Theodore Boone: The Scandal

Chapter 16

On Tuesday morning, Theo (and Judge) lay in bed listening to the rain. He didn’t want to start the day. The rain didn’t bother him; there were more important things on his mind, primarily April. She was freaking out over the cheating scandal and terrified she would somehow get caught and exposed and sent to jail, all because of her anonymous letter. They had talked for almost an hour on the phone late the night before, with Theo trying to assure her she was not in trouble, she would not be caught, and so on. As the scandal was unfolding, it seemed pretty clear that the test scores from East were already raising suspicions before the arrival of the mysterious letter. Theo repeatedly told April that an investigation was likely without her involvement. He wasn’t sure he really believed this (and who really knew?), but he had to say something to calm her. She was talking about running away, catching the bus at the downtown station, and riding it all the way to San Francisco. Theo reminded her that she had disappeared before, and he and Ike were lucky to find her. Things are going to be fine, he kept telling her. Just let the authorities finish their investigation.

But April was upset and would not listen to reason, or at least to Theo’s version of it. She blamed herself for getting the teachers in trouble. What if they got fired? Their careers and lives would be ruined. But, Theo reminded her again and again, they were involved in a conspiracy to change scores, and if they are proven guilty they deserve to be punished.

Back and forth it went until Theo was exhausted. He did not look forward to another day of holding her hand and consoling her at school. And so he listened to the rain and skipped his shower. If he wet his hair and brushed his teeth his mother would never suspect that he had not bothered to properly bathe. He did this occasionally, and no one other than Judge ever knew about it. He turned the shower on, let the water run for a few minutes, got dressed, and finally went downstairs. His mother was in her spot in the den, reading and sipping coffee. Theo made breakfast for Judge and himself. He noticed the morning newspaper lying on the kitchen table, a clear sign that there was something important one or both of his parents wanted him to read. He took a bite of Cheerios and slowly pulled the newspaper closer. The front page headline read: “Five East Middle Teachers Suspended.”

Oh boy. He chewed slowly but didn’t taste anything. There were five photos in a row just above the fold. He zeroed in on Geneva Hull, the one who worked with Binky, who was Janelle’s sister. Last night April had said she wished she’d never met Janelle. The girl talked too much, and now April had done something stupid.

According to the reporter, the five were suspected of working together to change test scores at the school, and so on. There was really nothing new, nothing Theo and April did not already know.

Mrs. Boone walked into the kitchen and sat across from Theo. She had that look, that serious motherly gaze that immediately told Theo that something heavy was on the way. Quickly, he tried to remember if he’d done anything wrong in the past few hours. Sure, he had just faked a shower, but how could she tell? He took another bite as if all was well, and with a mouthful said, “Got a busy day, Mom?”

As a lawyer, she enjoyed talking about how busy her life was, how tight her schedule was, how many clients she had to see, or how many hours she would spend in court. Instead, she smiled and said, “We need to discuss something, something very important that cannot be repeated outside this house. Okay?”

“Sure, Mom.” Whatever it was, it was far more serious than a fake shower.

She explained that she was now the lawyer for Geneva Hull, one of the five teachers, and she wanted him to know this because Ms. Hull’s problems might in some way impact Theo and whatever eventually happened with the tests. Theo listened thoughtfully, even took another bite, and quickly realized that he was off the hook. He wasn’t in trouble after all. He really didn’t care what his mother did as Ms. Hull’s lawyer.

Finally, he said, “Is that all?”

“Well, yes, Theo, but I just wanted you to know.”

“Okay, now I know. Doesn’t bother me, but just make sure we don’t have to take those tests again.”

“I can’t promise anything, Theo. I have no control over what the school board decides to do about the tests.”

For a split second, Theo wanted to tell her about April and the letter. The situation was getting out of control and quickly becoming something that the adults should deal with, not the kids. He’d done nothing wrong, right? And he was almost certain that April had done nothing wrong either. Maybe his mother should know everything. She always knew what to do in difficult situations.

But he’d made a promise to April, so he said nothing.

April skipped school. Theo couldn’t find her anywhere, and she wouldn’t answer his text messages. Missing school was not that unusual for her, and he guessed that she was hiding. He was also afraid she had done something stupid like run away. He worried about her all day, and after the final bell he biked to her house, but no one answered the door. He was late for Boy Scouts and received a stern warning from the Major. Since it was Tuesday, the Boones made their weekly visit to the homeless shelter on Highland Street. As always, Theo helped serve dinner to the folks who stayed there, and he helped the younger kids with their homework. Still no word from April.

Late that night, she finally sent a text. She was at home, hiding in her room, afraid to come out. He called but she wouldn’t answer.

“Just great,” he mumbled and turned off his light. An hour later he was still awake, but Judge was unconcerned. From under the bed he was practically snoring.