SHIFTED.✔

31

Keean wasn't in Chemistry the next morning. Twenty minutes into the lesson the internal telephone rang. I looked up to see Mr. Davis answer it. He spoke quietly into the receiver. I went back to my work and was so focused on what I was doing I didn't hear Mr. Davis approach me. I got startled when he tapped me on the shoulder.

"Charlie I've been asked to send you to Mr. Logan's office. Pack up your things and take them with you. I don't think you'll be back before the bell."

I must have had a look of horror on my face because I automatically thought of Mum and Dad.

He patted me on the back and said. "Don't worry everything's okay. Mr. Logan just wants a chat."

I nodded, not having a clue why Mr. Logan would want to have a chat with me but I gathered my things and headed to the principal's office. I knocked lightly on the door and heard him call, "Come in."

I was shocked to see both Mr. Cristaudo and Keean Crone were there. Mr. Cristaudo was leaning against a bookshelf behind Mr. Logan's desk. He had his arms crossed, a determined look on his face. He nodded a greeting. Keean was seated in front of the desk, his chin on his chest, legs stretched forward and his arms also crossed. He didn't acknowledge me. It looked like a stand-off. I realised it had something to do with yesterday's basketball game. A short round woman with blonde curly hair was seated beside Keean. They looked nothing alike but I figured she must have been his mother.

Mr. Logan stood up as I entered. "Charlie, thank you for coming. Please take a seat." He indicated the vacant chair, which must have been put there for Mr. Cristaudo. "Charlie you know there was an incident between Mr. Cristaudo and Keean yesterday."

I nodded.

"Your name has come up. Apparently Keean pushed you."

I opened my eyes wide in shock. "No, Mr. Logan. That's not what happened."

"Okay," he said calmly. "Do you mind telling me your version of what happened yesterday?"

I glanced nervously from Mr. Cristaudo to Keean. Mr. Cristaudo was eyeing me. Keean remained as he was.

"It's okay, Charlie. Tell me your version. No one is going to blame you for anything."

I took a deep breath. This was going to be hard. Especially since Mr. Cristaudo obviously wanted me to side with him. I hoped it wouldn't affect the way he treated me in class. "We were playing basketball," I began. "Mr. Cristaudo had called a penalty. Megan Turnball received the ball and was going to make a pass. I thought I'd try to intercept it. Keean was in front of me to the left and must have had the same idea. We clashed, his foot landed on mine. Keean somehow twisted us around so when we landed on the floor he took the brunt of the fall."

Mr. Logan nodded thoughtfully. "So you didn't feel he, in any way, had done this deliberately."

I heard Keean sigh and shot a glance his way but he was focused on his feet. "No, Sir, I was behind him. He had no idea I was even there."

Mr. Logan nodded again and let out a breath of air. "Okay, now I'd like your take on an incident which happened just prior to this. Did you witness anything going on between Mr. Cristaudo and Keean?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. "Mr. Cristaudo was umpiring and every time Keean got the ball he penalised him." I was about to continue but Mr. Logan put up his hand.

"Do you think the penalties were valid?"

I looked at my hands. I didn't want to see Mr. Cristaudo's face. "No, Sir."

Mr. Logan nodded. "Ah...so what makes you say that?"

I shrugged. "They just weren't, Sir. We've spent two weeks learning the rules. Keean's a good player...like he's played before. He got passed the ball and as soon as he caught it Mr. Cristaudo blew the whistle."

"Okay, tell me what happened next." Mr. Logan took a breath and leaned back in his chair.

I really didn't like being the meat in the sandwich but I continued. "Keean got angry and threw the ball at Mr. Cristaudo. He ducked so it didn't hit him. They had words. Mr. Cristaudo said, 'What are you playing at', or something like that and Keean said much the same back. They kind of bumped up against each other, and then both backed off. We started playing again and that's when Keean and I crashed."

Mr Logan looked at me attentively. "One last question, Charlie. How would you describe Mr. Cristaudo and Keean's relationship?"

I looked from one to the other. Both were looking at their feet. "They don't get on, Sir. Mr. Cristaudo doesn't seem to like Keean."

Mr. Logan stood up and held his hand toward the door. "Thanks, Charlie, you've been a big help and please don't worry yourself over this. I'm sorry to have had to ask you these things."

I nodded and headed to the door as fast as I could then Mr. Logan called after me.

"You'd better get yourself a late slip for your next class."

I turned to look at him as he spoke and caught Keean's intense stare. I quickly nodded and closed the door behind me.

I felt sick. After I got my late slip I went to the toilet to wash my face and have a drink. I sat down on the bench and let out a huge sigh. Cristaudo was probably going to target me now, but I had to tell the truth. I couldn't believe he had taken it this far. I made my way to drama and barely got through the lessons. Thankfully the bell rang for morning tea. Katie was at me about why I had been late. When I finished the whole story she whistled through her teeth.

"That fucking bastard...! He's out to get Crone expelled."

I had to agree.

"Who do you reckon put your name in the shit pile?" She said.

"Could have been either one." I shook my head and gave this some thought. "Cristaudo probably wanted me to back him or Crone probably needed someone to stick up for him."

"Yeah..." Katie was of the same opinion. "You know Cristaudo's going to give it to you now."

"I hope not." This was a real worry. I hoped he'd be mature enough not to hold a grudge. "If he does I'll go straight to Mr. Logan because I ain't going to put up with what Keean's put up with."

Katie grinned and patted me on the arm. "I'll back you up."

The bell went. We had Maths, English and Biology. Keean was back in class, he didn't look any different. He was always quiet so we couldn't tell if he was pissed off but we figured he hadn't been expelled otherwise he wouldn't be here.

Mr. Cristaudo treated me like normal in Phys. Ed., which I was relieved about. Neither one of them mentioned anything to me about being called into Mr. Logan's office. By last lesson Friday, which was Phys. Ed, they seemed to have come to some sort of truce. Mr. Cristaudo had lain off Keean and now acted like he didn't exist. I noticed Victoria take Keean by the arm as we filed out of the classroom. Later as I was walking to the gate I saw her getting into his old four-wheel drive. I couldn't help it but I was sick with jealousy.

Copyright © 2017 by Donna Fieldhouse. All rights reserved.

Well what do you think of that? 

Which one is trouble? Mr. Cristaudo or Keean.

Poor Charlie having to answer all those questions.

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