Chapter 4

Jenny was reluctant to get on the school bus but knew if she didn't her mother would just drive her to school. Entering the isle of the bus Jenny spied Tracy sitting by herself and being taunted by those around her and Jenny decided to do as Dr. Brackett had instructed her. She sat down next to Tracy even though there were other places on the bus for her to sit.

When the bus arrived at school ten minutes before the first bell Jenny coaxed Tracy to a quiet place to talk where she told her what Dr. Brackett had told her to do and the frightened Tracy agreed to stay close to Jenny.

What Jenny never understood was that her status of a TV news hero and commercial movie star made her a roll model at school and her willingness to spent time with Tracy elevated her status tremendously in the eyes of the others. She also didn't realize that allying her self with a target would make her a target too.

While they waited for the school bell to ring the two girls talked about Tracy's brother and his injuries. Tracy didn't really say a lot she didn't have Jenny's understanding of medical things and really just knew that her brother was allowed to come home from the hospital and that now her mother was going to miss a couple of days of work to take care of him but that wasn't really so bad because her mother didn't feel well either.

The first part of the school day was spent taking a math test and then talking about a chapter in their history books. When the recess bell rang several girls approached Jenny asking her to play jump rope with them and Jenny quickly said yes but not before reaching out and taking a hold of Tracy's arm pulling her into the group, cementing her place as Tracy's protector.

Tracy willingly spent the whole recess twirling the rope while the girls took turn jumping and even though Jenny noticed Mr. Bunker watching her friend close the only time he approached her was when she went to get a drink before lining up to go back to class. Jenny noticed his advance on the lone girl and hurried to walk with her and get a drink also before putting her arm around the girls shoulder and guiding her to the line up.

During lunch Jenny again pulled Tracy into her group and although the group was quieter than normal a friend of Jenny's was a friend of theirs.

Jenny and Tracy were a little slower than the rest of the girls getting their lunch eaten mostly because they talked as much as they ate. When the rest of the girls left to go play Tracy confided in Jenny that she was worried about her mom and Brother. After depositing their lunch trays, Jenny took her friend to the trusted school nurse and helped her request permission to call home.

With Jenny's aid and friendship with the school nurse permission was given and Tracy made a call home from right there in the nurse's office.

Jenny helped the nurse put away a box of supplies while Tracy talked in the office and when she was done the two girls walked together toward the outside door to play until it was time to go back to class.

Jenny could tell her friend was worried but the worried looked turned to true horror when they heard. "Tracy Baldwin, you get over here right now."

Both girls turned around to see Mr. Bunker standing there with a yard stick in his hand and Jenny didn't hesitate to take a hold of Tracy's arm and start running for the nearest outside door.

They managed to stay hidden in a spot Tracy had found until the bell rang and then the two girls hurried to be one of the first one's in line. Mr. Bunker still walked toward them with an angry look on his face and slapping his hand with the yard stick when another teacher walked up to him with a tight hold on the upper arm of the trouble making Mark Jackson.

"Mr. Bunker, I believe this boy is one of yours," the teacher's tone was one of anger and disgust herself. "I personally saw him lifting girl's dresses to look at their underwear; I suggest you take him to the office because if I do he's likely to be black and blue before he gets there."

Jenny couldn't help but notice that when Mr. Bunker took over the hold on the problem student that his hold was much gentler than the other teacher's was, but what brought the greatest relief to Jenny was that she and her friend were now in the clear at least until the next recess.

When the bell rang announcing the last recess of the day Jenny tried to get her teacher to allow her and Tracy to continue to work on their art project that they started. When she said no the two girls again made their way to the nurses office and Tracy was again given permission to call home. Again when they were making their way out side Mr. Bunker ordered Tracy by name to come to him and then refereed to Jenny as her friend asking her to come too.

Jenny turned a round and again noticed the yardstick in his hands and the intimidating way he slapped his palm with it. Again she took Tracy by the arm and together they ran into the girl's bathroom. Fortunately it was the school nurse that came into the bathroom to check on them and escorted them out and back to their class room just as the bell was ringing. Jenny watched and the nurse spoke privately with their teacher but when the teacher didn't say anything once she returned to the classroom Jenny began to relax.

When the bell rang signaling the end of the school day Jenny felt that it had lasted an entire week but even as tired as she felt she still had to help her friend through the gauntlet one more time.

