Yell Out / Do You Read online

  “Who told you to be here? How did you know where to find us? Mom would not have told you,” Eva grumbled. She looked over at me with accusing eyes.

  I said, “I mean, I talked to him and told him we had a competition. He asked where. I didn’t know he was coming.”

  Eva yelled, “I can’t tell you anything. Why’d you call him? What did you say? You’re going to be in his stupid wedding?”

  “All right, Eva, settle down,” my dad pleaded. People started looking over at us.

  “You think I care, Dad, what these people in here think? Please, and I’m certainly not taking orders from somebody who left us.” Eva walked over to Coach Woods. “Coach, isn’t it time for us to go on?”

  Coach Woods was caught off guard, and the rest of the team was dumbfounded. She shrugged at my father who told her it was okay. Our problem was that we were all off focus. When we performed, we dropped all five of our stunts. In the tumbling rotation, a couple of girls ran into each other. Some of us had no facial expressions and were not smiling. Overall we were not even close to tight. The girls from Loganville and Ola were exceptional. Heritage High School was just okay, but because we were so pitiful, I knew we would not place.

  Whitney said, “Ugh, we just look a mess. All black squad and we have no buckets or bows; we just look bootleg. If this is how our squad is going to be, we don’t need to go to another meet because we’re not representing Lockwood well.”

  Cheerleading was supposed to be about yelling out and being proud. However, if girls had many issues in their home life, issues of security, issues of togetherness, how could they be cheerful? Maybe Whitney was right. Maybe we were in over our heads and needed to just stick to cheering on the sidelines.

  I could not believe I agreed to help Randal and my sister cheat. There I was in US History, ready to forsake my morals, bracing myself to carry out Eva’s plan, and scared as heck. My teacher was Mrs. Green, a frail-looking older lady who was not too hip. People would ask her permission to go to the bathroom and not come back until the period was almost over. She would inquire what took so long and any dumb answer they gave, like, “I felt sick, so I just stayed in the bathroom so I could catch my balance,” Mrs. Green would buy it.

  Instead of taking one Scantron sheet when she passed them out, I took two. As we began to take the test, I filled out both sheets. However, I only turned one in to Mrs. Green. We were on block classes. Therefore, we had ninety minutes per class. When everyone turned their tests in, there was still twenty-one minutes left in the class. Mrs. Green turned around and put the Scantrons through a machine.

  “Well, I want to say most of you guys did not study for this exam. I had one A, one B, and the rest Ds and Fs. Congratulations to Ella. You earned a ninety-seven, so it’ll only be a three-point curve.”

  The rest of the class booed me. Too bad they didn’t study. Eva’s plan was for me to leave the second Scantron under my seat and beneath my jacket. People left things in the classroom all the time, and Randal was supposed to distract Mrs. Green while Eva found the Scantron and copied down the answers. They would have time to do that because they had Mrs. Green after lunch.

  The plan went awry because the two social butterflies passed the Scantron on to friends in Mrs. Green’s other US History classes. The majority of Mrs. Green’s students failed the test. Most people in Eva and Randal’s class had the exact same score as I did. The dummies did not even take the whole class period to do the test. People turned in their papers in fifteen minutes or less. She smelled cow manure, and my legs were knee deep up in it.

  I was in PE with Coach Woods when I got called up to the office. I wanted to find my sister to ask if they tore up the Scantron, but the school year was still new. I did not remember her classes or where she was at that moment. Walking to the office, I thought certainly I would be able to talk myself out of any trouble because I had never been to the principal’s office before. However, I was shaking.

  “What’s going on, Miss Blount? I’ve seen your sister a whole bunch of times, but I thought you were the good one,” Dr. Sapp, our fine principal, said to me. Mrs. Green stood there, rocking back and forth. “Mrs. Green came to me with some interesting, yet possibly disturbing news. She thinks you cheated on her exam.”

  I defended myself. “But, Mrs. Green, you watched me complete my test. I answered everything on my own.”

