He found April in Ms. Bondurant’s art room, and one look said it all. She was by herself, eating an apple, and when she saw Theo she began crying. He sat beside her and said, “Come on, April, it’s not the end of the world. I didn’t make it either, but we’ll do fine anyway.”
She bit her lip, wiped her cheeks, and said, “You didn’t make it, Theo?”
“No. Almost. Missed it by a point.”
“Me too.” She clenched her jaws in an effort to stop crying. “It’s just that the best art classes are for the Honors kids. That’s all I want, Theo, to study art and to make art.”
“And you will, April. Nothing can stop you from becoming a great artist. There’ll be plenty of courses for you, and for me, and for everyone else. Strattenburg High School is one of the best in the state, for everybody. Let’s get over this.”
“What will your parents say?”
“I don’t care. I swear I don’t. It’s not like they’re sending us off to a reform school. We’re going to do fine in high school.”
“My mom won’t care either. And, of course, my dad is rarely at home. At least your parents care what happens to you.”
“Come on, April. We’re going to be okay.”
“I can’t believe Hallie Kershaw made it. She’s such a brat, and she’s already bragging about it.”
Hallie was the cutest and most popular girl in the eighth grade, and Theo, like most boys, had a secret crush on her. “Is that all you’re eating for lunch?” he asked, nodding at the apple.
“Yes, you want some?”
“No thanks. I really want a taco. That’s what they’re serving today, so let’s go eat a taco, okay?”
“Thanks, but I’ll stay here. I just want to hide.”
“Well, you can’t hide, April. Life goes on.”
They sat in silence for a moment or so. She said, “You know, Theo, I don’t mean this in a bad way, but I feel better knowing that you didn’t make it either. I mean, I wanted you to do well and all, so don’t get me wrong. It’s just that you’re about the only close friend I have around here. I guess this means we’ll have some of the same classes next year.”
“I know, I know. My dad always says, ‘Misery loves company.’ So I understand. Right now we have a lot of company. Let’s go get a taco.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“You’re never hungry, but you have to eat.”
“I don’t want to see anyone. It’s easier just to sit here and be miserable.”
“Okay, be miserable then. How about we meet at Guff’s for a frozen yogurt?”
“I don’t have any money, Theo.”
“Okay, then we’ll call it a date and I’ll treat. Four o’clock?”
“I guess.”
“See you then.”
Mrs. Boone looked at Theo’s test summary and said nothing for a few minutes. Theo watched her face as he sat as low as possible in one of the two large leather chairs facing her desk. He tried to look pitiful, though he doubted she would be upset with him. Finally, she said, “One lousy point, and now they’ll keep you away from the best classes in high school. I knew I hated these tests. Now I really understand why.”
“Sorry, Mom,” Theo said, though he really didn’t feel that bad. “I’ll make straight A’s and show them.”
“Attaboy. Now go tell your father.”
Theo and Judge hustled up the stairs and found Mr. Boone at his desk. “Got some bad news, Dad,” he said as he handed over his paperwork. Mr. Boone chewed the stem of his pipe as he frowned at the numbers. “What happened in science?” he asked.
“I don’t know what happened, Dad. I did the best I could. Science has never been my favorite.”
“Then you should work harder there. One lousy point. If you had worked harder, you would have made Honors.”
“I really don’t think it’s the end of the world, Dad. Our high school has good teachers at every level.”
“But, Theo, you should always strive for the best. This is disappointing.”
“Sorry, Dad. I did the best I could. I’ve never done well on standardized tests, you know that.”
“That’s no excuse.”
“Mom is not upset. Why should you be?”
“I’m not upset, just disappointed. And I’m not your mother. She thinks these tests are a waste of time. I happen to think they’re very important. They measure how well the students are doing, and they keep the pressure on the teachers.”
“I can still graduate from high school with high honors, and that’s what I’ll do. I’ll show them.”
“Did Chase make it?”
Chase’s parents were best friends of the Boones. Theo almost blurted, “Why do you care about Chase?” — but bit his tongue. He knew there was competition between the parents, though he didn’t really understand it. He said, “Of course he made it.”
“Well, good for him. We’ll discuss this later. I’m very busy right now.”
Theo and Judge went to his office. He locked the door, fell into his chair, and stared at the wall. He could not remember the last time his father had said he was disappointed with something he’d done. It was a lousy feeling, and the longer he brooded the worse he felt.
Since it was Friday, the Boone family routine called for dinner at Malouf’s, an ancient Lebanese restaurant owned by an old couple who liked to yell at each other. The Boones always ate fish and the meal was usually pleasant. But things would be different tonight. Things would be tense because Mr. Boone would say something about Theo blowing the tests, and Mrs. Boone would rush to his defense. They rarely agreed on issues or events, but they kept their little feuds civilized. Theo decided, as he stared at the wall and rubbed his dog’s head, that he would remain in a foul mood. He would try his best to ruin dinner, and that would inspire his mother to go after his father.
He liked his plan. He and his mother would gang up on his dad and make him feel rotten.
At four, Theo left to meet April at Guff’s.
Chapter 9
As always, Theo slept late on Saturday morning, and when he finally ventured downstairs his mother was at the kitchen table, still in her robe, reading the morning newspaper and waiting for him. “How about some scrambled eggs and bacon, Teddy?”
“Sure. Thanks. Where’s Dad?”
“He’s running errands, said he’d be back at nine to pick you up. He’s excited about playing golf for the first time in a month. It’s a gorgeous day, a little on the cool side, but he’s ready to go.”
Dinner at Malouf’s had been the disaster Theo wanted. His father again expressed his disappointment at Theo’s performance on the tests. His mother disagreed sharply, and though they did not argue in public, they were pretty frosty with each other. Theo just pouted. The entire evening was tense, and Theo couldn’t wait to get home and run to his room.
“So Dad’s okay this morning?” Theo asked. His mother was at the stove, cracking eggs.
“Oh, sure, Theo. We’re lawyers, we disagree and argue, but no one carries a grudge. We’ve also been married for twenty-five years and know how to get along.”
“I don’t like it when Dad’s disappointed with me.”
“Theo, your father and I are very proud of you. You do your best in everything — scouting, debate, golf, schoolwork. He is not disappointed.”
“Well, that’s not what he said.”
“He said what he said, but he didn’t say it very well. I think he has some regrets, and he wants to play golf and talk about it.”
“Then I’m not sure I want to play.”
“Be a sport. How many eggs?”
“Two for me, two for the dog.”
“You might want to look at the newspaper and check out the headlines this morning.”