Page 116 of The Rest is History
“Then we’ll stand with you.”
“I don’t want to drag anyone else down with me. And I need you to use that power that you hold, and your voice, and get everyone to class.”
Sam clenches his jaw. “Respectfully, sir. No.”
“They’re going to get the cops in here any minute, Sam,” I argue sternly. These kids have never defied me before, and I’m beginning to worry I’ve created a few monsters.
“Let ‘em come.”
“You could lose your chance at college football,” I say sternly.
“Doing the right thing is always worth the risk,” he repeats, enunciating each word like he’s a thirty-year-old soldier instead of a seventeen-year-old kid sitting on the lawns at his high school. “I’ll be remembered for doing the right thing.”
“It’s not worth it.”
“It is.” And then, his face softens, and I wonder if there are tears hiding at the back of his eyes. “Coach. My mom is three hundred days sober. All because of you. I’ll follow you anywhere. I don’t understand the choice that you made in your personal life any more than those assholes in there. Sorry for cursing, sir. But not understanding isn’t enough of a reason to fire you. It’s wrong and you told us to never back down.”
“I might win, you know. I might not get fired.”
“And you might lose and get fired,” he counters.
“Hey, have a little faith,” I say lightly, hoping to get him to drop his stoic expression. I never knew that teenagers on a mission could look so dangerous.
“We won’t take that chance.”
“Maybe I was wrong, Sam,” I say. “Maybe this is one of those times to walk away.”
Sam glares at me. “Okay. Then you turn around and walk away. Get back into your car and leave. Resign.”
“I can’t do that,” I say quietly.
“I know. And the reason you can’t do it is because you know, like we know, that this is the time to fight. If you believed this is the time to walk away, you would’ve. And we would’ve too. But as long as you fight, we will too.”
“Sam.” I don’t know whether to give him a badge of honor or tell him I’ll call the police myself if he doesn’t return to class.
“As long as you fight, we will too,” he speaks through gritted teeth, and my admiration for this generation of children grows a hundredfold.
“They’re going to have you removed. They’ll carry you out if they have to, and you might be banned from the championships.”
“We’ll walk away when you walk away.”
“Coach Cameron?”
I turn to see Susan standing on the paved walkway. “Principal Watson says it’s best if you come in now.”
“Ok, I’ll be just a minute.” I turn back to Sam. I don’t know how to protect them when they’re being so stubborn. “Sam, I want you to take these kids back to class. This is my instruction. If you don't, you’ll have to face the consequences.”
He nods sharply. “We’ll face them.”
With a deep sigh, I rise and follow Susan toward the administration building.
Chapter 56
Asher
The school boardroom is big enough to pass for a small courtroom. Present today is: Principal Watson, Morris Beckhart, who is the school district Superintendent, and his administrator Sally Varga. Also present is a woman, whose name badge says Genevieve Flock, President: Moms in Action for Iowa. Deliah and Gerald are also here.
The person currently sitting at the head of the table is a man with a head full of gray hair, lanky in his body, and a sour expression. He doesn’t look at me when I enter.