  Mrs. Greene explained, “I saw you taking your test, Ella, and I don’t believe that you cheated on your own exam, but it’s the class that came after you that I am having a tough time with. I can’t figure out how they got your exact score.”

  “Maybe I wasn’t the only one who studied,” I said.

  Not buying it, Mrs. Green said, “Your sister is in my other class, Ella. Her poor work ethic all quarter does not match up to the almost-perfect score she received. More is going on here, and I’ve never known you to lie.”

  Not knowing all Eva had done to hang me out to dry, I rationalized, “But can you explain to me what you think I did, Mrs. Green? If you gave them the same test you gave me, and we got the same score, what’s the problem? You’re right, Eva’s my sister. We studied together, no big deal.”

  “The question you missed was not a hard one. For fifteen people in my class to miss the same one and get everything else correct did not seem right. So I gave them another test.”

  “What happened?” Dr. Sapp asked.

  Mrs. Green said, “They all put down the exact same answers.”

  “There you go. People studied,” I said.

  Shaking her head, Mrs. Green said, “Problem was, Ella, I changed up the questions, and they put the exact same answers. If they studied, then they would have understood that what was question one on the first test was question six on the second test. Of course they all failed the second test, but nobody wants to tell me anything. Something’s not right. When the class was gone, I looked under your desk and found this: a filled-in Scantron.”

  “I don’t see anybody’s name on it,” cool Dr. Sapp answered Mrs. Green.

  “That’s right, but I’m just wondering if we can take it over to the forensics lab down in the technical building and see if Ella’s fingerprints will show up. She turned hers in to me, so why would there be a second one with all the answers filled in under her desk? Anyone could have used it, particularly people from the next class who hadn’t taken the test yet.”

  At that moment, I lost it. I could not say everything was okay. I could not say I had not done anything. I came clean. I said I left the Scantron there but didn’t know if anyone would actually use it. I admitted that it was all my doing. Dr. Sapp told Mrs. Green that he would handle it from there.

  When she stood up, she said, “You know, Ella, you’ve always been a lady with such integrity. It’s hard for me personally right now. I wish I could retire, but with this recession we’re in, I’m just not able to. I would never think kids would take advantage of me like this, particularly my better students. I am battling multiple sclerosis, barely even able to hold on, walk, much less keep my head up. Now I’m going to have to be on my guard for sure because I can’t trust anybody. Thank you for showing me I should have no faith in the next generation. Another reason I can’t retire any time soon is because I have to stay here and tighten up on you guys so you all won’t try to get over on another soul again.”

  She walked out. I hung my head low. The lady did not deserve my bad actions.

  “Gosh, girl, you done hurt the lady’s feelings,” Dr. Sapp said to me, trying to joke around.

  “Sir, I’m so sorry.”

  “So you know you can get suspended for cheating.”

  “But I didn’t actually cheat. I didn’t know if anybody would actually copy it.”

  “Ugh, don’t try to justify your actions,” he scolded.

  “But I’m a straight A student. Please, sir. I’m on the cheerleading squad. We’re trying to win state, and we bombed out at our first meet. You always told us that you used to get in troub
le back in the day. Can I have one courtesy pass?”

  “Dang, my speeches get me in trouble,” Dr. Sapp said. “All right, I’m going to tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to give you ISS, in-school suspension, for five days. This way you’re on the squad. I know if you get suspended from school, you’re immediately off the team, and I do think you deserve another chance. However, taking the hit for anybody, your sister in particular, is unwise. I know Miss Eva, and she can be persuasive and lead you to do all kinds of stuff. You did not help her or anybody else by cheating for them.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Now get your self to ISS down the hall. You’ll have all week to think about your actions. You’ll probably be the laughing stock, and I hope you can handle it. Maybe the embarrassment will keep you from doing something this stupid again. Mr. Hatcher is out this week, so I’m actually going to be the ISS teacher. I’m going to make sure you get everything done. You might be able to sneak out on Mrs. Green, but not Dr. Sapp. I’ve been around the way, and I know how to make sure you pay.”

