Page 40 of Finding a Melody
My jaw was sore with how often I had to grit my teeth and fight with myself to ignore them. If I reacted, it’d only make things worse. I knew how this game worked.
I was in my study hall after lunch when I was called down to the principal’s office. That seemed to really get my classmates going as they watched me leave the room. I refused to give any of them any attention or to look upset about having to go. I even gave the teacher a smile on my way out as he handed me a hall pass.
My curiosity only grew as I got closer to the principal’s office. I had a good idea it had to do with the guys. Was I about to get dragged into what happened? Could I even be punished? I didn’t even know what they had planned until they did it.
The secretary smiled at me. She was middle-aged, with blonde hair tied up in a bun, a couple frizzy hairs escaping it. Her makeup was simple and nice. Everything about her seemed sweet. I almost expected her to offer me candy. Or to maybe dig out a container of cookies and give me one.
“Have a seat. Principal Calgary will be right with you,” she said and motioned to the chairs lining the wall.
The main office was small, with pastel yellows and white all over. The secretary’s desk was right by the door, wrapping around Mrs. Nelson. Two doors were off to the left, both closed. Then there was a short hallway leading to two more doors on either side and then another door at the very end. The principal’s office was the one right at the end. I’d been in there a few times. And the door to the left was the vice-principal’s. I also knew that the closest door to me belonged to the office clerk, someone I worked with often when it came to my attendance. Mr. Kardos had a sharp eye and by far was not a stupid man. It had been hard a few times to cover up any abuse I received from my mother.
I wasn’t waiting long before the door opened and Principal Calgary stepped out. She was a short lady with completely gray hair that she kept long, and loved wearing down. Frankly, I was a little bit in love with her hair. She kept such good care of it and rocked it out. Principal Calgary was a beautiful woman, brimming with confidence, and definitely not a person to cross. While she had always been on my side, I’d also heard about students she was more than happy to fight against. She held a zero-bullying tolerance and while schools tended to talk about having it, she ensured something was always done about it when they heard about bullying. It meant that in this massive school with thousands of students, incidents were not often.
“Cadence,” she said warmly and waved me over. “Come in.”
She waited until I was at the door before going inside. I followed, glancing around at the familiar office. Nothing about it had changed. Shelves on the walls were stacked with books, folders, and papers. She had file cabinets lining one wall, a free-standing closet against the other, and then a really clean looking desk with minimal papers on it.
Principal Calgary had always been an organized woman, one I greatly respected.
As I settled in my seat, she asked, “How have you been? I heard about the break-in.”
“Is nothing a secret?” I asked.
She chuckled. “Not in this town.” Then her face grew serious. “I noticed some absences already this early in. I know with everything that happened over the summer and with you working on your physical recovery that things can be difficult.”
“Is that why you called me here? To make sure I’m okay?”
“Among other things.” She leaned back in her chair. “I want to set up a time each week for you to meet with our school counselor. I think it’ll benefit you greatly.”
Once Principal Calgary finished throwing that at me, she waited me out. I stared at her, trying to come up with why I didn’t want to talk to their counselor.
“Required?”
“You know it isn’t. We can’t force anything.”
“Then pass.”
Obviously not the response she wanted by the way her slight smile flattened. “Cadence, we’re concerned about your wellbeing. There is a lot going on in your life and having someone to talk to can help with that. While you are getting all the help you need physically, the school counselor is more than equipped to help you mentally. Not only are you dealing with different traumas, living independently as an adult, and responsible for your own welfare, but someone also broke into your house during your adjustment period. That’s a lot for a seventeen year old. That’s a lot for an adult too. Please, reconsider it.”
“If I say I’ll think about it, will you leave me alone? I’m not really interested in talking to anyone here.”
She frowned. “Is there concern that you think rumors will spread? Confidentiality is the utmost important at this school. Our counselors would never dream of speaking about you to anyone.” Principal Calgary fought to keep from scowling, but the furrow in her brows never went away. It was clear that it was a policy that was important to her. “And if they dared, they’d be lucky to find a job around here ever again.”
I chose my words slowly as I replied. “At this point in time, I’m not interested. I did talk to someone while I stayed at the hospital and throughout the summer.”
The principal’s expression softened. “Okay. I won’t force this, but the offer will always remain. If you need someone, we’ll be here for you. Always remember that.”
At least until I graduated, though I didn’t say that out loud. “I will.” I moved to stand up.
“One more thing before you go,” she said.
I froze and looked at her before slowly lowering myself back into the chair.
“I know that incident from Monday occurred because of you, and I know you had nothing to do with it. You aren’t in trouble.” She chuckled. “The boys were adamant that it was all them and you didn’t know about it.”
“Their punishment, does it need to be five days?”
“Unfortunately, that was getting them all off lightly. Anyone else could have faced a superintendent suspension which is a long-term suspension, but I was able to have it reduced. They have an exemplary record with this being their first big incident. I saw no reason for something like that to be marked in their records to be used against them in the future.”