“Tell me your concerns.”
My skin turns hot, like I’ve been exposed to the elements and I’m beginning to burn. Bowles looks at me as unamused as ever. “I think Zoey might have more issues than we are equipped to handle. I suspect she might be violent.”
“Suspect,” Bowles repeats. “Can you give me specific reasons why you think this?”
“Well, I’m aware of the knife incident—”
“That was a misunderstanding which took place her first week here. I handled it,” he says firmly. “Go on.”
“And I have reason to believe she is the person who attacked Darcy Moore. I received a note—”
“I’m aware of what you received. Pam gave me a copy of it. I thought I made it clear we would not be addressing the issue.”
“With all due respect, Principal Bowles, how can we not address the issue?” I ask, trying to remain calm. “That paper detailed an attack on another student.”
“A fictional account of what happened. That’s what I read. Darcy Moore admitted she has no memory of what happened.”
“I don’t think that’s true, sir,” I say. “Not anymore.”
He nods. “I assume Darcy is talking to Pam about that night right now, huh?”
“Yes, she is.”
“Did you talk to Darcy about that night?”
“Yes, I did.”
“I thought I was clear about the staff not getting involved.” He looks at me with contempt. “This is an issue that should be handled by the Moores and the police, with Pam working as a liaison between them and the school.”
“Yes, but Darcy told me—”
“Darcy told you. You didn’t track down Darcy and ask her questions? The way you interrogated Adam Bryant?”
I remembered my conversation with Adam. Yes, I was the one to pull him to the side, but he wanted to tell me what was going on.
“I only spoke to him because he seemed upset. I was trying to help.”
“So your conversation didn’t contribute to your vendetta against Zoey Peterson?”
“I don’t have a vendetta against anyone,” I say. “When I see a student is upset, I get involved.”
“And now you’re speaking with Darcy Moore. Asking her questions about that night.”
“She was screaming in the hallway—”
“What about Zoey Peterson?” he asks. “Was she upset when you confronted her?”
“I didn’t confront Zoey—”
“She claims you’ve been rude to her since she arrived, despite the fact she gets along with all of her other teachers and has a solid academic performance in your classroom. She says you all but accused her of attacking Darcy Moore.”
“I didn’t accuse her,” I say, my volume rising. I’ve never openly discussed Darcy with Zoey. I know better. “She’s lying.”
“Pam says you’ve had suspicions about Zoey Peterson for weeks now. You confronted Marge, her new guardian, on Friday.”
“I did, but—”
“So, you’ve confided to two of your colleagues your concerns about this student. You think she hurt Darcy. You even insinuated she hurt her own mother. But Zoey is lying about a confrontation with you?”
“I spoke with Zoey, yes. It was after she had a disagreement in class with Adam,” I say. “But I didn’t accuse her of hurting Darcy.”
“What about your conversation with Darcy? Did you mention Zoey’s name?”
“No, of course I didn’t. I would never lead a student in that way.”
“What did Darcy say about that night?”
“You can speak with Pam. It’s not my place to say.”
“But it’s your place to investigate the situation on your own? You’ve created theories and tracked down both teachers and students to try and prove them right. After I specifically instructed faculty to let the matter go.”
“I think it’s entirely unethical to let the matter go.”
“Unethical.” He pauses, staring at me. “Ms. Helton also told me you visited Zoey’s mother. She told me you called her former schools.”
“I was only trying to get a better idea of who she is.”
“I’m going to be very clear about this,” he says, standing. “Leave this matter alone. I don’t want you talking to anyone else about Zoey Peterson or Darcy Moore. I don’t want you looking into what happened that night.”
“I’m only trying to do what’s right.”
He raises a hand to silence me. “Thankfully, this is our last week of school. Zoey Peterson will not be in your classroom tomorrow. That should make it much easier for you to follow orders.”
“Don’t you think that’s a little extreme?” I ask, blinking hard.
“I think you’ve crossed a line, but because you’ve never done anything meriting disciplinary action in the past, I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt. Just as I did Zoey.”
I grit my teeth at being compared to that sick little girl. Bowles might downplay Zoey’s behavior by labeling her a child or a student, but being a minor didn’t stop her from hurting Darcy. And it won’t stop her from becoming what she’s well on her way to being: a predator. I realize I’m playing into exactly what Zoey wants, which is for everyone else to think I’m the unstable one.
“All I’m trying to do is protect our students,” I say, standing to leave. I begin to cry because my accusations are once again being dismissed, and I know how dangerous that can be. Last time, I was slow to act. Now I’m doing everything I can to bring Zoey’s crimes to light. If only someone would listen.
“I must say, I’m upset you’ve allowed this student to impact your job performance. You’ve had students lining up in the halls waiting to enter your class. Heather told me you left work early on Friday.” He sighs and shakes his head. “Be aware, these incidents will be addressed when the board reviews your application for tenure.”
I close my eyes. This situation is growing, and I’m losing grip. Surely this ordeal won’t cost me my job. How would that look in a town this small? A teacher losing her job because she was obsessed with a student. A rumor like that could tank Danny’s practice. I’ve already been keeping Danny at