  “So do I get my books? Do I go to ISS tomorrow? What?”

  “Weren’t you listening? You head on down there right now. I already have two kids in there.”

  When I walked to ISS, I could not believe who was sitting in the tight space. It was Leo Steele, the guy I had seen naked. He was looking like he was about to break someone’s jaw. He looked up and saw me, and he stared really hard. I wondered if he saw me the other day.

  “Get to moving on in there and sit down,” Dr. Sapp commanded, interrupting my thoughts. “There’s no need in delaying the inevitable. You’re going to be in here with me all week. Your books and assignments are on their way so you can stay caught up.

  CHAPTER 2

  Rescue Needed

  Why are you looking at my pants?” Leo boldly asked me when Dr. Sapp gave us a break.

  I shook my head and looked away quickly. I did not realize I was imagining him with his clothes off. I had never noticed Leo Steele before. I mean, he was just a big, dumb jock who always got in trouble. The football field seemed like a perfect place for him. He was a defensive end, the one who—more times than not—sacks the quarterback. He had the speed, size, and muscles to do it.

  The ISS room was extremely tiny. It was barely a storage closet. Everybody knew Dr. Sapp did not play. There were hardly any people in ISS. Most of the time people were just sent home for suspensions.

  I was staring at Leo’s chest when I heard, “Earth to Ella. What’s wrong with you?” Leo asked. “What are you doing in here anyway? I could see if it was Eva, but you’re the good sister,” Leo said, making me aware that he knew me.

  Being too sweet had its disadvantages. Everyone thought I had no spunk. I was sort of sick and tired of everyone saying that. I did not want to have a reputation of being bad, but I didn’t want to be seen as Little Miss Perfect either.

  “Leo, you don’t know me,” I cautioned “You don’t know what I’m capable of doing.”

  “Okay, dang, you got a little fire,” he said, taken aback that I snapped. “But I know you can’t get in trouble.”

  “Then you don’t know her. She was the one who helped people cheat,” this other dude in ISS said.

  Leo and I looked at each other like, Uh, okay, were we talking to you? It was weird that Leo and I connected—well, maybe not that weird. Though we did not hang, our circles were the same. We were in the popular crew. We just never noticed each other. Now, I surely was noticing him.

  “I’m Carlen,” the other dude said, extending his hand. He took it back when he realized the two of us were uncomfortable. “I stole someone’s iPod. And Miss Cheerleader is in here because she helped so many people get an A on their US History exam.”

  “Oh, you were the one who was supposed to leave the answers on the Scantron sheet?” Leo snorted.

  “How does everybody know about that?” I asked.

  Leo explained, “Your sister was selling the answers to everyone.”

  At that point I was furious. Eva was a trip. She asked me to help her, but she was using me more than I knew. She was a selfish witch.

  Carlen looked at me and said, “And he’s in here because he was fighting with the Axes.”

  Immediately I cringed. The Axes were the leading gang at our school. Everybody knew they did not just talk trash; they had proven they were violent.

  “Like you just said, we don’t know each other,” Leo said to me coldly. “So don’t act like you’re concerned.”

  Thinking maybe I did not need to like him, I snapped, “Fine, but they’re nothing to play with.”

  Dr. Sapp came into the room. “Ella, please step out in the hallway.”

  When I did, I immediately got grabbed by my shirt. My mom was there. She was not happy.

  “Okay, Dr. Sapp, you need to turn your head because I’m not getting reported for child abuse,” my mother stated.

  He laughed, not knowing my mom was serious. She did not laugh. Dr. Sapp stepped back and looked the other way.

  My mom stepped to me harshly. “I get a call that you’re in ISS. What in the world, Ella? This is crazy. Cheating?”

  I could not say anything about my sister’s involvement because I did not want to incriminate her to the principal. He already handed out his punishment. I had to be in ISS the whole week. It was not going to be that big of a deal. I got to make up my work. So why did she come all the way down here to trip?

