Chapter 8 A stolen childhood.
In the principals office.
"Carrie, we need to know what Margaret did to you". Said Principal Henry. When Carrie said nothing, he took his face in his hands. He didn't know why he even tried. Carrie wasn't going to say anything.
"Why?" All the adults in the room stirred up. It was the first thing Carrie had said in 15 minutes.
"What do you mean, sweetheart?" Answered Mrs Watson utterly confused.
"Why do you all want to know that?" Whispered Carrie.
"Carrie, from what we have seen your mother isn't treating you right". Answered Mrs Holt, worry in her eyes for the young girl.
"She loves me" Said Carrie, but you could hear some doubt in her voice. "Sometimes she gets mad, but she only wants the best for me."
"No she doesn't! If she loves you she wouldn't hit you and lock you in a fucking closet!". Screamed Mr Frogg, the stress of the day getting to him. Miss Desjardin and the others threw him a look. Getting angry would not help them.
"Carrie, please we only want to help you". Pleaded Mrs Martina. On Mrs Martina's words Carrie exploded.
"Why do you all suddendly care?!" The adults took a step back from Carrie, who was looking at them with a murderess expression.
"For the last 16 years you all ignored me or treated me like crap! You never gave me a chance! You all asumed I was like my mother! You allowed my fellow students to bully me! You never came to me to see if I was alright! You, you…"Carrie broke down in front of the adults. All the anger, sadness, fear and shame from having her home life revealed came out at once. Carrie was crying, her body pressed together. It felt so good to finally let all the emotions she had free for everybody to see.
After some time she dared to look up. Rita Desjardin walked towards her and took Carrie's hands, making Carrie look at her.
Carrie had expected many different looks: indifference, disgust or maybe glee, but was met with eyes who were full of worry. As were the other eyes in the room.
"Carrie, whatever has happend isn't your fault". Rita insisted as she looked at Carrie. "Your mother shouldn't have treated you the way she has and is still doing. We want to help, all of us," The other adults nodded their heads.
"I know you have no reason to trust us, but we want to be better…I want to be better". Carrie took a deep breath and turned towards Principal Morton ready to tell them everything.
In the cafeteria.
The students, teachers and adults were waiting for Carrie and the other adults to come back. People didn't scream anymore, only whispers between parents and children and friends where heard. Suddenly the doors opened and from there Mrs Martina, Mr Frogg, Mrs Holt, Mr Snell, Mrs Watson and Mrs Drew appeared. The first thing that everyone noticed was that Carrie, the Nurse, the Principal and Mrs Desjardin weren't with them.
"Hey Beth, could you please give me a glass of water?" Asked Mr Snell to the lunch lady. Beth started walking to get a glass of water, but was interrupted by Mrs Drew.
"Me too".
The woman wouldn't mind something stronger but now was not the time. 5 minutes later Beth came back with water.
"Where are Miss Desjardin, Carrie and Nurse Johnson" Asked Norma Watson. The six people looked at each other. After 1 minute Mr Frogg took the word.
"Miss White, Miss Desjardin and Miss Lopez are at the moment at Miss Johnson's office to nurse some of Carrie's wounds". Before people could ask more, Mr Frogg shook his head.
''I understand everyone wants to know how Carrie is but we don't have permission to tell you everything she has told us. Not only that but I doubt that what she has told us is everything. Descriping 16 years of abuse takes much more then half an hour." People flinched. Of course they had their suspicions when they had seen that scene, but hearing it was different.
The adults in the room felt their anger rising, how could Margaret do that to her own daughter? Knowing Margaret's version of sin they had no doubts that Carrie hadn't done anything wrong to begin with!
''You all really are something'' Said Billy Nolan as He stood up and addressed the entire room. "So let me get this straight, did no one know before this what that nutjob was doing to her own daughter?"' Everyone denied the accusation. Chris pulled on his jeans trying to make Billy sit down. But he refused, feeling his anger increasing.
''Should one of you guys not have noticed something?'' Billy Nolan asked the teachers. They teachers looked down in shame.
''What about you?'' Asked Billy to Rachel Spies. "And you?'' Billy asked Norma Watson. "Just admit it, you all are sorry now but from what I can see you did not exactly treat her right before this. But that does not matter now does it? Now you know you can all pretend to be sorry and blame everything on her. So a toast for all the good boys and girls in the room!"
At his last words multiple girls started crying. Mary and Donna Thibodeau, Rachel Spies and Sue Snell were being comforted by their parents who threw Billy Nolan angry looks. Billy only turned angrier at their tears.
"Don't you dare to weep, That woman has a reason to cry, what have you gone through to deserve to cry''. Said Billy Nolan. Before the situation could escalete Geraldine and her collegeu Maggie McGregor interferned.
"That is enough Mr Nolan." Billy Nolan turned to look at the two officers.
''No problem, I have said what I wanted to say''. Billy sat down with a smirk. After Billy's outburst there was complete silence. Nobody dared to say a thing.
Because there was some truth in what Billy had said. If they for one second had tried to know Carrie, really known Carrie maybe they could have noticed that something was off. Most of the students felt especially bad. They had bullied Carrie for something that she wasn't to blame. While some things were still unclear, most things that they blamed Carrie for could probably be traced back to Margaret White. If they hadn't be so stupid in their believes they could have figured this out years ago and put a stop to it.
That was the hardest part to swallow. While most people felt horrible, there were still some people who did not want to accept blame and tried to blame everything on Margareth in their minds. Suddenly Mr Fromm coughed from his chair.
