“Oh, nothing much,” Dad said. “Just no suspension from school for Charley Eye.”
“And?” Mr. Nelson asked.
“That all, for now.”
* * * * *
I was lucky to be allowed to attend my classes because I loved school. However, my worst punishment would came from my classmates.
I was universally shunned. Even Patsy, Melody, and Dolly would have nothing to do with me. I practiced music alone and began bringing my lunch again and eating in the deserted bleachers.
Whenever I encountered Ember in the hallways, she was always hanging onto Crammer. They sneered and told me to go back to plowing and shoveling cow s**t because that’s all I was good for.
During science class, Mr. Flanders asked me and Ember to come see him after school.
“I’m aware,” he said when we met with him in the science room, “th
