Author's Note: I do not own any of the LOCI characters. I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. All OCs belong to me. Thank you for reading and/or reviewing my story. I certainly appreciate it. :o)
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Friday, September 9, 1977
Hudson-Brooklyn High School
Principal's Office
Before School Starts
Judy Williams, secretary at Hudson-Brooklyn High School, was softly humming "Muskrat Love" to herself as she began to make the first of many pots of coffee for the day. After pressing a button on the coffeemaker, she went over to her desk and sat down. She cheerfully arranged the single daisy that was in the slender glass vase before opening the schedule book, turning to today's date. She quickly scanned the 2 pages, making a mental note of the day's events.
Judy pointed at the 10 o'clock scheduled appointment, repeatedly tapping the page with her pencil. "Meeting with parents of R. Goren and D. Harper" was written on the page. She had been wondering to herself since yesterday afternoon why Mr. Clayton insisted that Mr. and Mrs. Lewis be present for this meeting when Mr. Goren was going to show up. "Surely, Mr. Clayton knows that a child's parents or legal guardians are to be present at these types of meetings," she thought. She had also been wondering if the news of the fight had made its way through the school yet.
Miss Williams looked up when she heard the doorknob being turned. Mrs. Haynes walked in, followed by Miss Wells. "Yep, the whole school knows about the fight." "Good morning, Mrs. Haynes. Good morning, Miss Wells," she said with a smile. "Good morning, Miss Williams," Mrs. Haynes said as she approached the counter. Miss Wells said, "Good morning, Miss Williams. Or should I say Mrs. Harkins?" Both teachers chuckled as they watched Miss Williams turn several shades of red. "Oh my goodness! I don't think I've ever seen anyone turn such a lovely shade of red like that before," Mrs. Haynes exclaimed.
"Me neither," Miss Wells said. Miss Williams cleared her throat as she stood up, smoothing her green wrap dress before walking to the counter. "You shouldn't say that! Coach Harkins hasn't even asked me for a date," she said in a hushed voice. Miss Wells shrugged and said, "So? Why don't you ask him out?" Miss Williams gasped. "I can't do that!" "Of course you can. Ask him to have lunch with you in the cafeteria." A puzzled look crossed Judy's face. "I don't understand." Mrs. Haynes sighed softly as she patted the back of her hand. "Being ALONE with you will give him the courage to ask you for a date," she said.
"Oh! I get it!" Miss Williams said, her face lighting up with understanding. "I'll have to try that sometime." Mrs. Haynes just smiled while Miss Wells shook her head and laughed lightly. Miss Wells pointed with her head towards the principal's office, asking "Is Mr. Clayton in yet?" Judy answered, "Not yet. He should be here in a few minutes."
As if on cue, Principal Clayton walked through the door. He stopped short when he saw Mrs. Haynes and Miss Wells standing there. He shook his head and let out a long heavy sigh. "I do not have time for this," he grumbled loudly as he walked towards his office. "Good morning, Miss Williams," he said quickly. Mrs. Haynes and Miss Wells followed him closely. "Good morning, Mr. Clayton," Miss Williams said, her voice trailing off. She jumped slightly as the door to the principal's office slammed shut behind its 3 occupants.
Mr. Clayton placed his briefcase on the floor beside his desk, then turned around to look at the 2 women standing before him. "I do not have time for any kind of drama this morning," he said sternly. Mrs. Haynes folded her arms across her chest, her weight shifted to one side. "You don't have time for drama?!" she asked, her voice slightly raised in a mix of disbelief and anger. "The Devil himself is about to set foot on school grounds today and wreak all sorts of havoc. You'd BETTER make time for some drama this morning!"
"You cannot allow Richard Goren to come here," Miss Wells chimed in. "There is no telling what he will do or say to Bobby." Mr. Clayton inhaled deeply, holding his breath for a few seconds before exhaling heavily. "Ladies, I understand your concerns and frustrations about Richard Goren. I wholeheartedly empathize with you, but my hands are tied here," he said. Mrs. Haynes shook her finger at him. "That's bullshit, Patrick! And you know it!" Dammit, Lonnie! That's not fair! Richard Goren is still listed in Bobby's records as his legal guardian. You know as well as I do that we HAVE to contact a student's parents or legal guardian in these types of situations!"
