Chapter 12
If someone from medical school saw Oliver now, they’d probably think he had lost it. But there he was standing at the foot of his driveway, waiting for a school bus to drop off eleven students for his science camp. Being an Abbott had its perks, including a house that sat along the Atlantic Ocean with some of the most beautiful tidal pools in Maine, and a grandfather who funded the camp and provided the food.
“Good morning, scientists!” he greeted his class as the kids mumbled off the bus. “You know the drill—head inside for something to eat and meet me in ten minutes for our morning meeting.”
Some of the kids ran to the house, being their first meal of the day, and others stumbled around, too tired from the early wake up. He noticed Sadie was missing.
“No Sadie Beaulieu?” he asked the bus driver.
She shook her head. “No one came out to the bus.”
He wrinkled his forehead at that. Sadie didn’t usually miss anything.
“Why eight o’clock, Mr. Abbs?” Jake O’Callahan asked, getting off the bus.
“Because this is when the world wakes up,” Oliver answered, but he felt the same that morning.
He followed the girls and boys up the front porch steps to the grand hall entrance. “Straight into the dining room.”
The chatter filled the front hall as they all clambered into the formal dining room and took a seat at the table. An agenda sat at each seat. Two of the seventh graders started roughhousing.
“Gentlemen, hands to yourself,” Oliver instructed in the deepest teacher voice he had, which usually did the trick. This morning, the boys did exactly what they were told and took a seat across from each other.
“Hey, Mr. Abbott,” said one of his eighth graders.
“Good morning, Mitchell,” Oliver said. “Did you talk to Sadie this morning?”
Mitchell shook his head. “No, she wasn’t at the bus stop this morning.”
“Did anyone text her and check if she was coming?” Oliver asked.
The boy shook his head again.
Oliver picked up his phone. He’d call home. “I want everyone to drop your stuff off and go wash your hands.”
With a little bit of a push, Oliver got all the students in and out of the kitchen and eating. Janet, his grandfathers’ housekeeper, helped with serving and cleaning up.
“Good morning, children,” his grandfather said as he walked into the room.
Max Abbott stood in the entrance of the dining room and demanded attention even at seventy-nine.
“Good morning,” sang out the class.
“Are you ready to explore?” his grandfather asked.
“Yeah!” they all called out together while also stuffing Belgium waffles into their mouths.
“Today, Mr. Abbott has quite an adventure for you!” his grandfather said, walking into the room. Oliver had planned a great day for the children. Kayaks in the tidal waters.
“That’s right,” Oliver said. “Today, we’re finally taking the kayaks out.”
The kids all cheered at the news, and Oliver couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed that Sadie hadn’t shown up.
As his students finished breakfast, he called Sadie’s house, but got no answer. He then tried the market.
“Good morning. Harbor Market, how can I help you?” a woman’s voice said.
“Yes, hi, I’m looking for Remy St. Germain,” he said. “I’m Sadie’s teacher, Mr. Abbott. I’m calling because Sadie didn’t make it to science camp this morning.”
“I’m so sorry!” she said into the phone. “I completely forgot to call. She’s fine. Just had a rough morning.”
Oliver was immediately relieved but wondered what a rough morning meant. “Do you think she’ll be able to make it tomorrow? I have the kids kayaking. I know how much she’s wanted to do that.”
“I’m not sure,” Remy said. “It seems as though there are a few girls that haven’t made her feel very welcome.”
“Oh.” Oliver looked at the four girls that were there sitting together. They looked happy as a group. “Do they not include Sadie?”
“It’s a bit more complicated, I’m afraid.” Remy sighed. “She says they keep talking about her mother. Talking about how she’s been incarcerated and has a history of drug addiction.”
“Oh no,” he said. He closed his eyes as he thought about how mean kids could be. What he knew about Sadie’s mother was not good. In and out of jail and rehabilitation. Sadie had been taken in by her uncle and aunt. “I am so sorry. I do not tolerate that kind of behavior.”
“I know, Mr. Abbott. It’s not your fault. These girls have been doing this for a while now. We just thought it’d get old at this point.”
“Have you told the school?” he asked, horrified that these girls have gotten away with such bad behavior. “We don’t tolerate bullying.”
