Chapter 5

Confrontation

As we drove to the school, my mother tried to make small talk about some new movie that was coming out soon, but I wasn't listening. All I could keep thinking was that I was going to have to go back into that horrible place, and see those two horrible girls.

Regardless of how much my mother and Miss White told Tara and Sarah to eave me alone and even if they were punished for it, it would not fix things. It would make them worse. Adults never seemed to get that.

Nothing I could do to stop this now, though. I didn't have the energy to try, anyway. All I could do at this point was ride it out and hope for the best.

We arrived at the school, and thankfully there were only a few student still hanging around, most waiting to be picked up by their parents. When they saw me they stopped what they were doing and stared at me, looking away quickly when I met their eyes. Those who were in groups whispered to each other as we walked by.

I recognized them, but didn't know any of them. They seemed to know of me, though.

My mother didn't notice any of this.

We walked up to the reception counter, and my mother informed the secretary (whose name I forget) that we had an appointment with Miss White. She told us to go right in, that she was expecting us.

Miss White's office, according what I've heard, used to be the teacher's lounge, but it was barely used because all the teachers preferred to congregate in Ken Gordon's classroom. She turned it into her office about six years before, but Gordon died shortly after she did this. The rumors are that he was butchered in his garage, but no one really talks about it much. Some kids who were walking home from a movie late last August said they saw a police car from Brahms, a nearby town, and Miss White's car parked at the school. People started wondering if maybe Gordon's murder had been solved, or if there were any new developments, but nothing was mentioned. Miss White seemed visibly troubled about something for months afterwards though, and even now still acted odd, especially when dealing with bullying at the school.

Recalling this, I began to wonder how she would respond to what Tara and Sarah had said.

Miss White looked up from her desk. "Hello, Angela," she smiled sweetly. "Mrs. Orosco," she said to my mother. "Thank you so much for coming. Please, sit down." She gestured to two comfortable-looking armchairs in front of her desk. A remnant from the teacher's lounge, no doubt.

Tara and Sarah were nowhere to be seen.

"Don't thank us," my mother said, taking a seat. "Thank you for agreeing to see us. Angela is terribly upset about the vile things those two little brats said about her. I certainly hope you plan to do something about this."

"We here at Midwich Elementary take bullying very seriously, Mrs. Orosco, I assure you."

"Please, call me Veronica." My mother said. "Where are the two girls, anyway? You had told me on the phone that we would all be meeting to discuss the incident."

"They should be here soon. I have already spoken to their mothers and they have agreed to bring them here. I am sure they will arrive any minute."

No sooner did she say this that a knock on the office door was heard. The door opened, and both Tara and Sarah entered, looking all repentant and sad, followed closely behind by their mothers.

Miss White stood up and crossed the room to greet them. "Mrs. Baker, Mrs. Munn. Thank you so much for coming. I apologize, but there is simply not enough room in here to accomodate all of us. Would you mind waiting outside for a little bit while I speak to the girls and Mrs. Orosco? I'll call you in to speak with you and Mrs. Orosco alone shortly."

Mrs. Munn complied quietly, but Mrs. Baker sniffed. "I don't even know why we're here. I heard what you told me on the phone, and my daughter simply would not say anything like that. She's a good girl, and you're wasting your time. That girl," she pointed at me, "is lying."

"Excuse me?" My mother replied defensively. "My daughter is not---"

"Please." Miss White interrupted, holding her hand up to silence them. "Mr.s Baker, I promise you that there will be plenty of opportunities for you to plead your daughter's case in a little while. For now, I really need to speak with the girls and Mrs. Orosco alone."

Mrs. Baker glared at my mother and me, then turned and left the room, leaving Tara and Sarah, still all innocence and piety, alone with us. Miss White told them to take a seat on the couch against the wall, to the right of where my mother and I sat. She took a seat on the couch opposite the girls. "Angela, Veronica, if you could both turn the chairs around to face us, please, we can all discuss this matter."

We did, and as soon as we were seated again, Miss White looked at me. "Angela, would you please begin by telling us exactly what happened yesterday afternoon?"

