Chapter 22
Rachel spotted Carson just before lunch, standing by his locker near her classroom with his backpack half-open. She'd waited for a moment when he was alone. When the hallway cleared slightly, she walked over.
“Hey, Carson,” she said, keeping her voice casual. “Got a minute?”
He looked up, surprised. “Uh, yeah, Ms. Ayers. What's up?”
Rachel glanced around, making sure no one was close enough to overhear. “Can we talk for a few minutes?”
Carson's expression shifted, something wary moving across his features. “Am I in trouble?”
“No, nothing like that.” Rachel gestured toward her empty classroom across the hall. “Just want to check in with you.”
He followed her into the classroom, and Rachel left the door open behind them. She leaned against her desk, keeping her posture relaxed and non-threatening. He stood near the door, his backpack slung over one shoulder, his body language screaming that he wanted to bolt.
Rachel took a breath. “I was concerned by what you may have written on the assignment last week. Where you’re carrying the weight of what a friend told you about seeing something they think is bad.
I don't want you… or any student to feel alone.” She’d compared the writing to some of the essays her class of ninth graders had written, but knew she was taking a chance.
Carson's face went carefully blank. “I don't know what you mean, Ms. Ayers.”
“Carson.” Rachel's voice was gentle. “I'm not here to get you in trouble. I'm here because I care about you, and I care about whatever's going on.”
He nodded slowly, but his jaw was tight.
Finally, his shoulders slumped, and a heavy sigh fell from his lips.
He dropped his chin and studiously stared at the floor tiles for a moment.
Then he lifted his chin and looked straight into her eyes.
“I…” He stopped and cleared his throat. “I can't do anything about it, Ms. Ayers.
My friend didn't give me a lot of details, and even if he did, I couldn't tell since I promised him I wouldn't. My dad always taught me not to break a promise.”
Rachel felt her chest tighten, realizing the pressure Carson was putting on himself as he navigated the murky waters of friendship and information too heavy to carry.
“I understand that,” Rachel said carefully. “But if someone is being hurt, or if someone is doing something they shouldn't, then we need to help. And think about the weight your friend is carrying.”
Carson stared at her, his hands gripping the straps of his backpack. The silence stretched between them, heavy and uncomfortable. Rachel waited, giving him space to think, to process, to decide.
Finally, he looked up. “I'll talk to him, okay? See if he'll come to you… or say that I can talk.”
“Thank you.” Rachel's voice was warm with relief.
“That's all I'm asking. I want to make sure you and the other student know that you can always talk to me if something is bothering you.
If you heard or saw something that made you uncomfortable, you could always come to me if you didn't have anyone else you wanted to talk to. Or your coach—”
Carson snorted. “My coach? You know my brother is my coach.”
Her brow furrowed. “Yes, but you two are close.”
Carson hesitated, then sighed again. “My dad is the sheriff, and my brother is now a detective. Yeah, I’m close to them, but that kind of makes me the guy no one wants to talk to about stuff that happens. Now, a friend has, but I can’t betray my promise.”
Rachel studied him carefully as a flash of a high school memory hit her. Jack once said that with his dad being the sheriff, kids either thought they could get something from him or he was the one who didn’t get invited to parties. “Yes… right.” She nodded. “I get that.”
Carson nodded and headed for the door. Rachel watched him go, her mind already spinning. She needed to figure out who Carson's friend was. Needed to find out what they'd seen before someone got hurt. She was almost positive it was either Robbie or Ben, but wasn’t sure.
Loud, chaotic lunch duty wasn’t Rachel's favorite part of the day. Still, she was grateful for the chance today to observe the students’ interactions and see if she could pick up on anything that might help her identify who had confided in Carson.
She stood near the cafeteria entrance, scanning the crowd.
Her eyes landed on Carson sitting in the corner with Robbie and Ben.
The three boys had their heads close together, their voices low, their expressions serious.
I knew it. Whatever happened, those three were struggling with the burden of having seen something concerning or having been entrusted with the information.
She watched them for another moment, noting the tension in their shoulders, the way they kept glancing around as though afraid someone might overhear. Then the bell rang, and the cafeteria began to empty.
Rachel headed back to her classroom, wondering how she should handle the situation. At the end of the day, she looked at her ninth-grade class as they left the room, seeing Robbie, Ben, and Carson avoid her gaze.
She grabbed her phone and fired off a text to Jack. Can you call me before JV practice?
The response came immediately, and her phone buzzed in her hand. Jack's name lit up the screen.
Rachel answered, surprised. “Hey, I didn’t mean you had to call right this second. I know you’re at work.”
He chuckled. “It’s fine. And a chance to hear your voice? Couldn’t be better.”
She laughed despite the tension coiled in her chest. God, she'd missed this. The way Jack could make her smile even when she was stressed. “Okay, I know we only have a moment or two, and I can't go into it now, but keep an eye on Robbie, Ben, and your brother at practice.”
Jack's tone shifted instantly, all business. “What's up?”
“Maybe nothing.” Rachel kept her voice low even though her classroom was empty.
“But I have a feeling one of them saw something suspicious, and now they might be in on it together.
Carson is holding in something heavy, and the other two know something as well.
Something about what they saw someone doing.
But don't you dare tell them this came from me or grill them. Just let them know they can talk to you about anything.”
Jack grumbled on the other end of the line. “You do realize you just unloaded a lot, right?”
“I’m sorry. Somehow it all came rushing out. There’s nothing for you to do today, but maybe you can just let them know that you’re someone they can talk to.”
“Okay, I can easily do that. I'll talk to you after practice.”
“Come by my place,” Rachel said, warmth flooding through her. “I'll fix dinner for us.”
“Deal.” Jack's voice softened. “See you soon, Rach.”
He’d agreed quickly and without question. And when they disconnected, Rachel stood in her empty classroom with her phone still in her hand. She stared at Jack's contact photo, at the smile on his face, and felt something settle deep in her chest.
Jack had been home a week and had already slid back into the special place in her heart that he’d occupied for years. It seemed to be waiting on him. What she had with Jack was more than what she'd had with anyone else. More real, more solid, more right.