28. Presley
I receive a text from my boss on the way to work Monday morning.
Principal Ware
Good morning. Please meet me in my office when you get in.
That’s never good.
My stomach is in knots for the remainder of my short ride as I rack my brain what this could be in reference to. When I pull into the parking lot and spot the small crowd blocking the main entrance at the front of the building, my stomach twists even tighter. Several of them are holding up white posters, but I can’t make out what they say.
What the hell?
I call Dominique before getting out of the car. “Hey, are you in the building yet?”
“No, I’m running a little behind this morning. Why, what’s up?”
“I got a text from Ware asking me to meet him in his office, and when I got here, there’s a bunch of people out front in the loop. It almost looks like some kind of protest or something.”
“What the fuck could they be protesting about?” she asks.
“No clue. I’m going to see what I can find out and I’ll let you know.”
I walk in through the side entrance in the staff parking lot, and set my things down in the library before making my wait to speak with Principal Ware.
“Good morning, Presley.” The secretary picks up her phone and dials the principal’s office. “She’s here.”
Mr. Ware swings open his office door and ushers me inside. “Good morning.”
Once I step inside, I spot two people sitting at the oval desk in the middle of the office—Mrs. Cleary, the head of Human Resources, and Dennis Rodriguez, our union president.
My stomach drops to the floor. The only reason a teacher would be called into a meeting with these people is if she’s in trouble.
I wring my hands. “Uh, what’s going on?”
Mrs. Cleary smiles and gestures to the seat across from her. “Have a seat, Ms. King.”
I glance at Dennis as I lower myself into the chair beside him. I’m glad he’s here; the only interactions I’ve had with him have been at union meetings, but he seems great at what he does, which is protecting our rights.
Principal Ware sits at the head of the table. “I’m sorry to spring this on you, but I wanted to speak with you before the school day starts. I’ve called this meeting in light of the accusations against you.”
My chin jerks back. “Accusations? About what?”
“Over the weekend, you were spotted with two professional hockey players attending a concert in New York City.”
I nod. “Yes, I was there.”
Oh, fuck. Please tell me nobody saw the three of us fooling around on the balcony.
“Pictures of the three of you holding hands and kissing were posted online. It looks as though you are in a relationship with them.” He pauses. “Is this true?”
I lift my chin. “It is.”
“Well, Molly has been spreading the news all over social media, and there are a bunch of parents who have expressed their...feelings about it.”
This bitch. “Is that what’s going on out front?”
He grimaces as he nods. “Unfortunately, Molly has rallied some of the other moms, and they’ve staged a protest. Even called the local news station.”
“A protest for what though, me being in a relationship? I don’t see how it’s any of her business who I date.”
Dennis reaches across the table and pats my hand. “It’s not.”
“What does she want?” I ask. “Is she trying to get me fired?”
The three of them nod. “It seems so,” Mr. Ware says.
“She can’t do that.” I glance around the table. “Oh my God, are you firing me? Is that what this is? I mean, isn’t that discrimination?”
Mrs. Cleary holds up her palm. “You are protected from discrimination on your sexual orientation, gender identity, and relationship status in the state of New Jersey. You are not getting fired.”
A breath of relief whooshes out of me.
Dennis nods. “The only thing that would cause your job to be terminated is if there is a legitimate reason tied to your professional conduct or performance. And who you choose to date in your personal life has nothing to do with what you do during work hours.”
“And you have been nothing but a wonderful employee here at our school,” Mr. Ware adds.
“Okay, so what happens now?”
“I’ve already alerted the police department to come remove these people from the premises. If Molly wants to exercise her freedom of speech, she can do so away from school property. We need to ensure the safety of the children upon arrival. You are to not engage with Molly or any of the other mothers out there; don’t give them the reaction they’re looking for. I would also like to remind you that you are not allowed to discuss anything school-related on social media.”
“Of course.”
“We’re hoping she tires herself out,” Mrs. Cleary says. “We are also preparing a statement to make it clear to Molly, and anyone else in our district that we stand in support with the LGBTQ community.”