"Richard Goren doesn't give a damn about Bobby, his own flesh and blood," Miss Wells said. "All he cares about is himself." "I am well aware of that," Mr. Clayton replied. "At least give me some credit for knowing what an arrogant son of bitch Mr. Goren is." Mrs. Haynes and Miss Wells looked at each other, then at the principal. They both went "Hmmph" at the same time. "Look, Jedidiah Lewis' parents are coming to this meeting," he explained. "Maybe seeing them here will convince him to leave." "Oh, no, it won't," Mrs. Haynes said. "Richard is going to stay. Anything that will give him an excuse to do harm to Bobby will be worth his while."
Mr. Clayton said, "Let's hope that doesn't happen." "What time is the meeting?" Mrs. Haynes asked. "It's at 10 o'clock, but neither one of you is invited to come," he answered. Miss Wells and Mrs. Haynes both crossed their arms and stared defiantly at him. He crossed his arms and stared defiantly right back at them. After a couple minutes of dead silence, Mr. Clayton let out another heavy sigh. "Fine! You can come, but you let ME do all of the talking," he said. "Thank you," Miss Wells said. Mrs. Haynes nodded her head in agreement.
Both women turned around and headed towards the door. As Miss Wells opened it, Mr. Clayton said, "Ladies." They turned to look at him. He said, "When Sherman retires at the end of the school year, I expect to see BOTH of your names on the list of candidates to fill the vice principal position. Don't make me choose." Once again, Mrs. Haynes and Miss Wells exchanged looks. Miss Wells exited without saying a word. Mrs. Haynes pursed her lips for a second. Then she said, "In your dreams, pal," before closing the door behind her.
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Friday, September 9, 1977
Home of Cal and Doreen Reed
Early morning
Doreen leaned down to give Cheryl a hug and a kiss. "Have a good day, sweetie," she said as she straightened up. "Okay, Mommy," the little girl said. Doreen smiled at the woman standing by the front door. "Reba, thank you so much for taking Cheryl to school for us today. I really appreciate it." "Pfft. You don't have to thank me. I'm glad to do it. Richie likes the company," Reba said, waving her hand dismissively. She held out her hand to Cheryl, who promptly wrapped her small fingers around the proffered hand. "We'll see you later," Reba said as she led Cheryl out of the door. "Bye, Mommy."
"Bye, you two," Doreen said. She let out a small sigh after the door was closed. She turned her head slightly at the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. "Was that Reba?" Cal asked when he reached the bottom of the steps. Doreen nodded. He kissed her cheek, then asked, "Are you ready to go?" "Yep. Just let me get a sweater and my purse."
Cal and Doreen rode in comfortable silence as they made their way to Saint Joseph Hospital. "Is Dr. Archer going to be at the hospital this morning?" Cal asked. "He should be," Doreen replied. "The nurse on duty said that Saint Joseph is usually his first stop on Fridays." "That's good." He cast a sideways glance at her. "You're not mad that I'd like to get his opinion about Frances moving in with us, are you?"
Doreen chuckled lightly as she reached over and laid her hand on the back of his hand. "No, sweetheart, I'm not mad. I had thought about that last night, too. You beat me to the punch of saying the thought out loud." Cal lifted Doreen's hand to his lips, giving it a small peck. "Thank you," he said. "I know we both want what's right for Frances," Doreen said. "I just want her to be…happy." "So do I," he said in agreement.
When Doreen and Cal arrived at the mental ward, they saw Dr. Archer standing at the nurses' station. "Hello, Doctor," she said as she approached him. Dr. Micah Archer was 5 foot 8 inches tall, slim build with brown hair that was starting to turn gray at the temples. He reminded Doreen of Michael Douglas, especially with the dimple in his chin. "Good morning, Mrs. Reed," he said with a smile. "Dr. Archer, this is my husband Cal." He and the doctor shook hands. "Glad to meet you, Mr. Reed." "Thank you, doctor. Same here."
"Have you been in to see Frances yet?" Doreen asked. Dr. Archer nodded his head as he answered, "Yes, I have. She's the only patient I have here at this hospital." "How is she? Is she responding to the new medication?" "She seems to be responding well to the new drugs. I'd like to keep her for a couple days longer to make sure everything's good." "Doctor, we'd like to talk to you about that," Cal said. "Releasing Frances, I mean." "Cal and I would like to get your opinion about something," Doreen added. "Of course," Dr. Archer said, pointing down the hall with his hand. "Let's go down to the waiting room so we can have some privacy." Cal and Doreen followed him down the hall.
