Ontario High School

Things got weirder and weirder. Starting high school is hard enough, but I felt more awkward than I could have ever imagined. I started going to Ontario High School. Some of my friends went to Upland High and other schools. I took the standard, required classes for a 9th grade student. The first part of the year was so- so. The worst part was PE. I hated PE. This was the one class were it didn't matter what you knew. It mattered who you knew. It seems like if you played Little League or Pop Warner football, then you did okay in PE. You knew how the games were played. You usually knew which team you'd be on. Well, I didn't even play any sports and everybody knew it. I got picked last every time. Yelled at when I wasn't able to leap 30 feet in to the air to catch a baseball. Laughed at when the guy who was on the varsity football team "knocked " me down playing flag football. Okay it was more of a tackle. I soon learned that it was possible to avoid this. It was actually easier than I thought. The PE teachers were also fashion police. If you weren't wearing proper school approved PE clothes, you would be reprimanded and forced to walk the track. Ontario's colors were maroon and gold. They had to free of logos other than the school's logo. If you wore anything other than maroon and gold, it was a major offense. If you wore burgundy and gold, you might skate by with a warning. If you wore yellow and red, it was called a half suit. Anything beyond that, you took the hit and went to walk the track. Well, this sounds ridiculous but it was. I was already thinking the school was a waste of time and now this was just stupid. Well, my parents didn't care whether or not I needed maroon shorts and gold T shirts. So I wore whatever I had. Blue shorts, Black shorts, Red shorts, etc. Got yelled at all the time. To push things a little further, I would wear the gold shirt but only after I had gone after it with a razor blade. Looked like I got into a fight with a wolverine. "WILLCUTT!! WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?" I told them, politely that it was my PE clothes. "WELL, YOU JUST EARNED ANOTHER NON-SUIT!" Now I'd be directed to the track to done time for my crime. Then  it was off to the next class. Things were going okay.
Back at home, Bob and Sheelah's problems were escalating. The previous "Cold War" situation in the house took an ugly turn. Late at night, I'd hear yelling and glass breaking. Things were starting to get out of hand.
After the Christmas break and right at the start of the 2nd half of my Freshman year, my schedule was changed. I don't remember why, but all of my classes were switched around. One change that was really puzzling to me was my new history class. It was a bilingual class. The majority of the the class spoken only spanish and I didn't speak any. I tried to explain this to Mr. Vargas, my school counselor. He just said, "Sorry, there's nothing else available." I tried to stick it out, but man it was hard. I was the only non- Hispanic guy in the class and everyone was mad that I didnt speak spanish. I'd wished I learned it, but still I did understand. I tried to explain my problem to Bob and Sheelah. They thought I was lying about the ESL history class and matters just went from bad to worse.
It was about February when they had a wonderful idea. Dave is going to Maine to live with his Grandma. With Dave gone, maybe things would get better for Bob and Sheelah.