Together the two girls dove into the mass of students heading out of the building, she was watching for Mr. Bunker so hard that she didn't notice that she and her friend had gotten separated in the crowd until they were out side. Once she was out of the building she reached out to hold her friends hand in preparation to run for the bus when she noticed that she wasn't there. When she couldn't find her Jenny did the next best thing she could think of and watched for Mr. Bunker, as long as Tracy wasn't with him she should be alright. As the doors to the bus opened Jenny was moved inside between other students and when everyone was in a seat Tracy was seen on the next row and three seats behind her. Jenny quickly crawled across the person who was sitting on the isle and went back to sit with Tracy. As the bus engine started and the bus pulled away Jenny let out a big sigh of relief but Tracy clearly didn't feel the same way.

00000

At the DeSoto residence Roy had been awake for about an hour in mental preparation to have a talk with his daughter and hopefully find out what she was dealing with before he and his wife made a move to step in. He was watching the clock and could almost hear the school bell ring as he started calculating the time it would take his children to get home. That's when the phone rang.

Roy listened to his wife answer the phone and heard her talking, "I'm sure there must be some misunderstanding, yes, yes, yes of course we'll meet with you. Yes tomorrow morning at ten, my husband and I will be there."

Roy could tell by the tone of his wife's voice that something was wrong but before they could talk about it there was a knock at the door.

Roy answered the door to find Captain Stanley standing on the door step as they noticed his truck parked at the curb. "Hi Cap, What brings you here?"

"Hi Roy, I still need to slay or at least tame that monster I created yesterday with your daughter. I figure you and your wife are planning to have a nice serious talk with her as soon as she gets home and I thought if I could straighten her out about talking to her parents she might open up to you a little better." Hank explained as JoAnne came up behind her husband as he listened. "I promise as soon as I get her to understand that it's alright to talk to you I'll leave and let you deal with this as a family."

"Thanks Cap but you didn't need to go out of your way," Roy motioned for his friend to enter.

"We do appreciate it though," JoAnne offered, "I couldn't get a word out of her last night."

"I'm sorry for that Jo, I promise you, I never intended for her to feel like she shouldn't talk with her parents I did try to explain to her that it was alright but I also got the feeling that she might take that stand once she'd hung up the phone," Hank explained.

"Thank you for your concern," JoAnne extended a hand of friendship, "The kids should be at the bus stop in about ten to fifteen minutes could I get you something to drink while you're waiting?"

After sharing a picture of lemonade and talking amongst themselves Roy and Hank made the short walk to the bus stop together to wait for the children.

As the other parents, mostly mothers talked amongst themselves, Roy rehearsed in his mind how he would send Chris on ahead so that he and Cap could peel off with Jenny for their little talk. They had talked about sending Chris to a friend's house but felt he likely knew something of the situation too and should be involved in the family discussion.

Hank stood at his side rehearsing in his mind the words he needed to use to get it through the little girl who thought she was a grown up's head that she needed to talk with her parents and let them help her deal with what she knew.

When the bus came around the corner both Roy and Hank stood erect in anticipation. The air brakes sounded and the bus doors opened and the kids began to file off the bus and greet their parents or just group together. Chris came off with four other boys talking amongst themselves about a baseball game that took place in PE where one of them had hit a home run. Not one of those boys seemed aware that anyone else was around until Roy placed his hand on his son's shoulder.

"Oh hi dad," then with some surprise, "Hi Mr. Stanley, Is everything all right?"

"Yes," Roy answered with a smile, "Why don't you and your friends go on a head and I'll come with Jen when she gets off."

"Okay dad," Chris answered and started to walk away with his friends as if their conversation had never been interrupted.

A few more children got off the bus and then the driver lifted a little boy with crutches down then as Roy waited for Jenny the bus doors closed and the bus started to pull away.

Stunned Roy ran after the bus and started pounding on the door before it was fully on the road. The bus driver opened the door to find out what this man wanted.

"My daughter didn't get off the bus," Roy talked quickly and with some concern.

Roy was invited on the bus to look for her and it didn't take him long to realize she wasn't on the bus. As the panic grew exponentially in his chest Roy pulled his wallet out and flipped to a picture of Jenny asking if he had seen her. The bus driver was embarrassed but he couldn't remember if she was on the bus today or not.

"Had anyone here seen Jenifer DeSoto today?" Roy called out for all on the bus to hear. No one answered and several of the kids just shook their heads.

Roy wiped his face with his shaking hands then turned to his Captain thankful he was there just the sight of him gave him focus.

The two men ran for Roy's house and once inside the door Roy picked up the phone and dialed the police.