Jordan Matthews is a good kid, an average student, and has never gotten in trouble at school before. But today he finds himself in the principal's office with fellow classmate Casey Sothern. He doesn't think they've done anything wrong, and doesn't expect much in the way of punishment until Casey's mother arrives. Which means someone's called his parents, too. And they'll know Casey isn't just his best friend, but his boyfriend, as well. Then Jordan sees his father storm through the front doors of the school. Any punishment the principal has planned for catching the two boys kissing in the hall between classes will pale in comparison to what Jordan's father might have to say.

Trouble at School

Casey nodded. “Susan Johnson told me after math. She said Carrie wants you to ask her to the junior dance.”


“Bullshit.” Jordan kept his voice low on the off-chance his mother might possibly hear him curse all the way downstairs. He wasn’t supposed to say words like that, but around Casey, sometimes he felt brave enough. “Why would I want to go to some stupid dance?”


“It isn’t until next Friday.” Casey popped his gum again and concentrated on the game in his hands. “You still have time to think about it.”


A scary thought struck Jordan. “Are you going?”


Casey gave him a look that said he wasn’t thatcrazy. “Yeah, right. Susan was trying to get me to ask her, I could tell, but…” He turned off the game without saving and set it aside. Turning toward Jordan, he propped his head up in his hand and stared at his friend. “Can I tell you something?”


Chapter 4