The One That Got Away Read Online Free Page A

fingers and set them on the desk in front of him. “Yesterday, your grandson, beat a fellow student, Danny Carrs. He hurt him so bad that the boy had to be taken to the hospital. They operated on him this morning and he should be released later this afternoon.”
    “Two days before the play offs,” Coach Carlson snapped from behind us.
    My grandfather didn’t say anything, just looked at the principal and waited for the rest. I could see his hands griping his jeans. His knuckles were turning white. Boy was he pissed.  To show that much emotion said a lot.
    “As you can imagine, we can’t have our students fighting. Especially young men who should be setting an example. I am afraid I am going to have to Expe…”
    “Hold it a second,” my grandfather said, shocking me with his gravelly voice. He didn’t normally interrupt people.
    “Yes Mr. James?” the principal asked, his eyebrow rising.
    Grandfather stared at the principal for a moment his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. “Did this fight occur on school grounds?”
    “It wasn’t a fight, it was a beating. Our most important player no less. Scott’s supposed to be protecting him, not putting him in the hospital,” Coach Carlson said.
    My grandfather turned in his chair as his eyes narrowed and his brow creased. He shot the Coach a look that could freeze water on a warm day. “I remember you getting into a fight or two in your younger days, Jake. In fact, if I remember correctly, Scott’s dad kicked your butt in 8 th grade after he caught you bullying some of the smaller boys.”
    Coach Carlson sputtered for a moment. I hadn’t known that about dad and Coach. That might explain a couple of things.
    “That was kid’s stuff, this is way more serious,” Coach said.
    “Why, because of who got hurt, or the fact it happened a couple of days before a football game?” Wow, I couldn’t believe this, the old man stuck up for me. Of course that was all going to change when he found out why.
    Grandfather had always told me that a man who couldn’t control his emotions wasn’t much of a man. That I was responsible for what I did. No excuse. He’d also drilled into me the fact that a guy my size had a special responsibility of staying in control. People could get hurt otherwise. Danny most definitely proved that last point.
    Grandfather turned back to Mr. Turner. He hadn’t asked what the fight was about. Hadn’t looked at me to see if I was all right. He’d just assumed what the principle said was true.
    “And why aren’t the police here?” Grandfather asked, pausing for a moment. “I assume Danny’s dad decided not to press charges. That must mean his old man’s embarrassed about something. Either the fact that his precious son got his ass kicked. Or the reason behind the fight. Probably both.”
    Mr. Turner sighed. “We don’t know the reason. Maybe Scott would like to enlighten us?” They all looked at me as if I had the answer to the meaning of life and was holding out on them. I stared back but didn’t say a word. They would learn soon enough It surprised me they hadn’t heard the story already.
    Turner’s eyes glinted and I realized the bastard had heard. He wanted me to say it out loud. My virgin girlfriend preferred to have sex with my best friend instead of me. I’d always thought he was a bit of an asshole. It wasn’t until that moment that I knew how much.
    I took a deep breath and got ready to let loose on them. To tell them what I thought about their friggin school and where they could put it. They didn’t care about Danny or me. It was the fact that we might have brought the school and therefore the town a trophy. Some brass statue to be put in the front case where Mr. Alverez, the janitor would dust it off twice a year. I could feel the rage rising like a coke bottle ready to explode.
    A bony hand grasped my arm. My Grandfather's gnarled fingers held me back. It shocked me, how old they looked. Brown age spots had appeared