Chapter 11
Jake
I wake the next morning feeling like I got hit by a train.
Last night was a terrible night’s sleep, I tossed and turned replaying in my mind over and over how I treated the new neighbor yesterday.
Granted, I didn’t know at the time that she was the new neighbor.
I thought she was a squatter, or someone robbing Blaine.
Yes, I realize that she looks nothing like a squatter or a robber in her clean warm winter jacket and toboggan.
The image of her coming out of Blaine’s bedroom with a curtain rod as her only defense made me feel all sorts of feelings.
I was raised to treat women with respect and while I know that my size and general gruffness can be naturally intimidating, I certainly never meant for her to think she was in harm’s way.
Not unless she was robbing Blaine, I guess.
All these thoughts and back and forths are what kept me up all night.
Part of me feels the need to go over and apologize for the misunderstanding.
I don’t want her to think I’m an awful person that she needs to defend herself from.
However, it wouldn’t be wise for me to go over there before I have a cup of coffee.
So I fill my thermos with straight black coffee and head out the back door to the chicken coop.
The ladies are squawking up a storm before I pull open their run door.
As usual Betty is the first one out, running like she’s got somewhere to be.
She’s followed by Liza, Daisy, Seraphina and Gwenny.
Cami named them a few years ago when they were chicks and I shake my head every time I run through their names, embarrassed that I not only know which one is which, but I frequently refer to them by their names.
“Taylor, don’t eat that. How did you get that?
” Somehow the hen has the string from a feed bag in her little beak.
I open the door to the run and fight the hoard of birds that flock to me to find Taylor.
Betty runs at me like a missile, apparently she only moves quickly, wherever she is headed.
Gwenny starts pecking my feet with each step I take and Taylor seems to use this distraction to her advantage as she runs farther away from me.
Liza falls down in front of me. How? I don’t even know.
I trip over her and in order to not land my entire weight on these small fragile birds I shove myself to the side and land with a huff flat on my back.
A tiny squawk sounds right above my head and I see Taylor come into view, string hanging from her mouth.
I pull the string out and mutter, “I hate you sometimes,” under my breath.
“Who’s Taylor?” A voice comes out of nowhere and my body runs cold when I look up.
The new neighbor stands there in an oversized teal blue sweater and jeans.
I let my head fall back to the ground as I just slowly point to the chicken I just rescued from choking on the string.
“Your chicken’s name is Taylor?” She says with a mixture of judging and curiosity.
“Well I don’t mean to get in the way of your bonding time with your chickens, I just got a piece of your mail and I figured I’d bring it over.
” She sets down an envelope on the ground outside the fence and turns around, marching back to her house.
I sit up on my elbows and feel like a coward as I just watch her leave.
She never looks back, and I sit there, dumbfounded, covered in chicken shit. Awesome.
Before I can think about whether or not I should go after her and say that apology, she’s on the porch of her house and my phone dings with a text message.
Amelia: Can you go pick up Cami from school? She got in some kind of trouble and I’m stuck at work.
Me: Of course, on my way.
I pull my truck into Valentine High School’s parking lot wondering what in the hell my sweet baby niece could have done to get sent home from school.
Walking up to the double door front entrance brings back all the dread and anxiety I felt everyday walking in here all those years ago.
Weird how a place can instantly transport you back to a time you hadn’t thought of in decades.
I didn’t have the worst high school experience, but it wasn’t something I’d jump at the chance to experience again.
I had friends, I played sports, I got decent grades, but I just never liked the idea of being stuck inside a building for eight solid hours with barely any sunlight.
Funny how I forgot that as I went on to college, taking classes in windowless lecture halls in order to get a degree that let me work in a cubicle and stare at a computer screen for sometimes more than eight hours a day.
Inside the front door Darlene smiles at me. “Hey Jake,” she says. “You here for Cami?” Her face has a weird look of sympathy. It’s that look of sympathy that makes me wonder if I read Amelia’s text wrong. Maybe she’s in trouble because she was puking all morning and is being sent home sick.
“Yeah, she feeling ok?” Her face changes from sympathy to confusion.
“Oh she’s fine, you can go see her and Principal Douglass in there,” she points to the door on the right with the word Principal painted obnoxiously large on the glass window.
“Uh, thanks,” I say, the nerves picking up again.
I hear Darlene press a button and say into a microphone on her desk, “Jake is here to see you about Cami.”
Before I can reach for the knob the door swings open and I see Principal Douglass standing in the doorway with a stern look on his face. Ian Douglass was only three years older than me in high school but by the way he’s looking at me right now you’d think he was a father figure.
