10 Years • Joel Pimentel

Chapter 6

I sat on the couch next to Ramon. He looked down at the white tile floor, thinking. I stare at the floor too as if his thoughts will appear. We stayed quiet for a while until the principal's door open and Mrs. Brown along with our principal appeared.

"Thank you Mrs. Brown, I'll take it from here." The principal said. Mrs. Brown nodded smirking and left. I gulped not wanting to move a muscle. "Come in." She smiled.

Ramon stood up and grabbed my hand. I don't know why but I felt somewhat uncomfortable. I pulled my hand away and just smiled at him so I wouldn't hurt his feelings.

We sat down on the two chairs in front of our principal's desk. She sat down and sighed fixing her blazer. "Will you guys like to explain your behavior?" She questioned taking out a paper and pen to take notes.

"My behavior?" Asked Ramon "More like Mrs. Brown's."

Our principal looked up at him confused and stopped writing our names on the yellow paper. "What do you mean?"

"Why are we here?" The words escaped my mouth without me thinking twice. Our principal exchanged looks and was now looking at me. "Young lady, Ramon and you disrupted the class. And on the first day!" She said surprised.

"So that's what she told you?" Chuckled Ramon. "Damn. She left out the fact that put me and the other five Latinos in the front row just to treat us like animals. And the fact that she allowed a kid to be racist towards us."

The principal was confused yet shocked at his words. "Oh I almost forgot." He said sarcastically. "She put tape around my and Amelia's hands and put tape on our mouths."

"She what?" The principal rose from her seat trying to stay calm "What you heard Mrs. Smith." Ramon pulled my hands up to show the principal. "You can't see it on me but look at Amelia's hands. They're swollen and red."

Mrs. Smith examined my hands and she clenched her jaw. Then she looked down at the yellow paper and thought. At this point I didn't know what to do or say so I put my hands down.

"She's getting fired." She opened a drawer and pull out a camera. "Let me take pictures of your hands, Amelia." I put my hands together and she took a few photos.

"Are we getting a new teacher?" I asked. She put the camera away and papers. "Yes and no. I might just separate the class and put you in classes that aren't full. Or maybe just get a new teacher. I don't know but she's getting fired."

I smiled but that soon vanished. What am I going to tell my mother and father?

----

"She did that to you?" Asked Emanuel as we waited for Patty in front of the school. I nodded and stare down at my hands. They looked less swollen and weren't red no more.

"I'm sorry your first day of the third grade was this bad." Joel said pulling me into a hug. I couldn't help it but smile. "Wish you were in fourth with me" he said smiling. I pulled away and jokingly said "Maybe I will. I'm pretty smart for an eight year old."

"I won't be surprise if she ends up in fifth grade instead." Emanuel said jokingly. Soon Patty came and she drove us home.

I got off and smiled looking back at Joel who was too busy untangling the string from his backpack. "Let's go up to the tree house!" I said excitedly.

He looked up and didn't seem excited. "I have homework." He said. My smile faded but I just nodded. "Maybe after I'm done." He said smiling.

"Well, go!" I said pushing him towards his house. "Go get it done!"

He laughed and shook his head. "You too!" He shouted as I ran to my place. As soon as I entered, I was greeted by the smell of chilaquiles. Mother turned around and quickly looked away. Had she been crying?