“This district does not stand for hate and bigotry—otherwise, I wouldn’t be here.” Dennis grins, confirming his place in the LGBTQ community.
Pride soars in my chest. “Thank you for that.”
“Let’s focus on the kids, and try to forget the mess that’s outside. As far as they’re concerned, today is a normal Monday,” Mr. Ware says.
“And if the kids bring up anything they’ve heard from their parents over the weekend, what should I tell them?”
Anyone who works with children knows how inquisitive they are. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re being brainwashed into thinking I’m a bad person because of this.
“Excellent question,” Mr. Ware says. “Tell them to discuss any questions they have with their parents at home. If you receive any e-mails from parents, forward them to me.”
“Got it.”
Dominique is waiting for me in the library when I get out of the meeting. “What the actual fuck is going on? I saw those signs, Pres. They’re disgusting.”
I dig my phone out of my purse, and search up Stephen McKinley’s name into a Google search. “Apparently, there are pictures of me and the boys from this weekend on the internet, and Molly got her hands on them. She’s trying to get me fired.”
Dominique scoffs. “As if she has the power to do that.” She leans over my shoulder while I click on the top article. “Shit, girl. You’ve made it onto ESPN. You’re famous now.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “Hardly. This article is more about the boys than it is me.”
The headline is ridiculous: Rivals on the Ice, Partners in Life? The Unexpected Romance Between Two Pro Hockey Stars.
“I wonder if this is going to cause any issues for them,” I murmur, thinking aloud. I text the article to the thread between the three of us, hoping they’ve seen it and their agents are already working on damage control.
“So, what did Ware say?” Dominique asks. “Where does he stand on all this?”
“He said to ignore it, and not make any statements. They’re hoping it blows over.” I shrug. “There are laws protecting me from discrimination like this.”
“You should sue her ass.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “Fuck staying quiet. She can’t get away with acting like this.”
I grimace. “I don’t want to cause any problems for the school.”
“She’s the one causing problems! You’re just sticking up for yourself.”
I exhale a long breath. “Let’s just get through today. Hopefully, once Molly sees that she doesn’t have a leg to stand on, she’ll tuck her tail and go back to her own life.”
Dominique shoots me a dubious. “I highly doubt that.”
So do I, but I have to hope that this will all be over soon.
“Will you turn that off?” Avery yells.
Alyssa whips around to glare at him over the back of the couch. “Shut up! I want to hear what they’re saying.”
Avery stomps over to her and rips the remote out of her hands, switching off the television. “You don’t need to listen to that garbage, and neither does Aunt Presley.”
I twist the burner on the stove to shut it off, and walk into the living room. “Your brother is right, ‘Lyss. We don’t need to concern ourselves with drama.”
Her eyebrows pinch together. “But they’re talking bad about you, and Stephen and Chance. They can’t do that.”
“The media spreads lies all the time, babe.” I lower myself onto the couch beside her, and take her hand in mine. “It sucks, but that doesn’t mean we have to feed into it. I don’t want you watching stuff like that.”
“I hate them,” she grumbles, looking away.
“Hey.” I tip her chin, turning her gaze back to mine. “We don’t have room in our hearts for hate. We’re not going to let them bring us down to their level. We are strong, and we rise above it. You got me?”
She nods.
I feel awful that the kids have to experience something like this. I wasn’t prepared for the reporters camped outside our house when we got home from school today, and I wasn’t prepared for my face to be plastered all over the news—but I can handle myself. It’s Avery and Alyssa that I need to focus on.
The doorbell rings, and I jump up to let Stephen and Chance inside.
“Get your ass inside.” Stephen shoves Chance through the doorway. “I don’t need to bail you out of jail for beating up a reporter.”
Chance flips them off, and their camera flashes go crazy before I close the door. “Fucking vultures.”
I smooth my palms along his chest. “Calm down, Grumpy Man. Everything is fine. We’re all safe inside.”
His jaw clenches. “They shouldn’t be out there. I’m getting you security.”
Alyssa bounces into the foyer. “Like bodyguards? That’s so freaking cool!”
Stephen scoops her up and flings her over his shoulder. “You don’t need a bodyguard. You’re a badass girl who can defend herself.”
