Moments after I handed Clare back her phone, it buzzed. She turned it to face me showing it was Jean but also asking if I wanted to take the call instead.
I snorted.
She sighed and answered, putting it on speaker. “Good morning, I’m here with Bevin and Mrs. Reid. I interrupted their training to show her the video.”
“I apologize for putting you in the middle, but I did try her first, and I wanted someone to hear in my voice that I did not tell that idiot to say—”
“We know, Jean,” I said, mostly just so we could all move on. “You’ve got issues around you and you’ve got a mess to clean up because they were all afraid of Charles and now they will act badly because he controlled them.” I snorted. “Grandfatherchose the attorney carefully for me and he still lost the estate five million by not doing as the trust instructed.”
She didn’t respond right away. “Yes, Father was thrilled you werestupidenough to fire the actual attorney protecting you, but even Grandmother wondered why when Grandfather had worked with him before. Interesting that he let the power go to his head.” She sighed. “Seems to be the way of most men who are petty and feel small blaming us.”
“Preaching to the choir, Ms. Shaw,” Mrs. Reid drawled. “While the outcome is unfortunate given it’s another headache for you, it’s not entirely a bad one for this camp, so I wouldn’t worry too much. Thank you for the call.”
“Thank you. Have a nice day all of you,” Jean said briskly before hanging up.
I was glad when Clare seemed just as confused as I was, giving Mrs. Reid a matching look to mine.
“That woman is not yourfriend, Bevin.” She glanced at Clare. “Nor yours. She wants you both back on her board. Never forget that. She has an agenda and is ridiculously smart. I’ve seen her schooling records. She issmartand that makes her extra dangerous. She could have absolutely told that man to say that for the chance to call you and bond and look—”
“I hear you and yes, Jean is that manipulative, but her pride won’t allow her to ever look the fool or that she could make a mistake,” I cut in, Clare seeming to agree.
Mrs. Reid simply raised an eyebrow at me. “Over getting the chance to make an in with you? You just gave her valuable information that you parted ways with your former attorney on bad terms.”
“She’s right,” Clare muttered. “I knew Jean hid a lot but nowhere near what you did and I spent more time with her, Bevin. We have to assume it’s always an act for a result and the game isn’t one we know the outcome of. Wehave toassumeshe’s five steps ahead of us to stay protected. And not just with her. Everything has changed for all of us.”
I opened my mouth but then slowly closed it when Woodchuck told me I was about to sound like a Shaw. I nodded and mulled over what they said but decided to address what Woodchuck said. “It’s not about being a prideful Shaw or not being able to admit I can be wrong. They didn’t count me as important enough to matter, so I saw behind the masks.”
“Yes, but you don’t know that it wasn’t a mask on its own too, Bevin,” Woodchuck said gently. “Tracey said Jean did much you didn’t know about. Did you know she was as powerful as Tracey or she planned to take over? To get you free of there and she helped you get out?”
“Fair,” I agreed with a heavy sigh. I did shoot her a hurt look. “It’s not pride or being a jerk like them. It’s all I’ve known, and enough has been uprooted on me, Woodchuck. Sometimes I’m grasping at too much sand, and I just need one thing to still be the reality I knew.”
She darted over and rubbed against my leg. “I shouldn’t have said it like that. I’m sorry it was too harsh. I just saw you digging in your heels and I knew this time you shouldn’t. Everything has changed and you need to adjust with it. You’re doing so well.”
“I will never get used to this,” Clare muttered, shaking her head.
I wasn’t sure what she meant, but when I saw her focused on Woodchuck, it hit me. I simply gave a half shrug.
“She wasn’t mocking or picking on you,” Mrs. Reid promised me. “It’s—it’s hard to only hear one side of a conversation. It makes us feel…”
“Lacking,” Clare offered. “I feel like I can’t speak a language or…” She shook her head. “Sorry, I’m just—you’re not the only one who feels like she’s always grasping at sand, Bevin. I’m notdownplaying your struggles, but you arenotthe only one who always fucking feels that way.”
I wasn’t sure what to say, but she went back inside, so I didn’t have to respond.
Mrs. Reid wanted to be seen with me on campus. I wasn’t sure why, but I found it best not to question her. Plus, I was generally tired after we worked together.
Then I realized there was a plan more than eating the cafeteria food or something else.
She wanted me to have a laugh.
I thought back to the calendar of fun “holidays” I had found on the internet and swallowed a laugh. November 13thwas World Kindness Day. That was the “Be Kind” banner.
And under it were a dozen upperclassmen who were from top-tier families who looked ready like they were about to explode. I was amused because three of them in particular were exceedingly loud at how childish my “outlandish prank” had been.
But now they were doing something along the same lines? All the sound bites had backfired or had their families schooled them on not looking like elitist assholes? One walked around all of the time saying too many at the school were “low-born” as if anyone actually still said things like that.
Anyone with an actual brain at least.
“I thought this might happen,” Mrs. Reid muttered as she took in the situation. “This is a good chance for you to test out some of what Emma has been teaching you.”
