Just Deserts Read Free Page B

too.
    â€œHow did that get onto the Internet?” I asked. “You know it wasn’t me who did it.”
    â€œOf course it wasn’t you. You were so impaired, I don’t imagine that you could have tied your own shoes.”
    â€œThen who did it?” I asked.
    â€œI would suspect that it’s the same person, or persons, who notified me, by e-mail, of the existence of that piece of footage.”
    â€œThen you know who it is, right? Shouldn’t they be punished? They’re the ones who made us into laughingstocks.”
    I wasn’t just thinking about what he’d do but about what I was going to do to them . By the time I finished they’d be begging to be expelled just to get away from me.
    â€œWhat might or might not happen to them as a consequence of their behaviour is no business ofyours. Although, quite frankly, you should know that punishing them might only make them even more celebrated amongst your classmates. Embarrassing me was one thing, but making you a joke has probably given them hero status. You are not particularly well liked, and your peers, I must say, seem to be good judges of character.”
    Nice—now he was taking snide shots at me.
    â€œAs for you, Mr. Chambers, I am afraid that your actions have left me with little choice,” he went on. “I’ll accept my punishment,” I said.
    â€œYou have no choice but to accept your punishment,” he said. “You have one hour to gather your things.”
    â€œGather my things … what do you mean?”
    â€œYou are expelled.”
    â€œBut—but—you can’t expel me.”
    â€œI most certainly can. It is the prerogative of the headmaster to expel any student who demonstrates conduct that is contrary to the high standards of this institution, and you, sir, have certainly shattered those standards.”
    â€œMy father … he’s not going to be happy when he finds out what you’ve done.”
    â€œHe wasn’t happy at all.”
    â€œYou told him?”
    â€œI contacted him first thing this morning.”
    I looked at my watch. “But it’s the middle of the night in New York.”
    â€œI felt it was necessary to inform him immediately of my decision.”
    â€œI guess you didn’t need a new gym that badly, then,” I said.
    â€œWe do need the new facility, and it will be very much appreciated when it is opened.”
    â€œWell, good luck finding somebody else to pay for it,” I snapped.
    McWilliams was smiling now. It was actually creepy. “Your father has agreed to continue to fund the entire project. He thanked us for trying to provide you with an education and then apologized for your behaviour. Something, I should note, that you have not had the class to do thus far.”
    â€œYou want me to apologize?”
    â€œIt would certainly be appropriate, given the circumstances,” he said.
    â€œWould it change the results?”
    â€œNo. You are expelled. Your father has arranged for a car to pick you up and take you to the airport.”
    â€œI’m going home?” I asked.
    â€œI am not aware of where you are going, simply that you are going.”
    â€œBut you still want me to apologize.”
    â€œIt would be the sporting thing to do,” he said.
    I couldn’t believe this. After giving me the death sentence, he wanted me to apologize to the man who was pulling the switch. I slowly got up from my chair.
    â€œI hope you don’t mind if I paraphrase Sir Winston Churchill,” I said, gesturing to the picture of the former British prime minister that graced the wall of his office.
    â€œOf course not.”
    â€œIn that case, today I am here, expelled, and, I readily admit, still somewhat impaired,” I began, “and you are a small man in a small job wearing a cheap suit. Tomorrow, I will be sober, halfway around the world, still the son and heir of a billionaire. And you