Something to Hold by Katherine Schlick Noe Read Free Book Online

And then his eyes narrow. "Stand up if you have something to say to me."
    I stand slowly, holding on to the back of my chair to keep my knees from shaking. Across the room, Jewel turns in her seat. Her face flat, she holds my gaze. Then she frowns and shakes her head quickly. The message is clear:
Leave it alone.
The image of Mrs. Queahpama tapping her chest pops into my head.
    Jewel rises up from her desk. Mr. Nute swivels his head and narrows his eyes at her. "What about the courage," she says, looking around the room, "of the people who were already here?"
    I am stunned that Jewel is standing up for me. She just said exactly what was on my mind, what I couldn't find the words to express.
    Red is spreading up Mr. Nute's neck and all over his bald head. When he speaks, his voice is tight. "I have
never
had a student question my teaching," he says.
    I get a sinking feeling.
    Mr. Nute breathes in deep. His eyes slice the air between us. "Go wait for me in Mr. Shanahan's office."
    I can barely breathe, and blood pounds in my ears. There is no movement anywhere, as if all the kids have melted away. Leaving everything in my desk, I walk up the aisle and follow Jewel's sweater down the hall.
    Mrs. Wyatt looks up when we come through the office door. "Yes?"
    Then she looks past Jewel and sees my face. "What's wrong, honey?"
    I stand in front of her desk like a big goof, unable to respond. I'm in shock. I've never talked back to a teacher or been sent to the principal. Jewel waits silently beside me.
    "Mr. Nute sent us to see Mr. Shanahan," I finally tell her.
    "You?" she asks. She frowns over at Jewel.
    Mr. Shanahan opens the inner door to his office.
    "Trouble down the hall," Mrs. Wyatt tells him, tipping her head toward Jewel.
    They think she did something,
I realize.
    Mr. Shanahan holds the door open and says to me, "Come on in. Let's see what's the matter."
    He closes the door and motions me toward one of the two big wooden chairs in front of his desk. "Why don't you tell me what happened," he says gently, sitting down in his chair.
    "It's not Jewel," I say. "She was just sticking up for me."
    His eyebrows go up. "Really? What is it, then?"
    Mr. Shanahan sits with his elbows on the arms of his chair, his legs crossed. He's so calm that I stop feeling ashamed and just tell him—about the song, Columbus Day, the animals who were people.
    "I didn't mean to be rude," I say at the end. "I just had some questions."
    Mr. Shanahan nods for me to go on.
    "Mr. Nute said we're all immigrants, but that's not true."
    He leans forward. "Did you say that to Mr. Nute?"
    "Well, Jewel kind of did." I talk to my hands. "That's what made him so mad."
    Mr. Shanahan chuckles, and I look up. His face is serious but his eyes aren't. "You think your class should read something different?" he asks.
    I shrug. "I think I should have kept my mouth shut."
    Mr. Shanahan smiles. "Well, it's obvious that you meant no disrespect. You understand that Mr. Nute is the teacher, and it's up to him to determine the curriculum." He pauses, and I nod. "So I don't see any need for punishment."
    Then he adds, "I expect you to apologize to Mr. Nute, of course."
    I nod. I knew that was coming.
    I leave his office and sit down by Mrs. Wyatt's desk while Mr. Shanahan talks to Jewel. When she comes back out a few minutes later, her face hasn't changed. Still closed off and blank.
    Mr. Shanahan opens the office door for us. "You'd better get on back to class now," he says, and we slip under his arm and through the doorway.
    The hall is empty and quiet. Jewel starts toward Mr. Nute's room, then stops and turns around. "You've got a lot to learn," she says, shaking her head.
    "About what?"
    "Did you think Mr. Nute would
care
what you had to say?"
    "Well, yeah ... I hoped so."
    "He doesn't know the first thing about us." Jewel shakes her head again. "Some people aren't worth the effort."
    "So why did you speak up?"
    For a second, Jewel stands there. Then she sighs. "'Cause you