The Blackboard Jungle (Jerry eBooks) by Evan Hunter

Author:Evan Hunter [Hunter, Evan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jerry eBooks
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

At ten minutes to four that day, when Rick was leaving the building, he met Josh Edwards and Lois Hammond. He studied Josh’s face carefully for a moment, repeating the habit he’d fallen into lately. He forced his eyes away at last and said, “Another day, another dollar.”

“Ah,” Lois said, smiling pertly, “but this has been a very special day, Rick.”

“Oh really? I wasn’t aware. What happened?”

“I’ve been put in charge of the newspaper,” Lois said.

“Well, well. Are congratulations or condolences in order?”

“It’s a very important job,” Lois said primly, sucking in a deep breath and throwing her shoulders back, seemingly completely unaware of what her breasts did whenever she went through such a simple maneuver.

“Well then, congratulations,” Rick said, his eyes lingering on her expanding chest a moment longer than they should have. He turned to Josh and asked, “How were your monsters today, boy?”

“So-so,” Josh answered dully. “I’m getting there.”

“Well, fine,” Rick said with false enthusiasm, looking at Josh’s face again. You may be getting there, he thought, but where the hell are you getting, Josh? He turned his eyes from Josh’s face, wondering if his concern had shown. The beating that night had done something to Josh. He’d come to school the following Monday, of course, but something seemed to have gone out of him. Not his desire to teach the kids, certainly, because that was still obviously there. The energy, perhaps, the restless, nervous energy that had been so much a part of him before. Or perhaps his optimistic viewpoint. Perhaps that had fled.

Whatever it was, he was not looking well lately. There were heavy pockets of shadow beneath his eyes, and his cheekbones stood out too prominently, and Rick didn’t like the tight way he carried his mouth. There was such a thing as trying too hard, even in a vocational school, and Josh was apparently doing just that.

“Unless you like walking in the snow,” Josh said softly, “I can give you a lift to the bus stop. I’ve got my brother’s car today.”

“Nothing I like better than a walk in the snow,” Rick said, attempting to get a smile out of Josh. “Unless it’s a ride in the snow. Lead me to it, boy.”

“I’m dropping Lois off, too,” Josh said, unsmiling. “You don’t mind, do you?”

“He’d better not mind,” Lois said, looking at Rick in a surprisingly warning way.

“No, not at all,” Rick said, puzzled, wondering what had prompted the almost possessive, proprietary look she’d given him. Hell, he thought, it’s my imagination. They walked down the corridor and then out of the building, and Lois took his arm as they went down the steps. She looked at the slushy snow underfoot and said, “I hate snow. I’m scared to death of slipping.”

“Careful,” Rick said, aware of the pressure of her hand on his arm, feeling uncomfortable because he was used to Anne’s hand on his arm, and this hand did not belong to Anne.

They began crossing the schoolyard, and Rick spotted Miller leaning

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