“That’s a serious accusation, Mr. Di Bianco. Do you have any evidence?”
Now things were starting to make sense. “My brother’s been coming home for weeks with his face a wreck from fighting,” I said.
“Sir, I only took over PE classes a few weeks ago, but it’s been long enough to realize something isn’t right.”
It was true. Two weeks ago, the PE teacher for the little kids had quit for personal reasons, and since then Thiago had taken over. My brother had been going on constantly about his new teacher, who was also his neighbor, and how much they were learning and how fun PE had become. My brother had been begging mydad for a basketball and a hoop so he could follow in the footsteps of his new idol: Thiago.
“What happened to him?” I asked, livid.
“I’ve seen people picking on Cam, insulting him, even hitting him. We teachers have been trying to intervene, but Cam keeps saying they’re just playing.”
“What makes you so sure that they aren’t?” the principal asked.
I shot him a cold stare. I couldn’t believe he’d ask such a thing—my little brother was the sweetest kid around; he wouldn’t hurt a fly.
Thiago answered him in a chilling voice: “Locking a child in a bathroom stall all morning doesn’t sound to me like a game anyone would go along with, Mr. Harrison.”
The principal coughed, nodded, and arranged some papers on his desk.
I understood now. George Walker, just like his brother Danny, was getting special treatment from the school because of his parents’ status. We all knew it. We all knew they’d made a substantial donation so Danny could get back on the team that fall. It was unfair, and it made my blood boil.
“Cameron and George’s teacher tried contacting your mother to explain the situation to her firsthand, but your mother said to talk to you.”
“Yeah, she called me…” I trailed off, not wanting to admit I’d ignored her call.
“If you don’t mind, sir, I’d like Miss Hamilton to come with me to the elementary school to see Cameron.”
Harrison nodded.
“Yes, do that, try to find a solution. I mean, we’re talking about six-year-old kids here. I doubt there’s any real malice.”
Boy, was he wrong. Little kids are the cruelest of all. And Iwasn’t going to let anything slide until I knew my brother would be safe at school.
Thiago and I left the principal’s office.
“Come on, I’ll take you to Maggie’s class. She told me she needs to talk to a family member, and since you’re the only one here…”
“Where is my brother now?” I asked. I desperately needed to give him a hug.
“He’s in the teachers’ lounge. I told him he could stay there until I got back.”
Thiago led me down the long, empty hallways. Everyone else was in class. We kept walking and turned left, through the art wing that connected the high school to the elementary school.
“You know, I stop here sometimes to look at the pictures, and I always wonder if there might be one by you,” Thiago said, trying to help me relax.
I’d often looked at those walls, yearning to put up one of my own drawings or paintings, but I’d never mustered the courage.
“Nope,” I said with a shrug.
Finally, we reached the double doors that led to the younger kids’ classrooms. As soon as I was there, the difference between my brother’s school and mine was apparent. The walls were painted bright colors, unlike the gray and white I was used to. The walls were lined with kids’ drawings and hooks for little coats and backpacks.
My brother had just started first grade. When Thiago opened the door to the teachers’ lounge, I found Cameron curled up on the sofa sleeping, and tears welled in my eyes.
How he must have been suffering, and meanwhile everyone had been punishing him and blaming him for being so strange the last few weeks.
I should never have listened to my mother. If I’d really thoughtabout it, I’d have known that Cam would never be the one to start a fight. It wasn’t in his nature.
“Thanks for coming, Kamila,” a gentle voice said behind me.
I turned. And I saw her.
There she was: the beautiful woman Thiago had been kissing in front of his house the day before. The same one who had been wearing that tiny miniskirt, passing him his tools and flirting with him.
“I’m Maggie Brown,” she said, smiling sweetly and showing off her perfect white teeth. “I’m your brother’s teacher. We need to talk.”
Seeing her made me want to vomit. Her eyes were sky blue. She was gorgeous. And now she was working side by side with Thiago.