Doreen and Cal waited until Dr. Archer closed the waiting room door before sitting down on the couch. "Now, what's on your mind?" Dr. Archer asked. "Well, Doctor, Cal and I have been thinking about having Frances move in with us," Doreen said. "We were wondering if….if this possible change could affect her in any way?" The doctor pursed his lips as he stroked his chin. "Has Mrs. Goren ever stayed with you before?" "Oh yes, she has. The longest she's stayed with us was for 2 weeks."
"I see," Dr. Archer said. "Do you have children?" Cal nodded, saying. "Trey is 16; Cheryl is 5." "Is Mrs. Goren used to being around them? Are they comfortable around her?" "Yes to both questions, Doctor." Dr. Archer nodded. He said, "Well, having been Mrs. Goren's doctor for the past 5 years, I can honestly say that I think it would be a good change for her. Especially since she's been with you before." Both Doreen's and Cal's faces lit up brightly. "However, I want to caution you about one thing. Don't try to pressure Mrs. Goren into doing anything she doesn't feel comfortable with." A dark cloud seemed to cross Doreen's face. Dr. Archer reached over and patted the back of her hand. "I know you want what's best for your cousin, Mrs. Reed," he said with a smile. "I just want you and your husband to be aware that undue pressure can be perceived by someone with schizophrenia as an attack on them. They may lash out or have a psychotic break."
A small sigh escaped Doreen's lips. She squeezed Dr. Archer's hand between both of hers and said, "Thank you, Doctor." Cal reached over and shook his hand, saying thank you as well. "You're both welcome," he said. He glanced briefly at his watch, then stood up. "I'm sorry to rush off. I need to get to Bellevue to make my rounds." "We understand, Dr. Archer. Thank you again," Doreen said. She and Cal stood up at the same time. Dr. Archer gave them a brief smile before exiting the room.
"So, what do you want to tell Frances first?" Cal asked Doreen. "Ask her about moving in with us or that Richard is going to the school?" Doreen chewed her lower lip nervously. "How about we just tell her Bobby got into a fight at school and that the Lewises are handling the situation?" she asked hopefully. Cal exhaled loudly. He put his arm around her shoulders and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Ok. Whatever you say," he replied. She smiled at him, then headed out of the waiting room.
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When Cal and Doreen reached Frances' room, they found her standing in front of the window, staring up at the clear blue sky. "Hey, sweetie," Doreen said softly. Frances turned and looked at her. "Hey," she said. Her eyebrows went up in surprise when she laid her eyes on Cal. "What are you doing here?" "I'm here to see my favorite cousin-in-law," he said sweetly. Frances went, "Pfft," then chuckled a little bit. She turned her attention back to the window.
Doreen placed her purse and sweater on the table. She walked over and stood next to Frances. Cal hung back. He sat down in a chair next to the door. He knew well enough to let his wife talk to her cousin alone. "Whatcha looking at?" Doreen asked. Frances didn't respond right away. She kept looking up at the sky. Finally she said, "You ever wonder what the sky looks like somewhere else?" "Yeah, I do sometimes." "I want to go to London and drive on the wrong side of the road."
"Uh, no. Riding in a car with you driving the wrong way down a one-way street was enough of an adventure for me, thank you," Doreen said teasingly. Frances looked at her. "It was YOUR idea to sneak out of the house and take your dad's car to the beach to meet those boys," she said. "I know that, but you're the one who INSISTED on driving since you had had your driver's license for 3 weeks. If you had let me drive, we would have made it to the beach instead of being pulled over by the cops." Cal covered his mouth as he snorted. Doreen narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't you dare laugh, Cal. You're lucky I said 'I do.'"
A smile spread across Frances' lips as she listened to the playful scolding Doreen gave Cal and remembered the wonderful summer she and Doreen had met Cal and some of his friends as teenagers. Doreen noticed Frances' smile. "She's happy. That's a good sign," she thought. Frances said wistfully, "I want to go home." Doreen stroked her hair and said, "You will soon, sweetie." "No, I won't. Dr. Archer just wants to keep me here so he can commit me to a nuthouse." "He's keeping you here to make sure your new medication is working. That's all." Frances huffed. "Whatever."
