"Mike phone's for you!" Mike sighed as he walked over to the desk and picked up the phone. He looked out at the workstation as he answered the phone.
"Hello, this is Mr. Scott.
"Mr. Scott, this is Roseville Middle School. We are calling about your daughter."
"She is hurt or is her life in danger?" Mike asked.
"No sir, what we—"
"Don't fucken put that in water you damn moron! Are you trying to kill us dumbass?!"
"Sir I beg your pardon?"
"Call my wife! I am in the middle of training an employee so— don't touch anything!" Mike yelled as he hung up the phone.
Lucy was writing on the white board. She almost dropped the marker as she was startled by the phone ringing. "I am sorry, class. Let me answer real quick" Lucy said grabbing the phone. "Hello, this is Lucy Scott how can I help you?"
"Yes, ma'am this is Roseville Middle School; we tried to get a hold of your husband concerning your daughter."
"He is an emergency contact"
"Ma'am this is an emergency."
"Did my husband hang up on you?"
"Yes"
"Then it was not an emergency. I am in the middle of teaching class. I don't want to be bothered because my husband hung up on you."
"Ma'am we are sorry for bothering you, but this is an important call concerning your daughter."
"If she isn't in the nurse's office or being rushed to the hospital then it and she can wait until I get off work. I am understood?"
"Yes ma'am sorry for the inconvenience."
"Now, who can finish the sentence I started writing?" Lucy asked getting her class back to learning.
Lucy unlocked her van climbed into the driver's side closing the door. She made a fist as her cell phone rang. "Hello?" she answered in an irritated tone.
"Bad day at work mom?" Ben asked.
"Sorry honey. No, what's the matter?"
"Is Kimberly with you? She isn't home."
"Her middle school called me. I am on my way there right now."
"Does that mean dad will be making dinner?"
"Yes honey." Lucy said as she drove out the parking lot. "I have to go; I will talk to you when I get home."
"Ok… bye mom."
"Bye honey." Lucy said hanging up.
Lucy sighed as she parked the van. She got out of the van and headed towards the front office of the middle school. She slapped her hand on the counter of the front desk. "I was called about my daughter, Kimberly Scott."
"Ma'am please calm down."
"Ok fair enough." Lucy said taking a deep breath. "Now my about my daughter please."
"Yes, ma'am is in the principal's office." The secretary stated. Lucy walked to the principal's office. She knocked. A rather tall brown cat answered the door.
"Please come in Mrs. Scott." He said opening the door for her to walk in. Lucy saw her daughter seated in a chair Lucy sat down in the chair next to her daughter. "Now Mrs. Scott, your daughter struck another student in the face."
"She punched someone in the face?" Lucy asked looking at her daughter who was looking at the floor.
"If you use the basic terms, then yes. And we want to make sure this doesn't happen a third time, and—"
"Hold on! This is the SECOND time my daughter has punched someone in the face?"
"Yes, and would like to insure this doesn't happen and again. Also that there is fit punishment for this violence." The principal stated.
"Kimberly? Why did you punch another kid in the face?" Lucy asked her daughter.
"Mrs. Scott, are you suggesting there is ANY justification for this?"
"I would like to hear from my daughter why she punched someone. Is that alright with you? I think the top priority should be to make sure this doesn't happen again. I raised my daughter not to hit others."
"Well ma'am it seems you didn't do a good enough job."
"Excuse you?" Lucy said standing up.
"Mrs. Scott, you just told me you raised your daughter not to hit others, yet she has done it twice now. You can't see my concern?"
"I am just surprised as you are that my daughter would hit anyone!" Lucy said looking at her daughter.
"Ma'am this really wasn't that big of a surprise to me." He stated. "Now I can tell this is a rather big surprised to you.
"You're darn right I am surprised. My husband and I will make sure this doesn't happen again. And if she ever THINKS about going this again! There will be will 'you know what' to pay." Lucy said grabbing her daughter by the wrist. "I am truly sorry, for my daughter actions. I wish I had known the first time this happened."
