Behind Closed Doors
AN: I had an idea for this story, so I decided to write it down but what happened instead was the first chapter. I trust you will like it.
"This is just a moment in time. Step aside and let it happen." (Brett Matthews, Firefly)
"Michonne Grimes," she answered almost immediately when she noticed the school's number on the call display.
"Hello, Mrs. Grimes. It's Mrs. Peletier. I'm the headmistress at R.J's school"
"Yes. Is something wrong with my son?" Michonne asked rather rushed in the interest of advancing the conversation. Her time was worth money and at that particular moment, they were minutes away from closing a huge multimillion-dollar merger.
"No. RJ's fine, but his teacher Mrs. Anderson brought an issue to my attention today. It's important that we meet to discuss it as soon as possible."
"I'm sorry, I'm heading into a meeting in fifteen minutes and I'm not sure, I'll be able to make it out in time to pick him up today. My husband's on pick up duty today, so he'll catch me up later."
"Actually, we'd prefer if he didn't. It's a rather delicate matter."
"Excuse me?" She responded not quite sure what she heard. The audacity of the pompous woman to insinuate that her husband, the fucking sheriff should not pick up his own son. She never liked Mrs. Peletier's vibe from the start, from the moment they were interviewing to find a potential school for RJ, the woman just rubbed her the wrong way. Rick never wanted RJ in a private school either, but he conceded because it made her happy and Alexandria Academy was a fine school. It was prestigious and she knew the right schools on one's resume opened doors later in life. That said, however, Mrs. Peletier always gave her the impression that notwithstanding the fact that she was a successful black woman and married to the sheriff of their town, their child still was not worthy of being there amongst children of the elite political types, doctors, lawyers, and professors.
"What are you trying to say to me?"
"Ma'am, it's a rather delicate matter. It's not something we should get into over the phone, but I would strongly recommend you make alternate arrangements to pick up RJ today."
"Oh. Okay, bye." There was a click ending the call on the other end of the line. Michonne looked at the phone confused. She didn't have much time to think, she had to find Aaron and fast. He was going to kill her, but what choice did she have.
Aaron was in his office. He stood as she entered. "Are you ready for this?" He asked with excitement bubbling in his voice.
"Aaron, sweetie something came up. You'll have to do it without me."
"What? We did this together you need to be here for this."
"I know, sweetie. But something's wrong at RJ's school. I have to go because they don't want Rick there."
"Oh shit, did he arrest one of their husband's or somebody's lover?"
"I don't know, but I'm about to find out. You got this… You can reach me by phone."
"On one condition."
"Yes?"
"I get the dirt as soon as you dust the floor with them."
"What dirt? This is about RJ. I'll have to find out from Rick who he's pissed off later."
"Either way, you'll have to tell me all about it."
"It'd be so much easier if you just enroll Gracie there. At least I'd have someone to go to these functions with because Rick hates them and they know it."
"Paul hates that type of school."
"Yeah, yeah… offer him a bribe." Michonne added and kissed his cheek and turned to leave.
...
Michonne: Babe, I got a call from the school. I'm on my way there. No need to pick up RJ.
Rick heard the buzz of his phone as he walked out of the shower. After he dressed, he retrieved the message. He didn't understand what was happening. First, their son was acting out of sorts and now his wife. Michonne knew he was off for the next few days. And he knew she had a big meeting at work, so he didn't understand why she was on her way to pick up RJ when she could have simply called him to do so.
Rick: Everythang okay?
Stopped at the light, she quickly responds.
Michonne: Yes. Almost there. I'll fill you in later.
Rick left with nothing else to do went to the kitchen to decide on what to prepare for supper.
Michonne arrived at the school thirty minutes later. She was seated in the outer office, waiting for her walk-in appointment. Somehow she couldn't escape the feeling as though she was on display in a glass bowl. A few teachers went in and out and some of the staff hung around making small talk with each other and texting.
Finally, Mrs. Anderson walked into the outer office. The blonde had changed her look. She went from the drabby hair with a lacklustre appeal and frumpy clothes to loose wavy curls framing her face, a blue silk blouse, a black form-fitting skirt with matching shoes. Ironically, that day Michonne wore almost the very same outfit. She wore her locs in a top bun, a black designer suit with a royal blue silk top, black pumps, and she carried a large designer handbag.
"Mrs. Grimes, I'm so happy you could make it," Jessie added and offered her hand to Michonne.
Michonne stood to meet the woman but her hand remained at her side. The last time she and Rick attended a parent-teacher function, the woman could not keep her eyes off her husband. She pretty much ignored her the whole meeting addressing Rick the whole time.
"Mrs. Anderson."
Just then, the pixie-cut silver-haired headmistress, Mrs. Peletier magically emerged from her hidden lair. "Mrs. Grimes," she added with a phony smile and an outstretched hand.
Michonne took her hand and gave it a firm handshake.
"Please follow me. This way, please."
Both Michonne and Jessie followed her down the hallway to the right to her office.
….
Seated behind the ornate desk on her throne, Carol Peletier as the nameplate on her desk stated was dressed in a relatively modest pantsuit, white blouse and pearl necklace and studs tried to look authoritative. She summoned many powerful parents to her office before, but she never had an issue dealing with them personally because the subject matter was always the same, a child or children behaving badly.