Doreen decided to change the subject. "Bobby got into a fight at school yesterday," she said. Frances let out an exasperated sigh. "Of course he would while I'm in the hospital. Why was he fighting this time?" "I don't know. Neither he nor the boy he fought would tell Mr. Clayton. So, he's having a meeting with the parents to make them talk." Frances opened her mouth say something, but Doreen interrupted her, saying, "Don't worry. Bill and Susie are going to the meeting." "Thank goodness," Frances said with a sigh of relief. "If the school had called the apartment, Richard would've answered the phone and given the school secretary a piece of his mind."
Doreen looked confused. "Why would Richard be answering the phone at your apartment?" she asked. "Because he's staying there. At least until I get back," Frances answered defensively. Doreen's eyes widen in surprise. "Since when has he been staying at your place?" Frances tensed up and crossed her arms as she turned her whole body towards Doreen. "Since Tuesday night. He came back and asked if he could stay at the apartment. He looked so pitiful, I told him he could!" she replied sharply.
Doreen copied Frances' stance. She started to blurt out "Are you crazy?!" but caught herself before the words flew out of her mouth. Instead, she took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, then released it. "Frances, I don't think it's such a good idea to let Richard wander in and out of your life like this. It's not fair to you or Bobby!" "Don't you dare stand there and judge me, Doreen!" Frances hissed through her clenched teeth. "I'm a grown woman and perfectly capable of making my own decisions!" "Then why in the hell am I standing here arguing with you in a mental ward?!" Doreen thought angrily. She shook her head to clear away the mean thought she just had. She took another deep breath, then calmly said, "I just want what's best for you and Bobby."
Frances, with her arms still crossed, stared long and hard at her cousin. Doreen copied her stance and stared back at her. Cal looked back and forth at each of them without moving his head. He was very familiar with the "battle of wills" face-off Doreen and Frances would engage in from time to time. He knew that they each would hold their ground until the other one gave up. Inwardly, Cal sighed. "This is going to get ugly," he thought. He inhaled deeply, then quietly exhaled before saying softly, "Frances."
Frances blinked before shifting her focus from Doreen to Cal. He said, "We want you and Bobby to be okay. You understand that, don't you?" He was trying to make his voice as calm and steady as possible so that Frances wouldn't feel like she was being threatened. She looked at him for a long time before she finally let out a long sigh, her body visibly relaxing. She rolled her eyes, then turned her attention back to the window. "I know," she said quietly.
Doreen placed her hand on Frances' shoulder, giving it a tiny squeeze. "I love you and Bobby very much," she said softly. "I don't want anything to happen to either one of you. You know that, right?" Frances didn't say anything right away. She kept staring out of the window at the sky. "I know," she repeated. A small smile crept across Doreen's face as she squeezed Frances' shoulder again. She glanced at Cal, who gave her an encouraging nod and silently mouthed, "Go on." She nodded back at him.
"Doctor Archer said that you might be able to go home in a couple of days," Doreen said to Frances. The only reaction she got out of her cousin was a slight shoulder shrug. "Cal and I were thinking that you and Bobby could come and live with us for a while when you get out." She held her breath as she waited for Frances' inevitable angry outburst. But that didn't happen. Instead, she stood there with her shoulders slumped. "You think I'm a bad mother?" she asked with a slight quiver in her voice. "You think I can't take care of myself or my child?" Doreen sighed softly. "No, you're not a bad mother," she replied. She paused for a moment when her cousin turned her head to look at her. "I know you are capable of taking care of yourself and Bobby. It's just that…you need a little help from time to time."
Frances stared deep into Doreen's eyes, searching for even the slightest hint of deceitfulness on her part. But she couldn't find any. Cal had stood up and walked up behind Doreen. He placed his hand on her shoulder alongside his wife's hand. "You don't have to make a decision right this minute," he said softly. Doreen nodded her head. She said, "That's right. Why don't you think about it and let us know on the day you're discharged?"
