“Hi, Mr. Rhys,” I said, looping my fingers through my backpack straps. I really didn’t want to discuss this with anyone, much less the guys’ parents.
“Ms. Curtis, if you’ll come this way.” Officer Lester stepped out of an office and beckoned to me. She was the only female SRO, so I suppose that was a perk. Diane was right behind me.
“Wait,” Mr. Rhys called. “Why is Frankie in here?” His voice carried a lot of authority. Most of the time, like his wife, Mr. Rhys was so laid back and friendly. At the moment, however, his attitude reminded me of his military service.
Jake sat forward, but it was Diane who said, “It’s an unrelated matter,” she stated. “And also not one we can discuss with you, because you’re not Frankie’s parent.”
Oh, if only the floor would swallow me up.
“Actually, Sarah and I are both on the list of emergency contacts if you can’t reach Maddy.”
They were?
Since when?
Mrs. Brennen was—Coop’s mom and mine had been swapping out for both of us for years, but when did Mom add Ian’s parents?
Officer Lester cleared her throat. “We need to check on that. For now, Frankie come in here, will you?”
Jake lifted his chin toward me, and I gave him a little smile before following the officer. Diane didn’t join me immediately. The officer closed the door, shutting us in before she circled the desk. The dark-skinned woman had a genuinely nice smile, and she cast me a sympathetic look as she took a seat.
“Frankie, before I look this up, do you want Mr. Rhys in here?”
“I don’t know why I would need him. You just want me to make a statement about the posting, and I really don’t want to make a statement or even have one to make. I told Diane, I didn’t report it.”
“I know you didn’t,” she said, her expression sober. Leaning forward, she held my gaze. “Frankie, bullying seems like a trial to report. A lot of people feel like they are admitting to doing something they shouldn’t have done, and that’s why they are being treated this way. We used to tell kids to ignore it, and it would go away. Then bullies found new ways to pile on. Everyone can be a bully, it’s not just one person—it’s an attitude. It’s an attitude of entitlement that allows one side to strike out against another.”
“We discussed that in psych class,” I told her. “The problem is—what happens when you report bullying? Really? The kids who did it might get disciplined, but then they’re pissed off because they get called on the carpet for it. Doesn’t that just make them lash out harder?”
“It can also set a boundary, because not responding indicates that the behavior is acceptable. It’s not. The post? The photos? All of it? It’s not acceptable. You were targeted. Several people agree on this issue, and having reviewed it…”
Embarrassment crawled through me. “You looked at it?”
“I’m afraid so. It’s public. The tags are public. We’ve had to screen shot all of it so we have a record of it. There will be discipline—however—the poster’s identity is anonymous, and we’re trying to identify who did it, and we’ve reached out to the company.”
Seriously?
“There were names in the complaints, but I’d like to hear from you…”
At a knock on the door, I flinched. Officer Lester gave me a small smile before she said, “Yes?”
Diane opened the door. “Mr. Rhys is listed on the emergency contacts, and he tried to call Ms. Curtis, but as I explained to him, she’s on a flight to California at the moment. All our calls are going to voicemail.”
The officer looked at me, and I leaned back in the chair as much as I could with the backpack still on. I didn’t want to take it off or act like I was comfortable. I just wanted to get this over with so I could leave. “I still don’t want to make a statement.”
Lester curled her fingers, and the door opened wider to let Diane and Mr. Rhys in. When I glanced back, I caught Jake’s frown, and then twisted to look down at my lap. The sooner we got this over with, the better.
Dropping a hand on my shoulder, Mr. Rhys said, “Does this have anything to do with Jake and Rodney?”
“Yes and no,” Officer Lester said. “Jake’s statement made it clear what precipitated the fight.”
Mr. Rhys gave my shoulder a squeeze, and a horrifying burn started in my eyes that I blinked away.
“This, however, is a separate incident.” Officer Lester gave me another encouraging smile. “Frankie’s not in trouble. Far from it. Frankie was targeted on social media with a bullying post. It was reported to the school by several sources, and we have reviewed the post and found it to be objectionable and actionable.”
Oh, please don’t ask to see it…
“I’m really sorry to hear that,” he said quietly. “How are you feeling, Frankie?”