The receptionist ignores me.
She answers the phone and then holds up a finger to tell me to wait.She hangs up, and then begins shuffling papers.This is getting weird.
“Excuse me.”
She looks up.“Is there something you need?”
“Yes, I was hoping to speak with Principal Greeley for a moment.Is she available?”
The receptionist looks me up and down.“Do you have an appointment?”
“Uh, no.”I begin to worry that I’m not dressed appropriately, but I am.A nice cotton blouse and jeans.No stains.No rips.And I have no idea what this woman’s problem is.“I wasn’t aware that I needed an appointment.It won’t take long.”
“And what is this regarding?”
This lady is pissing me off.I’ve known a lot of school personnel like her over the years—a tiny bit of power can sometimes result in an inflated ego.“It’s about Jasmine MacLaine, a third-grade student.”
“Hold on.”She picks up the phone.“Hi, yes, Emma Clark is here to see you.Uh-huh.Yes.I don’t have any idea.All right.”
“She’ll be right with you.Please have a seat.”
I sit, well aware that I didn’t give her my name, so she must have known it.If she weren’t in her late fifties, I’d be wondering if maybe she dated Finn, too.Maybe all the women in town have.
About ten minutes later, the receptionist gets a call and tells me to go on in.She gestures to a closed door.I open the latch and am met with the judgmental stares of three women.
Principal Greeley, Tammy, and Lana.All of them in their matching cardigans.
It’s the twinset triplets.It’s an ambush.
“Hello,” I tell the principal in my most polite tone of voice.“I’d wanted to speak with you about Jasmine.I didn’t realize you were busy.”
The principal smiles at me like I’m soft in the head.“We’re not busy.Please come on in.In fact, we were just talking about you.”
Of course they were.
I take a seat in one of the four vinyl chairs near the principal’s desk.Tammy and Lana remain standing behind the principal, as if they’re her backup singers or bodyguards.They glare at me.
“What can I help you with?”
I don’t want to be snarky, and I sure don’t want to make an enemy of Jasmine’s principal, though I suspect that Lana and Tammy have already done that work for me.“Mrs.Greeley, I wanted to speak with you about Jasmine’s reading comprehension.”
She blinks at me.“What about it?”
“I have some concerns.”
One of them giggles.I think it was Lana, the one with eleven fillings.
“I see, but Emma, may I call you Emma?”
“Of course.”
“I haven’t been informed that you are now Jasmine’s parent or legal guardian.Has your status changed?Has your last name changed?Does Mr.MacLaine know you’ve inserted yourself into this situation, as if she’s your child?”
Another giggle.
I’m inside the walls of an elementary school, but this sure feels a lot like junior high.“No.I’m not Jasmine’s parent or legal guardian.But I’m on the approved list for pickup and drop off, and I volunteer with her class.”
“Not the same,” Tammy says from her backup singer spot.
