“A teacher, an eyewitness from our school board.” Principal Bolan answered their concerns. “Witnessed your kids, Veronica and Tracy, along with three others who fled the school property and skipped the rest of their classes that day. So, do you know what is going on with your children?”
“Of course, we know what is going with him,” Valerie spoke firmly. “The other day they said that they had to be at a friend’s house for homework help or some project.”
“Do you know who that friend of theirs might be?” Principal Bolan asked curiously.
“Well,” Valerie said. “I don’t know if it helps, but it was their close friend, Luis. Luis Lockwood.”
Principal Bolan sighed heavily, as he stroked his silver-grey hair linings, wearing a pair of spectacle glasses, as he looked down on the wooden texture of his office desk. He was middle aged, slender and was healthy looking for his age, since some staff were overweight within the school board.
“What is it?” Frederick Hartburn asked bluntly.
“Lockwood, he was there with your kids, alongside Aiden Alves and Allison Killroy,” the Principal continued. “Have you by any means heard of these kids?”
“Why yes,” Valerie continued. “They were the ones who agreed to go over to Luis’s house to study homework or work on their school project.”
Bolan sighed again, and this time did not stay quiet, simply responded, “I am sorry to burst your bubble. But there are no school projects going on, its 5th day of school just started today and-.”
“Are you accusing my children of lying?” Frederick interrupted and intervened rudely. “Excuse my behavior, but are you really accusing our own children of lying? School project or not, it could have been homework. Why do you have the right to say that our kids are liars? We have known and raised them all of our lives.”
Principal Bolan felt defeated by that statement, he jumped to assumptions and did not think about the homework portion of what the kids said, other than school projects. Before he continued, Valerie Hartburn interrupted.
“Frederick, you didn’t have to say that” Valerie heartedly spoke. “But whether that is true, that part doesn’t bother me. Did our kids really skip school with Aiden, Allison and Luis?”
Principal Bolan answered, “Yes, unfortunately it is true. We have attendance proof for their second half of school yesterday. We understand if it were just one of your kids or even both skipping classes, probably would have been excused but coincidentally five of the same kids? Think about it. I will let you two handle it from here, you will talk and assess your children, if that can’t be done, we will arrange a meeting in my office with them if necessary, depending on their reason for skipping.”
“Alright,” Frederick said understandably. “I understand, you do have the right to be concerned about them skipping the rest of school yesterday, but about that accusation you were making, I will not forget that ever.”
“My sincere apology,” Principal Bolan said. “Alright, do let me know if the situation is assessed, I will be meeting with the Lockwoods, Killroys, and Mrs. Alves lastly, about this same discussion of their children.”
“Miss Alves?” Valerie asked curiously. “What about Mr. Alves? Did something happen to him?”
Principal Bolan sighed heavily and stayed silent for a moment. “Unfortunately, I don’t want to talk about it. Its about Aiden himself, he needs therapy.”
“Therapy?” Frederick asked shockingly. “What is going on here?”
“Mind explaining, what is going on?” Valerie asked also. “You better tell us, since our kids could be in danger with a troubled kid.”
But in the end, Bolan did not want to answer this question, since he got the phone call recently about Mr. Alves going to prison or county jail lockup or temporary cell, for beating up and abusing his wife and kid Aiden. Which is why Bolan having the right to think that something was going on with those five kids. He had the right to worry for those kids and they could be in potential danger, after hearing about Aiden Alves himself beating up his father to defend his mother and himself from abuse. Whether or not, that Bolan made an accusation of their children lying about the school project, he was utterly right in the end that they were hiding something, but he was not aware that his accusation was true in the end.
But after a long silence, Valerie raised her hand in front of her husband to prevent him from stammering words with his firm attitude. Instead, she spoke politely and smoothly, “We have the right to know. We have known Aiden all our lives, he’s a nice kid, friends with our children along with others. I’ve known his mother too for an exceptionally long time, about 20 years of my life.”
“Alright,” Principal Bolan said. “Your children are involved with a troubled teen, Aiden himself. I got a call yesterday about the authorities being called over to the Alves’ house, since his mother called and reported that her husband has abused her and Aiden all their lives. She told them that Aiden has run away, due to his regret for beating up his father to protect his mother. So sorry for my accusation earlier, but I am deeply worried about your children being involved.”
The Hartburns were depressed and saddened to hear this news of Aiden Alves, which now worried them even more about their children being involved with Aiden, but they knew Aiden regretted his actions, all his life he was abused and threatened by his father, Valerie wondered why all these years he a very quiet boy