“Yes, I’m afraid we have,” Remy said. “They just don’t seem to stop.”
Oliver didn’t tolerate bullying and didn’t like the idea it had happened under his watch. “Do you mind if I talk to these young ladies? And their families? I won’t allow a young girl not to attend because she’s worried about others making her feel bad.”
“Thank you, Oliver, I really appreciate that,” Remy said. “You know she’s gone through a whole heck of a lot, and things are finally stable for her.”
He couldn’t believe the generosity of this couple. The local market owners fostered and adopted their son Matthew and were the legal guardians to Sadie.
“We know this is a small town, but some things are best not shared at the dinner table,” Remy said.
He understood. His family name was discussed and dissected at the dinner tables of many of the Blueberry Bay residents. How many times had a student come in and asked him personal questions they’d read online about his family. His grandfather centered around many of them. The former senior senator from Massachusetts held family ties to many of the upper crust of New England. His family’s name was legendary and synonymous with power, wealth, and status. His mother, who had been a relatively famous opera singer in Paris, had fallen in love with his father at first sight, but it probably helped that he had rented out the whole theater to see her perform.
He had cousins that were actors and influencers. His older brother, Ben, ran one of the biggest hedge funds in New England. Jules worked as the VP commercial loan officer at one of the biggest loan agencies in Boston. Both probably earned an income Oliver could only dream about.
“Hey, girls,” he said to the four picking up the plates. “Can we talk about Sadie for a moment?”
All four looked at one another.
“What about her?” Alana asked.
“I heard you ladies were telling stories about her mother?” he asked, hoping this would go smoothly. Sometimes children understand when they made a mistake and things work out for the better, but other times…
“We were only telling the truth.” Alana spoke first for the group, her arms crossed.
“Yeah, Mr. Abbott, we were just joking,” Vanessa said as if that excused the behavior.
His jaw dropped, shocked, and dismayed at this behavior from such a “nice” group of girls, but he held in his anger. “Just because it’s true doesn’t mean it’s something you should talk about,” he said. “That’s not something you bring up at school. It’s also none of your business.”
“But it’s true.” Alana didn’t give in. “Her mom is literally in jail.”
The truth was, Oliver wasn’t sure if Alana was right or not. “It doesn’t matter.”
“We’re really sorry,” Ava said, the only one of the girls apologizing.
But after hearing their confession, he wanted to make sure this never happened again. “You should be lifting one another up, not dragging others down. Let your parents know I’m going to be calling home about this.”
The girls looked at one another again.
Then Gia said, “She’s always trying to hang out with us, but our parents don’t like her.”
“Yeah, my mom doesn’t want us to hang out with her,” Alana said back.
“Then that’s your parents’ decision in their home, but it’s our school, and you don’t have the right to make her feel unwelcomed,” Oliver said. “I won’t allow that kind of behavior to continue. Do you understand?”
“We just said the truth, that my parents didn’t want her to hang around us because her mom is in jail.” Vanessa no longer seemed the sweet young lady from before, but the meanest of them all. “It’s true. Her mom is in jail.”
Oliver shook his head hoping the boys didn’t hear. “Like I said, that doesn’t mean it’s alright to talk about it.”
Vanessa shrugged. “Whatever, she’s really bossy.”
“Then come talk to me,” Oliver said. “I won’t have you girls make her feel uncomfortable. And until you apologize to her for your behavior, you will not be allowed to attend the science camp.”
All the girls’ faces dropped.
“But we just were getting on the kayaks!” Vanessa said. “That’s not fair.”
“What’s not fair is feeling unwelcomed in this group.” Oliver wouldn’t let this go. “No one, even if they’re bossy to you, should feel so bad they don’t want to come.”
“Do you have to tell our parents?” Ava, the quiet one, asked. “I just got my phone back.”
“Well, it’s up to your parents how they handle this situation in their household.” If it were up to Oliver, he’d break all their cellphones and let them be children.
After the bus took the students back home, Oliver called each and every parent. Like he suspected, some understood their student wasn’t perfect and agreed to make sure their daughter became more of a friend to Sadie, but Vanessa’s mother didn’t seem to understand how her daughter did anything wrong.
