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Show -32- Peppermint Monday like a scared jack rabbit through the woods, his back pocket missing. I imagine for once he had been properly humbled. It was an amusing thought, and I could tell by my twitch I was smiling again. "What's funny red?" Billy was watching me, expecting an answer. He talked like he expected me to be afraid of him. Most of the kids were. I'd never given it much thought either way, until now. I wasn't afraid of him, but I didn't like him either. He had a creepy quality; the kind of kid that usually ended up in the state penitentiary. I couldn't tell him I was laughing at him. That was like signing your own hospital admittance papers„ "Just Sonders," I said. "I think he actually believes he's teaching us this stuff." I was a good liar. My eyes never blinked too much and I never got fidgety. Jason always gave himself away when he was trying to lie to pa. He wiggled so much we all knew he was fabricating a good story. One time, him and Kelly skipped out of school a day and hitchhiked to Branson. He was back in time to ride the bus home, so none of us would have known if Jason could sit still. When pa asked us how school had been that day, Jason started squirming like he was on a hot seat. Pa really wasn't interested how school was, he just always asked us every night. It was something to talk about at supper. But when Jason got so nervous, pa soon figured out the truth. I wasn't in the habit of lying to pa, but I knew I could get away with it, if I ever needed to. It was all in how you moved and held your eyes. "Sonders don't know nothin' to teach." Billy grunted and returned his concentration to the pocketknife. I started biting my pencil again, counting the minutes until the bell rang. Andrea was right. Two days later our class advisors called a class |
