My Dad Uses Me to Rule the Class

Zack Curtis's father, Justin Curtis, is his homeroom teacher, and he rules the class by punishing his own son. Every mistake Zack makes becomes a public lesson: a slap for a lost mark, a needle for a stolen chip, a beating in front of the other students so they will fear the man in charge. Steve Norton, the favored class representative, mocks Zack and reports him, knowing each report brings another punishment.

What Justin does not know is that Zack keeps a small notebook, deducting a point for every time his father uses him to assert authority. The count has reached ninety-nine. One more punishment will set him free, and Zack quietly works to bring that final point about.

At home, the same man cooks dinner and speaks of the hardships of raising a son alone, while at school the punishments continue. Between a father who needs an example and a son who is counting, the next blow may be the last.