CALVIN

twenty-nine: the overdose

We were too large a group for the usual leitungsrat hearing room. The sixteen of us, two third-party witnesses from the footie match, and five teachers including Mr Taylor and Ms Vecoli were grouped in a classroom that was often used for debate club. Neal's rings were gone from his fingers, his shirt was nicely buttoned and pressed. 

"Suspending all of you would be a - uh - a disservice to the - uh - school community, as a whole," Mr Taylor was saying, looking down at his papers. "The most... most important thing, we feel, is to... to - uh - understand why the fight broke out to begin with so we can, uh, help to mediate things in future."

Herr Alsman, lounging off to the side, said, "We understand that there were personal quarrels, which is why Neal and Elias began the fight on the field..."

Neal laughed. Everyone in the room got very silent. Then Herr Alsman said, "Is something funny, Neal?"

He shook his head and muttered, "No."

"Can you tell us why the fight happened?"

Everyone looked at him. His head was bowed, he was focusing his eyes on his hand, which was on the desk. Shook his head. "No."

"Well if no one can let us know.... You know, boys, this is only to make things better for everyone. This isn't to punish you any further than you need to be, it is only to help you solve the problems you have going on between yourselves. So if no one can help us understand the... issues - "

"Elias is dating Neal's ex-girlfriend," said Tobias Zealand, suddenly, from the side of the room.

"Ana was never Neal's girlfriend," Pat said, the first time he'd spoken that night. "Just because Neal wouldn't leave her alone - "

"I never forced her to be my girlfriend - !"

Pat stood up, "Stop calling her your girlfriend!"

"Boys!"

Neal was getting red in the face. "If he hadn't had that huge hickey I wouldn't have said anything. Nothing would have happened."

Mr Taylor had his head in his hands.

"Ana didn't give him the hickey, dumbass," Pat blurted out. He turned to Marc. "Tell them, Marc."

He was shocked and confused. "Tell them what?"

"You gave him the hickey. Right?" In the ensuing silence, I could feel Pat getting less confident and more unsure. "...Right?"

Marc stared Pat dead in the eyes. "Why would I give Elias a hickey?"

Pat looked at me for confirmation. I could feel the two Ritalin pills I had snorted earlier coming into effect. The vodka RedBull I'd downed as well. Calvin's voice came out of nowhere. "I gave him the hickey." All heads turned to him, including his father's. "It was just a part of a game."

"Feeling pretty stupid now, Neal?" Denis muttered.

"Elias?"

After a few seconds of my name ringing around in my head, I looked up to see Mr Taylor's eyes on me. "Uh..."

"Is all this true?"

"Uh... yeah. Wait, is all what true?"

There were a few exhales of exasperation - people wanted to go home. 

"You are now dating Neal's ex-girlfriend, but it was Calvin who gave you the... hickey instead of... Ana?"

"Oh. Yeah, I guess. But..." I shook my head, "Ana was never Neal's girlfriend."