Chapter 2
Aside from the obvious effects of moving and having to start over, things were going pretty good in my new place. I loved the peace and tranquility of returning to somewhere that felt like home. It was so nostalgic living in my grandmother’s house that I could barely stand it. I loved being there.
I’d grown up twenty minutes away. The old adage was true. There was no place like home. It was good being close to my mom and brother although I hadn’t seen much of either of them yet.
My mom had gotten married and moved in with her high school sweetheart about four years ago. It was sweet, and I loved to see how happy he made her. Plus, having a man got her off my back.
When I got to town, I hit the ground running. It had been six days. I had been going nonstop for six days. I had little to no time to eat, make sure Cam was fed, had done his homework, and try to get some rest before I was up and at ’em, hitting the ground running again.
I refused to let my mom’s offer to make sure we were good as long as we moved home, to extend further than opening grandma’s house to us.
I needed to get some funds coming in as soon as possible.
My mom had been more than a godsend when she offered to register Cameron for school as well as drop him off for me every day on her way to work.
There was an after-school STEM program that he was literally begging to get in.
I was glad that he’d found something he liked.
At the same time, he had already gotten into a fight by his second day at his new school.
If it were anything else other than something educational, I would have told his little ass hell no. It was science though.
My hope that finding something constructive to interest himself in would help him channel some of his energy in a positive direction was short lived. Cameron didn’t even give me time to fill out the registration forms and permission slips before he got in trouble in school again.
As I raced down the back roads from Lulaville, I cursed Kendrick and myself with everything in me.
Kendrick wasn’t solely to blame for the turmoil in our lives.
I’d been too complacent. I should have been diligent about where the money came from and where it went.
I trusted him to take care of things. There was no reason for me to think I couldn’t trust him. He was my husband. I was a good wife.
Now my son and I had been uprooted from the life he knew, and I had to leave ten minutes before my third interview this week even started due to Cameron being sent home from school. My car was on two wheels as I barreled onto the street where my son’s school sat.
I was mindful of the speed limit as I attempted to temper my mood before getting to the school. I wasn’t even angry anymore. I was at my wit’s end. I literally felt like I could cry, but there was no way I would go in that building distraught. I couldn’t let my son see me like that.
I knew I needed to keep it together for Cam. Whatever was going on with him, we would figure it out together. The last thing I wanted was for him to think I was disappointed in him. If anything, I was disappointed in myself for the way I was letting my son down.
I found a parking spot near the door and hopped out of my car.
Once I was out of the car, I took a deep breath as my feet carried me closer and closer to the entrance.
Why in the world did I feel like I was walking into the principal’s office?
I mean, I was, but not for me. I was going in on behalf of my son.
I wasn’t the one who was in trouble. I wasn’t the one in trouble, so why did I feel so bad?
I felt like such a failure for not being able to get through to my son.
Cameron had always been such a sweet and bright boy.
Now I felt like I was losing him. Wasn’t it too early for that?
I thought I had more time before he became an angsty teenager that hated everything.
This was still my little boy. I knew there was something I could do to save him.
I just wasn’t sure what that thing was yet.
I was so angry with myself and Kenny for putting Cameron through this divorce. That didn’t mean I would make excuses for my son’s behavior. Something had to give. No matter how much of a pep talk I gave myself, I was fuming when I tore the door open to the principal’s office.
Whatever speech I’d prepared for my son died on my lips as soon as I walked into the room.
As my eyes shifted from a middled-aged man sitting behind the desk to the one who kneeled in front of my son, talking to him, I could have passed out on the spot.
Cameron’s watery eyes tugged at my heart strings as the man held his eye contact and spoke to him calmly.
His calming voice did nothing to settle my nerves.
“Cameron, stand up!” I demanded, capturing the attention of the man speaking to him. My heart sank when our eyes connected. I had to get out of there.
“Harper.” His buttery, smooth voice was barely over a whisper, but the familiarity was loud. My knees felt wobbly as he stood to his full height. How was he even taller now?
“What’s his punishment?” I asked, turning my attention to the man who must have been the assistant principal.
“This is the second incident in less than a week. Clearly, Cameron is having some trouble adjusting to his new environment.”
“This is all new for us both. I never had any trouble out of him in the past. I’m in no way making any excuses for him, but we’ve had a lot of changes lately.”
“Be that as it may, he and the other boy got a couple of days of detention. According to Doctor St. John, Cameron is leaps and bounds ahead of many of the kids in our after-school stem program. He’s interested in joining.
We figured it could be a great way to redirect some of his energy, but it might take some time. ”
“I’m not even sure if I’m letting him participate in the program at this point.”
“Mom,” my son whined.
“Let’s go, Cameron,” I ordered.
“Harper, wait,” Doctor St. John called behind me as I made my exit.
“Thank you both. I’ve got it from here,” I said, taking my son’s hand and not looking back until I was out of the building.
Even then, it was just a quick glance to make sure he didn’t come after me. The last thing in the world I wanted to do right now was talk to him, not yet anyway. Not like this. If Jordy St. John was involved, there was no way Cameron was joining that program now.