Frances looked back and forth between Doreen and Cal for what seemed like an eternity. She narrowed her eyes at them, a faint dark look passed over her face then disappeared. "What if I decide Bobby and I don't need to live with you?" she asked. "We'll respect your decision of course," Doreen replied as she and her husband removed their hands from her shoulder. Frances' voice had a hard edge to it as she said, "This will be MY decision! Not Richard's, not Dr. Archer's, but MINE!" "That's fine. Do we have a deal or not?" Doreen said without sounding too snippy. She and Frances stared at each other. Then Frances turned her head to look out the window. After about 5 minutes of silence had passed, she said, "Deal."
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Friday, September 9, 1977
Hudson-Brooklyn High School
Principal's Office
9:25 a.m.
Mr. Clayton walked out of his office, checking his watch against the time on the wall clock. "Miss Williams," he said to his secretary's back. She stopped her typing to turn around and look at him. "I'm going to get Bobby Goren and Derek Harper from their classes." "Alright, Mr. Clayton. Do you want me to put their parents in your office when they arrive?" Mr. Clayton thought about it for a few seconds, then shook his head. He answered, "No, it might be too crowded in there. Put them in our conference room. Seat Derek's mother on one side of the table; put Mr. Goren and the Lewises on the opposite side."
Miss Williams smiled and nodded. "Do you want to have Coach Harkins in the meeting with you?" she asked. "I don't think he needs to here. But I am going to stop by his classroom to see when he wants their suspension from basketball practice to begin." In a teasing voice, she quipped, "Shall I go get Miss Wells and Mrs. Haynes?" Mr. Clayton's shoulders went up and down slightly as he chuckled. "Uh, no. I suspect they'll beat me back here. Just tell them they are to sit off to the side and observe." A small laugh escaped Miss Williams' lips as she watched the high school principal walk out into the school.
10 minutes later, Miss Williams was turning off another freshly brewed pot of coffee. She turned around when she heard the door open. "May I help you, sir?" she asked. Richard Goren looked from side to side before he swaggered in through the door. He was 6 feet tall, had ash blonde hair that was slicked back, brown eyes and a keen nose. He had a small potbelly that was thankfully covered up by the waistband of his dark blue leisure suit pants. Miss Williams pressed her lips tightly together to keep herself from laughing. "No, sir. You are not John Wayne by any means," she thought.
A lecherous smile crept across Richard's mouth as he walked up to Judy Williams. "Yeah, you can help me," he said in between the pops of his gum. He looked her up and down a few times, especially ogling her breasts. "I'm Richard Goren. I'm here about that stupid kid of mine, Bobby Goren." Miss Williams inwardly shuddered as he approached her. She was very grateful that the counter stood between him and her. As he got closer, the smell of alcohol and bad aftershave came with him. The 2 smells together were so strong that Miss Williams had to blink her eyes quickly to keep them from watering.
Miss Williams involuntarily took a step back as she held her breath when Richard leaned against the counter. "Of course. Nice to meet you, Mr. Goren," she said very quickly. "Let me show you to our conference room." She didn't even bother to hold out her hand for him to shake. Instead, she turned around and headed to her desk to pick up a steno pad and a pencil and to take a deep breath of fresh air. Richard wasn't too bothered by Miss Williams' apparent lack of manners. A wide smile covered his face as he enjoyed the view of her backside.
"Please follow me this way," Miss Williams said as she came from behind the counter and headed towards the conference room. "As you wish, doll face," Richard said. "Ugh!" she said quietly in disgust under her breath. She rolled her eyes because she just knew he was staring directly at her butt. When they walked into the room, she walked to a chair and pulled it out. "Have a seat here, Mr. Goren," she said. "We'll be starting in a few minutes." "Thank you kindly, doll face," Richard said as he sat down. She took a step back away from him and asked, "Can I bring you some coffee while you wait?" "I'd appreciate that, doll. Black, extra sugar," Richard answered.
Miss Williams turned around to leave. As she walking away, she heard him utter, "Damn! What a sexy ass!" "What a jerk!" she said softly. As she was pouring sugar into a Styrofoam cup filled with coffee, the office door opened again. Miss Williams smiled when she saw Bill and Susannah Lewis walk in. "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis," she said. Bill just smiled while Susannah replied, "Good morning, Miss Williams." "Would either one of you like to have some coffee?" "No, thank you. I've already had 2 cups," Bill said. Susannah shook her head and said, "None for me either." "Oh, alright," Miss Williams said. "Please follow me. I'll take you to the conference room."
