Tease and Denial 01 - Grif's Toy by Joseph Lance Tonlet

Author:Joseph Lance Tonlet [Tonlet, Joseph Lance]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2014-11-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15 – Pay the Piper

Fall 1998

One of my new favorite classes at Cheyenne Mountain Junior High School was Principles of Photography. I’d signed up for it not so much because I was interested in the subject, but because Mr. Harold, my guidance counselor, thought it would complement my other, more passionate interest in art.

I was skeptical—what did photography have to do with drawing and painting? Turns out, he couldn’t have been more right. The two shared many commonalities such as balance, perspective and creativity. I found myself looking forward to this class nearly as much as my ‘real' art classes.

I’d finished pulling the last print from the wash tray and hung it with the others to dry, when I heard the teacher’s voice from the other side of the darkroom door, “Mr. Griffin, can you stop by my desk when you’re finished, please?”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m cleaning up now, Mrs. Kelly. I’ll be right out.”

I was still drying my hands with a paper towel as I approached Mrs. Kelly’s desk, “You wanted to see me, ma’am?”

She looked up, glanced at the wall clock, and then back at me.

“Ah, yes, Mr. Griffin. Coach Armstrong called and asked if he could see you the last fifteen minutes of this period.”

Thankfully, she’d looked back down and resumed reviewing student photos—completely missing my terrified expression.

“If you leave now, you’ll have plenty of time,” she said pleasantly.

I swallowed deeply but managed an equally pleasant reply, “Yes, ma’am.”

I stopped at my desk, grabbed my backpack, and made my way out into the hall before falling back against the wall for support. My hands and knees were shaking; I’d been caught. I knew it was going to happen sooner or later—I’d been expecting it. I mean, you can’t skip class for three weeks and have it go unnoticed.

I took a deep breath, pushed myself off the wall, and decided to get it over with. It’s not like I was going to get a beating or anything. Nope, the worst that could happen was my parents would be notified and I’d already decided, no matter what, I wasn’t going back to gym class—ever.

By the time I’d reached Coach Armstrong’s open office door, I’d stopped shaking and was breathing relatively normal again. I didn’t know exactly how this was going to end, but I knew I was ready for it to be over. The constant worrying about when I’d finally be discovered was taking its toll on me.

I knocked. “Coach Armstrong?”

He was standing at the other side of the cluttered room, his back to the open door, at a filing cabinet. Looking over his shoulder, he asked, “Yes?”

“I’m Grif…err, Marcus Griffin, sir. You asked to see me.”

He finished at the cabinet and took a seat behind his equally cluttered desk. He nodded at a chair which sat opposite.

“Have a seat, Mr. Griffin.”

I nodded in return and sat stiffly while he rummaged around the desk before finally pulling a slim file folder from the disarray. Seriously, I wondered how he ever found anything.

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