Branded - Eric Walters [17]
“Unfortunately, yes, starting Monday as scheduled.”
“But…but…they’re made in a sweatshop… by child labor,” I sputtered.
“Yes, it is unfortunate that they were not made by a more reputable company.”
“Almost every company in the world is more reputable!” I snapped. “There’s only two that are worse, and they don’t make clothes!”
“So what do you suggest we do?” Mr. Roberts asked.
“I think we should get uniforms from another company.”
“The board has a contract with this company to supply the uniforms. They’ve been paid for and delivered before anybody knew anything about this.”
“Then maybe we should forget the uniforms and stay with regular clothes,” I said.
“We can’t do that either.”
“Why not? You’re the principal. You run the school. Just say we don’t have to wear uniforms!” I exclaimed.
“It isn’t that simple,” said Mr. Roberts.
“Sure it is. Just pick up the microphone and make an announcement.”
“Ian, this decision was made at the board level, by my bosses. I have no choice.”
“But…but…but…” I had no idea what more to say.
“Boys, I want you to know that I have pursued this to the top level of the board, and I’ve been assured that this company will never be used again.”
“But we’re still going to have to use them, have to wear them this year, regardless?” I asked.
He nodded his head. “I fully appreciate how difficult, how confusing, how unsettling this must be, but there is no choice.”
“There are always choices!” I snapped.
He got up and circled around his desk and sat down on the edge right in front of us.
“I want to tell you boys that I’m pleased— no, more than that—proud of you for wanting to take a stand against this, but you can’t. I’ve been told that students or staff that do not wear the uniforms will be suspended.”
“I’m not afraid of a suspension,” I said.
“Maybe you should be,” Mr. Roberts said. “You’ve been suspended once before. A second suspension on your file could really affect your ability to get into a good university.”
I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t think it was fair or right for us to wear these uniforms—but…
“I think you both know that I have high regard for you. I only want what’s best for you. And because of that I’m going to ask you to do me two favors.”
“What do you want us to do?” I asked.
“I want you to do nothing. First off, don’t tell anybody, and second, please do not try to do anything about it. Can I have your word on that?”
“Sure, that works for me,” Oswald replied.
I didn’t answer.
“Ian?”
“I don’t want to give my word if I don’t know that I can keep it.” I got up to leave.
“Ian, I don’t want you to do anything rash. I don’t want to have to punish you, but you know that I’ll do whatever I have to do,” Mr. Roberts said.
“I understand that,” I said. “And maybe I have to do what I have to do.”
I walked out the door. I’d only gone a few feet when Oswald caught up to me.
“Okay, this is going to sound strange, especially coming from me, but don’t do anything stupid,” he said.
“I didn’t say I was going to do anything,” I replied.
“But you didn’t say you weren’t. How about if we both agree that we don’t tell Julia anything about this? She would go crazy!”
“Maybe we should tell her!”
“That wasn’t a suggestion. That was a warning. What good would it do to tell her?”
“Okay, maybe you’re right…maybe…maybe not…I don’t know what we should do.”
“Who says we have to do anything?” Oswald asked. “The only people who know about this are me, you and Mr. Roberts. I don’t think he’s going to be telling anybody. If we keep our mouths shut, who’s going to know?”
I didn’t know what to say to that—in one way he wasn’t wrong, but in another way he was completely wrong because I knew. Why did I look at that website, why did I notice who made the uniforms? Being ignorant and innocent would have been so much easier.
“Let’s just keep it to ourselves for right now,” Oswald suggested. “My mother says you can’t un-tell something once you’ve said it.”
“That’s good advice.”
“Yeah. I’ll even try to practice it myself this time.”
“I just didn’t expect that