Suspended

by Robert Rayner

  When we reached Julie’s house, her mom was standing at the door, her hands on her hips. As soon as she saw us she started, “You can get yourself in here mighty fast, young lady. You’ve got some explaining to do.”

  I walked on in the dusk to my house. Through the front window, I could see Grandad in his armchair. I let myself quietly into the house — hoping he might be asleep. I peered in the dimly lit living room; Grandad didn’t stir.

  As I was about to creep upstairs, I heard, “Do you have something to say to me?”

  I stood in the living room door. “I broke some rules at school, Grandad.”

  “I know.”

  “I got suspended from soccer.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “And I lied to you.”

  “I know that, too.”

  “Sorry.”

  I crossed the room and leaned over the back of Grandad’s chair. The book of poems was open on his lap. Over his shoulder, I read, “Between the mud and the sun, there are battles we’ve won. Ere shade ends our story, let’s fashion brief glory.”

  “What rules did you break?” he asked.

  “One about disruptive behaviour, one about wearing clothes that weren’t suitable for school, one about keeping a good academic average, and another about inappropriate touching. Oh — and one about drugs.”

  “You took drugs?”

  “No. Well, yes. Not really — just a mouthful of beer. It tasted awful. And I took a puff on a cigarette. I was mad about the rules.”

  “Were they good rules?”

  “The rule about wearing clothes was an infringement of personal expression, and the rule about keeping an academic average of sixty-five isn’t fair to students like Toby. He tries his best …”

  “Anything else?”

  “We broke the rule about touching when Julie hugged me, because she knew I was worried about you. The rule about drugs is fair — we only broke that rule because I wanted to break them all.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I was mad.”

  “You’re in serious trouble at school, you know.”

  “Yes.”

  “Mr. Justason says he holds you responsible for what happened because you’re the captain and you led the team in breaking the rules and deceiving the league and misrepresenting the school. He wants to know who was pretending to be your coach.”

  “I won’t tell him.”

  “Come round here where I can see you,” said Grandad.

  I stood in front of him.

  “So — because you thought these rules were an infringement of personal expression, and were unfair to struggling students, and stopped you having a little fun, you took it upon yourself to deliberately break them, and you led your friends to do the same.”

  I hung my head. “Yes.”

  “And although you knew right from the start that your protest was going to land your friends, as well as yourself, in serious trouble, and that whatever success your alternate soccer team enjoyed was going to be taken away from you by the league, you still led a kind of doomed rebellion.”

  “Yes,” I whispered.

  He stood slowly and put his hands on my shoulders.

  “That’s good,” he said. “I’m proud of you.”

  Copyright © 2010 by Robert Rayner

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  James Lorimer & Company Ltd., Publishers acknowledges the support of the Ontario Arts Council. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund for our publishing activities. We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $20.1 million in writing and publishing throughout Canada. We acknowledge the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Media Development Corporation's Ontario Book Initiative.

  Cataloging data available from Library and Archives Canada

  James Lorimer & Company Ltd.,

  Publishers

  317 Adelaide Street West

  Suite 1002

  Toronto, Ontario

  M5V 1P9

  www.lorimer.ca

  About the Author

  ROBERT RAYNER is a former elementary school principal in St. George, New Brunswick. He worked as a journalist in Cambridge, England before turning to education. His books featuring the kids of Brunswick Valley include Walker’s Runners, nominated for the Ann Connor Brimer Award, Just for Kicks and Falling Star both Hackmatack Award nominees, and the Canadian Children’s Book Centre Our Choice selections Suspended and Miss Little’s Losers.

  http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/raynernr/

  Other Books by Robert Rayner:

  Falling Star

  Libby on Strike

  Libby’s Got the Beat

  Miss Little’s Losers

  Out of Sight

  Scab

  Suspended

  Walker’s Runners

  Learn more!

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