  Trying to calm her down, I said, “Mom, I made a mistake. I’m sorry.”

  “You’re darn right you made a mistake. I’m just so disappointed in you, Ella, with everything else I got going on right now. I get called at work about you being suspended.”

  “I’m not suspended, Mom. I’m in in-school suspension.”

  “Right, in-school suspension. Can you walk your butt to a regular classroom right about now? No? She has to stay locked up in here and for how long, sir?”

  “Five days,” Dr. Sapp said, trying to hold in his laughter.

  He was a man with a doctorate, and he thought it was funny that my feisty mom came up here and showed her tail. I saw him checking her out. My mom, however, was focused on keeping me in the fire.

  “If there were more mothers like you, trust me, my job would be a lot easier,” he praised. He was practically flirting with my mom.

  She was so high on the collar she did not get it. I knew I was going to have to look into Dr. Sapp’s life. We liked him and thought he was extremely cool, but was he married? Did he have a family? Nobody knew. He was at the school twenty-four-seven. I doubt that he was married, and by the way he was looking at my mom, I thought I could leverage his emotions and ask him if I got him a date, would he let me off with a warning.

  My mom peeked her head in the classroom and said, “It doesn’t look like there are too many distractions. Thank you so much, Dr. Sapp.”

  My blushing principal uttered, “Oh no … no problem.”

  He told me to get on in there and get back to work. He stayed out there grinning and cheesing. My mom shook her head at me, so I knew I was going to get it even more later.

  “Looks like someone’s going to be in trouble when they get home,” Carlen joked.

  His mannerisms were almost too girlie, but he was kind of cool too. Carlen motioned like he was whipping me. Leo laughed.

  “Right, big football player, what are you going to say when your mom comes up here with her switch,” I joked, but Leo seemed to close up as he looked away and hit the desk.

  “Someone’s on his cycle,” Carlen whispered to me.

  The next day I was actually looking forward to ISS. That was kind of scary because I knew I longed to see Leo. I had never been into a boy. I fixed myself up nice and made sure I looked really cute. I could not stop imagining him with his birthday suit on.

  Having Dr. Sapp monitor ISS was the best because he was constantly walking the halls and doing other stuff a principal needed to do. He trusted us to get our
work done. Carlen and I did. Leo kind of looked at the four walls.

  “You better get on your work,” I said to him.

  Being a jerk, Leo said, “You better stay out of my business.”

  I was curious about what was going on with him. Being up here on a weekend when the place was supposed to be locked up still had me wondering. Also, when I made mention of his mom coming the day before, why did he get so angry?

  When lunch was brought to us, I pried. “Where do you live?”

  “Didn’t you just say we needed to get our work done?” Leo asserted.

  Carlen leaned in and offered the answer. “No one knows where he lives now because he and his mom just got evicted.”

  “You know everything,” I said to Carlen. Leo looked frustrated.

  I think Leo opened up to me because he was hungry and wanted my food. It was like the boy had not eaten in a couple of days. It did not take me long to realize maybe he did not have a home. I thought back to when I caught him showering in the locker room after the school was locked up. Maybe he was living here. Where was his mom? How was he going to take care of himself?

  Certainly the football coach, Coach Strong, did not know he was staying on school property.

  Watching Leo devour the food like an animal, I had to figure out a way to help the untamed lion who growled at everyone. I felt like that was a mask. There was something in his eyes that told me he was going through a lot. Maybe that’s why I allowed myself to get into trouble—to be Leo’s angel.

  Dr. Sapp came back and demanded our assignments. Carlen was just happy to turn his in. Leo started to fluster.

  I said, “Doc, here’s mine and Leo’s.”

  “What do you mean yours and Leo’s?” Dr. Sapp asked.

  “Well, we pretty much have the same classes. So we sat and did it together, you know, to save paper and make the world green and all.”

  “What?” Dr. Sapp squinted and turned to the know-it-all in the room. “Carlen, is this true?”

  “You heard the lady, sir. I watched them talk,” Carlen said, covering me.