The morning drive to Julian was grotesquely quiet.

     Calvin couldn't redirect his focus. There was so much about his weekend with Genevieve that he didn't want to forget, from talking for hours on end as they held each other under the covers to fighting over beef jerky at the gas station on their way back.

     Genevieve was always on his mind, but she wasn't passing by casually anymore. She was in there decorating, making herself comfortable like she was going to be there a while.

     Roger's silence, however, was raining on his parade. Was he mad at Genevieve? Why would he be?

     Roger gripped the steering wheel and took a deep breath. "Cal, something happened this weekend."

     Finally. Calvin was relieved that the silence was gone, even if Roger's words sounded like the prologue to a holier-than-thou lecture. "Yes, yes, I went to Vegas."

     Roger kept his eyes on the road. "Marlo called."

     Calvin's skin turned white in record time. He held on to the possibility that he didn't hear him correctly, and he kept quiet as he studied the words. "Marlo? Marlo, my-brother Marlo? Called?"

     Roger turned his head to Calvin with an are-you-stupid look. "Yes, Marlo called."

     The sound of screaming and ambulance sirens couldn't compete with those words. All memories of waking up with Genevieve tangled up in his arms faded away. "When?"

     "On Saturday. He asked me where you were."

     "And what did you say?"

     "That you were out of town."

     "Did you tell him about Vegas?"

     "Of course not. I just told him it was a family thing and I was too sick to go with you."

     Ha! What family? Calvin scuffed, then frowned.

     He turned his torso towards Roger. His voice was pungent with guilt. "And be bought it? What did he want? Did he sound mad?"

     Roger parked the Mustang in a Faculty Only parking space. "He just asked if you were home because he needed to talk to you."

     "About what?"

     "I don't know. He didn't leave a message when I offered."

     Calvin picked up on Roger's irritation. He wanted to ask him why he was so upset, but he was too busy taming his bowel.

     The men got out of the car and walked to Room 100, where the object of Calvin's dread was to lead the Monday morning meeting.

     He cracked his knuckles. Surely, Marlo was going to fire him, despite having no grounds to do so. As always, Calvin imagined the worst.

     Roger looked at his friend. "Quit drawing attention to yourself. You don't even know why he called."

     "He's never called me, Stu. Never. Why would he call now? And on a Saturday?"

     "Beats me. But keep it together."

     As Roger pulled open the classroom door, Marlo walked towards it from the inside.

     Calvin's eyes nearly burst out of their sockets. He took a step back, hoping Marlo wouldn't see him, but it was too late.

     He lost control of his pulse. Genevieve's offer was looking like his only job prospect.

     Roger made room for Marlo to walk through.

     "Good morning, Mr. Stuart," said Marlo.

     "Good morning, Principal Cabrera," said Roger

     Marlo nodded, then turned his attention to Calvin. "Mr. Leblanc, may I talk to you for a minute?"

     Well, this is it. He nodded.

     Roger grinned sympathetically at Calvin before setting foot inside the classroom and closing the door behind him.

     Marlo motioned Calvin to walk with him.

     Calvin followed his brother like he was leading him straight to the guillotine.

     Loyalty was the only thing Calvin could offer Marlo after their mother abandoned him. It wasn't getting fired that scared him. It was the thought of disappointing his one and only family member.

     The brothers put a few yards between themselves and the classroom door.

     Marlo crossed his arms. "I gave you a call this weekend."

     Calvin put his hands in his pockets and kept his voice low. "I, um, was out of town."

     "Roger told me. How was your trip?"

     He knows. How does he know? "W-what do you mean?"

     "Roger told me it was a family emergency."

     Calvin blinked. Despite having worked in theater, he knew his acting skills were pathetic. "Oh, right. Yes, um, everything's fine."

     "I'm glad to hear that."

     Calvin studied his tone, trying to pick up on any upset hints.

     He didn't want to continue the farce. He wished Marlo would get it over with and become angry. "Was that the reason for your call?"

     "No, no. The truth is..."

     Marlo hesitated. He looked up at the ceiling. "My, I haven't done this in so long."

     Calvin kept his eyes down, bracing himself.

     You're fired, Calvin.

     "I wanted to apologize," said Marlo.

     Calvin's lip twitched in confusion. He looked up. "Apologize?"

     "For the last time you were in my office. I know it was days ago, but I felt terrible as soon as you left. I realize I seemed ungrateful and you didn't deserve that, especially after you volunteered to help me."

     Calvin looked at Marlo, searching for signs that his words weren't real.

     Marlo looked every minute of his forty years, as if apologizing drained him of energy. "And you've kept yourself under the radar like I asked."

     He pointed his thumb towards the classroom. "That's more loyalty than I've gotten from any of them."

     Calvin's mind exploded to the sound of his shortcomings, his weaknesses, his past mistakes, everything that attacked his self-esteem. It was the worst kind of shame.

     "Anyway," said Marlo "I needed to get that off my chest."

     He placed his hands on his hips and looked around, a little embarrassed. "So, I'm sorry. And thanks for keeping up."

     Calvin wished for death. He felt unworthy of anything good he ever owned. He wanted to clean, to tell Marlo that he broke his promise, that he was a fraud and a liar. "Principal Cabrera, I—"

     Marlo placed his hand in front of his face. "Marlo."

     Stop being kind to me. I don't deserve it.

     "Are you okay?" said Marlo.

     And don't you dare care about me. Calvin didn't want to cry, but Marlo's concern was almost a trigger. He nodded.

     "Even an old grump like me knows a good teacher when he sees one."

     What was that? Was that a smile? On Marlo's face?

     Calvin cleared his throat. "You don't have to apologize."

     "Mother wanted me to look after you. It's a duty I intended to fulfill."

     Calvin turned away and placed his hand on his cheek just as the first tear slipped from the corner of his eye.

     "Hey, what's wrong?"

     "Nothing."

     His voice cracked. "I just... I still get sad thinking about mom, you know?"

     "I understand."

     "I'm sorry about—"

     Marlo put his hand up again. "Don't apologize for her. It's all in the past, right?"

     He swallowed.

     "I tell these hypocrites to call me by my first name and come to me with their problems, but none of them are as well-behaved as you. The least I can do is acknowledge a good man when I see one. Mother really did a better job with you."

     Calvin felt like the scum at the bottom of his shoes.

     "Anyway," said Marlo. "It's good to know the emergency was handled. Let's go start the week, huh?"

     There was no physical contact. No hug. No handshake. Not back-patting.

     Calvin nodded and followed him to the meeting.

     You're selfish.

     You're a phony.

     You didn't deserve a full-time mother.

     Cinder blocks of guilt stacked themselves on Calvin's shoulders. As painful as they were to carry, he knew he deserved them.

     At the same time, his promise to Marlo was renewed. His loyalty to him multiplied, as did his penance.

     Calvin smiled. He would die fulfilling it. Marlo was family.

     Sorry, Genevieve. My answer is no.