I took a deep breath and, as calmly as I could, I told them everything that had happened from the time I decided to try and make a friend to when I ran out of the school and phoned my father to come get me.

Of course, I left it at that.

As soon as I was finished, my mother crossed her arms and glowered at Tara and Sarah. They both shrank into the couch as they took in the hateful glare.

"Thank you, Angela. That's exactly what your mother told me on the phone. Tara, Sarah, what do you have to say for yourselves?"

They looked at each other, and I knew they were deciding whether or not to try and lie about it, or fess up and face the consequences. They chose the latter. "I'm really sorry, Miss White. We really didn't mean for it to blow up like this," Sarah said. "We only did it because Tara likes Billy, and she was angry at Angela for trying to compete with her for him." Tara nodded, her eyes on her hands, which were folded on her lap.

"What?!" I cried. "I was not competing with you for William's attention! I don't like him like....like that. I just wanted a friend."

Tara looked up at me, tears in her eyes. "I know that now, Angela. I overreacted. It was stupid and mean of me. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you the way I did."

Miss White smiled. "Well, that seems to sort all of this out. Thank you, Angela, Tara, Sarah. If you'll excuse us now I'd like to speak with your mothers briefly, alone."

She led us out of her office and into the courtyard, where Mrs. Baker and Mrs. Munn sat on a bench, talking. She led them back into the school, leaving me alone in the courtyard with Sarah and Tara. There were no other students in sight.

The two of them glared at me. Their eyes were so full of rage, I actually became frightened. I turned and walked across the courtyard to the large clock tower nestled in the corner. I sat on the steps outside it, and hoped they'd leave me alone.

They didn't.

I watched as they strode over to where I sat. They stood looming above me, boxing me into the corner.

"You dumb fucking little bitch." Tara snarled.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Sarah said. "The trouble that you have gotten us into?"

"You should have kept your mouth shut. You have made things so much worse for yourself now. And, if you squeal on us again, you'll really regret it."

With that, Sarah spat in my face. The two turned and crossed the courtyard, taking their seats on the bench. I wiped the spit off my cheek, then curled my knees up to my chest and tried not to burst into tears.

"Let's go out to the swings. I'm sick of looking at the slut." Tara said, loudly enough for me to hear a few minutes later. The two stood and left the courtyard. I kept my face buried in my lap. If anyone saw me like this I'd simply tell them that remembering the incident had upset me.

Minutes that felt like hours passed. As I began to wonder if Miss White or my mother would ever come find me, I heard the crunch of a footstep in front of me.

I lifted my head, and gasped when I saw a girl standing in front of me. She looked a little younger than me, and she had short black hair, much like mine. She had a few bruises on her face, and her eyes looked incredibly sad. I didn't recognize her. "Who are you?"

The little girl didn't respond. She turned on her heels and ran across the courtyard, vanishing through the doors into the school.

I stood up and followed her, but the hallway of the school was deserted. I walked over the the reception desk and asked the secretary if she had seen the girl run past here. "Little girl? No, I saw Tara and Sarah leave out the front doors, but I didn't see anyone else."

Miss White's office door opened and Mrs. Baker and Mrs. Munn exited. The secretary told them where the girls were, and Mrs. Munn and Mrs. Baker made their way toward the front door. As she passed me, Mrs. Baker paused for a moment. "I'm sorry," she said softly. Then she continued for the door. Miss White poked her head out of her office and called me in. I took a seat in the same chair I had before.

"Angela, Tara and Sarah are both going to be grounded for a month at home, and they also have detention for two weeks during recess here. Let me apologize once again for the horrible things they said to you." She smiled at me. "Oh, my sweetie, you remind me so much of her...." She stopped in midsentence. "I'm sorry. Angela, Veronica, thank you for coming. I hope to see you back with us again tomorrow, Angela." I nodded, confused by what she had said.

My mother and I left the school, and headed for home. I had to pretend that I was okay again, now that my mother thought things were all fine-and-dandy, as she put it.

The sky was dark and full of rain clouds.