Chapter 15 – The Talk

John closed his office door and sat down.

"Is everything ok with Beca?" She was very nervous. She hadn't once been called in to see the head since Beca started here.

"Let's just say, it's been an eventful morning. Before we start, would you like a drink?"

"Just a water, please?"

"RITA"

"Yes, John?"

"Can you bring a water in for Jordan, please?"

"Of course"

Rita came in the office with a glass of water for Jordan.

"Right, I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news here, but, erm, Beca has walked, well, I'll rephrase that, she's stormed out, not once, but twice in the past hour and a half. I was able to catch up with her the first time but then she was able to get on her bike and go, and after she got back, she stormed out about 20 minutes ago, I couldn't catch up with her this time."

"You're kidding me right? Oh god, I'm ever ever so sorry, she's not done that since her last school"

"Unfortunately, no, I'm really sorry"

"I'm sorry I thought she was past the disruptive stage when she joined"

"She is, well sort of, she does still struggle, I've asked the faculty to let me know if she gets sent out, and they do. However, since her being here, this is the first time I've dealt head on with her anger. I need to ask you something. What do you know about a Miss Aubrey Posen?

"I know she was her old teacher. I tried getting Beca to open up, but she just shut me out. At first I was able to just talk to her, but something changed when her Dad passed away, and that was when she went off the rails. I had a few meeting with her and the previous head of Beca's school, but I don't know. Beca kept saying something about constantly failing her, but other than that, I don't know. Her old school never really got me in unless it was to deal with her anger. As you know, she can lash out. She did used to be Beca's counsellor, but that didn't last long. In the end Beca would just be home. Then one day, she hit her head, and that was it, expulsion"

"I'm sorry, I spoke to Aubrey and she made it out like it was a personality clash"

Jordan said nothing other than just nodded.

"She's not a counsellor, here is she?"

"Who, Aubrey? No, just an English teacher. Look, I will be honest, I don't want to do anything drastic about Beca's behaviour because this is the first slip up, she'd had since arriving. However, until I have seen the proof myself, or she comes and talks to one of us, I can't do much. I can look into it, but there's only so much I can do, until she makes a complaint"

"No, I get that. What's happening with Beca?"

"Well this is the bad bit, I had Aubrey in here with me, but she said she wouldn't talk unless she was out. But as I don't know the ins and outs, I said she was staying, and I threatened to suspend her. So, she said suspend me and in her words 'welcome to hell' and that was that. If you can get her to come in tomorrow and bring her in that'd be great, otherwise, yes she's on a week's suspension"

"Ok, you said about her anger, how bad was it?"

"No bad, no one got hurt, but she did use a lot of language and a lot of doors were slammed, so it could've been worse. I have seen her file. I know what I'm dealing with. Please don't think we're going to give up on her, because we're not. My rule is to never give up on a student"

"Look I am sorry, John, I will talk to her"

"Ok, please bring her in if you can, otherwise like I say, she's on a week's suspension"

"I'll talk to her when I get home, I just hope she's there"

"Thank you for your time, Jordan, and I am sorry. It's the start of a new semester and she's settled in well"

She could sense he was genuinely sorry. They shook hands and she left his office.

Once she'd got out of the building Chloe spotted her.

"Hi Jordan, is Beca ok?"

"I honestly don't know Chloe, she'd ran off before I got here"

"Again? I thought I was able to calm her down" Chloe looked sad.

"Do you know what happened?"

"Not completely, she said she'd tell me later. But she mentioned something about her getting suspended. I don't know what happened, she was going to her locker, and the next thing there was lots of shouting and Beca got on her bike. When she came back, she said something about Miss Posen bringing up bad memories. Is she suspended? Are you going home or back to work?"

"Hmm, ok. I'll have to talk to her. At the moment, she is suspended, unless she can come in tomorrow. And no, I'm heading home to see if she's there. Look, Chlo, bring the girls round after school. I'm sure she could do with friends. We will figure out what's going on"

"I will do, thank you"

Chloe hugged Jordan and watched her walk away.

She got to her car and phoned her boss.

"Hi, it's Mitchell here, can I speak to Derek?"

"Hold on two moments, I'll put you through"

"Hello, Mitchell?"

"Hi Derek, I'm really sorry Beca's gone AWOL from school and I need to find her, I'm so sorry. And I'm going to be late in tomorrow, I have a meeting with her head first thing"

"Hey, no worries Mitchell, go find her and I'll see you tomorrow. Hope she's ok?"

"Thank you, Derek and me too"

Just before Jordan left the school, she text Beca.

Mum (10:54) - Hey, I'm on my way home, please tell me you're home, I'm worried about you.

Her phone buzzed.

Beca (10:55) – Look, Mum I'm so so sorry, I get it if you're angry, but yeah, I'm home

Mum (10:55) – Ok, I'm on my way. Message Chloe, she's worried. We're talking. X

Just as she sent that she drove home.

"Beca, where are you?"

"Upstairs, Mum"

"Can you come down here?"

"Right, before you say anything, we have to go to school first thing for a meeting with Mr. Harris. I get why you flipped at her Beca, but every other teacher who tried to help you to calm down? I know your anger can be bad but why didn't you call me? Especially as I know you went AWOL twice. I'm not furious, I'm just annoyed you didn't talk to me sweetheart. How long has she been there?"

"I'm really sorry mum, and she started today, she gave me a detention tonight the second I opened my mouth"

"Right, well you know how I feel about you skipping those, but you're not going back today, and, I've spoken to Chloe, she's going to be round after she's finished school, with the girls"

"Is he doing anything about her?"

"Not at the moment no, but he can explain that tomorrow, but they will be trying to do more for you than your other school did"

"How can they do that? The only way they can do more for me is if they sack that heartless twat. She tried to blame me for her getting sacked"

"She got sacked?"

"Apparently so"

"Harris didn't say that to me?"

"I don't know, I'm just telling you what she told me. Mum I don't want to go back there"

"I know babe, I know, but this was the only school that would take you here looking at your records and you're coming up to important years, I don't want you moving now. And I can't move until we've been here a year, that was part of the deal"

"Great, I'm stuck here"

"Just please don't get expelled Beca"

"Can I at least make her life a misery, so she quits?"

"I'm not even going to answer that because you know the answer"

"Worth a try"

"Look, can you talk to me? What happened? Chloe said something about her ruining your life?"

"She just never helped me. Those counselling sessions with her were shit. She was awful, I was glad when we left. It just all angered me, out of everywhere and she comes to Georgia? Like why? To make my life hell?"

"Becs, talk to me, you never told me properly what she did?"

"I promise I will talk one day, you need to go back to work. Are you coming with me to school tomorrow?"

"I wasn't, no, but I can if you want"

"Please"