"You are right Mr Nolan'' Said Mr Fromm as People looked to the teacher. "What our students have and would have done is horrible and believe me when I say that from now on that kind of behavior will have dire consequences, but we too failed Miss White." Mr Fromm looked at the other teachers.
''We are the adults and we should have set the good example for our students, but we let our bad blood with Margaret White cloud our judgement. I can't speak for the rest of us, but I will try everything in my power to make it up to Miss White, what the rest of you do is in your own hands." Mr Fromm sat down, leaving the rest of the room to ponder in silence.
In the nurses office.
Carrie was with nurse Lopez , the principal and Rita in the nurse's office. She was lying on a bed while the nurse was nursing some of her wounds and bruises on her arms. She was happy, but also terrified. After she had told the grown ups everything, they had taken her to the nurse for some treatment. They had told her it wasn't her fault and that they would take care of Margaret. She didn't know if momma would let her go without a fight, but she trusted Miss Desjardin.
Things fell still so unreal. Just this morning she had no one, but now she felt that things were going to change.
For the better.
Almost everyone was so sweet to her since the movie. Her fellow students had even promised to stop bullying her. Would they be her friend? It was such a crazy thought. But with everything that was happening today , everything seemed to be possible. It would be so nice to have friends! Carrie's thinking was disrupted by the voice of the nurse.
"What?" Stutters Carrie.
"I said that I and the Principal will talk in my office" Said the nurse. "We will be back in 15 minutes". Not a moment later the principal and nurse were gone, leaving Carrie and Miss Desjardin alone.
"Is everything okay Carrie do you need anything?". Asked Rita Desjardin.
"No thank you, Miss Desjardin…I am fine". Said Carrie. She was telling the truth. She wasn't angry at Carrie, but at Margaret. The only thing that was holding her down from hunting down that woman was the unseen being that still kept them locked up and Carrie.
What that woman had done to Carrie...How could she have done that, to her own flesh and blood…And how had all of them be so blind to notice it? She snorted. They had all noticed some things, they just had not wanted to connect the puzzle pieces. Not till they were forced kicking and screaming to see it. She watched Carrie looking to the ground. She could not imagine what her student was feeling now, having her privacy invaded like that.
While the being that had shown them the movie had spared Carrie the humilation of her first period, there was still the matter of her mother hurting her and trying to hurt her being shown to almost the whole town. The only good thing that came out of this was that Margareth would be arrested. She would make sure that woman would pay.
''Carrie did you say something?'' Asked Rita Desjardin as Carrie looked to her
'' I said what is going to happen now?'' Said Carrie. Miss Desjardin took a breath, trying to not upset her student.
''Well, your mother is probably getting arrested and being interrogated about how she treats id Rita
''She is not going to like that''. Said Carrie as Rita could not help but snort.
''No, I don't think she will, but she has brought that down on herself it is not your fault in any way, alright''. Carrie shuffled.
''She won't let me go, she will kill me before letting me go'' Said Carrie. Those words made Rita's insides go cold. Rita took her student's hands and looked her right in the eyes.
''Listen to me Carrie, no matter what happens next we, I won't let that happen. I will make sure that Margaret will never hurt you again, okay? I promise''. Carrie nodded taking back her hands. The room was silent for a while, the two woman waiting for nurse Lopez to get arrie was looking at the wall with one of her hands now touching her neck a distant look in her eyes.
"You know Carrie once this is over what would you like to do or have first''. Asked Rita to Carrie.
"Can I have a pillow?" Asked Carrie timidly. Rita cursed Margaret in silence.
"Yes you can have a pillow honey". Answered Rita. Before she could say more Henry Morton appeared in the door frame.
''Are you ladies ready to go back?'' Asked Henry as Carrie hestitated. Principal Morton saw this and smiled at the young woman. "I will go first of course and make sure that no one asks questions you don't want to answer miss White''. Rita and Carrie threw Principal Morton a grateful look before standing up and following the man back to the cafeteria.
In the cafetaria.
The people in the cafetaria were waiting for Carrie, Rita and the principal to come back. Miss Lopez was already in the cafetaria. She was slightly pale and refusing to talk to anybody, no matter how many people had begged her to say something. The only one she had talked to was a collegue from the hospital, asking if when they were done with the movie they could examine Miss White further to look if the abuse she had suffered had left more damage then was visible with the open eye. The doors of the cafetaria opened and principal Morton came in the cafetaria.
"You all don't have to worry. Carrie and Rita will come in a few minutes time". Said principal Morton. "We will continue to watch the movie after they are back." Before people could ask something, he continued. "You can ask Carrie questions or talk with her during the next break, but I ask of you all to respect her privacy and if she refuses to talk about something to respect that".
''Anyone who does not respect Carrie's privacy will face detention with Miss Desjardin." That shut up the student body pretty quick. No one liked the thought of facing detention with Miss Desjardin. Especially now. 10 minutes later Carrie and Rita walked threw the doors of the cafetaria. Morton noticed the looks of guilt in his students eyes when they were looking at Carrie. Maybe he should make a list who when was allowed to talk to Carrie else it might become a mess.
When everyone was back at their place the screen started to play again. The movie had started again; showing the town of Chamberlain what else their future would hold.
And done! I really like writing this chapter and I hope you will like this new version too.
Through the story I will not outright say things but I will at certain points hint at things from the book. I wonder if you all have noticed it?
Small spoiler: Carrie has used without knowing it in this chapter her telepathy. Can you all say when?
And she might start to remember a certain memory. I will try to include the deleted scene with the falling stones, because it is such an important scene but I want to finish this story as soon as possible. Mmmm maybe I will first finish the main story line and afterwards include some deleted scenes or should I do it now? What do you want?
Cheers!