Chapter 6
Chapter Six
“Did Master Beau drop you off this morning?” Sadie whispered during math class.
She leaned so far out of her seat, Palmer worried she might fall right out of her chair. Palmer smiled brightly before nodding so fast that her curls slapped her in the face.
“That’s so exciting!”
Palmer nodded again. It was exciting! He’d walked her to her seat and pressed a kiss to the top of her head before telling her he’d be back to get her when class was over.
“Sadie, turn around, please.”
“Sorry, Master Grayson,” Sadie said even though she didn’t settle back into her chair right away. Palmer didn’t really think she was sorry either. She certainly didn’t sound sorry—just petulant.
“Are you going to do anything with him after school?” Wren whispered. At least she’d been quieter than Sadie.
Palmer nodded, studying the register she was working on even though the numbers were blurring together.
“What?” Sadie pressed. She was still perched precariously on the side of her chair.
Palmer shrugged, twisting the hem of her unicorn shirt around her fingers.
She was glad the girls were talking to her.
She liked feeling included, but she really wanted to be a good girl and talking during Master Grayson’s class was not being a good girl.
Good girls listened during lectures, even if they seemed to drag on and on.
“You don’t know?” Wren questioned.
“You should come to the pool. Daddy and Master Travis are taking Wren and me after classes.”
“Yeah! Come to the pool!” Wren added too loudly.
“Oh, can I come too?” Callie asked, leaning between them.
Nerves made Palmer’s tummy tighten. “Can we talk about it later, please?” Palmer finally whispered. “I don’t want us to get...”
“Girls, is there something you’d like to share with the class?” Master Grayson asked.
The class went quiet.
Palmer’s tummy fell to her feet and her eyes filled with tears. Oh no.
“Well?” he asked sharply.
Master Grayson was looking at her, only her.
“I’m waiting, Palmer. Is there something you’d like to share with the class?”
Palmer’s eyes filled with tears. She’d thought Master Grayson was her friend, why was he glaring at her? Why was his voice so hard?
“N-no, Ma’am,” Palmer stuttered.
Someone giggled.
“I- I mean, no, Sir.” Her heart was caught in her throat and her chest rose too quickly as she tried to find her words.
It felt like there wasn’t enough air in the room and far too many eyes on her face.
Before she even realized she was standing, her chair scraped against the floor and she was running from the room.
Colorful posters and cubbies filled her vision as she fled, her only hope to escape the classroom.
She didn’t know where she was going, but she knew she couldn’t stay there.
She hadn’t meant to be bad. She hadn’t even wanted to talk. She definitely didn’t mean to mess everything up. If Master Grayson was mad at her, did that mean the other teachers would be too? Would Master Derek? Master Beau? That thought made her feel like someone had kicked her in the tummy.
Pushing through the double doors, she ran past the library, uniform room, and cafeteria. She still didn’t know where she was going, but if felt like something really, really bad was chasing her.
“Whoa, sweetie. Where’s the fire?” Soft arms wrapped around her and even in her fright, Palmer was far too nice to push them away.
“Hey, Palmer. It’s okay. It’s okay,” the gentle voice soothed. Palmer knew the voice. It was kind and familiar.
“Sam, can you take Pippi back to class?”
Catherine Denton.
She was a therapist at Rawhide Ranch. Palmer had been to play in her office once before because Master Derek had suggested it, but Palmer hadn’t committed to therapy. She was trying to leave the past behind her, not dredge it up.
“I’m sorry,” Palmer said, feeling guilty she’d taken the Mommy Dom from her husband and Little girl. “I d-didn’t mean to mess up your time together.” Palmer felt like she was messing up everything.
“You don’t need to be sorry, honey. Having big feelings is perfectly okay. I just want to make sure your heart and body are safe, okay?”
“Y-yes, Ma’am,” Palmer said. She tried wiping her eyes so she could see.
Much to her horror, she saw Catherine was leading her to the double doors that led back to the school-aged program. “No, please. I d-don’t want to go back.”
“Hey, hey,” Catherine soothed. “I promise I’m not taking you back to class. We’re going to the aftercare room so we can talk.”
“You p-promise?” Palmer asked, silently begging the older woman not to lie to her.
“I absolutely promise. You’re safe with me, honey.”
Just as they pushed through the double doors, Headmaster Nathan, who was in charge of the school-aged program, rushed towards them. “There you are, Palmer. You scared us!”
