Gripping the seatbelt, I check the time.
The meeting is startingnow.
Chapter thirty
Benny
“Welcome,everyone,toourquarterly meeting. I apologize for the abrupt change in schedule, but we appreciate those of you who made accommodations to be here.” Mrs. Herrera stands at the podium in the center of the boardroom, leading the meeting.
Kate, Emma, and myself are sitting towards the back of the room. Kate is locked in on her cell phone, texting like a maniac, and Emma is doing some sort of deep breathing exercise moving her hands up and down like this is a yoga class.
Where is Malcolm?
Some of the faculty have come in support, sitting around us. The room is also filled with faculty from the elementary and middle schools, with a few parents scattered throughout.
I’ve never attended one of these meetings in the past, but I never expected the room to be almost packed like this. There were maybe five chairs, total, unclaimed.
“Jill, can you go over minutes from last quarter?” Herrera sits down and another woman takes the stand. She’s younger but dressed similarly, dark gray pantsuit.
Is there a uniform for these jobs?
The minutes are read and the agenda for the current meeting is announced.
“Divata-Bailey Evaluation,” Jill ends her announcements with the reason we’re all here. We’re last to be discussed—I’m unsure if this is a good or bad thing. Good because Ellie can make it in time, bad because their decision, most likely, has already been made so why waste meeting time to even discuss it.
Kate reaches over and squeezes my hands that are clinched in a tight ball. I’m just about bent halfway over, trying to breathe, and my elbows make permanent dents in my knees as I crunch my knuckles.
“It’s going to be okay,” she whispers to me. I look back at her and her smile is confident and comforting.
Henry Clinton slides into the seat beside me. “How ya doing?”
My jaw clenches at his question. He’s to blame that we’re here right now. I get it, he has a job to do, and a reputation to protect, but to not even warn me this meeting was happening in the first place feels low.
“Fine,” I say through my teeth. I’m not an angry person, but this entire situation was pushing me to the brink, and it is very possible I will snap at my boss right here, right now.
He pats me on the shoulder and I instinctively shove my shoulder away from his hand. I continue facing the front of the room, but I can see out of the corner of my eye that I offended him. Hurt is all over his innocent grandpa-face and I instantly regret my reaction.
“Sorry,” I say on an exhale and tap his knee with my fist, "just on edge a bit.”
“I would be too.” He nods at a few board members as they walk down the aisle to the front of the room, maintaining his administrative composure before he leans over and whispers, “I’m sorry if you feel blindsided.”
I blink at him. Is he a mind reader?
“You couldn’t know about this,” he whispers even lower. “It would have looked bad for all of us if you knew in advance. They want you in the dark.” He looks around us to make sure no one is listening. An administrator from the middle school approaches and shakes his hand, then waves at me before they walk to take their seats at the front of the room. Henry adjusts the knot of his tie, clearing his throat. “But there’s a plan in place,” he’s whispering so low I need to borrow his hearing aid just to hear the man. “We’ve got you.”
“What plan?” I’m immediately shushed by Henry, Kate, and Emma. They have me on high alert now. I find myself looking around for suspicious faces before whispering, “What is going on, Henry?”
“Mr. Clinton, care to share updates?” A grumpy and overly large man is standing at the podium and has just finished addressing his points on the agenda. He looks at all four of us, eyes looking apprehensive before he adjusts his face to a welcoming smile. It was subtle but I clocked it, and now my alertness is in overdrive.
Was everyone here wary of me? Was my reputation actually ruined?
Henry pats me on the knee before walking up to the podium. He begins sharing about our recent construction plans for the cafeteria and the adjustments made to the upcoming baseball schedule. I check the agenda bulletin they handed us as we walked in, we have two more points before theDivata-Bailey Evaluation.My chest squeezes and my heart rate picks up. I look around quickly scanning the crowd, Ellie still isn’t here.
My leg bounces faster and faster as Henry finishes his updates. He calls the next administrator up for their turn and my heart is now pounding so hard against my rib cage hard I feel it in the back of my throat.
This administrator, Sally from the elementary school, literally says, “We have no updates.” She smiles triumphantly as if she is the hero of this entire meeting. Good God, Sally, if I ever needed you to share about the school’s pet goldfish, the time would benow.
Sweat beads up on my temples and my hands feel jittery.
