Marcus frowned. "Why?"
"Because anger tells people something matters. Evidence tells them they can't pretend it didn't happen."
Marcus opened to the first page. Anderson hesitated.
"I knew your mother."
Marcus froze.
"What?"
"Angela Williams. Roosevelt High. We worked on a district curriculum committee together years ago."
Marcus stared. Anderson smiled faintly. "She argued with everybody." That sounded exactly right.
"She did?"
"Politely when possible. Less politely when necessary."
Marcus's throat tightened.
"She never told me about you."
"You were little. Why would she?"
Anderson leaned against the desk.
"Your mother believed records mattered. She used to say memory can be challenged, but a date, an email, and three witnesses make people nervous."
Marcus looked at the notebook.
"Evidence matters more than anger?"
"Not more. Differently. You need both sometimes."
The bell for next period rang. Anderson opened the door.
"Go to class."
Marcus stepped into the hallway, then turned.
"Mr. Anderson?"
"Yeah?"
"If I write it down, will somebody listen?"
Anderson did not lie to him.
"I don't know."
Marcus's face fell.
"But it'll be harder for them not to."
At lunch, Marcus bought cafeteria pizza. So did Aaliyah. So did Devon. Miguel had a packaged sandwich.
Raj ate french fries. Tyler looked around the table.
"Nobody brought food."
Aaliyah shrugged. "I told my mom I'm not bringing anything until Patterson's gone."
"Same," Devon said.
Marcus opened Anderson's notebook.
"Help me."
He wrote the date at the top of the page. SEPTEMBER 15 - AALIYAH JACKSON - BONNET CONFISCATED. Aaliyah corrected him. "September seventeenth. School pictures were the next day."
Marcus crossed out the date and rewrote it.
"What exactly did she say?"
Aaliyah thought.
"She said, 'This is a school, not your bedroom.' Then she called it inappropriate sleepwear."
"Witnesses?"
"Keisha Rowe and Lauren Mitchell. Mrs. Bell at the front office saw her take it later."