Richard Goren was sitting at the conference room table, looking around and tapping his fingers impatiently. He smiled when he saw Miss Williams walk back into the room, but the smile quickly gave way to a frown when he saw Bill and Susannah enter. "Here's your coffee, Mr. Goren," she said, placing the steaming cup in front of him. Then she pulled out a pair of chairs and said, "Please sit here, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis." Bill followed his wife to where the secretary was standing. He made sure that he sat next to the empty chair that would be between him and Richard. Miss Williams went to stand at the end of the table so that all 3 parents could see her. "Mr. Clayton went to get Bobby and Derek from their classes," she said. "We'll get started as soon as they and Mrs. Harper get here." She turned around and left.
"What in the hell are you two hippies doing here?" Richard asked with a scowl. "We're here because we're concerned about Bobby," Bill snapped. "Why are you here?" "I'm here because the little prick needs to be straightened out." "Oh, please! Give me a break, Richard! If anyone is going to straighten Bobby out, it will be me and Susie." Richard stood up, pushing his chair back. He shook his index finger in Bill's face and said, "Bobby is MY son! I will decide what's best for him!" Bill angrily swatted Richard's hand out of his face before he stood up. "You don't give a damn about that boy!" he said in a raised voice. "All you ever do is beat him instead of trying to give him some love and understanding. Why don't you just go and crawl back under the rock you came from and drink yourself to death!? Make the whole world a better place to live!"
Richard took a small step towards Bill, both of his hands balled up into fists. "Look here, hippie! You need to leave now before I pummel you into the ground," he hissed. Before Bill could respond, Susannah stood up and got in between them. "That's enough from both of you!" she exclaimed. "Sit down and act like adults at least for Bobby's sake!" Richard and Bill stared at each other as they sat down. "You're very lucky I didn't hurt you," Richard said. Susannah stood over him, giving him a hard look. "Bill is not the one you should be worried about," she sneered before taking her seat.
Miss Williams walked through the door just as Susannah Lewis had sat down. She was being followed by Rosalie Harper. Judy escorted her to the opposite side of the table. Richard threw up his hands. "I'll be damned! I'm surrounded by freaking apes and hippies," he said. Miss Williams stopped in her tracks while Bill and Susannah each shook their heads and murmured, "Oh my God." Rosalie looked at Richard, a blank expression on her face. She recognized the look of disgust and hate that covered his face. A look that said, "You know your place. Get to the back of the bus." A faint smile appeared on her lips. "Takes an ape to know an ape, don't you think?" she said calmly.
Miss Williams covered her mouth to hide her smile as she walked away. Bill and Susannah openly chuckled. Richard actually growled deep in his throat. "You had better watch your mouth or you'll regret the things you say," he said. Rosalie's face still remained expressionless. "I'll think about it," she said sweetly. He sulked behind his cup of coffee while the Lewises chuckled again. Susannah stood up, stretching her hand across the table to Rosalie. " Hi. I'm Susannah Lewis. This is my husband Bill." He stood as well. She shook his hand first, then Susannah's. "Rosalie Harper. Pleased to meet you."
"Did Derek tell you why he and Bobby were fighting yesterday?" Susannah asked. Rosalie shook her head. "He went straight to his room when he got home and sulked there for the rest of the night," she said. "I was so mad at him that I didn't want to see his face for a while." "Hmmph!" Richard grunted. "He probably opened his smart ass mouth when he shouldn't have." Rosalie started to say something, but Bill spoke up first. "Richard, shut the hell up! You don't know what happened or why!" Richard placed the empty coffee cup on t he table. "See, Bill, that's what is wrong with Bobby now! You and your hippie wife mollycoddle the boy instead of beating some sense into him to make him a man!"
"Disciplining a child is one thing; abusing a child is another, Mr. Goren," a female voice said. Richard turned around to see Mrs. Haynes and Miss Wells walk through the door. They went and stood over him. He looked them up and down, giving them the same look of disgust and hate he had given to Rosalie. "How I choose to discipline my son is my business, Lonnie. So I suggest you and your fellow ape here back the hell off." Miss Wells opened her mouth to say something, but Mrs. Haynes held up her hand to stop her. "He's not worth wasting your breath on," she said.