“Good morning Jake,” he says and all I can think about is how Ian was the leader in his year’s senior prank when he convinced the automotive class to remove Mr. Franklin’s tires from his car and hide them throughout the building.
Mr. Franklin did not think it was funny and I wonder if that tradition still stands today?
“Morning Ian,” I mumble.
“Principal Douglass please,” he responds. I take a deep breath and resist the strongest urge to roll my eyes. This guy was a class clown all throughout high school and now he wants me to call him by his title?
“Is Cami OK?” I say instead, I’m not here for small talk. Something about being in this building again is making my skin crawl and I just want to get Cami and get back to the farm.
“Well, she is fine but she is suspended for the rest of the day and tomorrow.”
“For what?” Ian– Principal Douglass raises his eyebrows and gives me a look showing he doesn’t appreciate my defensiveness. I raise mine right back showing that I don’t give a damn.
“Unfortunately, she was caught punching a student,” he begins.
“I did not punch him, I slapped him.” Cami says and I didn’t even realize she was sitting in the chair in the corner.
She’s wearing a black hoodie and has her arms crossed over her chest. She has a scowl on her face but I can see the tiniest of trembles in her lip that suggests she’s fighting hard not to cry.
“Semantics,” Ian says facing Cami. He turns back to me and continues, “Whether she punched or slapped, physical altercations are completely uncalled for and not tolerated here at VHS.”
“Well, why did she slap someone?” I ask. Ian looks at me like I’ve lost my mind.
“The why isn’t what’s important, it’s that she hit someone. I’ve already explained how that is not at all tolerated. Any violence is inexcusable."
All around Ian’s balding head the room turns red. “It absolutely does fucking matter.”
“Please, Jake, language.”
“Please, Ian, don’t act like I didn’t go to high school with you. Like I didn’t see you be a holy terror in these halls just a few decades ago. Now tell me the whole story before I show you what violence really means.”
His eyes widen and before he can say anything I hold up my hand to stop him and turn to Cami. “Nevermind, I want to hear it from her.”
Cami’s lip trembles slightly again before she lets out a shaky breath and says, “Garrett tried to feel me up.” She uncrosses her arms and clasps her hands together, her knuckles going white with the pressure she’s putting under them.
It’s something she’s done since she was a toddler.
If she feels overwhelmed she puts her hands together like that.
“He pulled me into the boys bathroom and pushed me up against the wall. He tried to kiss me and touch my boobs and I shoved him away and left the bathroom. When I got out of the bathroom he grabbed my wrist and the only thing I could think of was to slap him. Uncle Jake, I was really uncomfortable and I’m not sorry. ”
Now the room really is red. Blood red. My vision is pulsating with the flow of my blood through my veins.
My fists are clenched by my sides so hard I crack a knuckle by squeezing them.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath before I turn to Ian.
It did nothing to calm the fire in my veins as my gaze lands on his stupid fucking face.
“Did you know this side to the story?” I ask through gritted teeth.
“I did not know that part yet,” he says slowly. “I was waiting for her mother to arrive to discuss the story.” The look on his face proves that this is bullshit, he was never a good liar.
“Bullshit,” I say. “And before you can say language I’ll say it again, bull fucking shit Ian. My niece, who has never in fifteen years been in trouble in the principal’s office slaps a boy, one with a reputation mind you, and you don’t even think to ask for her side of the fucking story?”
“The rules state that it doesn’t matter why the violence happens, just that when it happens the result is a suspension.”
“You know what? That’s fine. I’ll take my niece home and I’ll buy her some fucking ice cream and congratulate her for standing up to herself and keeping herself from being a victim.
Meanwhile, you’re going to call fuck face down here and suspend him too.
For longer. Because if it hadn’t been for him sexually assaulting her, she wouldn’t be here right now. ”
“Sexual assault,” he says with a slight chuckle. “Jake, it wasn’t…” I don’t let him finish before I grab him by the shirt collar and shove him up against the door.
“It was, and you will suspend him or else I’ll go to every board member and do whatever I can to get you fired.”
The fear in his eyes wakes me up from my rage and I ease him back down to the ground and straighten his shirt collar when he’s steady on his feet.
“Glad we could clear this up Ian. I’ll be making sure you hold up your end.” I give him a wink and then wave Cami to come join me. “We’re going to go home now. She’ll serve her suspension and she’ll enjoy every minute of being home watching movies. I’ll make sure it isn’t a punishment.”