Chapter 23 The School Board Meeting
THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
BECKY
Another meeting done after that mess of a coffee date, I walk up the stairs to my house and find an adorable succulent sitting there with a note attached to it. A message from Carter waits on my phone and I hate that I love seeing it there.
Carter
Any information yet?
Me
Not really. I did get another succulent, though. Delivered with a note.
Carter
Interesting.
Carter
Probably some Shakespearean shit, eh?
Carter
Eh?
I pick up the succulent and peel the note off. My name is written on the front, and on the inside is a messy poem with a lot of crossing out—clearly written by Carter.
While you’re reading Shakespeare Hatchet
I wielded a ratchet
Yet we were in sink sync
Until I didn’t think.
I love you now more than
Than ever before
Though I was bad
And I made you sad
So take this sucu plant
Don’t say you cant
Here’s a poem too
I wrote it for you.
PS: I love you Spitfire. You’re amazing. If you still maybe want that first message, I can still send it to you. Just send me a text that says “Carter, you’re the sexiest poet I know.”
I read through it far too many times, dashing my hand under my eyes for reasons.
It’s such a simple thing. Such a small, silly thing to give, to do.
But it’s a window into the relationship we used to have.
The things he would do for me. I sniff and carefully fold the paper and tuck it into my pocket.
I’m keeping this. My phone goes off again, Carter’s message tone.
Carter
I can do better.
I don’t know. He did it exactly right.
Me
Sorry, I was reading it. The meeting was crap. They don’t seem to want to include my documentation. Apparently it’s suspect considering it just happens to be against the person who accused me first. I don’t get to know anything about what’s happening with Taylor. I’m just really stressed right now.
Carter Calling -
Call Ignored -
I go to the voicemail and watch as the transcript of his message scrolls over the screen.
Becky. No matter what happens today, or even what happens tomorrow.
Please remember that you are not only an incredible teacher, but also an incredible person.
The love you put into your job is recognized by others, I promise.
The county would never be stupid enough to lose someone like you.
Not like I was. Please don’t let the red tape get you down.
I love you. Call me if you need a boost.
Me
Thank you.
Carter
Always
Carter
You got this, beautiful Becky. I love you.
Me
Thank you, Carter.
The rest of the day flies by, and then it’s time to go.
I put together the finishing touches of my outfit for tonight.
I went for white slacks and a soft, satin blue shirt with a bow on the shoulder.
I spent a ridiculous amount of time taming my hair into soft curls, and did the barest amount of makeup to hide the sleep I’ve been missing.
With a quick breath mint and a message to the girls that I’m ready, I wait on my front porch for my ride.
They told me not to drive myself because I need my mind focused on all the other stuff.
Paige pulls up in her Subaru. Wait, is it her Subaru? I look at it with a critical eye, but even with a car addict ex, I’m clueless about vehicles. Sonya and Vicky are both in the car waiting for me.
“Get in, bitch, we’re going to take back your reputation.” Vicky says from the passenger seat. I smile at the attempt at levity and hop into the back next to Sonya. She looks as anyone would expect after having the truths come out the way they did on Tuesday.
“You ok?”
A soft, sad smile. “Let’s focus on you today.”
“Ugh, that’s an awful idea.” I slump into my seat and close my eyes. “This is going to be the worst.”
I know that Taylor has already been removed from the classroom because of more information coming out and details pending investigation. I smirk, knowing that she must have found out when she tried sauntering into the school this morning after our discussion.
My legs haven’t stopped shaking the entirety of the ride. Paige pulls into the parking lot of the high school, where they have the school board meetings, and I’m shocked to see that there’s hardly any available spots. We have to park near the back.
“Is there a football game tonight?” No, it’s Thursday night.
“Nope.” Paige pops her p, but doesn’t expand further.
My anxiety spikes tenfold. I close my eyes and go through my mental checklist again. I have my paperwork, a written and signed document explaining the flower deliveries, and the most damning of all, an official transcript of the video from Billy’s office.
