Scene 2
Scene Two
Richard Caplet’s campaign had a surprise disruption Tuesday night.
On the heels of Steve Monteg’s announcement that he would be running as Mr. Caplet’s opponent in the upcoming mayoral election, Mr. Caplet received word that his brother and former campaign manager, Paul Caplet, would be supporting Mr. Monteg’s candidacy.
The two brothers have been close up until this point, and it’s unclear what made Paul Caplet flip.
Paul Caplet is a professor at the local college whom many anticipate has his own political aspirations.
When asked about his endorsement, the professor replied, “Steve Monteg is the right man for our town and our state. I put my full trust and faith in his powers of leadership.”
Len finishes reading and sits back in his chair. Students are starting to file into the lab, picking up their assignments and taking their seats. Neither one of us moves.
“I don’t get it,” I say.
“People do strange things for power,” Len says.
“Not my dad. You don’t know him. He’s a teacher.”
Len nods. “I understand,” he says. “But this all happened a long time ago.”
“This is why Juliet called my family backstabbers.” I sit back and hit my chair with a thunk. “She was right.”
“He must have had his reasons,” Len says gently. So softly, in fact, that I turn to look at him, just to make sure that he’s the one talking. He is.
“It doesn’t matter,” I say. “My parents still turned their backs on their family.”
“Did they?”
I throw my arms up and gesture toward the screen. “You just read it!”
Len takes a deep breath and speaks slowly, like he’s explaining arithmetic to me. “I just think there are many different definitions of ‘family,’ that’s all. Maybe the Montegs were your parents’.”
“It just doesn’t make any sense. I know my parents. They’d rather be Switzerland than choose a side.”
“Being Switzerland has its own faults,” Len says. “Bad weather, for example.”
“And why have they never told me about this? That this was the reason Juliet’s family left town?”
Len is quiet.
“He won, you know,” I say. “Rob’s father was the mayor for four years when we were kids.”
“I know. I remember.” Len looks at me. “So Juliet’s family took off with their tails between their legs, huh?”
“Honestly,” I say, “I don’t really remember. I was barely seven.”
“Looks like a lot has changed.”
“All I know is that we were like sisters, and then they moved and she turned on me. But I’m sure her family hated us. Juliet must have felt it.”
I look at my father’s face on the screen—fresh, young, and excited. He’s standing with his arm around his brother, and they’re both smiling. They look almost like twins in their blazers and button-downs, clipped haircuts, and matching dimples.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “This is so not your problem.”
Len laughs. “Are you always this neurotic?”
I squeeze one eye shut and look at him. “Probably.”
“Look.” Len arches around and glances at the clock. “We only have, like, fifteen minutes left of class, and since I know you’re going to make me do this assignment anyway, do you maybe just want to do it after school?”
Len volunteering to spend time with me in a nonacademic environment? Shocking. “Um, sure. Any chance you could come over, though? It’s been a long day, and I kind of just want to get out of here.”
“No problem.”
I hike my bag onto the table next to the computer and pull out a pen. “Here. Let me give you my address so you can map it.”
I tear off a piece of notebook paper and am touching the pen down when Len covers my hand with his. His touch startles me. “It’s cool,” he says. “I remember.”
“You’ve never been over before,” I say. I don’t have parties, and the only people who ever really hang out at my house are the six of us. Sometimes Lauren or John, but I could count the number of times on one hand.
“Yeah, I have.” A look flashes across his face for a split second, but it’s gone before I have a chance to register what it is. “My mom forgot to pick me up from Famke’s one time. Your mom let me wait at your house. It’s not a big deal.”
“Oh.”
He looks down at his textbook. “You were always outside when my lesson finished.” He looks up and smiles. “Sorry about that, by the way. I was probably terrible back then.”
I shake my head. “You were great. Listening to you play was my favorite part of lessons.” I can feel my cheeks turning red. I have no idea why I just said that. Beyond the fact that it’s sorta true.
He doesn’t seem thrown off by it, though. He just looks at me and says clearly, “Thanks.”
The moment stretches, and it’s long enough for me to realize that neither one of us is speaking. “Should we get out of here?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” He flicks the screen off, and my dad’s face disappears.
We gather up our stuff and duck out the double lab doors.
Len starts doing an impression of Mrs. Barch directing the Belgian.
It’s hilarious. He’s actually pretty funny, and I would never admit this to Charlie, but I’m starting to see what Olivia meant.
About him being cute, I mean. Not just striking but kind of adorable.
Yeah, his hair is sorta long and he’s kind of a slacker, but he’s got this confidence.