“Language.” I rub my forehead. “Do you think they’ll go to their schools?”
“They’re not allowed on school premises, so they’ll have to stay at a distance.” Stephen sets Alyssa on her feet, and gives Avery a fist bump as we walk into the living room. “But I’m already handling it, so you have nothing to worry about.”
My eyebrows jump. “Handling it how?”
“We’re professional hockey players, pretty girl. We have management teams for shit like this.” He grimaces at another curse word leaving his lips. “Sorry.”
We each take a spot on the couch, Avery at my side with his nervous, wide eyes. I squeeze his knee for reassurance. “So, what is your team planning to do?”
Stephen sits back against the couch and spreads his arms wide along the back of it, totally relaxed as if this isn’t a big deal. I suppose he’s used to being in the spotlight like this. “My lawyer has delivered cease and desist letters to Molly and her posse of homophobes. If they want to picket, they’ll have to do it somewhere else. I’ve hired a security team to guard your school for the next month, and I’ve hired them for Avery and Alyssa’s schools as well. I’m having my own personal security team stay outside your house round-the-clock; unfortunately, there are no laws about paparazzi harassing you here, but my men will keep you all safe. This story will blow over, and it’ll die down. The same thing happened to Jason, Kourtney, and Celeste when the three of them announced that they were together. Once another hot story comes out, everyone’s attention will move onto that.”
I glance over at Chance. “You okay?”
He was just outed to the world against his will, and though he said he was ready, that doesn’t mean he’s ready for being thrown into this media frenzy.
He nods once. “Let them say whatever they want about me. It’s you three I’m worried about.”
“We’ll be okay with all this security,” I say, even though I’m not confident in that statement myself. I flick my gaze to Avery and Alyssa. “Do you guys feel weird with this situation right now? Do you have any questions, or want to talk about any of it?”
Alyssa shrugs, smacking her gum as she chews. “This is so cool. We’re gonna be famous.”
Avery scoffs, not one for all of this attention. “We’re not famous. They’re doing this because there are angry, mean people in the world who hate the LGBTQ community. This is disgusting behavior.”
Alyssa looks over at me, the smile falling from her face. “Oh.”
This is all my fault. This is exactly what I was worried about. The kids are being thrust into this drama, and they don’t deserve an ounce of it. Not only is it affecting my job, but it’s affecting the two most important people in my life. I have to put them first.
I have to end this now, before it gets worse.
“Hey.” Stephen pushes to his feet and moves into the center of the room. “Everyone, look at me right now.”
We turn our attention to him, Chance being the last one to swing his reluctant gaze.
“I don’t want to see these long faces. Especially not on you.” He points at me. “I know what you’re thinking in that head of yours, and you can just forget it.”
I swallow down the lump of guilt in my throat.
“We are a family, and families stick together. Family is forever.” Stephen swings his arm toward the door. “Those people out there? They’re just doing their job, trying to make a buck off of our story. But they’re not in control of us. We are. So, why don’t we give them something good to write about? Instead of them snapping pictures of us looking upset and scared, why not show the world what a beautiful, happy, diverse family looks like? We can spin this any way we want. It’s our choice to stay miserable, or to rise above this and fight back. The world is always going to be filled with hate—but we don’t have to focus on them.”
“Yeah!” Alyssa shoots up and pumps her fist in the air. “Those assholes can go fuck themselves!”
I gasp, Avery shouts, and Chance pinches the bridge of his nose.
Stephen grimaces as his shoulders jerk up to his ears. “I love your enthusiasm, ‘Lyssa girl, but maybe not with the cursing so your aunt doesn’t kill me.”
She clamps her hand over her mouth. “Sorry.”
I let out a small chuckle, and make eye-contact with Avery. “What do you say, kid? Want to take this situation by the balls?”
He grins. “Hell yes.”
Chance smirks. “That’s my boy.”
Pride and love swirl in my chest.
Family.
I’ve felt a little broken since my sister passed, but having this support system now fills an empty loneliness that’s been in my heart. She would love these guys so much.
Almost as much as I do.