The Vice Principal was on a roll with Ryan's confidence surging from his loins. He roared, "Horst, Carter, I am afraid I have to suspend you!"
"Suspend us? For what?" Carter said leaping out of the chair.
"Yeah, what did we do?" Horst asked nervously. He was sure it had to do with Ryan Standish.
"Brace yourselves, boys. Your whole scheme has come apart. Vinnie's taken it in the shorts. Now it's your turn to pull more than your own weight," the Vice Principal chuckled and his stomach bounced like gelatin, as if he had just told a joke. He shoved his hand in his coat pocket and squeezed the shorts that were Vinnie.
"So this is a joke?" Carter asked.
"An inside one," the Vice Principal replied, "Braces are what they call suspenders in England, and suspenders pull more than their own weight."
He stepped forward and placed his hands on each boy's shoulder. Horst felt the cold metal of Vinnie's medal press against his flesh. Both young men felt themselves dwindling. They were going to be the Vice Principal's suspenders? What happened to Ryan? What happened to Vinnie? There had to be a way out. Their minds raced.
Suspenders?