Diamond S Ranch

26-A Tattletale

It was lunch time at the Diamond S  Ranch and everyone was shuffling their way up towards the house for some of Cappy's sloppy joes.  As Jake, Zach and Kaison left the barn, Jake's phone rang. He glanced down at it as he pulled it from his pocket.  It was the school calling. Wondering why in the world they could be calling, he answered.

It had already felt like a really long day since early this morning when James had alerted Jake that some of the calves were showing signs of the scours.  A symptomatic problem of diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration and even death in young calves if not caught and treated.  So far they had only lost one calf, but in a blink of an eye that could quickly change.  So, they had been spending all morning cleaning out pens and moving healthy ones out and trying to treat and keep the sick ones separated and alive.

On top of that, out at the pole barn apparently no one noticed that some of the pallets had broken and collapsed onto the ground.  This had caused hay to sit, for who knows how long, in water and muck and now they had to pull all the moldy hay out of that corner, throw it away.  To Jake, they might as well just put cash on top of that hay and throw it away because that is exactly what they are doing.  The total number of lost bales of hay was still not known yet.  So, by the time the phone call came in from the school. Jake was in no mood to be dealing with it.

"Yes, this is Jake." He answered politely though his face was not matching his tone.

Zach and Kaison slowed their pace to match Jake's, watching Jake's reaction to whoever he was listening intently to on the other end of his conversation.  James, Ben and Scott continued on up towards the house, while they hung back with Jake.  

When the conversation apparently came to an end,  Jake hung up and just stood there staring off into the distance for a several long seconds before he took his hat off and ran his hand through his hair. They were about to ask what was going on when he suddenly slapped his hat hard against his thigh. 

"Son of a ...." He started to say in a low growl, but then stopped. He clamped his jaw tight, gritting his teeth as he continued to just stand there again, just shaking his head back and forth.  They could tell he was pissed, like really pissed off about something.

Zach and Kaison exchanged questioning glances, Kaison finally broke the ice.  "Well, who called?" Slightly annoyed he had to drag it out of him.

Jake still continued to just stand there, studying the landscape out in front of him his hands on his hips, his eyes narrow, his jaw tight.  "The school." He finally gritted out not turning to address either one of them.

Both Zach and Kaison gave each other a puzzled look.  Finally Kaison pushed, "Okay, I'll bite.  What about?"

"Yeah," Zach said as he gave a slight chuckled, "what did the twins do this time?"

"Oh, it's not the twins." Jake said, still not taking his gaze off the horizon.

Again Zach and Kaison cut their eyes to each other. "Elle?" Kaison ventured tentatively. "What in the world could she have done that's got you so upset? 

"Oh, nothing much." He answered the sarcasm thick, "Just her and few of her friends got caught smoking cigarettes out back of one of the buildings.  And instead of going with the teacher to the principal's office, they took of running and now the police are looking for them." He finished, still looking far off onto the horizon.

"Damn." Zach said as he shook his head. Kaison let out a low whistle.  Yeah, he thought, okay, he'll give him this one. That wasn't the kind of phone call you really want to get.  

They were all silent for a moment, till Jake broke through their thoughts. 

"Do you realize this is the second time, second time mind you that she is being suspended in just four months!" He said out loud as he turned to look both of them. The quickly understood he wasn't really looking for an answer from either one of them. "And this isn't really counting her first day when she punched Lydia in the face, when she was supposed to have been suspended that time too!  So, technically that is three times in four months....three! I tell you what when I get a hold of her. I am going to tear her butt up!" He declared, his voice and his temper rising.