“Does Mrs. A. still live over on Maple Drive?” I asked.
“I think so,” Margie replied.
I turned around and raced back to my room and grabbed a pair of sneakers. Margie came in behind me.
“You’re not thinking about going over there, are you?”
“Oh, I’m going!” I replied as I went back to my window and slid my legs out.
“Are you insane, Emily? You can’t go over to a teacher’s house in the middle of the night!”
“I’m not insane, Margie. I’m in love,” I replied. “And Mrs. Arrington isn’t my teacher anymore, and I’ll do whatever I please!”
And with that, I slid out the window onto the porch roof and leapt off onto the lawn. Like I was back on the track team, I started off for Maple Drive. It wasn’t a long run from my parents’ house, and by the time I reached Mrs. A.’s house, the cool autumn air had me feeling invigorated and ready for anything.
I wasn’t about to take these accusations against Dylan lying down. I had to do something, and I had a plan—whether or not it was going to work was the real question.
Three zombie dog puppets greeted me with motion-triggered growls as I came up the steps, and I was so emotional that I almost kicked them off the steps. But I kept myself under control, checked my phone and knocked. It didn’t take long for Mrs. Arrington to come to the door.
“Emily?” she asked. “Is that you?”
It was clear that Mrs. A. had gone for the bombshell Halloween costume and had probably dressed up like a sexy teacher or a Charlie’s Angel or something like that. She was wearing yoga pants and a halter top but still had her face caked in make-up and her hair in a perm.
“That’s me,” I replied. “I just saw your Facebook post about Mr. Cox.”
“Oh, yes. Are…are you all right?”
“Can I come in?” I asked.
“Of course!” Mrs. A. let me inside and we sat down facing each other across her coffee table.
“I—this is hard for me to say,” I said slowly. “But Mr. Cox has done something to me.”
“Oh, no!” Mrs. A. replied. “Sweetie, are you okay—”
“It’s not like that,” I said quickly. “It’s just...I was up for a scholarship at my college and all Mr. Cox had to do was write me a letter of recommendation, but he told me that he wouldn’t because I wasn’t a ‘good student’ in class. But he said it in that way that made me feel like he might be implying something, you know?”
“I do know,” Mrs. A. replied, her eyes lighting up like I’d just given her good news. “Would you like to tell your story, hon?”
“I don’t know if I am ready to go public or anything,” I replied. “I just—I wanted to let you know and get your advice.”
“I think you should,” she said quickly. “The more girls who come forward, the quicker his punishment will be.”
“Did he really do those things he did?” I asked sheepishly. “I don’t mean to not believe you, I just—”
“It’s hard to believe,” Mrs. Arrington replied. “But yes, he did. He sexually assaulted me in the cafeteria after school and that was the final straw.”
The cafeteria? Didn’t she say the teacher’s lounge before?
A sudden weight lifted off of my chest, and as I stared at her, I knew she was lying. Something had happened between them and she was out for blood—out to ruin him. All I needed was proof.
“So—I don’t want to sound like I don’t believe you, but if I’m going to come forward, I need to make sure that—”
“That I’m not lying?” she interrupted. There was an anger behind her eyes that simply further confirmed what I already knew. “Why would I lie about this, Emily? What would I possibly have to gain? Why don’t you just tell me what happened to you and I will post it for you. I can tag you if you’d like?”
I nodded. “Okay. But let me write it up and I’ll send it to you, okay? I want it to be in my words.”
“Of course, darling,” Mrs. A. said with such condescension in her voice that I wanted to throw up. “You just send it to me when you are ready, but the sooner the better. We want to make sure this monster gets what’s coming to him.”