Truth be told, Carol Peletier never liked any of the parents. They were from different socio-economic classes ones she couldn't comprehend. She knew her place… she was the help. Her job was to mould young minds and that she did with great pride.
On this day, however, she was at a loss for words because she wasn't sure how to delve into a conversation that was about to bare a part of who she was to light. She loved her job, but that was it, a job. She has never had to reveal herself to the parents and or her employees except for the one who sat in the room right now.
Michonne was co-partner of a prestigious mergers and acquisitions firm in Washington. She didn't try, she looked authoritative.
Jessie, who was seated to her left was a timid and insignificant person and as such, she remained quiet waiting for her boss to lead the conversation.
After what seemed like an appropriate amount of time waiting for someone to say something. Michonne cleared her throat. "Mrs. Peletier, based on your call earlier, I was under the impression you needed to see me and whatever you had to say couldn't wait. what seems to be the problem?"
The woman who sat rigidly in her ergonomic chair with her hands clasped atop the heavy mahogany desk seemed to come alive once more. She cleared her throat and apologized. "Pardon me, There's really no easy way to say this Mrs. Grimes especially to a woman of your stature in our community, but…"
"I understand whatever it is must be difficult, but just say it."
"Well, Ma'am, for the past week Mrs. Anderson noticed that RJ hasn't been his usual out-going self. He's withdrawn from his friends. Initially, we thought maybe he was being bullied. When asked he said no, so we watched him closer just in case.."
"We've noticed a slight change ourselves. He's been a lot more clingy than usual, so I chalked it up to his father being away so much. He's had to put in more hours because of the flu bug going through the station."
"I understand, you both have very hectic schedules. But this morning when his father dropped him off, RJ was different."
"I don't understand, different how?"
Jessie piped into the conversation as she was the one who witnessed the exchange between father and son.
"He's usually very affectionate with both of you when you walk him to class and say goodbye. He wasn't that way this morning. In fact, he came straight to me and hugged me until such time his father gave up and left his backpack on his desk. He didn't even watch him leave."
Michonne looked at the woman as if for the first time. Her recapping of the situation didn't sit right with her. It didn't sound like her son at all. And Rick hadn't mentioned anything to her. She needed to talk with her son but also made a mental note to get a referral for a child therapist because whatever it was, was obviously something more serious than she first thought.
Michonne clutched her chest. "It doesn't sound like RJ at all. I'll speak with him and look into getting a therapist for him. I truly appreciate you bringing this to my attention."
"Ma'am, is everything okay at home?" Mrs. Peletier asked.
A puzzled look crossed Michonne's face. "Yes. There has been no upheaval if that's what you're insinuating. As I've said, the only change has been his father being away so much, but it will change he's home for the next few days."
"The reason why I asked… it's because RJ feels something's wrong at home…"
Michonne didn't like what was being implied. She felt judged the same as she did while being forced to sit in the exterior office while the staff came and went gawking at her.
Carol slid a sheet of paper across the dark ornate desk. It was a drawing. RJ's drawing. Michonne took the sheet of paper and looked at it. Her breath hitched at the image depicted before her.
"We know that your husband is a lawman. He's surrounded by violent types all the time. He's a good man but sometimes try as they might the stress of their jobs spills over into their personal lives. The sheriff would be no different."
Michonne looked up. She shook her head as the implications came clear "No. No. There's none of that in our house."
Jessie reached for Michonne's forearm and spoke, "Mrs. Grimes, it's okay. You need not be ashamed. We both know what it's all about... domestic abuse doesn't discriminate… my ex-husband is a renowned heart surgeon... Your husband arrested him two years ago when he broke my jaw. Imagine, I thought he was one of the good ones."
"And mine was a policeman too," Carol Peletier added. "If he's hurting you, he won't stop… he'll say he's sorry, but they'll be a next time and another and another after that… you'll feel trapped because his friends won't arrest him and the beatings will continue until he leaves you with no choice at all."
"There's help… we can help you and RJ, but it means getting you out of town before he figures out your plan. With him being the sheriff and all, we have to act quickly." Jessie added patting her forearm. "You're gonna be okay, I promise."
Michonne empathized with both women but added, "I'm sorry for whatever you've gone through. I truly am but this is something else," Michonned added pointing to the drawing before her.
Neither Carol nor Jessie seemed to understand. Both women continued their efforts to calm Michonne. "Yes, the denial is the first step but lucky for you we both recognized the signs. We weren't so lucky ourselves." Carol continued in a soft matronly tone as she stood beside Michonne and placed her hand on her shoulder and offered her a kleenex box for the tears she denied herself.
Michonne continued to study RJ's drawing. It was a picture of their bedroom from the point of view of the doorway. There was a brown figure in a reclining position on what appears to be a bed and in front of the bed was an angrily scratched red blob.
Michonne suddenly felt claustrophobic. "You don't understand, that's not a drawing of my husband beating me… he was fucking me!" She blurted out. "RJ wasn't home, he was next door with my father. He must have come home at some point and heard us." Michonne felt her temperature rise as her head fell forward from embarrassment. "We're trying for a second child… that afternoon, we both rushed home because I was ovulating and my parents picked up RJ from school." She offered as a means of explanation.
Both Jessie and Carol gulped and their complexion reddened from embarrassment because neither knew what to say after Michonne's disclosure.
"Now, if you'll both excuse me, I'll take my son home now."
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