Page 75 of Pride High 3: Yellow

“He had nothing to do with it!” Anthony cried in protest. Was he losing his mind? Or was this woman insane?

Mr. Finnegan left without saying another word, but he did risk a sympathetic grimace on his way out.

“Stop trying to blame him,” Anthony said after he was gone. “I wrote the article. I printed it out. I distributed it. At this rate, you might as well blame my parents for giving birth to me.”

“We’ll see how they feel when they show up,” Preckwinkle said with a gleeful tone. “I certainly don’t expect as much sass from them.”

Anthony pressed his lips together before trying to reason with her. “I was getting picked on,” he said. “Even if you don’t believe that it was Graham, you must have heard about the word that was painted on my locker. I wrote that article in response and wanted the bullies to read it. Isn’t that reasonable? More so than picking on someone for who they are?”

“How youchooseto conduct yourself is of no concern to me, once you leave here for the day.” She brushed at his article disdainfully. “But you aren’t spreading this propaganda in my halls.”

“Propaganda?” he repeated in disbelief.

“Yes. That’s what it’s called when you create and distribute material that furthers your own agenda.”

Anthony grabbed the article off her desk before she could stop him and read one of his favorite lines aloud. “‘If we can learn to accept each other’s differences—if we can recognize the strength that comes from diversity—then perhaps we can be the first generation to finally set aside needless conflict.’ Is that the part you have a problem with?”

“Of course not,” she spat, “but you’re using that argument to justify your own questionable actions. Perhaps you should join the debate club, since you seem to enjoy arguing so much.”

“Maybe I will,” he said, tossing the article back on her desk.

“Wait in the front room,” Principal Preckwinkle said. “I’ll speak to you when your parents are present. Perhaps they can rein you in.”

Anthony stood and went to the door. “Should I send Graham in next?”

“That won’t be necessary,” came her reply.

He clenched his jaw on the way back to the reception area but forced a smile when Graham eyed him. “She agrees with me that it’s all your fault,” he said, which was petty of him, but he needed to vent somehow, because he felt like the entire world had stopped making sense. And maybe he wasn’t the smooth talker he’d imagined himself as. With any luck, he had pissed off Preckwinkle enough that she no longer blamed Mr. Finnegan. That hadn’t been Anthony’s intent, but he welcomed the possibility. He couldn’t stand the thought that he’d made things worse for his teacher.

Graham’s father was the first to show up. He had the same build as his son, albeit flabbier, his hair dark brown instead of blond. Mr. Fowler wore a full suit and tie. The first thing he said after sizing up his son was, “This better not be your fault.”

“It’s not!” Graham insisted.

“Good.”

The receptionist alerted Principal Preckwinkle, who soon appeared and returned down the short hall with both men in tow. Anthony’s father showed up while they were gone.

“You all right?” Joe asked. “Jesus, who did that to you?” His father took his chin and turned to get a better look at his cheek.

“Some jerk took a swing at me,” Anthony explained.

“Did you hit him back?”

“No.”

Joe shook his head. “I’m sure he deserved it, but that’s good news. You shouldn’t be in much trouble.”

“There’s more to it than that,” Anthony said, his throat constricting.

He didn’t get a chance to explain himself. Preckwinkle reappeared and introduced herself without much warmth. Then she ushered them down the hall to a conference room where Graham and his father were already seated. Joe sat across from them, Anthony settling down next to him.

Preckwinkle sat at the end of the table and laid it all out. Sort of. She didn’t focus much on Anthony getting punched in the face, choosing to describe it as an altercation. Instead she focused on the “inappropriate material” that Anthony had been distributing.

“You mean the article he wrote?” Joe said at the end of her summary.

“Correct,” Preckwinkle confirmed.

“His mother and I both read it. I didn’t see anything controversial. In fact, I’m proud of him for speaking his mind with such… Whatdya call it?”