Chapter 35
On Monday, on his way to school, Nick rehearsed what to say about tackling Bryan during Friday’s game. He definitely would blame it on having a concussion, something the ER doctor didn’t diagnose, but it was the most plausible explanation.
There was a note on his locker asking him to meet in the cafeteria. It wasn’t Emily’s writing, but Cat’s looping script. Several students gave him a concerned look as he made his way to the cafeteria, but no one said anything about Friday. Nick was glad most everyone had forgotten the incident. Once in the cafeteria, Nick saw Cat the moment he stepped through the double doors.
Her mouth was pert and sexy, colored with dark-red lipstick. She had headphones on, and he could tell she was practicing a new dance in her head by the way her toes tapped.
“What’s up?” he asked, putting down his notebook, scanning the room for Emily, and then taking a seat across from Cat.
“How are you feeling?” she asked, concern creasing her forehead. She pulled off her headphones. “I saw you tackle Bryan.” She held her hands out wide. “I don’t know that much about the game, but I think you don’t tackle teammates.”
“I thought he was someone else,” Nick said slowly.
She leaned forward. “Who?”
“You’ll think this is silly.” Should he tell her? She would be the only person to understand.
“Try me.”
“I thought…he was…a Nazi soldier.”
“Oh my gosh! You were Jean Claude!” she said loudly.
Several people looked toward them. He motioned for her to keep her voice down.
“I think so,” he whispered. “I haven’t told anyone else.”
“That’s good,” she agreed. “They’ll think you’re crazy.” She moved her finger in a circular motion by her head.
“I don’t know what to do.” Nick shuffled his foot under the table. “My parents are convinced I have a concussion.”
“Let them keep thinking that.”
“But it’s a lie.”
“Do you want them to have you exorcised again?”
He laughed. “Hardly.” Nick broke his whisper, speaking in a normal voice.
“I’ll call Dr. Sims and see if she has any suggestions,” Cat said.
“Thanks.” Nick started to reach for her hand but stopped himself as he saw Veronica walking by.
“What were you talking to her for?” Emily demanded as he exited the cafeteria.
“Come on, Em, we’ve been through this.” He let his arms fall heavily to his sides in exasperation. “She’s my research paper partner. I have to talk to her.”
Emily sniffed. “I hate her for ruining my dress!”
“I know, but she says she didn’t do it.”
“And you believe her?”
Did he or didn’t he? With a sigh, he said, “I do.”
“What!”
“So far she’s been truthful with me,” Nick said apologetically. “I don’t think she would lie.”
“Bryan saw her.”
Bryan was the more likely suspect.
“I don’t believe Bryan.”
“But he’s one of us!”
“One of us?” Nick stared at her dumbly.
“He’s lived in Laketon for a long time,” Emily said, moving her hands up and down as she talked. “He attends your father’s church.”
“True, but he’s never liked me—he’s always causing problems. You were with me when he was throwing popcorn at the movie!”
Emily started to say more but stopped, her mouth hanging open as she thought back to the movie and diner. She started to say something again, gave her head a tiny shake, and remained quiet.
“I should be done with my portion of the paper soon, and then I won’t need to talk to her as much,” Nick said. “Happy?”
Emily nodded, her mouth set in a grim line, nothing pert or sexy about the way she looked at him.
****
Coach Sullivan began World History by saying, “You should all have some of your paper written by now or at least have a good idea of what you’re going to say about your topic.” He tapped his clipboard on the desk. “I’ll walk around and look at what you’ve done so far.”
Nick turned to Cat. “I don’t have anything written.”
She responded with, “I’ve written a bit so far.”
“Can I read it?”
“Of course,” she said, taking a folder out of her pack and sliding it toward him. She had written quite a lot. Nick began to read:
WWII in Saumur, France and its Effects on the Citizens and the Nomadic Roma/Gypsies By Nick Dupont and Cat Thomlinson The Gypsies, or Romas, are an old population coming from India during the fifteenth century. They became nomads traveling throughout Europe, but primarily Romania. They were feared and persecuted in Europe, especially during the two world wars and Germany’s occupation of France in the 1940s.