I worry about my lack of evidence proving I’m a decent teacher and worth the fuss, but everyone convinced me it wasn’t necessary.
So, here I am. I wanted to arrive early, but the girls convinced me that I would just pull my hair out while waiting for people to arrive.
I reluctantly agreed to that as well. These women are managing me.
Once through the front doors, muffled voices carry in from the auditorium. My anxiety evolves into a maelstrom of complete and utter panic. Paige and Vicky grip onto me, but I’ve frozen in my tracks. My breathing is getting erratic and I can’t do this.
“I can’t do this.”
“Becky!”
I can’t do this.
“Becky!” Closer, louder. I feel strong sure hands on my face. I open my eyes, I hadn’t realized I’d closed, to see dark hazel greens staring right at me. Carter. “Hey, hey, you’re going to be okay. Everything is okay. Nobody is here to hurt you or trick you. I’m here. I’ve got you. Trust me.”
I’m here. My heart slows down as I look into his familiar eyes. Breathe in, breathe out. I’ve got you. In and out. Trust me. I nod my head realizing that in this, I do, and he releases my face slowly, then backs away, giving my shoulder a small squeeze.
“Let’s go. I saved us seats.”
My chest tightens, and my eyes dart to the doors of the auditorium, then to the exit leading to the parking lot.
“No, nope, off we go.” Paige is suddenly there, on my other side.
Carter nods at the both of us and leads us into the packed auditorium, and despite my pride, I walk with my head down.
My name is murmured all around me, following us all the way to the front seats Carter saved. He must have come early.
“Hey, Ms. Duchamp,” Joey, sitting between his dad and younger sister, says it quietly, but with a small smile. I smile and wave back to the Saul Family and Trevor at the end of the row. Then I sit, and I wait.
Proceedings go on as I assume they normally would, but the crowd gets restless rather quickly.
I haven’t seen the order on the docket for today’s meeting, but I’m thinking they need to move the budget up sooner.
Normally budget meetings, or bathroom concerns, bring the rowdy crowds.
Soon the murmuring becomes louder, and what they’re saying starts to penetrate my anxiety ridden mind.
“We need to talk about Duchamp!”
“Yeah, what’s taking so long!”
“You know why we’re here y’all. Don’t play dumb. Move her up!”
I freeze in my seat and my eyes get wide.
I look over towards Carter, but he just sits with a small smile on his face, watching the proceedings.
His legs are bouncing a little, but he looks unbothered.
Someone shouts again, but I can’t hear it amongst the rumble of the crowd and my own ringing ears.
What’s happening right now?
There’s some quiet discussion in the front between the board members, but then one turns to the mic and calls the first vote. “All for moving the matter of Duchamp’s investigation forward on the agenda, say aye.”
And I swear, every voice in that auditorium responds to that question with a loud, booming, “aye.”
“Ms. Duchamp, would you like to step up to the mic to speak on this topic?”
I look up from my hands to the front to see the members all looking at me. “Ye-yeah, yes. Of course.” I stand and smooth my shirt and my pants and grab my evidence. I stop at the podium facing the school board. For a small town, they seem to like the pomp and circumstance of these types of events.
“Ms. Duchamp, on Tuesday of this week, you were removed from your school pending investigation of a sensitive matter brought forward to the Central Office of Briar Ridge County Schools. Does that sound right?”
“Yes.”
“Much of the matter cannot be shared in this public forum on our part, but is there anything that you would like to say about this matter?”
“Bullcrap!” A familiar voice that I couldn’t place in that moment if my life depended on it calls out.
“Shh.”
I didn’t do anything wrong. I know that I’m good at my job.
I know that I don’t deserve this bullcrap.
I straighten my shoulders and look into the eyes of each member of the school board before I respond.
