Suzie’s House 83: Heavy Weighs the Crown

Previously in Suzie’s House, Ben was given an unfair F in class. He ran out of the classroom. Now Gene and Lisa, a straight A student, are going to the principal.

Principal Greear had a meeting with the school board coming up in little over an hour when Lisa and her friends walked in. Between the problems with the copy machine, Gertie’s nagging about the back up in paperwork while he was at conference, and the refusal of the school board to face the need for another mill levy, he’d had a trying morning.

At first he thought a moment or two talking to Lisa would be a welcome break. Lisa was a gifted girl who charmed him with her depth of perception and whimsical comments. He welcomed her warmly, until he caught sight of who was with her.

Benjamin Hammaker and Gene Thomas, both troubled boys headed for a bad end. He’d been meaning to have a word with the school psychiatrist about both of them.

“Mr. Greear, you’ve got to do something about Mrs. D.” Lisa said, the light of evangelism behind her eyes. “What she is doing is just wrong.”

Greear winced. Mrs. D. was another problem he’d been meaning to turn over to the school psychiatrist.

He’d never been fond of Deloris Dieter, but since her divorce she’d seemed a little instable, nothing he could do take action against, but enough to leave the impression of a ticking bomb.

“What did she do?” Greear laced his fingers together in front of him on the desk. He wasn’t looking forward to dealing with anything that involved Mrs. D, Hammaker, or Thomas

“She gave him an F for no reason. No reason!” Lisa’s eyes widened with livid emotion. “She’s had it in for him the whole year.”

“Remember the time she broke his pencil?” Gene’s last name said to Lisa, then turned toward Mr. Greear. “She grabbed it right out of his hand while she was walking past his desk and just snapped it in two.” Gene smiled as if in fond memory.

“And all the times she’s pushed his homework into the trash can as if by accident. I’ve seen her do it,” Lisa said with growing agitation.

“And the way she’s always yelling at him when he isn’t doing anything different than the rest of us.” Gene added eagerly.

The two of them were egging one another on to greater levels of excitement, but Hammacker stood between them, studying the floor and not making a peep.

“The three of you left class because she gave him an F?” He arched an eyebrow at Lisa.

“No. Because she yelled at him and…”

“I want to hear it from him.” Greear nodded at Hammaker.

“I walked out of class,” the kid mumbled barely clearly enough to be understood. “I got so mad I just walked out.”

Ah. So that was it. Hammaker reached is breaking point and the other two were so moved by a perceived injustice that they went after him. They probably dragged him to this office. Were it some other kid, Greear would know how to handle it, but Hammaker presented special problems.

“How’s your mother?” Greear asked.

“I wouldn’t know.” Hammaker’s eyes burned, then cut to the side.

“His mother has nothing to do with this,” Lisa said sharply, leaning forward. “This is about Mrs. D. There’s something wrong with her. She shouldn’t pick on Ben the way she does, and she shouldn’t talk to anyone the way she did today. I think she needs to see a psychiatrist.”

“You’re probably right.” Greear sighed. “I’ll look into it. In the meanwhile,” he glanced at the clock, “you have ten minutes left of class. I suggest you spend them with Mrs. Sandvig in detention.”

Lisa looked startled. She’d never been sent to detention before. Then she nodded understanding, and guided the other two out.

Greear dropped his head into his hands. It would all come to a head now. If only it could have waited a few days. School would be over and it would no longer be his problem.