Chapter 1 – Age 6 #3
“Well, we’ll have to take him to someone else because this can’t go on.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Barbara. Other doctors will give him a diagnosis and document it. If that happens, people can find out. Schools. Colleges. Jobs. Do you really want that?”
“He got kicked out of first grade, Harold! That means he is already having issues with school.” She sighed.
“It was touch and go last year too. I think the only reason they let him back this year is because he’s ahead in his reading and math and they thought maybe he kept having outbursts last year because he was having trouble transitioning to kindergarten. ”
“The reason All Saints let him enroll again this year is because we made a huge donation,” his father pointed out.
“Regardless, they said they’d mark this as a voluntary disenrollment.
We’ll tell people we’re standing by our principles by sending our own child to a public school.
That’ll makes sense when I announce my election bid. Nobody’ll know about the incidents.”
The incidents were a few times that he didn’t listen to his teachers and some tiny fights with boys who were making fun of him. He had told his parents that the kids in that school were mean, but they hadn’t paid attention. The boys weren’t even really hurt so none of this was a big deal.
“I don’t want him in public school,” his mother said. “The boundaries only include part of the Central Corridor. The rest of the kids there are from the Sunnyslope neighborhood.”
“Phoenix is pockety.” His father nodded in agreement. “But that’s what makes this such a good idea. Nobody can call us elitists when our son is going to a school where half the kids are close to or below the poverty line. We’ll be walking the walk.”
“This isn’t about your campaign, Harold! It’s about our son.”
His father worked at a big law firm downtown, like his mother, but he wanted a new job as something called the secretary of state.
Julian didn’t really understand what that meant, but he knew that his grandfather had been one before he became an attorney general and then a governor.
That was a long time ago. His grandfather was retired now so he didn’t work, but he still came and talked to his father a lot about a campaign, which was what his father had to do to get votes.
“Maybe they’ll be more lenient in a public school. There’s no way there aren’t other kids at Washington Elementary with, uh, challenges. This could be good for him.”
Washington was Tori’s school. Julian perked up.
“Do you really think so, Harold?” his mother asked, sounding sad.
“I want to go there,” Julian interjected.
“What?” Surprised, his mother turned to him. Maybe she had forgotten he was in the room.
“I want to go to Washington. I’ll be good,” Julian promised.
She frowned. “Why do you want to go to that school?”
From behind his mother, his father stared at him, eyes wide.
“Um.” Julian’s heart started racing. He didn’t want to lie but he couldn’t tell his mom about Tori. “I have friends there. From our neighborhood. They like it.”
“Friends,” she said confused. “In our neighborhood. Who?”
Other than Tori, the only kids Julian spent time with outside of school were her friends’ children and he only saw them at his parents’ social events. He didn’t like any of them.
“I, uh, don’t remember their names.”
“But they’re your friends?”
“They’re kids in the neighborhood, Barbara,” his father said quickly. “It’s good that he considers them friends, right? You said you want him to make friends.”
“That’s true.” She nodded slowly. “I’m not sure they’re actually his friends if he doesn’t know their names, but I suppose it’s a start that he wants them to be.” She blinked a few times and then dipped her chin decisively. “Let’s try it. We can enroll him in public school.”
***
“I know you’re excited to go to school with Torrence Dunworthy, but nobody can realize that the two of you already know each other.” They were beside the car in the Washington Elementary parking lot, and his father was hunched down in front of him. “Do you understand?”
He nodded quickly. He wanted to go inside. “Will I be in Tori’s class?”
“I don’t know, but you’re in the same grade so I’m sure you’ll see him around the school.”
“I want to be in his class.”
“I know, Julian, but that’s not up to us. Listen, if you want to spend time with him, you need to behave. If they kick you out of this school too, we won’t have a reason to go to his house, but if you’re here, we can come up with something. Maybe an after-school sport or a club.”
“I don’t want to join a club. I want to play with Tori. He isn’t in a club.”
“I’m saying that can be a reason for the two of you to play at his house. I’ll take you there and we can say we’re doing things for a school club.” He arched his eyebrows. “Do you understand what I mean?”
He nodded.
Satisfied, his father straightened and walked to the school office, Julian beside him. He’d behave and then he wouldn’t get in trouble, and he’d be able to be with Tori.