“It was unfounded and based solely on two individuals’ dislike and distaste of me as a person, and had nothing to do with me as a teacher or my actions in the classroom. ”
“Bet, Duchamp,” a student’s voice, Ned, calls from the audience, and I turn to see if I can spot him. There he is, surrounded by his classmates, my students and their parents. I give him a teacher look, but then I smile. My kids are here.
Unfortunately, I don’t see his mother. But that’s okay. We have enough.
Another familiar voice speaks up, “We love you Duchamp!” I turn and find more former students who are now in ninth and tenth grade scattered around.
Oh my Lord. I sweep my gaze around the rest of the room and find numerous familiar faces filling the seats of this room, all smiling back at me.
Warmth fills my limbs, dismissing the anxiety, and bringing me gratitude and strength.
Are they all here, for me?
My eyes find Carter, and he looks proud, maybe a little smug, and then I take in the faces surrounding him. He did this. They all did this for me.
“Ms. Duchamp, I understand you have some evidence that you would like to share with us?”
“Yes, I do. Here.” I walk forward and hand off the stack of papers and a small thumb drive. “I wouldn’t read this out loud, and I’d listen to the clip later” I quietly let the head of the board, Frederick Johnston, know. He simply nods and takes the papers.
“I made enough copies for everyone.” I add before walking back to the microphone.
For some reason, that makes some of the audience snicker.
“As I hope you can gather from what I’ve provided, I’ve been an innocent party in a targeted scheme to hurt and humiliate me and my standing in my career and in my community.
Thank you.” I turn quickly away, done with my part.
Vicky leaps up out of her seat and rushes to the microphone before I make it back to my seat. “I’m going to speak on something I know she won’t since she’s still not tenured.” Vicky starts, voice firm.
“Go ahead, Ms Terri. You have the floor.”
“Thanks, Freddy,” she says dryly. Vicky looks at everyone in the front of the room with a haughty eye that makes me a little jealous, and glad she’s on my side.
“I’m deeply disappointed in the way that this school system treated Becky, or Ms. Duchamp, in this, and in the prior three weeks in which she had to tolerate the presence of the very person who was bent on hurting and humiliating her, not only in this community, but in our school and her classroom.
” A few angry murmurs started and were shushed around the room.
“I know for a fact that Ms. Duchamp brought up her concerns the first day this woman, Taylor Harrison, began her descent into underhanded dealings and poor treatment of not only Mrs. Duchamp, but also of her students.”
At this, the crowd gets louder.
“Ms. Duchamp handled everything by the book, respectfully, but nothing changed. She was told to document it. So she did. For weeks she documented each and every incident. Then, when a couple people claim that she did something wrong, she’s immediately removed from the classroom with no opportunity to defend herself.
” She delivers this information without any theatrics, which somehow highlights exactly how unjust the entire situation is.
For me. “Mr. Stewart, Mr. Whitaker, and Mr. Saul all worked together to do your job and gather testimonies from parents and their children, Duchamp’s students. ”
With a nod at them, Carter and Joey stand up with their own stacks of paper and hand them to the head chairman.
Vicky waits for those papers to be passed around.
“Based on these testimonies alone, you should be aware that you have an exceptional educator in Becky Duchamp. You need to fix this.” She nods curtly, then turns around as people around the room begin to applaud her. About what she said about me.
Damn being an emotional crier. I can hardly contain how I’m feeling right now.
I’m biting the shit out of my lip trying to maintain my composure.
Once Carter returns to his seat, he seems to sense my overwhelming urge to lose it.
He grabs my hand and squeezes once, but then when he loosens his grip, I tighten mine.
His massive smile is vibrant, visible from the corner of my eyes, but I remain facing forward—taking it all in.
“I move to terminate the investigation into Becky Duchamp’s conduct at or related to the school.” A voice from the now blurry table of important people states.
“I second that motion.” Another blurry voice responds.
“All in favor, say aye.”
And I listen as an auditorium full of people who believe in me shout their responses.
“Aye!”