In a Flash by Eric Walters Page A

hundred students will be suspended. If there are four hundred, it will be very quiet around here as four hundred students will be gone for three days. I hope it will not be necessary for me to suspend anybody else.”
    Oswald and I looked at each other, and I knew we were both thinking the same thing—
anybody else
. We now knew why Julia wasn’t here.

chapter eleven
    I sat at the computer, and both of my parents looked over my shoulder—at Julia’s Facebook.
    â€œShe didn’t pull any punches,” my father said.
    â€œThat girl certainly has spirit,” my mother added.
    â€œAnd guts,” my father agreed.
    â€œWhat she
has
is a five-day suspension,” I said.
    â€œShe was lucky to get off that lightly,” my father said.
    â€œYou think five days is light?” I questioned.
    â€œFirst off, she publicly insulted and attacked your principal.”
    â€œAnd she tried to get everybody to cut school,” my mother added. “That’s not just breaking the rules but asking others to break rules. I must admit that I’m a little disappointed.”
    â€œI guess her parents must be really disappointed,” I said.
    â€œI meant in
you
,” my mother said.
    â€œMe?” I exclaimed.
    â€œYes, you should have talked her out of this.”
    â€œI tried to talk her out of it! She wouldn’t listen!”
    â€œThen you should have tried harder, been more convincing,” my mother continued.
    â€œYou don’t understand,” I protested. “Here, let me show you.”
    I scrolled down to the spot where she insulted me.
    â€œOh, my dear,” my mother said. “She wasreally, really angry with you,” she commented as she read down the page.
    â€œIs she still angry?” my father asked.
    â€œI don’t know. She’s not allowed to take phone calls or go on the computer.”
    â€œSo you don’t even know how she’s doing,” my father said.
    â€œI know how she’s doing,” I said. “She’s probably feeling just awful.”
    Julia and I had been in school together since grade school, and I couldn’t remember her even having a detention before.
    â€œI imagine that the boycott is off,” my mother said.
    â€œCompletely dead.”
    â€œI’m not surprised. Your principal cut the head off the snake,” my father said. “Not that I’m calling Julia a snake. It’s just a saying. You take away the leadership, the head.”
    â€œNo, I understand. Without a leader, things just fizzle.”
    â€œUnless somebody else becomes the leader, steps in and—” My mother stopped mid-sentence. “You’re not planning on becoming that leader, are you?”
    â€œHe’d just suspend you too,” my father added before I could answer.
    â€œI wasn’t even sure I was going to take part in the boycott,” I said to reassure them.
    My mother let out a sigh. “That’s good to know...very reassuring.”
    â€œI just don’t think school dances are that big a deal.”
    â€œThey’re not,” my father agreed. “Of course this has less to do with school dances and more to do with your friend trying to stand up and then being suspended.”
    â€œIt almost sounds like you’re trying to talk him
into
doing something,” my mother snapped.
    â€œOf course I’m not,” he protested.
    He spun me around in my seat and looked me squarely in the eyes. “Give me your word you won’t do anything that will get you in trouble, get you suspended.”
    â€œSure, you have my word.”
    My mother reached down and gave me a little hug.
    â€œGood,” my father said. “Let’s have supper.”
    â€œI’ll be up in a minute,” I said.
    My parents left my room, leaving me alone with Julia’s Facebook page. She was there on the screen, smiling at me. She probably wasn’t smiling now. Why