you a , well , you know ,” Sean said , trying to shift the spotlight away from himself . He looked quickly to his left and caught his dad ’ s face with an expression that said “ You little devil .”
Superwoman snapped at Roberto , “ Oh , so you like to call people a B * tch ? Not only that , you ’ re trying to turn my son against me .” Sean sat up . Oh yeah ! It ’ s on now ! “ Mrs . Morris ,” Mrs . Esposita said , placing a hand on her desk .
“ No , I ’ m not trying to do that ,” Roberto squirmed in his seat , throwing an angry look at Sean .
“ Well , obviously you allow him to say that kind of thing whenever you two talk ,” she said folding her broad arms across her chest .
“ He ’ s a boy . He should speak his mind . So can I , and sometimes you are …” Roberto let the thought drift .
Sean swallowed , watching his dad struggle to say the word to Cynthia ’ s face . Wimp !
Superwoman ’ s eyes sparked with anger , but thank God she kept her hands down . “ When he ’ s with me , he knows not to curse , even if it ’ s a joke —”
“ Mrs . Morris ,” the principal said a second time , looking from parent to parent , not knowing whether to wait and see what happened or to call security . Sean ’ s vote was for — Security !
“ But Cynthia —” Roberto tried to interject .
“ No Roberto ! You can ’ t curse when you have conversations with Sean . And you can ’ t allow him to use vulgar language . That is not how you win your son ’ s respect , trust , and love . You have to set an example . You ’ re supposed to be the parent and you have to have rules . Am I clear ?”
“ Yes Cynthia .” Sean ’ s father let out a sigh of defeat and slumped down in the chair like a little kid .
“ Mrs . Morris , please —” Mrs . Esposita started .
“ Mrs . Esposita ,” Cynthia said turning her gaze away from Roberto . “ Is it okay if Sean goes to get the young lady and bring her here ? I believe he has something to say .” She glared at Sean .
“ Sure ,” the principal said with a sigh , then directed Sean out the door . No one had to tell him twice !
Sean walked up the stairs feeling ashamed . He ’ d allowed his dad ’ s example to affect his behavior . He had betrayed his upbringing — no matter how bad his grades were — he had always been known for his manners . He walked into his homeroom , where math problems were displayed on the projection screen . “ Mrs . Lopez , Mrs . Esposita would like to see Stephanie Cordova .” “ Oooooh ,” echoed in the classroom . Mrs . Lopez allowed Stephanie to leave . Sean escorted her down the stairs in silence . But he could tell that she was still mad at him for what he said . She ’ d started it !
As they walked into the office , Sean wondered what had happened while he was gone .
“ First , Roberto , I would like for you to