Alibi High

So I stomped back down to Ellen's desk and asked her if she knew where Charlotte was. She shrank back a little at my tone and I felt a twinge of remorse for taking out my anger on her.

“ She called in sick,” she said. “Do you need something? I can help. Or I can call her at home. Maybe she's not that sick...”

“ No,” I said quickly, trying to keep the anger and frustration out of my voice. “It's not that big o f a deal.”

To which she informed that she'd called in sick for the day. So I I turned on my heel and stomped back down to my office again with no plan. , with no one to talk to and nothing to do about what I'd just heard.

The stomping didn't help.

I collapsed into my chair and laid my head down on my desk. I was exhausted. I didn't want to know anything that I knew. I wanted to turn the clock back a week and make sure I did anything but volunteer my time at Prism. Now, I felt like the captai n of the Titanic – I knew the school was about to crash and burn on the verge of sinking and there was n't much I could do about nothing I could do to stop it. I sighed. I didn't usually do helpless very well, but at that moment, I felt like the weakest person in the world because I had no solutions or answers.

A knock on the door broke up my pity party and I sat up straight, expecting to see another student looking for their guidance counselor .

“Did I wake you?” Miles Riggler asked. “I'm sorry.”

“No, no,” I told him , forcing a smile on to my face . “ It's fine. I was just...I don't know what I was doing. ” I shook my head and brightened my smile. “ Anyway . I , i t's fine. I'm awake. How are you?”

“I'm alright,” he said. His hands were shoved in the pockets of his brown corduroys and he had a goofy grin plastered to his face. “And I think I might have some good news for you.”

“I could absolutely use some of that.”

“Do you have room for four more acts in the talent show?” he asked.

“Four more?” I said. “You're kidding.”

He shook his head. “I'm not. I talked to a few of my students.” He glanced over his shoulder , taking stock of who might be in the hallway before turning back to me. out into the hallway, then back at me. “You've been very kind to me and I wanted to help. So I've been hassling my students about performing. I've managed to wrangle four of them into agreeing to sign signing up. They'll be coming to see you today to get their names on the list.”

That was exactly the kind of news I needed to hear. “That's fantastic. Thank you so much.”

“I might be able to get you a few more,” he said. “If you need them.”

“I need them,” I said. “I'll take as many as you can send to me.”

He nodded. “Alright. I'll keep trying then. It's the least I can do after...everything.”

Right at that moment, I crossed Miles Riggler off my mental suspect list. If he'd had anything to do with the computer theft, I didn't think he'd be looking to help out with the fundraiser. And he just seemed to o genuine in his gratitude and relief that I was willing to keep his secret. I didn't believe he was a the computer thief.

“Thank you,” I said again. “I really appreciate it.”

“I should be the one thanking you,” he said with an embarrassed smile.

“Well, thanks for coming to tell me,” I said, then waved a hand in the direction of Charlotte's desk. “Breaks up the quiet of my lonely office since Charlotte's out today.”

He glanced at her desk. “Ah, yes. I guess it is Friday, isn't it?”

I looked at him, not understanding. “She's always sick on Fridays?” I wondered what kind of illness hit every seven days.

He closed the door to the office. “She calls in sick on Fridays . ,” he explained. He lowered his voice. “ But I don't think she's really sick.”

“ Um. Okay. .. ”

“Charlotte has...an issue,” he said. “I didn't really believe it at first, but now, I'm pretty sure it's true.”

I thought about what Emily and Bailey t had t old me. “Gambling?”

He raised an eyebrow. “So you've already seen it?”

“Just heard about it, but I wasn't sure if it was real or gossip or what.”

“Unfortunately, I think it's pretty real,” he said. “ I hate rumors and gossip as much as the next person, but  I don't think anyone can deny what's going on. She's usually out on Fridays with some excuse, but I think it's usually because she's up at the casino.”

“River Wind?”

He nodded. “Yep. I know that a couple of other faculty members have seen her up there on the weekends and one of them took a Friday off not too long ago because he had family in town and they went up there for the day.” He shook his head again lowered his voice to a whisper . “He saw here there, playing cards. I guess he didn't say anything to her because he already had heard the rumors but and because he didn't want to cause a scene or anything.” He paused. “But she'd called in sick that day, too. She's apparently there a lot. It's supposed to be this big secret and no one talks about it, but I swear. I'm not sure don't think you could find a single employee in this building who doesn't know about it.” He glanced at his watch. “I've gotta get back to my room. I'll make sure those kids find you today.”

My head was spinning but I I somehow managed to thank ed him and before he left.

And then I laid my head back down on the desk . and sighed.

Prism was a mess. An incompetent principal president who wanted out. Teachers that who weren't qualified to do their jobs. A PTA president more concerned with her husband's failing business than the goings-on at school. Financial issues. A counselor who or may not have had a gambling problem. It wasn't a school. It was a soap opera.

And I thought about my daughter, sitting in some classroom, listening to her teacher lecture or working on a lab or whispering to her friends. I didn't want to pull Emily out, but I genuinely believed we'd have to consider it. I couldn't in good conscience send her to a nuthouse that was masquerading as a school. I knew that if we got to that point, she'd be furious and I couldn't blame her. She wasn't seeing what I was seeing and I wasn't sure it would matter to her , anyway. She cared about her friends mostly and leaving Prism would mean leaving them and I wasn't sure there was anything I could tell her that might persuade her that leaving was in her best interest. . But I was having trouble finding adults who seemed responsible enough, invested enough and capable enough of working to work in a place that I 'd entrusted with my kid.

I sighed again .

I felt like a lot of teenagers probably did , right at that moment.

School sucked.

THIRTY FOUR

I was not productive.

I spent most of the day moping, preoccupied, sitting at my desk and staring at the wall. I couldn't find the motivation to continue with sign-ups and organizing the talent show. Before, I'd l at east convinced myself it was worth doing because the school needed help and because Emily loved the school. But after the past few days and the revelations that morning, I couldn't muster any more fake enthusiam for doing anything Prism-related.

So I called Brenda after lunch, told her that I'd be home early that night afternoon and she said she'd have Johnny deliver the kids back home at four. The final bell rang and it was like I'd been sprung from prison. I wasn't brave enough to leave before the end of the day, but as soon as I heard that bell go off, I snatched my stuff and headed for home.