Like he just doesn’t care what anyone else thinks.
“I need to talk to you.”
I hiccup back a laugh and see Rob there. He looks frazzled, haphazard, like he’s not sure what he’s doing himself. Ben is there too, and he looks apologetic.
I just stare at Rob.
These are the first words he’s spoken to me in weeks.
“Hey,” Len says to me, “I’m gonna head to English. See you after school?”
Rob frowns and looks at Len. “What are you guys doing?”
That familiar smirk creeps back onto Len’s face, and he shakes his head slowly and mumbles something under his breath.
“I said I need to talk to you,” Rob says to me. His jaw twitches slightly.
“Hey,” Ben says. He puts a hand on Rob’s shoulder.
“We’re gonna be late.” Rob shakes him off, and Ben looks at me.
It’s the same look I see him give Olivia when she’s detailing a shopping failure.
Like he really cares, but he just isn’t sure how to help.
The truth is, neither am I. This is foreign territory.
In all our years of friendship I’ve never seen Rob really, truly angry.
The Rob I knew was sweet and kind and totally nonconfrontational.
That’s not who’s standing here. I guess Juliet has turned him against me too.
“Look,” Len says, “maybe you should go.” He offers the suggestion casually, like he’s asking Rob if he wants a soda.
“Don’t tell me what to do,” Rob says. He turns on Len and grabs his backpack. Ben again reaches for Rob’s shoulder, but Rob knocks him back.
“Are you crazy?” I say, trying to move between them. “Let go.”
“You’re going to fight for him now?” Rob bares his teeth like he’s some kind of wild animal. His eyes look burnt, cold. Like he’s been frozen out of his own body.
“I’m not fighting for anyone,” I say. “I’m not fighting at all.”
“It’s cool, man,” Len says. “Just relax.”
I can see Mr. Davis walking toward us. “Just stop it,” I plead. “Seriously. Stop.” But Rob’s not listening to me. And he won’t let Ben get close. He’s moved on from Len’s backpack and is now holding the collar of his shirt.
“Don’t tell me to relax,” he spits at Len.
“You don’t know a thing about me. Or her.
” Then in one clean sweep Rob uses his free hand to send a punch clear across Len’s face.
Len stumbles back, and Rob just stares after him.
He looks at his hand and then at Len and then at me.
“I’m—” he starts, but it’s too late. Mr. Davis has seen everything, and he’s on Rob before Rob can get a second word out.
“What is going on here?” Mr. Davis demands.
Ben tries to step in and say something, but Mr. Davis dismisses him, rounding on Rob and Len. “Mr. Johnson’s office. Both of you. Now.”
He turns Rob around and starts marching him by the shoulders.
“Are you okay?” I whisper to Len. “I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah,” he says. “It’s no big deal.” He smiles like he’s reassuring me. “Grab the homework, okay? We forgot to get copies.”
“Sure,” I say. “But are you sure you’re all right?”
“I’ll live.” He smiles, gives me a little salute, and follows Mr. Davis, who is already halfway to Cooper House, his hands still on Rob’s sunken shoulders.
“I can’t stand that girl,” Olivia says. “She’s been trouble. Day one.”
We’re in calc, our last period of the day, and I’ve just told Olivia about the fight. Mostly on the corner of my notebook, because Mr. Stetzler is sort of a stickler about talking.
“Well, this one I’d pin on Rob,” I whisper.
“Whatever. It all goes back to her. Rob was totally sane until she came around. Now he’s picking fights, ditching his friends, and not talking to his parents?
” Olivia is keeping one eye on Mr. Stetzler and the other on the Belgian, who is sitting to the far left of us.
He doesn’t usually show up to class, but when he does, it’s enough to send Olivia into a tailspin.
Matt has the same effect on Charlie. Maybe you never really get over the people you once dated, or cared about.
“He probably wants out at this point,” Olivia continues. “I’m sure he’s realized she’s completely high maintenance. But it’s not like there’s anything he can do now.”
“They’re not married,” I say. “He’s not under contract.
” I’m drawing lazily in my notebook, doodling around our conversation.
It’s always hot in the math cubicles, regardless of the time of year, which makes it incredibly difficult to focus.
Mr. Stetzler also has this superdeep, intense voice, like a movie voice-over, and it’s kind of hypnotizing.
Not in a way that makes me want to flirt with him like Olivia does.
Just in a way that makes me want to fall asleep facedown on my proofs.
“Yeah, but would he want that guilt on himself?”
“What guilt?”