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Tony reminisced as he walked through the hallway of the school he’d went to almost a decade ago. He got to the principals office’s reception area and looked around, noticing how familiar yet different it looked.
There was no one at the receptionist’s desk. He saw a Rolodex on the desk so started subtly flicking through it, bored and nosy. After a minute he got fed up with that and just started spinning it.
“Can I help you?” the principal, Tony’s old English teacher, brought Tony abruptly out of his thoughts.
“Uh, yeah.” Tony clumsily stopped the Rolodex from spinning. “I’m here about Chris…”
The principal looked confused.
“…Moltisanti.” Tony was playfully amused by him being so clueless.
“Oh!” the principal put a hand out to shake. “My apologies. Are you a brother? We’d been expecting his mother, we call–”
“She’s sick today,” Tony lied as he finished the handshake. “I’m his uncle, Tony.”
“John Mancini.” He gestured for Tony to follow him into the office. “Come through. Christopher’s waiting.”
They walked in the office and Christopher was sat scowling at the floor with his arms crossed. They sat down and Christopher didn’t look up. Tony kicked him, making him look at the principal.
John looked at them both thoughtfully, recollection showing on his face. Seeing Tony sat here had brought back some memories. “Did you used to go to this scho–”
“No.” Tony gave a forced smile.
John clasped his hands together. “So, did Christopher’s mother pass on to you what happened today?”
Tony scratched at his ear and tried to think of what to say. It had been hard to get any coherent conversation from Joanne. “She just told me to get over here… like I said, she’s sick.”
Christopher knew what that meant and scoffed. “Right, sick.”
“Laryngitis,” Tony quickly tried to take the attention away from what Christopher just said.
“I hope she recovers soon.”
Christopher wheezed so Tony kicked him again.
“So what happened? Why you drag him in here?”
“Essentially, this afternoon Christopher was witnessed to have stolen another boy’s possession–”
“Witnessed?” Tony smirked. “What you got next, finger prints?”
“It’s not a laughing matter, Mr. Moltisanti.”
Tony’s smile faded. He knew John was right. “What’d he steal?”
“A Walkman.”
Tony turned to squint at Christopher. “What you do that for? You already got a Walkman.”
“Exactly! I didn’t steal nothing!”
“Anything,” John corrected his grammar.
“What?” they both said at the same time.
“You didn’t steal anything,” John gave the full sentence.
“So you agree, he didn’t steal nothing,” Tony was happy to get that resolved.
“Not at all. I’m merely correcting the boy’s grammar.”
Both of them rolled their eyes. They were sat with the same defensive body language, like Tony was also a schoolboy.
“What we have to focus on here is the consequences for Christopher’s actions. Unfort–”
“With all due respect, John…” Tony held his hands up to stop him. “Let me get something straight here… Why would he steal something he got already? What happened to innocent til proven guilty?”
“Mr. Moltisanti, this isn’t a court of law.” John was mildly amused.
“You’re the one with the witnesses.” Tony smirked snidely. “And this witness, how’d you know they’re reliable? What if they got some kind of personal vendetta against my nephew?”
“The Walkman was found in Christopher’s possession.”
Tony shuffled in his seat while he came up with a response. “How’d you know somebody didn’t put it there?” He looked at Christopher. “That black kid you got beef with. What’s his name, DeMarcus?”
“Mark,” Christopher said the actual name.
“This DeMark, how’d you know he didn’t set Chris up?” Tony looked back at John. “Kid’s probably got a record for this kinda thing.”
“I can assure you, nobody has an interest in incriminating your nephew,” John tried to move the conversation on. “And as you may know, this isn’t Christopher’s first infraction of the school rules.”
“Whatever happened to boys will be boys?” Tony tried his last line of defense.
John gave up with Tony and looked at Christopher instead. “Christopher, do you have anything you’d like to say for yourself? This is your opportunity to apologize.”
Tony and Christopher glanced at each other.
“I didn’t do nothing,” he picked up from Tony that he should plead innocent.
“Mr. Moltisanti.” John looked at Tony. “It would be in Christopher’s best interest to apologize. It shows a desire to improve his behavior in the future and could lessen his punishment.”
Tony gave him a stoney expression. “You heard him, he didn’t do nothing.”
John sighed through his nose. “In that case, I’m afraid that you’ll be suspended for two weeks, Christopher. And if any future incidents occur, we’ll have no choice but expulsion.”
“So if I steal somethin’ again I don’t gotta go to school no more?!” He got so excited by that prospect that he accidentally incriminated himself.
Tony whacked him on the shoulder, then looked at John and smiled awkwardly. “You gotta excuse my nephew. See, when he said ‘again’ that’s not what he meant. He meant to say if I get accused again–”
“Two weeks,” John said bluntly. He looked at Christopher. “This suspension will go on your permanent record. Do you understand that, Christopher? This means your college prospects may be affected.”
He rolled his eyes.
“This two weeks…” Tony squinted thoughtfully. “That, uh, negotiable?” he paused. “See, with his mother being sick, maybe he’s not gonna have nobody looking out for him during the day. Make him lunch, that kinda thing.”
“Because of laryngitis?” John asked.
“She’s very sick,” Tony tried to sound serious. He didn’t want to have to deal with Christopher for 2 weeks.
Christopher desperately wanted to be suspended. “She don’t even got–”
“I’m concerned for the kid’s wellbeing,” Tony loudly spoke over him. “Two weeks really necessary? Maybe you could just stick him in a room on his own. Solitary confinement!”
John looked between them with a confused expression. “…If there’s a serious concern for Christopher’s welfare then our school social work–”
“No, no.” Tony held a hand up to stop him. He knew Joanne wasn’t a fit mother. “You don’t gotta do that… I- I dont know what I’m talkin’ about.” He shrugged with a nervous smirk, his voice higher pitch than usual. “My wife’ll take care of him.”
“Okay. If that’s all…” John buttoned his jacket and stood up. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Moltisanti.” He opened the door for them to leave. “Christopher, we’ll see you in two weeks.”
They both nodded at him as they walked out the door. They stayed silent until they left the reception and got to the hallway.
“The fuck is wrong with you?” Tony asked. “Why’d you steal that kid’s Walkman?”
“You stole the one you got me!”
Tony came to a halt so Christopher stopped walking too.
It took Tony a moment to respond. “…It’s different. I stole yours from the back of a truck. It’s a victimless crime.”
They looked at each other and both knew that was bullshit.
Tony decided to change the subject so he didn’t have to question his morals. “You come over every day from 8 to 3, you stay with Carmela, and you don’t watch no TV,” he sternly made up the punishment on the spot.
“T, come on! Why can’t I just hang out with you and Tony?”
“Christopher…” Tony got up in his face condescendingly. “The point of a punishment is you don’t get what you want.”
“But I didn’t even do nothing!”
They looked at each other again and once again knew that was bullshit.
“I’m takin’ back that fuckin’ Walkman I got you.” Tony eyes darted around as he tried to think of more punishments. “And…” He held a wavering finger up and paused to think. It dawned on him that he was terrible at this. “No cigarettes neither!”
“Tony!” Christopher whined.
“And you can forget gettin’ a ride home from me today. I’m sick of the fuckin’ sight of you!” Tony pointed at him sternly and then walked off.
Tony only went about 10 feet before he reluctantly changed his mind. He couldn’t trust him not to be an idiot. “Ah, fuck…” He turned around and gestured for Christopher to come over. “But you’re sittin’ in the back!”