“She’s right, I don’t want her to hang around that young girl,” her mother said. “Who knows what she has seen.”
Oliver had never had a parent be so openly disrespectful about another child before. Sadie wasn’t the addict or the one in jail and she shouldn’t be punished for it.
“Unless your daughter apologizes, she is no longer welcome at science camp,” he said. It was as simple as that.
“You can’t kick her out!” the mother screamed into the phone. “It’s a school function. She can attend whatever she wants to attend. I pay taxes in this town!”
Oliver took a deep breath, thinking of a professional response. “This camp is fully funded by Max Abbott, my grandfather, including the meals and equipment we use. If you would like to speak to him about your daughter attending the camp without apologizing, I can give you his number.”
Vanessa’s mother didn’t say anything.
“She needs to apologize and be a leader,” he added, keeping his tone calm and reasonable. “Which means getting along with everyone in the group.”
“Fine, she’ll apologize,” Vanessa’s mother finally agreed. “But if that girl becomes a problem for my Vanessa…”
“I would hope you’d let me know right away,” he finished for her. But he knew Sadie wasn’t the problem. Sure, she could be a little bossy, but she knew what she was talking about. She was smart and good at delegating. And in school projects, she carried those four girls, who tended to sit together and gossip and not do the work.
He walked through the house to Janet, his grandfather’s housekeeper.
“Hey, Janet?” he said, hoping the older woman would give him some insight on the dynamics of the families. She had lived in Blueberry Bay her whole life.
“What do you know about Alana’s family?” he asked.
Janet, who had worked with their family for over thirty years, let out a long sigh. “We’d need all afternoon for that.” She hooked her hands on her hips. “Let’s just say, around here, everyone’s got their skeletons.”
He wondered if she’d be up to helping him with an idea. “How do you feel about helping me with a barbeque for my students and their families?”
He crossed his fingers she’d be up for it because she’d be the one who’d get his grandfather to agree to it.
“You want to throw a barbeque for your students?” Janet was a Blueberry Bay native.
Janet knew what a barbeque at the Abbott house meant because she knew these kids. The kids picked for his program weren’t just any kids. They were the ones who struggled the most.
“You really are a great teacher, Oliver,” Janet said. “I’ll even make a special dessert for them all.”
“Thanks, Janet,” he said. “I’m thinking soon? Maybe by the end of the week?”
Janet pulled out her phone. “Sounds good.”
He jabbed his thumb behind him. “I’m going to run a few errands before I come back for dinner with my grandpa.”
“Sure thing, sweetie,” Janet said.
Oliver decided to go down to the market. See if he could talk to Sadie. At the very least, talk to Sadie’s guardians about the situation. A dinner together would bring these students and their families together and teach these kids and parents that they weren’t all that different.
He walked in and the first thing he saw was Muriel. The beautiful cashier froze.
“Hey, Muriel,” he said, trying to act cool even though he wasn’t sure whether she’d perceive him that way. He couldn’t really read Muriel, which fascinated and frustrated him. He usually had no trouble with women thinking he was cool. All he usually had to say was his family’s name or show up in his car or take them to his house and he instantly became a lot cooler. But Muriel didn’t seem the slightest bit concerned about his name and didn’t seem at all impressed with his fancy SUV or that he lived in the big house on the bay’s cliffs.
“Hello, Oliver,” she said.
“I was hoping to see Remy or Colby.”
“Sure, they’re back here.” She moved toward the back of the store. “You can follow me.”
He did, right behind her, and noticed Sadie sitting in the backroom.
“Mr. Abbott? What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I wanted to talk about what’s been going on during camp with the girls.”
“They’re still giving you a hard time?” Muriel asked beside him.
Oliver didn’t like the sound of that. “How long have they been bothering you?”
“For a while, I guess,” Sadie said barely over a whisper, shrugging her shoulders.
“I don’t tolerate that kind of behavior.” Oliver stepped further into the room. “I’ve talked to the girls.”
Sadie’s eyes widened in fright. “No! You didn’t. They’re going to hate me even more. They’re going to know I told on them.”
“Sadie, no one has the right to treat you like that,” Oliver said. “No one. Not Alana, not Vanessa or Ava or Gia, or any other person.”
