to say for yourself?”
“I’m…I’m sorry…for disrupting your class.”
“And?”
Reluctantly he turned toward Elei but he looked at the floor and not at her face. “I’m sorry for what I said. I’m just not used to girls on the team. I still don’t think…”
“Alex,” Skyler warned.
“I’m sorry,” he concluded.
“I didn’t know you were queer,” she said. She looked up suddenly at Skyler. “Oh. Is that okay to say? Everyone says that you and Coach are…together…”
“I don’t mind the term as long as you don’t use it in the pejorative sense.” She clearly didn’t know what he was talking about. “But never mind that. You simply cannot settle your differences by resorting to violence. You cannot hit people, Elei.”
“He’s been on me since I got on the team.”
“I don’t care what he says or how he says it, you cannot hit people. It’s assault and you could be arrested.”
“What? People get into fights all the time at school and don’t get arrested.”
“Well, this is another day and another school. We have zero tolerance for fighting nowadays. Not only can you get kicked off the team—something you’ve worked very hard to achieve—but also kicked out of James Polk High.”
She rubbed at her face, her eyes shining.
“Is there something you need to say to Alex?”
She looked at him. He was still flushed, still breathing hard. They both suddenly realized how much trouble they were in. “I’m sorry, Alex. I didn’t mean to hit you.”
“You didn’t hurt me,” he was quick to say.
“I know.”
Skyler was certain of one thing: she did know how to handle boys. Granted, it was after the fact, but still…
“But can’t you accept that I got on the team fair and square? In our scrimmages, I catch the ball. I do my job. I run and do push-ups with the rest of you. Coach isn’t any easier on me. I run just as many laps as you do. You’re being a jerk, Alex, and it’s not fair.”
Alex shoved his hands into his shorts pockets and turned his face away.
“Well, Alex?” asked Skyler. “Is this true?”
He shrugged, still looking away.
“Alex, answer me.”
He sighed and rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. “Yes! Okay, yes. He works her just like he works us.”
“Then what is all this? If you’ve seen that, if you’ve played with her, then why all the anger?”
He aimed a finger at her and spoke loudly until Skyler shushed him. “Cause she comes along and suddenly there are reporters and all sorts of shit on the news and they never did that for us before. But now with a chick on the team suddenly we’re not losers.”
Oh Alex. You’re envious. But how to handle that without saying it outright?
“Attention on just one player can be hard for the whole team to accept. After all, you’re supposed to be together, work as a team.”
“Yeah,” he grumbled.
“But doesn’t the quarterback get most of the attention anyway? In high school and pro ball? He’s not the only team member but because he’s in the center of it all, he gets more attention, right?” He hoped he was getting that correct.
“Yeah,” Alex conceded.
“And you don’t begrudge him, do you?”
“But this is different, Mr. Foxe. And it will always be different.”
“That’s true. Elei is…the exception. Just like an openly gay player is the exception.”
Alex said nothing. He stared at the floor again.
“And though you haven’t had press conferences and people taking your picture for the newspapers…”
“I don’t want that!” he cried. “Not just because I’m…I’m gay.” He said the last quietly.
“And I don’t want it just because I’m a girl.” Elei tossed her head. She’d obviously been to this rodeo before. “And no, I am not trans. I am a girl. I was born a girl and I don’t want to be anything else but a girl. And I am not a dyke, either. I just like football, okay. I’m big. I can do sports. My whole family can do sports. It’s the twenty-first century, Ryan. What’s wrong with a girl playing sports?”
He said nothing, but at least this time he was looking at her.
Skyler sighed and breathed easier. “Okay. I don’t want to turn you guys in because I know how important football is to the two of you. But there are consequences to our actions. You will both do detention with me for a week after school for one hour.”
“But we have practice!” they said at the same time.
“I know. You’ll come back to my class after practice. And you have no idea how lenient I’m being with you two. I’m taking time out of my day to stick around here just to discipline you. Do you realize how much trouble you are now causing me?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Foxe.”
“Maybe you’ll learn not to open your mouth next time, Alex. I’m sure they talked about controlling your temper in the Teen Police Academy, didn’t they? Don’t you watch TV? Haven’t you seen cops get in trouble because they couldn’t control themselves or their bigotry?”
“God,” he whispered.
