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

The first thing that strikes him is how normaleverything appears to be. The room is somber in tone—the walls are paneled with dark wood, and the same brown, threadbare carpet used in the school library covers the floor. There is a pair of bookcases filled more with photos and trinkets than actual books. There are file cabinets, the drawers labeled with nothing more than a year written in a large, block hand. There’s a large desk, behind which sits a comfortable looking chair and, behind that, a window with open blinds that looks out onto the school’s small courtyard. In front of the desk are two well-worn chairs with tall backs and no arms. They don’t look comfortable at all, but Mr. Form indicates Jordan and his father should take them so they do.


Chapter 5