Mrs. Haynes tilted her head to the side as she looked at Richard Goren. A few choice curse words ran through her mind, but she thought better of it and kept them to herself. Instead, she turned her attention to the Lewises. "Good to see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, despite this unfortunate situation." "Same here, Mrs. Haynes," Bill said. She turned on her heel and followed Miss Wells to the other side of the table. Miss Wells shook Rosalie's hand before introducing her to Mrs. Haynes. "Glad to meet you, Mrs. Haynes," Rosalie said.
The two teachers walked back to sit down in some chairs that were lined against the wall. Miss Wells raised her hand as if she was going to slap Richard, but Mrs. Haynes got in between them to keep that from happening. When they sat down, she whispered, "Are you trying to lose your job?" "I don't care," Miss Wells answered. "Smacking the taste out of Richard Goren's mouth would be worth losing my job." Mrs. Haynes sighed heavily. "No, he's not. Now, behave."
A couple of minutes later, Principal Clayton walked in with Bobby and Derek in tow. He was holding each boy by their upper arm. He let go of Derek first, giving him a gentle push towards his mother. He then did the same thing with Bobby, nudging him towards his father and The Lewises. Bobby sat down in the empty chair between Richard and Bill. Richard smacked him in the back of his head. "Ow! What was that for?" Bobby asked as he rubbed his head. "That's for making me come down here on my day off," Richard replied. Bobby gave him a sideways glance. "You didn't have to come at all," he said under his breath. His father smacked him again.
Derek snickered at Bobby's misery, enjoying the scene in front of him. When he snickered again, Rosalie slapped the back of his hand very hard. He practically jumped out of his seat as he rubbed his hand. He started to say something, but the harsh look on his mother's face made Derek think twice. Instead he slid down a little bit in his chair and sulked as he rubbed his hand. Miss Williams came into the room, closing the door behind her. She walked to where Mr. Clayton was sitting at the head of the table and took a seat to his left. She flipped open her steno pad, poised to being taking notes.
"Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to come and meet with me," Mr Clayton said. "We're all here to get to the bottom of why Bobby Goren and Derek Harper got into a physical altercation yesterday afternoon." Both boys sat up straight in their chairs, their bodies stiffen as they stared at each other. Rosalie placed her hand on Derek's bicep. "Relax, son," she said quietly and calmly. Bill did the same thing to Bobby. "Take it easy, champ." Richard just grunted. Mr. Clayton studied Derek and Bobby, wondering to himself if he was going to have to actually get the police involved if they started fighting again.
Principal Clayton started to speak again. "I can tell you that Derek threw the first punch." Rosalie let out a long sigh and shook her head. "I asked them both WHY they were fighting. Neither one of them offered any explanation," he continued saying. "I was hoping by having you all here, Bobby and Derek would be inclined to tell the truth."
Richard balled his hand into a fist, then punched Bobby in the arm as hard as he could. He wanted to make sure his son felt the imprint of his ring on his flesh. "What do you gotta say for yourself, boy?!" he hissed. Bobby's eyes watered a little as the pain registered in his brain. He rubbed his hand up and down on the spot where his father had hit him, biting his lip to keep himself from crying out in pain. After a minute had passed, Bobby said softly, "I have nothing to say." Richard smacked him in the back of his head again.
Bill reached behind Bobby and grabbed Richard by the wrist. "Richard, stop it!" He jerked out of the vise-like grip Bill had on him. "Get your filthy hands off me, your hippie!" Mr. Clayton said as he stood up, "Mr. Goren, there is no need for violence here today." Richard stood up, shaking his index finger in the principal's direction. He had a few choice derogatory words to say to him. But as he took in the black man's height and girth, he thought better of it. "Go ahead and say it, you coward. I dare you," Mr. Clayton thought to himself. They stared at each other for s few seconds before they both sat down again.
Mr. Clayton took a couple of deep calming breaths. He shook his head a little to clear it of the vision he was having of seeing Richard Goren being stepped on by him. "Now if cooler heads can prevail here, we'll find why these 2 young men were fighting," he said. He, along with everyone else turned their attention to Rosalie and Derek Harper.
Rosalie turned slightly in her chair towards Derek, "Derek, look at me." He turned his head and locked eyes with his mother. "Why were y'all fighting yesterday?" she asked softly. Derek looked at Bobby. They stared hard at each other, Derek's lip curled as a look of disgust and contempt covered his face. He turned back to Rosalie and said, "Me and Bobby was fighting because he touched CeCe. He's messed with her."