MEREDITH STOOD AT THE DOOR to her classroom, dressed in a red turtleneck sweater and a black cotton shift that featured a colorful shoe print. She’d opted for hose and pumps in honor of a new week, and her gold shoe earrings, necklace and charm bracelet completed the day’s ensemble. Smiling, looking forward to Monday morning, she welcomed each student as the kids slowly filed in, shouted greetings at classmates, put backpacks in lockers, took their seats or a place at one of the computers against the far wall or stopped to chat with a friend.
“Good morning, Erin. How was your weekend?” Meredith asked a tiny red-head who, though the smallest in the class, had proven to be one of the most rambunctious. If there was trouble, Erin usually found it.
Innocently, but completely.
“Boorrringgg,” Erin sang, knocking her backpack into Jeremy Larson as she passed on her way to her locker.
?
?Hey!” Jeremy shoved back.
“Hold it!” Meredith’s voice stopped all movement in the classroom. “Jeremy, what’s the first rule of this classroom?”
The boy turned red and looked down. Then he mumbled.
“Excuse me?” Meredith asked, aware of the eyes turned in her direction, but focusing only on the boy.
“Don’t hit.” He refused to look at her.
That wasn’t it, exactly. “And?”
“Don’t be mad.”
That wasn’t it, either, not exactly. But he was close.
“Do you think Erin bumped into you on purpose?”
Jeremy shifted from foot to foot, his chin tucked down on his chest. He was one of the kids who caused her the greatest concern. He had far too much pent-up anger. But she had no idea why. He came from a good family—lots of siblings, support, closeness. She’d taught an older sister and a brother of his, so far. Knew both of his parents well enough to be completely comfortable with them.
“I didn’t,” Erin blurted out, as Jeremy remained silent.
“Jeremy?” Meredith said again, smiling as another couple of students shuffled in, eyes wide at the silence so early on a Monday morning. “Do you think she did it on purpose?”
“No.”
“Good. Erin? Do you have anything to say?”
“I didn’t do it on purpose.”
Meredith bit back a smile. “You already said that. What else?”
“I’m sorry.” The boisterous little girl spoke so softly she could barely be heard. But because of the earliness of the day and because of the kids still coming in, Meredith chose to accept the apology, thin as it was. She watched long enough to see that the kids were separated by half the room and then turned back to the door.
“Macy! How long have you been standing there?”
Mark’s secretary, Macy Leonard, was one of Meredith’s heroes. Calm and unflappable, the plump fiftyish woman exuded good nature.
Usually.
“What’s wrong?” Meredith asked more softly, reaching the other woman’s side.
“You’ve been summoned.” Her voice was low, serious. Concern shadowed her soft blue eyes.
With a quick look up at the loudspeaker directly over her head Meredith said, “I didn’t hear anything.”
Macy shook her head, her short gray curls stiff with spray. “He sent me. I’m supposed to stay with the kids.”
Her chest tightened. “He wants me to come right now?” Before she’d called roll or set the kids to work?