I Love to Write
Capricorn in Aquarius - Part Two
At the end of the day, I went to my locker after my last class and picked up the books I would need for my homework. I glanced over my shoulder at the doorway to the Disciplinary Room,just kitty-corner from this bloc of lockers. The room was dark and looked deserted, but I didn't want to look inside and risk being seen. I was already in the wrong for not signing in when I was sent first thing this morning.
I thought I heard a teacher coming. I set my teeth, went down the stairs to the first floor - and stepped out without hesitation. It was a good thing I did - Daddy was already at the nearly-deserted curb right in front of school, tapping his fingernails on the cover of the steering wheel.
"Hi, Daddy," I climbed into the front seat, trying to look nonchalant.
"Hi, Princess," Daddy responded. "Little late, aren't you?"
"Sorry," I muttered. I gathered my courage in both hands and began, "Daddy - "
"Yes?"
I swallowed, pulled the blue disciplinary notice out of my top book and handed it to him. He unfolded it, frowning as he read it, then I heard under his breath, "Oh, good God."
He handed it back to me, and was stern now as he addressed me. "Now what did you do to get this?"
I reached into my bag again and came up with the coursebook. At lunchtime, I had emptied my bag on an empty table in the cafeteria to look for it - and, sure enough, there it was, nestled in the bottom of the seams, not saying a word.
Daddy took it, perusing the current grades. When his frown deepened, I knew he had found the red F. I trembled all over, waiting for his response.
He took the book on his knee, and signed it with a ballpoint pen in his pocket, then returned it to me. "And how long have you had this?"
"Oh - a while."
"What's a while?"
There was no help for it. "The night - the night you took Johnny home."
"Oh - " Daddy seemed a little less stern, more understanding. "So THAT'S it, is it? Is there a reason you didn't bring this to me later that night?"
"I - I forgot, Daddy."
Daddy frowned. "That's a baby's excuse. You knew you had it and it was supposed to be turned in long before this." He paused. "Give me that disciplinary notice."
I handed it to him. He folded it and inserted it into his shirt pocket. "I'll handle this with your mother. She's still going to insist you be punished, and I'll have to agree with her. Didn't I tell you to behave yourself, not so long ago?"
My eyes filled. I could only nod.
"Let's get going. When you get home, you go to your room and stay there, out of sight. It will be easier for me to deal with her if you're not in evidence."
Somehow, that scared me worse than anything else Daddy had said in the last few minutes. We drove home to our reckoning with Mom.
(To Be Continued.)
At the end of the day, I went to my locker after my last class and picked up the books I would need for my homework. I glanced over my shoulder at the doorway to the Disciplinary Room,just kitty-corner from this bloc of lockers. The room was dark and looked deserted, but I didn't want to look inside and risk being seen. I was already in the wrong for not signing in when I was sent first thing this morning.
I thought I heard a teacher coming. I set my teeth, went down the stairs to the first floor - and stepped out without hesitation. It was a good thing I did - Daddy was already at the nearly-deserted curb right in front of school, tapping his fingernails on the cover of the steering wheel.
"Hi, Daddy," I climbed into the front seat, trying to look nonchalant.
"Hi, Princess," Daddy responded. "Little late, aren't you?"
"Sorry," I muttered. I gathered my courage in both hands and began, "Daddy - "
"Yes?"
I swallowed, pulled the blue disciplinary notice out of my top book and handed it to him. He unfolded it, frowning as he read it, then I heard under his breath, "Oh, good God."
He handed it back to me, and was stern now as he addressed me. "Now what did you do to get this?"
I reached into my bag again and came up with the coursebook. At lunchtime, I had emptied my bag on an empty table in the cafeteria to look for it - and, sure enough, there it was, nestled in the bottom of the seams, not saying a word.
Daddy took it, perusing the current grades. When his frown deepened, I knew he had found the red F. I trembled all over, waiting for his response.
He took the book on his knee, and signed it with a ballpoint pen in his pocket, then returned it to me. "And how long have you had this?"
"Oh - a while."
"What's a while?"
There was no help for it. "The night - the night you took Johnny home."
"Oh - " Daddy seemed a little less stern, more understanding. "So THAT'S it, is it? Is there a reason you didn't bring this to me later that night?"
"I - I forgot, Daddy."
Daddy frowned. "That's a baby's excuse. You knew you had it and it was supposed to be turned in long before this." He paused. "Give me that disciplinary notice."
I handed it to him. He folded it and inserted it into his shirt pocket. "I'll handle this with your mother. She's still going to insist you be punished, and I'll have to agree with her. Didn't I tell you to behave yourself, not so long ago?"
My eyes filled. I could only nod.
"Let's get going. When you get home, you go to your room and stay there, out of sight. It will be easier for me to deal with her if you're not in evidence."
Somehow, that scared me worse than anything else Daddy had said in the last few minutes. We drove home to our reckoning with Mom.
(To Be Continued.)