Theodore Boone: The Scandal by John Grisham

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    “Why are you skipping school?” she asked. Theo told her Ike’s story and finished with, “At least I have a good reason. Why are you skipping school?”
    “I’ll probably go tomorrow,” she said. “Right now I’m just too worried and upset. I had no right to stick my nose into their business like that.”
    This was the same conversation they’d had a dozen times already, and Theo was tired of it. “Look, April, what’s done is done, and I’m not so sure what you did was a bad thing. It looks like the teachers are guilty. They cheated and now they have to face their punishment.”
    “You keep saying that but it doesn’t make me feel any better.”
    “I don’t know what else to say, April.”
    They sat for a long time and said nothing. Theo really wanted to go to school, to check with Mr. Mount and see how much trouble he was in. He also wanted to run by Ike’s office and make sure the old guy was okay. But at that moment April needed a friend, and Theo was the nearest one.
    He received a text from Mr. Mount: Theo, u okay?
    He replied: Ok here. C U later.
    April asked, “Who was that?”
    “Mr. Mount. He’s looking for me. We really should go to school.”
    “I’m not going to school today,” she said, and that was final.
    They sat for another five minutes without talking. Finally, she said, “You know what I want to do?”
    “Not really.”
    “I want to have a picnic. Let’s run by Gibson’s Grocery near the college, get a couple of their corn dogs, and bike over to that spot above the river. No one will see us there, and we can have a quiet lunch.”
    “I think we should go to school.”
    “No, and besides, we’ve already missed half a day. Who cares? So we get in trouble. They can’t shoot us or anything bad like that.”
    “My parents will shoot me.”
    “No they won’t. They’ll get mad and slap you on the wrist, but you’re tough. You’ve been in enough trouble before. Please, Theo. I need a friend today.”
    He couldn’t say no. Plus, he loved the corn dogs from the grill at Gibson’s.
      
    That afternoon, after he finally shook loose from April, Theo walked into the offices of Boone & Boone and said hello to Elsa. She asked how was school. He replied, “The usual. Is Mom in?”
    “She’s in court and your father has a client in his office.”
    Theo’s plan was to march into his mother’s office and admit to playing hooky all day. If she was busy and couldn’t see him, he would go upstairs and confess to his father. But since both were occupied, he went to his office with Judge and closed the door, somewhat relieved that his big moment would be delayed. Now, he planned to announce it over dinner that night. After ten minutes he was bored. He left through the rear door and biked over to Ike’s office.
    Ike was busy at his desk, barefoot, with Bob Dylan playing quietly on the stereo, and an open can of beer near his phone. It was as if nothing had happened. He smiled at his nephew and said, “Great to see you, Theo.”
    “How are you doing?” Theo asked as he fell into an old chair.
    “I’m fine. I feel lousy for what happened and for getting you involved. Believe me, Theo, you’re the last person I’d ever want to see me in jail.”
    “It’s okay, Ike. I’ve worried about you all day.”
    “Don’t worry about me, Theo. I’ve been in worse trouble.”
    “So I’ve heard.”
    “You know, Theo, I’m thinking about giving up alcohol. I think I’d feel better.”
    Theo nodded at the can of beer and asked, “When do you plan to start?”
    “That’s what I can’t decide. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe next Monday. I might even go away to one of those fancy rehab places for thirty days and do a complete dry out. Get it all out of my system and learn some new habits. I’m really embarrassed right now.”
    Theo wasn’t sure what to say about this. Ike was the last person to be embarrassed about anything. He saw himself as a rebel with little regard for rules