CHAPTER 26 #2
Francis Finnegan, the school’s journalism teacher, lowered his voice conspiringly. “I got caught putting chewed gum on the underside of my desk.”
Cameron laughed. He opened his mouth to say more when a chubby girl trudged into the room behind him.
Mr. Finnegan’s demeanor became much more formal. “Sign in and take a seat,” he said. “Separately.”
“So we can’t sit down at the exact same time?” Cameron joked, scribbling his name and the date on a clipboard form.
Mr. Finnegan shook his head in warning. With a witness present, they couldn’t be friendly.
That was fine. His presence still improved matters considerably.
Mr. Finnegan was married to Charles, who admittedly, Cameron was much closer to.
But the fondness that Charles had for his husband extended to Cameron’s feelings for him as well.
They had all dined together, on one very special occasion.
And who else understood the challenge of dating someone that didn’t fit traditional gender roles? If only they could talk openly!
“I suggest you keep yourselves busy,” Mr. Finnegan said while taking out a book. “That will help the hour pass faster.”
Cameron had some homework. Doing it now would be like gaining back stolen time, freeing some for later.
Maybe he would use it to sneak over to Anthony’s house, creep up the stairs to his room, and join him in bed where they could…
Cameron covertly adjusted himself and forced himself to focus on solving math problems. Mr. Finnegan was hidden behind a book.
The girl that had followed him in—the only other student in the room—had her arms crossed while scowling at nothing.
This made him think of Diego, who had been absent today.
Cameron hadn’t seen him all spring break.
He really needed to check in on him. Or get an update from Ricky, which he would gladly do, if he wasn’t stuck in this dumb room.
And for such a stupid reason! So he had asked his boyfriend to prom in a very public way.
Big deal! What had Preckwinkle called it?
Inciting chaos? She really was off her rocker.
Cameron began to fume with the unfairness of it all.
Soon he resembled the girl sitting down the row from him.
The first half hour of detention crawled by, his homework forgotten. He couldn’t concentrate.
“Can I use the restroom?” the girl asked, breaking the stifling silence.
“May I,” Mr. Finnegan said after lowering his book. “Your ability to accomplish such a goal is, I hope, not in question.”
“Huh?”
“You may,” Mr. Finnegan said after sighing.
The girl stomped from the room, which made it easy to track her progress as she continued down the hall.
Mr. Finnegan’s gaze met his. He seemed open to conversation.
“I hope you’re not being punished again,” Cameron said. “Like when Anthony got detention.”
Back when his boyfriend had come out to the school in a grand fashion.
The article Anthony had written, sharing his experiences as a gay teenager, was originally intended for the school newspaper.
When this wasn’t allowed to go into print—by their fascist principal, of course—Mr. Finnegan had advocated on his behalf, and when that failed, encouraged him to publish it elsewhere.
A fact that hadn’t pleased Preckwinkle, especially when Anthony began distributing the article around the school by hand, earning himself detention.
Mr. Finnegan had also borne the brunt of her anger.
“I probably shouldn't have confided those details,” Francis said sheepishly. “No, this time I volunteered. When I heard what happened.”
“You did?”
“Yes. Teachers are just as prone to gossip as students.”
“No, I mean you volunteered because of me?”
Mr. Finnegan’s gray eyes twinkled. “Well, that, and I don’t mind the overtime. Especially since my wife is so busy lately with the store.”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you stopped by,” Cameron said. “I never see you there.”
A smile played about Mr. Finnegan’s lips. “Quite frankly, I hear enough about antiques when I’m home.”
Cameron frowned. “But it’s still my fault that you’re here.”
Mr. Finnegan shook his head adamantly. “No. In this situation, I don’t believe you are at fault. In fact, I would describe what happened as a miscarriage of justice.”
Having a teacher side with him was vindicating, even though he didn’t possess the power to change the outcome. “Anthony said that asking someone to prom has made the school paper before.”
Mr. Finnegan nodded. “Indeed it has. Prom proposals are often a popular feature at this time of year.”
“Do you have any of those old issues lying around? I’d love to shove one in Preckwinkle’s face.”
Angry footsteps could be heard returning down the hall. Mr. Finnegan cleared his throat. Cameron sighed and tried focusing on his homework again, but it was hopeless. When he glanced around the room again, the girl was still practicing her scowl.
Mr. Finnegan seemed distracted, his book forgotten. “I think that’s enough for the day,” he declared suddenly. “You’ve both had enough time to reflect on your mistakes.”
“Like bringing a book to school?” the girl grumbled.
Mr. Finnegan’s brow furrowed. “What was the nature of this book?”
The girl shrugged and began gathering her things.
“You must at least recall the title,” Mr. Finnegan pressed.
“Annie on My Mind,” the girl said on her way out the door.
Mr. Finnegan tutted under his breath. “I’m beginning to detect a theme.”
“What do you mean?” Cameron asked.
“Annie on My Mind depicts a romantic relationship between two young women. The book has been subject to controversy recently, especially in the Kansas City area. There have even been book burnings.”
“Book burnings?” Cameron repeated incredulously.
“Yes. The American Civil Liberties Union is suing the Olathe School District for removing Annie on My Mind from library shelves. That litigation does not, unfortunately, include our own district.”
Cameron’s stomach sank. He was wrong to think that going to a new school in a different state would change anything. People like Preckwinkle were everywhere.
“On that note,” Mr. Finnegan said, “why don’t we stop by the school library on the way out?”
Cameron assumed they were going to check to see if Annie on My Mind was available here, which didn’t seem likely. So he was surprised when Mr. Finnegan led him to a filing cabinet, the folders inside organized by year.
“What’s this?” Cameron asked.
Mr. Finnegan stepped aside. “You expressed interest in previous issues of The Lion’s Pride Post,” he said innocently.
“You’ll find them all here, going back decades.
However, I don’t suggest you shove anything in anyone else’s face.
Not unless invited to. As the ACLU is demonstrating in the next school district over, there are proper channels for instigating change and upholding justice.
A sympathetic parent can often advocate more effectively than a lawyer, in certain situations.
Speaking of which, if there is a project you need to do research on, we can hold detention here in the library instead.
The young woman serving time with you would no doubt appreciate the opportunity to find something new to read, seeing as how her book of choice is no longer an option. ”
Cameron stared, understanding more than ever why Charles was so in love with this man. “Thank you,” he croaked.
With any luck, Cameron would be able to find enough evidence to prove that his punishment was unwarranted. Even if he wasn’t successful, at least he would have the chance to fight back, which was so much better than feeling helpless.