"In-School suspension?" Mike yelled. "What a joke! All we did was leave."
"You LEFT?!" Mrs. Wheeler asked. "YOU'RE TELLING ME YOU BEAT UP A KID AND THEN LEFT?! MICHAEL WHEELER I CANNOT HAVE THIS HAPPEN AGAIN!"
"Again?" Mike asked.
"Nevermind," Mrs. Wheeler said, writing out a grocery list with a sigh. "What is it with you kids and Troy Harrington?" She looked around the kitchen at all the guilty faces sitting before her. "Why couldn't you guys be more like Nancy?" Max coughed in a corner from trying to hold in a laugh.
"What is so funny Maxine? What is so funny about you getting my son into trouble?"
"First of all, Karen-"
"Save it," Mrs. Wheeler snapped.
"Okayy. First of all, Mrs. Wheeler..." Max looked at Mrs. Wheeler with an innocent look in her eye, subtly seeking approval, which came in the form of a head nod. "Troy is always the one to start it, I honestly think it's in Harrington blood to be hotheaded. It would have been worse if Mike hadn't done anything. Also, Nancy might have been a good kid, but her boyfriends, they've always been violent."
Mrs. Wheeler gave Max a sideways glance. "So you're a good kid then?" Max flushed, looking directly at Mike then back at Mrs. Wheeler.
"What?" she asked, holding a breath.
"Well if that's the case for Nancy, then I'm assuming that's the case with you because Lucas is your boyfriend and he's violent." Max let go of the held breath. She meant Lucas, not Mike. Of course she meant Lucas. She was stupid to think otherwise for a second.
"Well, I guess you could say I'm a good kid. I mean, the bad influence is out of my house." Max chuckled, before adding "And he's not coming back." She looked at the floor. Why couldn't she participate in any conversations without bringing up Billy? Didn't she know what was good for her? She shook her head and rejoined the conversation, with all the sad sympathetic eyes watching her.
"Max, dear, I didn't mean to upset you."
"No no it's fine, let's just-"
"Let's just get back to the suspension thing," Mike chimed in. Max nodded, grateful for Mike coming into the conversation. Mrs. Wheeler shook her head, as if shunning a thought, and clicked her pen on her notepad.
"Oh yes," she said. "They want you all there, all week. In school. Suspension. And they will lengthen it if necessary so don't try anything." The room erupted. What was once just Mike's problem was now all of theirs together.
"ALL OF US?" Lucas asked. "I WAS BEING ATTACKED!"
"That's not fair mom! It was self defense!"
"Come on this is ridiculous!"
"I promised Erica I'd watch My Little Pony with her this week!"
"Guys, guys, guys, calm down. It's only a week. I would say I'd try to claim it was self defense, but you guys left school grounds illegally and I can't do anything about that." Loud groans came out from the entire group. Mutterings of "this is so unfair" or "I can't believe this" were heard as they trudged down the stairs. Mike slammed the top door.
"AND NO TV!"
The friends sat around in the Wheeler basement in complete quiet, contemplating their fates in the days to come at school. Finally Lucas broke the silence.
"I can't get over how your mom thinks Max is a good kid, Mike." He laughed. Max was sitting on the ground in front of him while he was on the couch. "You're not exactly squeaky clean, darling"