“And Elei, surely you realize that violence isn’t the answer. I know you must have heard it all, been made fun of. But that’s not how you settle it.”
“My dad says it is.”
“Well your dad is wrong. That is not what people do in a civilized society. And although sometimes it doesn’t look as if we live in one, I think it best that we all treat it as if it were. It starts with you. One person.”
She bit her lip. “You shouldn’t have to stay all that time after school just for us, Mr. Foxe. What if we…what if Ryan and I come and do detention in your class at lunchtime?”
“But that’s when I’m with Rick!”
She gave Alex a disgusted look. “We’re supposed to be punished, Ryan. That means we give up something. It’s only for a week. It’s better than getting kicked off the team, isn’t it?”
He laid his head back against the wall. “Shit. Okay. If that’s okay with Mr. Foxe.”
“All right. That’s a good compromise. I appreciate the suggestion, Ms. Sapani. So. Agreed? Starting tomorrow, the two of you will bring your lunch to my classroom. And I want you there promptly. No excuses. You’ll do extra work I assign you as well.”
“Yes, Mr. Foxe,” they said together.
“Good.”
“Mr. Foxe?” asked Alex. “Do we have to tell Coach Fletcher about this?”
Skyler ran the possibilities through his head. No scenario looked good. Eventually, he said, “Uh, I wouldn’t.”
“Dude,” he muttered, brows raised.
Yeah, he just admitted he lied to Keith. Way to mentor, Skyler! He looked at his watch. “Well, class is just about over now anyway. Thanks for that. Go back and collect your stuff.”
They climbed the stairs and he walked behind them as they shuffled slowly forward. When they opened the door and sat at their respective desks, Skyler could have heard a pin drop.
“Elei, Alex, do you have something to say to the class?”
Elei stood and faced them. “I’m sorry for interrupting the class.”
Alex stood and tugged at his tank top. “Yeah. I’m sorry, too.”
They both sat and everyone stared at them.
“I think that we’d all appreciate it,” said Skyler, knowing it might be a useless exercise, “if you didn’t mention this incident outside of class. After all, what happens in Mr. Foxe’s class stays in Mr. Foxe’s class. Or something like that. It’s our problem to work out, okay?”
“But there’s a zero tolerance policy in this school,” piped up Becky.
Right on cue, he thought.
“I realize that, Becky, but every rule deserves a gray area. That’s what teachers are for, to discern the situation and coordinate the proper response.”
“But isn’t the very nature of a zero tolerance policy…”
“Becky, it’s handled, okay? Punishment is meted out. End of discussion.”
The bell rang, and not a moment too soon. “You’re homework assignment is on the board. It’s due tomorrow. Class is dismissed.”
In dead silence, they all stayed to write it down. Then, one by one, they gathered their backpacks and edged their way out. Amber hovered in the doorway, but Heather and Drew shooed her down the corridor. And Skyler could just hear Heather’s rushed, “He doesn’t want to talk right now,” as it dissipated down the hall.
Once the class was empty Skyler sat at his desk and toyed with his pen. Had he just made a strategic error? He knew he should have marched them both to the principal’s office and be done with it. But he had so much invested in Alex. Was it only because he was gay? Or was it because he’d been troubled? Of course, those two things were intimately intertwined.
And Elei. Was he treating her with kid gloves because she was a girl on the football team and he wanted her to have that chance? What would Keith have done? He’d been a teacher a lot longer than Skyler had been. He suddenly felt stupid and wishy-washy, and now he was second-guessing himself. Would he be in trouble if the administration heard about it? Who was he kidding? Of course they’d hear about it. How was he going to explain his actions?
“I looked on them as individuals, not a zero tolerance policy.” And that was certainly true. He hated the inflexibility of “zero tolerance” anyway. He understood why it was there—fear had put it in place, both the fear of parents and of teachers who didn’t want the responsibility for possibly getting sued for making the wrong choice…
Come to think of it, he could see the wisdom of it.
No! He had made the right decision. He knew he did.
Skyler’s classroom phone buzzed. He reached for it. “Yes?”
“Mr. Foxe,” said an unusually formal Pauline Hingle, office manager. “Mr. Sherman would like to speak to you. Immediately.”
“I’ll be right there, Pauline.” He hung up, resting his hand on the phone. “Well, that didn’t take long.”