about today, but he wasn’t home.”
“Well, so was I. And you’ve obviously got a problem with thesituation, too, so why couldn’t it be you who is gunning for Carter?”
“I’m where I’m at today because I know when to keep to myself, which you don’t know how to do.”
“Then why try to warn him?”
“Because there’s a difference between—”
“Taking a picture of a blow job and a broken arm?” I said. “You’re kidding me, Woods. Right?”
He looked away. “Don’t pin that on me, man. I took the picture. That’s all. And besides, I wouldn’t do it now. I was scared. And dumb. I was new to the Chamber and everything was crazy.”
I shrugged. “There’s no way I can be sure you didn’t break his arm, Woods, and you can’t be sure I didn’t do it. So where does that leave us?”
He shook his head. “Not my style and you know it. I’m out of here at the end of the year, Jason. I’ve no reason to have a beef with anybody. Singletary or Carter.”
“But it’s
my
style?”
He smiled. “Dude, you jacked Kennedy in the face. I’ve never even hit another person.”
I sighed. “This has to be stopped.”
“Make a deal?” he said.
“What deal?”
“Like I said, I’m out of this school at the end of this year and I’ve got nothing to lose by just keeping my mouth shut about everything. Then I’m free and clear. College, no more dad, and I can live the way I want to. Same goes for you after another year, huh?”
“What’s your deal?”
“That we trust each other, and that we work together to find out who is doing this. On the sly. Then we deal with it.”
“You’re afraid he thinks you’re in on it, huh?”
“I think anything could happen, but I know Carter would nail a dozen people just to get one, and I have no plans of being on the list. I’m protecting me. Remember that.”
“This is wrong, Woodsie.”
“I know it is. And that’s part of why I called you.”
“No, I mean the Chamber. This school. The Youth Leadership Group. It’s all wrong.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that as of this morning, I’m running for student council president, and I’m going to change it all.”
He gaped at me. “What?”
“Yeah. I’m doing it. The Chamber has no official power at this school, and I’m going after it.”
“Why not just kill yourself now?”
I shrugged. “I’m sure my dad will for me, but it’s wrong. The real students have no power.”
He nodded. “Not that it matters, because it won’t work, but what’s your platform?”
“Academic requirements will dictate who is a member of the Youth Leadership Group, and the Chamber will be reorganized as the board overseeing the YLG. Leadership Group open voting will decide who sits in the Chamber.”
“You’re crazy.”
I smiled. “The school charter doesn’t even recognize the Chamber.” I looked at him. “I’d appreciate it if you’d keep it to yourself for now.”
“Sure. But you know I can’t help you. I can’t risk my dad cutting me off.”
I smiled again. “Wimp.”
He smirked. “That sounds weak, huh?”
“It sounds like life,” I said, then chuckled. “But it is weak.”
“I’ll give you a heads-up on anything I hear, huh?”
“Sure.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
I TACKED UP the last of my posters, this one in the cafeteria, and the buzz was already beginning. Between the three of us, we’d plastered the school. All the posters read the same. One thing. A promise to change the school charter to base admittance to the Youth Leadership Group and the Chamber of Five on academics and school involvement. Open voting by the Youth Leadership Group to choose the members of the Chamber of Five. Lambert was a school for the brilliant, and the leadership of the school should be representative of that. Our slogan was PUT THE POWER IN YOUR HANDS!
I should have been happy, but I was just plain miserable. I’d committed myself to something huge, and honestly, I was scared.
“Well, so was I. And you’ve obviously got a problem with thesituation, too, so why couldn’t it be you who is gunning for Carter?”
“I’m where I’m at today because I know when to keep to myself, which you don’t know how to do.”
“Then why try to warn him?”
“Because there’s a difference between—”
“Taking a picture of a blow job and a broken arm?” I said. “You’re kidding me, Woods. Right?”
He looked away. “Don’t pin that on me, man. I took the picture. That’s all. And besides, I wouldn’t do it now. I was scared. And dumb. I was new to the Chamber and everything was crazy.”
I shrugged. “There’s no way I can be sure you didn’t break his arm, Woods, and you can’t be sure I didn’t do it. So where does that leave us?”
He shook his head. “Not my style and you know it. I’m out of here at the end of the year, Jason. I’ve no reason to have a beef with anybody. Singletary or Carter.”
“But it’s
my
style?”
He smiled. “Dude, you jacked Kennedy in the face. I’ve never even hit another person.”
I sighed. “This has to be stopped.”
“Make a deal?” he said.
“What deal?”
“Like I said, I’m out of this school at the end of this year and I’ve got nothing to lose by just keeping my mouth shut about everything. Then I’m free and clear. College, no more dad, and I can live the way I want to. Same goes for you after another year, huh?”
“What’s your deal?”
“That we trust each other, and that we work together to find out who is doing this. On the sly. Then we deal with it.”
“You’re afraid he thinks you’re in on it, huh?”
“I think anything could happen, but I know Carter would nail a dozen people just to get one, and I have no plans of being on the list. I’m protecting me. Remember that.”
“This is wrong, Woodsie.”
“I know it is. And that’s part of why I called you.”
“No, I mean the Chamber. This school. The Youth Leadership Group. It’s all wrong.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that as of this morning, I’m running for student council president, and I’m going to change it all.”
He gaped at me. “What?”
“Yeah. I’m doing it. The Chamber has no official power at this school, and I’m going after it.”
“Why not just kill yourself now?”
I shrugged. “I’m sure my dad will for me, but it’s wrong. The real students have no power.”
He nodded. “Not that it matters, because it won’t work, but what’s your platform?”
“Academic requirements will dictate who is a member of the Youth Leadership Group, and the Chamber will be reorganized as the board overseeing the YLG. Leadership Group open voting will decide who sits in the Chamber.”
“You’re crazy.”
I smiled. “The school charter doesn’t even recognize the Chamber.” I looked at him. “I’d appreciate it if you’d keep it to yourself for now.”
“Sure. But you know I can’t help you. I can’t risk my dad cutting me off.”
I smiled again. “Wimp.”
He smirked. “That sounds weak, huh?”
“It sounds like life,” I said, then chuckled. “But it is weak.”
“I’ll give you a heads-up on anything I hear, huh?”
“Sure.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
I TACKED UP the last of my posters, this one in the cafeteria, and the buzz was already beginning. Between the three of us, we’d plastered the school. All the posters read the same. One thing. A promise to change the school charter to base admittance to the Youth Leadership Group and the Chamber of Five on academics and school involvement. Open voting by the Youth Leadership Group to choose the members of the Chamber of Five. Lambert was a school for the brilliant, and the leadership of the school should be representative of that. Our slogan was PUT THE POWER IN YOUR HANDS!
I should have been happy, but I was just plain miserable. I’d committed myself to something huge, and honestly, I was scared.
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