“Worse for her. No one said it’s a fair system, just the system.” She holds up four fingers. “You know there’s two against you: Elder Frohmeyer and Mr. Buckman for sure. Mr. Ableman is close with Mr. Buckman, but he’s also young and a little bit of a hippie, if that guitar means anything. I still think he’s more a third vote on their side than a first on ours. Your best bet is Mr. Blue. He’s been the senior class sponsor forever, and a lot of the kids love him because he takes the job seriously.”

I don’t tell her that I overheard him describe one of his students as “pure garbage” my first day when I got lost on the way to my third period. Or that Leeza says he snapped that her makeup made her look like “a Jezebel,” which was an insult before it was a fun website. Somehow, I doubt that I’d ever become one of the kids who “love him,” but maybe Silverthorn is right about him being a defender of his seniors.

Chaz asks, “What’re you going to say? What’s your defense?”

“I don’t think trying to defend you against something you wouldn’t say is going to get me much mileage, so I’m going for heartstrings. They all know you and like you, Chaz. You’re part of us. When I remind them that expelling you on the brink of graduation could cost you your shot at college and send you back to a home where your family is already dealing with your brother’s penchant for ill-considered choices, I’ll help them see that it’s not the Christian thing to do.”

“Will it be enough?” He sounds doubtful.

“And what about me?” I mean, in case I’m stuck in this time forever, I should probably have a diploma.

“You? Well …” She bites her lip. “Here’s the thing. I don’t lie. Ever. It’s one reason I’m not going in there arguing that you aren’t gay. You may not have noticed, but when I took you into Elder Frohmeyer’s office that first day, I just raised my sister’s name and sounded all sad and looked at you and let him fill in the blanks. I never said I was your aunt or that you were her son or that she was sick … I prayed that would work, and it did. Everything else everyone knows, all the details came from you.”

She’s right; I hadn’t noticed. That was some flawless sin-of-omission work. Chaz is looking back and forth like we have just pulled off a magic trick. He so has questions.

The bell rings. She rises, and we follow her into the hall.

“You two go to lunch. See your friends, and say goodbye, just in case.”

Here Is Where I Am

Here Is Where I Am