Lucy tightly gripped the wheel as she drove out of the middle school parking lot. She was very unhappy. As she parked the car in the driveway she told Kimberly to hand over her phone. Kimberly gave her mom her phone and went into the and up to her room causing her brother to have to slide to one side to avoid being ran over. Lucy opened the front door and sighed. "Mike…"
"I am in the kitchen, dear." Mike answered. Lucy walked into the kitchen. "What happened with Kimberly?" Not good since you have her phone in your hand.
"She punched someone in the face. They called us the SECOND time it happened." Lucy said collapsing in a chair.
"What? I know she takes after you, but… Never mind dear!"
"Mike"
"Yeah"
"Does she know how to add contacts to her phone?" Lucy asked looking through her daughter's phone.
"Of course she does, she showed Ben how to do it." Mike said. "I watched it" Mike said seeing his wife look at him with disbelief. "Why do you question it?!"
"She has FOUR contacts in her phone."
"Doesn't Ben have like… damn it how many was it?"
"Michael!"
"What Lucy?"
"Home! Ben's cell! Your Cell! My Cell!" Lucy said shoving his daughter's phone in his face.
"Ok? Why are you worried?"
"Ben has how many?"
"I asked you."
"I think it was…" Lucy started counting with her fingers.
"Let's just go with over ten, not including us." Mike said trying to Lucy to stop counting.
"Ben has brought some friends home."
"Lucy, our daughter punched someone and now is when you're looking through her contacts?" Mike asked in disbelief.
"I was going to send them a text telling them Kimberly got her phone taken away, but all there is us!" Lucy said standing up. "I think it's time someone had a talk with our daughter."
"Are you telling me because you expect me to do it?"
"You stayed home since she was born till she started preschool. I am basically a stranger to my daughter. Plus you're the FUN parent."
"You're always going to be a stranger to her unless you talk to her more. No one said parenting was EASY Lucy."
"Michael!" Lucy yelled.
"What?" Mike asked almost jumping back.
"You make it sound if our kids are a burden! What if one of them heard you say that?!"
"Ok sorry dear." Mike said turning his attention back to cooking.
"Ok I will go talk to Kimberly." Lucy said leaving the kitchen. Lucy climbed up the stairs. She opened Kimberly's bedroom door. "May I come in?" Lucy asked. Lucy saw Kimberly sitting on her bed, her back facing Lucy. Lucy closed the door and walked over sitting next to her daughter. "Kimberly we need to talk. I want to know what's wrong, honey." Lucy said wrapping an arm around her daughter and pulling her close. Kimberly leaned on her mother. "Why did you punch someone? Didn't we teach you not hit?"
"I am sick of getting bullied."
"Kimberly…" Lucy said hugging her daughter. "You should say something to your father or I, or a teacher."
"You told me I should stand up for myself."
"I did, I didn't mean with your fists… but I should have been clearer…"
"They left me alone after I punched that jerk in the face!" Kimberly said. Jerkface! Lucy shuttered as the thought came into her head. "You ok mom?"
"Sorry, why did you do it a second time?"
"They bullied me asking what color my boxers were, asking if I a bigger dick than my brother. They asked me why I wear a bra! They bullied me! I wasn't going to get depressed so I punched the bitch in the face… and… mom I don't want to go to school anymore!" Kimberly cried into her mother's chest. Lucy rubbed her daughter's back.
Lucy was rinsing the dishes and preparing them for the dishwasher. "Mike, you have a minute?"
"Sure, love, what?"
"Kimberly is being bullied, verbally."
"Really! I am going to give the principal an earful for that!"
"I thought you would, but Mike."
"Yeah?"
"I am going to ask you a question I haven't asked in over ten years."
"Ok?"
"How do to deal with the abuse?" Lucy said facing Mike and looking him in the eyes.
"This isn't word for word… but why are you asking me? I married you didn't I?"
"It's for our DAUGHTER!" Lucy yelled. "Mike she needs her dad to help her with this."
"Ok?"
"Mike you're the closest person to her. Talk to her!"