The Gypsies were rounded up, much like the Jews, and interned. Although not systematically killed, millions died from the conditions in the camps. The recorded history estimates over a million Gypsies died during World War II, but since they had no fixed addresses, the number is believed to be much higher. The largest internment camp was located in France in the Saumur wine-growing region and the nearby town of Montreuil-Bellay. The French citizens in the region thought it was a good thing to have the Gypsies interned. While imprisoned, the Gypsies lost their possessions and, in many cases, their livelihoods.
Nick continued to read. When finished, he said, “That’s good.”
“What will you write?”
He thought for a moment. “I’ll need to talk about what was happening in Saumur when the Germans invaded. The military training school. How they fought off the Germans for two days.” As he talked, he moved his fingers, ticking off each point. “We have to tie the two events together. The internment happened because of the truce France had with Germany. They were sort of in cahoots with the Germans until they invaded France.”
Nick didn’t realize Coach was standing behind him, listening. Coach nodded and picked up what Cat had written. “I like what I heard you say, Nick. This is good too.” He shook the paper before placing it back on the desk.
“I’ll have something written by tomorrow,” he promised.
****
Later, Nick sat before his computer and flexed his hands, arranging his thoughts before writing. His research intermingled with his known facts and those Cat had shared.
He typed: There was a lot going on in Montreuil-Bellay and Saumur during the spring and summer of 1940 before the Germans actually conquered the area. First the Gypsies were rounded up and imprisoned. Most French citizens were wary and afraid of Gypsies. They feared what they didn’t understand. Most Europeans valued landownership and a permanent home; the Gypsies roamed and didn’t have traditional houses.
The Gypsies who wouldn’t conform were imprisoned, sometimes in deep holes in the ground, many forgotten at the end of the war to slowly starve to death.
In his head, Nick saw two topaz eyes shine from deep within such a hole as he typed. It is estimated that over one million Gypsies died in the war.
Then when the Germans were marching toward the area, the commander of the boy’s military horsemanship school—Cadre Noir—organized the boys to fight. Before the fighting, the school’s horses were taken to someplace safe. Next the boys and their leaders hatched a plan with the French Home Guard to defend the area from the Germans.
****
Jean Claude nudged him aside. Sweet Adella. When I visited next, my mother had made Adella a dress and an apron to wear.
“You must say bonjour to Jean Claude,” his mother said.
“Bonjour,” Adella said, her eyes downcast and wary.
“You look very nice, Adella,” I said, hoping she wouldn’t betray me.
“Now you kiss him,” his mother instructed.
I bent down to Adella’s level so she could kiss my cheeks. She whispered, “Where is my family? Chaton?”
She kissed first one cheek, and I whispered, “They are about five kilometers away, waiting for you.” Then she kissed my other cheek.
****
In the morning, Nick printed out what he had written to share with Cat and drove to school to find her. In the cafeteria, he spotted her dark head and also saw Emily waving him over. What to do? He stood uncertain for a few seconds before waving back to Emily and walking to where she was sitting with Gary and Tiffany.
“You’re late this morning.” Emily looked at the clock on her phone.
“Printing out my paper.” Nick yawned. “I wrote most of it last night.”
Gary looked stricken. “I haven’t even started. Can you help me?”
Tiffany patted his arm. “I’ll help.”
“I hate writing papers!” Gary grumbled to no one in particular, and Nick laughed.
“Mine’s finished,” Emily said. “I’m sick of World War II and don’t care if I ever know anything else about it.”
“It changed the world,” Nick said.
“But it was so long ago,” Emily said with a pout.
“The war opened doors for women to work, better production methods, and technology,” Nick said.
“True, I’m just tired of studying what happened seventy years ago,” Emily said with a roll of her eyes.
“I have to agree with Em,” Gary said.
“And besides there’s still a lot to do before homecoming on Friday,” Emily added as if they didn’t already know.