Palmer bit her lip, trying to stop the fresh wave of tears.
“I think she is a bit overwhelmed right now, so we are headed to the aftercare room,” Catherine said. She placed her hand firmly in the middle of Palmer’s back, assuring Palmer she wasn’t alone.
“Okay, let me know if you need anything, Catherine,” Headmaster Nathan said before sending Palmer a soft smile.
Palmer did her very best to return it.
“We’re really sorry, Palmer. We told Master Grayson it was us talking. We didn’t mean to make you upset,” Sadie said, sticking her head out from the classroom. A hand gently guided her back in before Master Grayson peeked his head out.
“Catherine, I would like to speak to Ms. Presley when you are done, please. It seems I owe her an apology,” Master Grayson said before he stepped back into the classroom and shut the door.
An apology?
It was nice that Master Grayson wanted to apologize to her, that meant he still liked her…. Before she could even follow that train of thought, a dull throbbing pain started at the base of her skull and Palmer reached up, trying to rub it away.
Catherine guided her into the aftercare room. The room was much dimmer and quieter than the hallway. The throbbing in her head lessened significantly.
Miss Catherine lowered herself into a rocking chair before motioning for Palmer to take the other. She sank into the chair and a silence settled over the pair.
“I’m sorry,” Palmer said, feeling all kind of wonky. Her feelings were big and small and everywhere in between.
“I don’t think you have anything to be sorry for, honey, but would you like to tell me what happened?”
“I was b-bad,” Palmer sobbed.
Catherine’s voice softened and took on much more of a parental tone. “I don’t believe anyone at Rawhide Ranch is bad. I think maybe sometimes we make mistakes, but we’re not bad.”
“I made a mistake.” Palmer’s jagged breaths filled the aftercare room.
“How did you make a mistake?”
“Some of the other girls were talking. They were just excited, but when I asked them to be quiet, Master Grayson got mad at me. Just me. And when I tried to answer him, I said ‘Ma’am’ instead of ‘Sir’ but I didn’t mean to.
I just messed up.” Palmer’s breathing sped up as she reflected over her mistake.
Catherine got up and knelt in front of Palmer, placing her hands on the pitiful girl's knees. “Palmer, let’s work to help your breathing, okay? I know you’re upset, but I also know you’re a very good girl who is going to obey me, aren’t you?”
Palmer nodded.
“Good girl. I want you to name one thing you can smell for me.”
Palmer took a shaky breath and tried to process what she smelled. “F-food from the cafeteria.”
“I smell food too. I think I smell pizza. What about you?”
“Pizza,” Palmer agreed.
“Now I want you to name two things you can touch.”
“I c-can touch the rocking chair and you.” She lifted both hands and placed one on Catherine’s pink shirt and one on the arm of the rocking chair.
“Good girl, can you name three things you can see?”
Palmer blinked, forcing herself to focus. “I can see the wood floor, the walls, and the light switch.”
“Good girl. You’re so obedient.”
That was nice of her to think that. Palmer didn’t think she was obedient, not even a tiny bit.
Catherine reached up and tucked a curl behind Palmer’s ear. “I’m sorry you were so scared, honey.”
Palmer frowned. “I was s-scared,” she reflected.
“Can you tell me what part scared you the most?”
“I don’t know.” Palmer supposed if she thought hard enough she could probably figure it out, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to dissect her feelings in front of the confident woman.
“Was it because Master Grayson scolded you?”
After playing the events over in her mind, Palmer shook her head. Even though his well had been sharp, she didn’t think that was it.
“Was it because you thought you were in trouble?”
“No, Ma’am.”
“Was it because your friends talking caused you to be in trouble?”
“No, Ma’am.” Palmer gave her head a small shake.
“Then tell me what it was, sweet girl.”
“I was scared Master Grayson was m-mad at me.”
Catherine nodded slowly. “That can be scary. Were you scared he was going to punish you?”
“No, I was scared...” Palmer trailed off, suddenly feeling very foolish.
Catherine waited patiently. “You were scared...”
“I was scared he wouldn’t like me anymore…
and if he didn’t like me anymore, maybe the other teachers…
or Master Derek… or Master Beau wouldn’t like me anymore either.
I-I just found this family. I don’t want to lose it,” Palmer blurted.
Now that the truth was out, she felt very small and in her very vulnerable state, there was only one person she wanted.
“Can you please call Master Beau for me?”