The counseling office was full of panicked kids sitting on the floor with their faces in their hands, pacing back and forth as if they were awaiting the outcome of a high risk surgery of a loved one, or trying to act under control while holding in a furry of pent up emotions. Jack was pacing and none of the kids were talking to each other. A police officer and one of the school counselors was interviewing each of the kids individually. Jack was surprised that they had interviewed three kids now and hadn't asked to see him. The fourth kid was being interviewed and Jack saw that the door to the office where they were meeting was beginning to open. In all that was happening, Jack didn't even notice who was in the room with him. Cisco came out of the office crying. The police officer followed Cisco and Mrs. Cordova out into the waiting area. Mrs. Cordova looked at all the kids with a somber face.
"I want to thank all of you for your help and patience. Officer Burton and I would like to excuse all of you to go home if you like. You can call your parents from the main office or if you still need to talk about what just happened Mr. Dickerson and Ms. Faler will be in the room 212 and 213. You are welcome to go visit with them."
After Mrs. Cordova spoke she very precisely turned around and looked at Jack and pointed to her office. Jack's heart sunk into his stomach. He knew that he was about to face the hardest thing he had faced in his short life.
Jack walked back to Mrs. Cordova's office. As he walked he turned around to see the police officer slowly following him. When he got to the office he walked in and sat down in one of Mrs. Cordova's chairs. The chairs were arranged facing each other in a triangular fashion. Jack felt awful inside and was sure he would either cry or throw up any minute. The police officer and Mrs. Cordova came into the office and shut the door behind them. Mrs. Cordova sat down and looked very sorrowfully at Jack.
"Jack...this is Officer Burton. He is trying to find out exactly what happened in the gym before practice. I'm going to let him take over, but I need to be here per school rules."
Jack looked at the Officer Burton sitting across from him. He had a very robust chest and round shoulders. The mustache he wore was very thick, but trimmed short and his hair was dark brown. It didn't look like he had ever smiled in his life and that if you provoked him he might take out his handcuffs, throw you on the ground, and lock you up.
"Why did you fight Keevan?"
Jack looked at Officer Burton dumbfounded. His worst assumption had come true; the cops already knew what happened. Jack could either cooperate or get in more trouble. He felt like protecting Ox, but knew this was one of those times in life when it would do no good to weasel out of a situation.
"He's been bullying me all year."
"I understand this isn't the first time you fought Keevan."
Jack couldn't believe that Officer Burton knew about the fight in the alley, but he quickly realized the only one who could have told him was Keevan.
"What do you want me say?"
"I want you to come clean about what happened today."
"Keevan hasn't liked me since I started coming to school here. He's tried to bully me out of trying out for the basketball team, he tried to turn my best friend on me, and he keeps picking fights with me! When he hit me in the gym this afternoon I hit back!"
"So you admit to fighting him?"
"I admit to defending myself...he hit me square on the jaw and was coming for more so I fought back."
"At what point did you pull a knife on him?"
"What!?...I didn't pull a knife on him...After I took Keevan to the ground Josiah kicked me off of him so I was getting ready to fight him when he pulled a knife out of his bag."
"You're telling me that Josiah pulled out the knife?"
"Yes. When he pulled it out I started walking away."
"Then how did he get stabbed?"
Jack knew this moment would come...he couldn't figure out if he should tell the truth as he saw it or if he should run away and hide. He looked at Mrs. Cordova. She smirked and inserted a comment.
"Don't be a zebra Jack."
Officer Burton looked at Mrs. Cordova suspiciously, but then focused his attention back on Jack.
"How did he get stabbed?"
"When Josiah pulled out the knife, my best friend threw a basketball at him and hit him in the head. He then ran over to protect me. He tried to get the knife out of Josiah's hands, but something must have happened because Josiah started bleeding."
"We call that a stabbing...What's your friends name?"
"I'm not sure I should tell you."
"You need to tell me or you'll be in more trouble."
"His name is Ox."
"What's his full name?"
"I don't know...I call him Ox."
"Do you know who this boy is Mrs. Cordova?"
"He plays on the basketball team, but I'm not sure who he is. You'll need to ask Mr. Dickerson the eighth grade counselor...he's been with that class since they were in the sixth grade...oh, oh...wait...Do you mean Occidental?"
"What did you just say?"
"Is your friend's name Occidental?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about Mrs. Cordova."
Mrs. Cordova went over to her computer and started typing, she flipped the screen around that displayed a picture of Ox. She looked at Jack.
"Is this your friend?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Officer...the boy you're looking for is named Occidental Peterson. He was suspended last year for bringing a knife to school and was a no show for the first month of school."
"Do you have an address on file?"
"Don't bother getting it Mrs. Cordova...Ox is living with me and my mom."
"You mean to tell me the boy that stabbed Josiah is living in your house?"
"No! The boy who protected me from Josiah is living with me."
Officer Burton looked sterner than he had before the interview started. Mrs. Cordova looked shocked and Jack felt like he had just given up his best friend.
"How far away do you live?"
"We live across town...my mom brings us to school and we catch the bus home after school."
"Get me the address Mrs. Cordova..."
Mrs. Cordova looked up Jack's file and printed off his address and gave it to Officer Burton.
"Let's go Jack...you're coming with me."
"I don't think he went to my house."
"Then where did he go?"
"He probably went to his garage, he's scared and it's the only place he probably trusts right now."
"Do you know where it is?"
"Yes...it's a few blocks from here."
"Alright...let's go."
Jack wasn't handcuffed, but he felt like he was as Officer Burton escorted him out of the counseling office and into his squad car.