“Yeah, well so are all of you disciplinarian-wannabes,” Grant shot back. “I’ve got news for you. Your administrative skills make Mr. Belding look like principal of the year. Your law enforcement prowess makes Barney Fife seem competent. And what I know thus far of the good pastor and his family makes me want to send money to Benny Hinn in hopes he can deliver me out of here.”
“Excuse me?” Principal Jordan gasped, his face stiffening in amazement.
“Shall I ask him to aid your hearing as well?” Grant shrugged. Then he spouted off something in rapid Italian and smiled.
“Oh, you’ve done it now,” Principal Jordan pointed.
“You don’t even know what I said,” Grant said in a disgusted monotone.
“What did you say?” Principal Jordan demanded.
“We military brats never reveal our secrets,” Grant winked.
“Alright, that’s enough,” Jack broke in. He faced Grant with a stern look of disapproval. “If you stop now, I might can help you, but if you don’t shut your smart mouth real soon, you’re gonna bury yourself. Do you understand me?”
“The faster I get out of this place, the better,” Grant shrugged.
“I don’t believe that,” Jack replied.
Grant flexed his wrist. “I don’t need this place…”
“I think you’re wrong,” Jack said calmly.
Grant and Hailey met eyes for a long moment before Grant hung his head and softly muttered, “listen, I didn’t mean…”
“Shh,” Hailey said, hugging him and rubbing his back comfortingly. “It’s okay.”
Coach Nelson looked around at his starting line up cut, bloody and bruised. “John, how about letting me handle this?” he suggested as he pulled Principal Jordan to the side. “This really is a team conflict more than anything else. I’ll take care of it on the court.”
“Listen, Jack,” Principal Jordan said seriously. “This kid is bad news for all of us. You would be doing us all a big favor if you let me expel him and send him back where he came from.”
“Being sent to yet another school is the last thing this kid needs,” Jack insisted.
“Jack, do you know this kid’s reputation?” Principal Jordan sighed.
“Yeah,” Jack nodded confidently. “I do know this kid’s reputation, but I also feel like I’m getting to know this kid. Give me a chance to get to know him a little better, and maybe, just maybe, we’ll all end up better off.”
Principal Jordan moved to join his wife in attending interestedly to Joe John’s rather minor bruises. “I don’t know that he deserves another chance after this, Jack.”
“Go on now, Joe John,” Jack urged. “You’re fine. That barely qualifies as a shiner, Boy!”
Principal Jordan stared at Grant, angry that the school day had been disrupted so.
“You stand in the pulpit every Sunday, John,” Jack said with conviction. “You preach moving sermons that give us all reason to pause, and I, for one, am so thankful that my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ offered me salvation that I have done nothing to deserve. Shouldn’t we learn something from His shining example and offer this kid our love and our patience, rather than our condemnation?”
Principal Jordan closed his eyes, seeming to take Jack’s words to heart. After a long, thoughtful moment, he glanced over at Hailey, her arms around Grant, and he sighed. “Jack, I’ve known Hailey Jane all of her life, and I know how you’ve raised her. You’ve done a heck of a job as a single parent, but…” He paused before declaring, “this guy could corrupt your daughter.”
“Yeah,” Jack nodded confidently, “he could…or, she might just change him.”
“Alrighty,” Principal Jordan sighed reluctantly, “but if there is one more problem out of him…”
That was all Jack needed to hear. “Boys,” he declared, “go get yourselves cleaned up, and, this afternoon, make sure you wear your best running shoes to practice.”
The team groaned in unison.
“Go on now!” Jack pointed.
Hailey looked up at Grant, and the certainty that had filled her eyes as she passionately defended him with confidence and vigor had faded into a questioning gaze. “Who are you?” she whispered, and the doubt in her voice matched the uncertainty in her eyes.
Grant did as he was told and followed Jack to his office. Jack stopped by the concession stand and fixed a small ice pack in a Ziploc bag. “Put this on your eye,” he said as he tossed it to Grant.
“Thanks,” Grant said quietly.
“Grant, have a seat,” Jack said as he closed his office door.
“Jack, I don’t need a lecture,” Grant protested. “I’ve heard them all before.”
“Are you hurt?” Jack asked.
“No,” Grant groaned.
Jack paced back and forth behind his desk, finally sitting on the edge of it and picking up a Koosh ball. Nodding toward the small hoop on the door, he shot it and scored. The ball fell to the floor, and Grant seemed less than impressed. “I’ve never found lectures to be very productive either,” Jack said as he casually walked over and picked up the ball and tossed it to Grant.
“No thanks,” Grant frowned as he tossed it back.
“Why’d you hit him?” Jack asked as he sat the ball back on his desk.
“It felt like a good thing to do at the time,” Grant shrugged.