Oliver wasn’t supposed to have favorites, but Sadie topped the list by far. The inquisitive young girl had a brain he hadn’t seen in many kids.
“They have to apologize to you in order to return to science camp,” he said.
Sadie threw her head back. “I’m going to be a social pariah. Please don’t make them apologize. It won’t make difference anyways.”
“Well, that’s why I’m here.” He clapped his hands together. “I’m having a science camp barbeque with all the families at my house. I’ve invited the other girls as well.”
Sadie started shaking her head. “No way. I’m not going.”
“Come on, Sadie,” Colby said. “It sounds like a nice idea. Maybe you and the girls can talk this out and have the adults help you.”
“They’re all going to say the same thing,” she said, upset now. “They’ll just say she’s telling the truth. That my mom was in jail.”
“Sadie, I’ve asked her to change her behavior or not attend science camp.” Oliver wasn’t going to tolerate it, but he also knew this could be a way to change things, too. “Let them get to know you and your family. When I first came to Blueberry Bay, people were unsure of me. I had to let them get to know me. Know that I wasn’t some weirdo from the city.”
“I don’t want to go to a barbeque.” Sadie turned to Remy. “Please don’t make me go.”
“I think having a barbeque is a wonderful idea,” Muriel said, rubbing her hand on Sadie’s back. “That’s really nice of you Mr. Abbott.”
“I can’t make you go,” Oliver said, “but I will tell you you’ll be missing out on Janet’s special dessert.”
“I think a barbeque is a wonderful idea,” Remy said to Sadie. “We’d love to go. What can we bring?”
“I’m seriously not going and I’m not going to that stupid camp, either.” Sadie stormed off.
“I’m so sorry.” Remy’s eyes widened as Sadie walked away.
“Don’t be.” Oliver couldn’t believe he made the situation worse. “I should’ve asked you both first.”
Remy sighed, looking back at Sadie. “No, no, it’s a great idea.”
Colby nodded. “We really appreciate you trying to help.”
“Don’t worry about her,” Remy said. “She’s good at coming around after some time to think about it. What can we bring?”
“Well, I guess you can never have too many desserts,” Oliver said.
Then from the back hallway, Sadie came back into the room without saying anything. She walked over to Remy and stood.
“Sadie, how about we bake something together?” Remy said, putting her arm around Sadie’s shoulders. “Something with blueberries in it.”
“Do I have to?” Sadie asked, moaning.
“Yes, I think this is a good idea,” Remy said. With a very slight tug, she pulled Sadie into her and fully embraced the teen. “Thank you, Mr. Abbott.”
“I think maybe it’ll help,” he said, but he wasn’t sure. He just hoped that breaking bread together would bring them together.
“That’s really nice,” Muriel said as he walked out of the back room and into the market.
“Oh, it’s just something my mother taught me,” he said. “She’s French and always feeds people.”
“Sounds like my mother,” Muriel said.
“So…” He didn’t want to intrude, but he wondered how Cora riding with Jules went. “Have you heard from your sister? Did she survive the drive with Jules?”
She shook her head. “I haven’t. You?”
“No. I’ve been with middle schoolers all day.”
She laughed at that. “Don’t you take any time off?”
He shrugged. “I don’t sit still very well.”
“Hmm,” she said, lifting the corner of her mouth. “I like to keep busy myself.”
He walked up to the counter and looked down. A notepad with a list of things sat by the register. He noticed the list had words like kayaking, swimming at sunrise, hiking up a mountain, roller-skating, and more. “Looks like you need to heal your arm before you go swimming.”
“I know,” she said, pulling the notebook toward her. “I’m making one of those bucket lists for my summer.”
He nodded, thinking about what he wanted to do. Kissing her would be on his bucket list.
“You want to do that hiking thing?” he asked, pointing to number four. “I know a great trail that not many people, even from around town, know about.”
She cocked her head. “Really?”
“This spot has some of the best views in all of Blueberry Bay,” he proclaimed.
“Better views than my mom’s place?” Muriel asked. She didn’t believe him.
“I promise you won’t be disappointed,” he said.
“Good.” She smiled, then she crossed off hiking. “When do you want to go?”