Chapter Eighteen Kami #2
“My mother isn’t here,” I said, regretting the moment I told her not to come. I was being ambushed.
“Tell your mother my door is open whenever she’d like to stop in,” Harrison responded. “But I can’t just wait around for her—we have a problem that needs to be dealt with immediately.”
Danny’s mother began: “My son didn’t upload any pornographic content to any website.” She was equal parts indignant and anxious.
“Pornographic content?” Thiago shouted from behind me, then stepped forward to face Kelly Walker. “Your son filmed Kamila without her permission. That’s sexual assault, far worse than mere pornography.”
“Di Bianco!” the principal shouted.
“I didn’t do it!” Danny screamed.
“Danny, stop lying,” I said, feeling insulted. “You’re the only person who could have taken that video. You were my boyfriend!”
Danny laughed. “And how many boyfriends do you have now, Kamila? Because I feel like every time I turn around, you’re flirting with someone new—”
“Mr. Walker!” the principal stopped him.
Thiago took a step forward, and my hand flew up to grab his wrist. I couldn’t let him do it; he couldn’t hit him again. Danny looked scared and took a step back.
“What you just said shows how immature, sexist, and idiotic you actually are, Danny,” I said, glaring at him.
“Miss Hamilton!” Principal Harrison admonished me.
Now Mr. Walker spoke up: “I will not have my son accused of something this serious without proof. He is a good student, an elite athlete—”
Thiago cut him off with a bitter laugh. “Your son is a fucking drug addict who’s only on the team because you’re as rich as you are shameless and you were able to pressure this school into not expelling him.”
“Mr. Di Bianco, you can leave now!”
“Thiago’s staying,” I said, standing and leaning over Danny and his parents. “Your son has been harassing me. Not just me, but my little brother. Momo? Are you serious? You actually think that’s funny? Scaring little kids? You’re despicable!”
Danny looked at me as though I were speaking a foreign language. “Sorry, but what the hell are you talking about?” he asked.
“Stop pretending you don’t know!”
“This young lady is clearly losing it,” Danny’s mother said. “What happened to you, Kamila? You used to be so sweet, so polite, so…”
“Stupid?” I fired back. “To think I lost two years of my life with your idiot son. It makes me want to pull my eyelashes out.”
Mrs. Walker was stunned, and despite how upset I was, I couldn’t help but enjoy watching her blush at my words.
A knock came at the door, and the secretary, looking almost frightened, tried to announce over the shouting, “Mr. Harrison, Kamila Hamilton’s mother is out here and would like to speak with you. ”
My mother, my brother, and my grandmother entered the office.
At this point, there was barely room for another soul in there.
Harrison slumped in his seat, unable to believe what was happening.
Thiago tensed up again. I knew he couldn’t stand to be in the same room with my mother, and the tension made me want to scream.
“Let me get this straight,” Mom said. “You call a meeting about the harassment my children are both suffering and you don’t have the decency to inform me?”
This was the first time in my life I’d seen her take her role as a mother seriously.
“Mrs. Hamilton, I didn’t call any meeting. Mr. Walker’s parents came to the school…”
“If my daughter is being discussed, I should be part of the conversation,” she clipped.
“You should be ashamed of yourself,” my grandmother said, looking at Danny and shaking her head.
“Hey,” Danny said to my brother, who looked thoroughly lost. “Did I ever do anything to you?”
Cameron hid behind my mother’s skirt.
“Leave my brother alone,” I said, instinctively taking a step in his direction. “Cam, who’s been hitting you at school?”
Cameron looked from me to my mom. “Cam, tell us, please,” she insisted.
“But, Momo…” he said, almost crying.
I looked at the principal and Danny’s parents.
“I’m sorry, who is this Momo?” Mr. Harrison asked.
“Momo’s a creepy doll that scares kids on YouTube and sends threatening messages,” Thiago said. “But Cameron, listen to me. Momo doesn’t exist.” His voice was gentle.
“Cameron, who’s been hitting you?” the principal asked.
My brother scanned the room. “George Walker,” he finally confessed.
“That’s impossible!” Danny’s mom said, drawing her hand to her mouth.
I looked at Danny, who seemed shocked. How could he be so two-faced?
“But he only does it because Momo tells him to,” my brother clarified. Was he actually defending someone who was hurting him?
“It’s his older brother who’s giving the orders, Cameron,” my mother said, looking at Danny with disappointment. “And to think I once thought you were such a catch for my daughter…”
Danny’s mother was about to say something, but then the principal stood. “This is getting out of hand,” he said. “Videos on the internet, secret messages from a talking doll. I’ll tell you what. From now on, we’ll have no more cell phones at this school!”
I looked at him in shock.
“That’s seriously your solution?” my mother cried. “No cell phones, but you’ll let juvenile delinquents wander the hallways?”
“Mrs. Hamilton, it’s not my job to raise your kids for you. As far as I know, there isn’t any proof that Mr. Walker is guilty of uploading that video. My hands are tied. As for George, he’ll be suspended for bullying and harassment.”
“How dare you!” Danny’s father shouted, but the principal ignored him.
“About Momo: We’ll have the teachers and counselors talk to the kids about this absurd doll, and I can promise you, there will be a thorough investigation. For now, that’s all. Thank you.” With this, the principal motioned for us to leave.
Despite their outbursts, I could see Danny’s parents were relieved that he hadn’t gotten punished.
There were still the police to deal with, but without any proof…
God, I hated him! I hated that asshole with all my heart.
As they all filed out, my mother told me not to worry and that she’d pick me up after class.
Then she left with my brother and grandmother.
Only Thiago, Harrison, and I stayed behind.
“It doesn’t take a genius to look at your bruised knuckles and Danny Walker’s face and put two and two together, Mr. Di Bianco,” the principal said, making us stop in our tracks.
Thiago seemed about to speak, but Harrison stopped him.
“But for some reason Mr. Walker didn’t say a word about you or about why his face is black-and-blue.
Once again, I don’t have proof. But when I do, Mr. Di Bianco, don’t think I’ll hesitate to send you packing.
Don’t play with fire, kid. Or you’re likely to get burned. Now go, both of you.”
Harrison sank into his chair and expelled a long breath.
Thiago and I left without exchanging a word. Once out in the deserted hallway, I stopped to thank him for staying with me.
“I’m going to tell you something, Kamila. There’s more going on here than you think.” So he was back to calling me by my full name. I guess that meant he hated me again.
“Look, I’m tired of trying to understand why these things are happening to me.” I hugged myself. “All I want at this point is to graduate and get into college so I can get the hell out of here.”
Thiago looked around nervously. I realized he had something else to tell me, but he couldn’t figure out how to say it.
“Are you OK?” I asked.
“Watch out for Julian, Kam,” he warned me in a serious tone.
Julian? What was that supposed to mean? “Julian’s my friend,” I said incredulously. Was he honestly getting jealous of Julian now too?
“Kam, for once in your fucking life, listen to me. Watch out for him, and don’t believe everything he says.”
I shook my head and stepped back. “I’m going to be late for class. I’ll see you around.”
And though he didn’t say another word, the look on Thiago’s face haunted me for the rest of the day.