Twisted River by Siobhan MacDonald Page A

poor fisherman struggling to pay the town doctor when his son is stung by a scorpion. What would they make of the greed and violence aroused in the locals when they discover the value of the pearl that Kino has found? Would they see parallels in their own lives? But her twelfth graders were not impressed. Her paraphrasing of the story engaged them only in spurts and starts, but in the main it proved a crusade against apathy. And in the end, the mistaken killing of Kino’s child left them confused and deflated.
    â€œWhat the fuck . . . ?” Danny Santiago had looked over his shoulder at Jay Mahoney. “Kino’s child gets iced and that’s it? He throws the pearl into the sea and it’s over?”
    â€œMiss Harvey, gotta tell ya, that ending sucks.” Jay had thrown it out there in a challenge.
    â€œOkay, Jay—the ending sucks. That’s your opinion.”
    â€œYes, Mizz Harvey. That is my
considered
opinion.”
    A titter had rippled through the classroom. Jay had stared, daring her to challenge him, yet knowing his hands were tied. Jay was in perilous territory. He already had two strikes for unacceptable behavior. One more and he was out. He’d leaned back in his chair, opening hislegs wide with sexual aggression. Hazel had let it go, trying to defuse the tension that had slithered into the room.
    All morning, Hazel kept it together, ignoring the knowing looks about her face. Ignoring comments about her old man keeping her in line, ignoring the cell vibrating through the sticking linen of her pants. She was a professional, she told herself. Yet every now and then her heart would race—reminding her that she was human after all.
    By the time the afternoon came around, Hazel was beginning to think she just might cope. But she still couldn’t look at her cell.
Oscar was checking up on her.
No longer angry. Just a concerned husband now. She’d taken two more anti-inflammatories and was feeling groggy. She just might be able to get through this. It was the class she’d been dreading. Second period after lunch. The twelfth grade. Her most challenging class.
    Jay Mahoney sat six rows back, sullen, cradling some perceived grievance as usual, his spiky hair an outward display of his overall prickliness. As he muttered and bit his nails, she tried to ignore him. Blank him out. She didn’t want any trouble.
    â€œHave any of you suffered racial discrimination?” Hazel read from the script. Before she’d even finished the question, she realized her mistake.
    â€œSeriously, Miss Harvey?” came one response.
    â€œIs a frog’s ass watertight?” asked another.
    â€œI guess we don’t need to debate that point,” she conceded. “Okay, let’s imagine that you had to go on trial for a crime you did not commit . . .”
    From the corner of her eye she saw Jay Mahoney straightening up.
    â€œLike a GBH or rape, Miss Harvey? Is that what you mean?” He dusted off his combat pants and stared at her, his eyes boring a hole right through her.
    â€œFor any crime, I’m not being specific here . . .” she addressed the class at large.
    â€œWell, Miss Harvey, we know all ’bout that round here,”interrupted Tyler Black, nodding vigorously. “Someone gets carjacked or mugged and the Five-O are straight on our asses like flies on shit.”
    It ended up being a long, drawn-out, tetchy class. Hazel had no idea how she managed to get through it and she was glad when it was over. She was also glad it was Wednesday, the day she usually met her friend Elizabeth, if Elizabeth was free.
    Â â€¢Â â€¢Â â€¢Â 
    â€œ
Oh my God, Hazel!”
Elizabeth whispered in shock as Hazel sat down to join her in the diner.
    â€œGee, thanks, Elizabeth. It’s not like I don’t feel bad enough already,” Hazel muttered.
    â€œHoney, I’m so sorry, it’s just