Every school year, as decided by the state's Board of Education, schoolchildren in grades 3, 4, 5, and 6 were to be taken on at least two outings to educational venues. This was a quite popular decree among the parents of said children; they believed their sons and daughters to be the recipients of some invaluable educational enrichment. The teachers who escorted those bands of unruly rascals knew better. Educational enrichment was the last thing on the children's minds. Outings such as the one today were social occasions to be enjoyed with friends. There would be lots of eating, laughing, goofing around...and of course the obligatory souvenir purchase. But there would positively be no learning taking place.
“Miss Hickley!” The familiar nasally voice of Brick Davies cut through the excited murmurings of the other children on the school bus. Brick was the only child of two noted physicians who dealt with their eight-year-old son as they would an equal.
To say that he was an hypochondriac was an understatement. Brick spent a majority of the school day reporting possible health risks to whoever would listen. The remainder of his day was spent reporting whatever myriad offenses his classmates might happen to commit. He was, to his parents’ utter confusion, a greatly disliked little boy.
“Miss Hickley!” Brick tried again to catch his teacher’s attention. He knelt on the seat and waved an arm. “I think you should listen to me!” His face was red with frustration.
“Yes, Brick,” the third grade teacher replied through gritted teeth. “I am listening. What is it?”
Brick turned and theatrically pointed toward the rear of the bus. “Those two boys,” he pointed cautiously, “were not on our bus when we traveled to the planetarium this morning. There were twenty-six students on the bus. If you count the number of students on the bus now and add in the seven that the driver has already delivered to their homes, the total is twenty-eight.” Having delivered his information, Brick nodded and resumed his seat.
“Thank you, Brick.” Dara Hickley rolled her eyes but did a quick mental count. Just as Brick had claimed, there were more children still on the school bus than there should have been.
She rose and made her way down the center aisle to the back of the bus. Along the way she herded several children back to their assigned seats and confiscated a makeshift slingshot from the clutches of the class daredevil. “You two young men! Stand up!” The two boys readily complied. Dara guessed that they were about eight or nine years old, the same age range as Brick and the others. “What are your names? Which school do you attend?”
The teacher missed the look that flashed between the two boys. “My name is Paul,” the taller of the two boys replied. He was a brown-skinned African- American boy with beautiful dark eyes and an engaging smile. “I’m Paul and this is my brother, Dylan. We just moved here last week.”
“With my dad, Doctor Mitchell Cartwright.” Dylan interrupted whatever else the other young man had been about to say. He was a slightly built child with fine, blond hair and angelic features that would be dangerously handsome as he grew older. “My dad married his mom and then she died suddenly. So we moved here to get a new start.”
The teacher had no problem understanding the young man’s almost rambling reply. “I see... How did you end up on this bus? There were no other schools at the planetarium today.”
His brother elbowed him. “What Dylan means is that we accidentally overspent our allowances and had to find a way home. When we saw ‘St. Augustine’ on the side of your bus, we knew it would be going in our direction. That’s why we got on.” The youngster named Paul flashed an earnest smile Dara’s way. She was certain that he’d used it during many a tight situation. “We wouldn’t have gotten on just any bus.” He paused. “But we still shouldn’t have done it. If you’ll let us off right here at the corner, we can take it from there.”
Dara was loathe to simply release the pair to their own devices - despite Paul’ seeming maturity. It was nearly six-thirty at night, the sun would be setting in minutes. “I think it would be better for us all if you come with me back to St. Augustine’s. We can call your father from there and have him pick you up. I’m sure he’d want to know what you boys have been up to.”
“Call our father?” There was no disguising the dismay that filled the two boy’s faces. Dara fought to maintain her stern expression as she directed them back to their seats. “Oh, crap,” she heard one of them say. “This is all your fault.”
“For going along with your stupid idea? Yeah, it is.”
The two boys spent the remainder of the ride in silence, except for the occasional whisper between them. Dara had a perfect view of them in the driver's rear view mirror. The bond between them was obvious. Both boys leaned into one another in an unconscious protective gesture.
"Miss Hickley," the eagerly curious voice of Brick Davies whispered right behind her. "What is going to happen to those two boys? I am sure there must be a local ordinance about riding a public school bus without proper authority?"
The frustrated teacher swallowed the biting remark that so readily sprang to her lips. She reminded herself - for the hundredth time that school term - that Brick was only passing through her classroom. Soon enough he would be the next teacher's personal headache. "Brick, please return to your seat," Dara instructed without even turning around. "You know the rules about behavior in a moving bus."
"I most certainly do," Brick replied from further away this time. "But perhaps you should remind Lezlae Smith about them, Miss Hickley." He referred to one of his third grade classmates also on the bus. "She has been out of her seat for at least ten minutes talking to her friends. Patty Kwan has been as well. And Tommy Adamson, well, he..."
