Page 41 of Just This Once

He’d even leaned over and given me a quick hug before dropping to his butt in the middle of my classroom to put them on. This sudden one-eighty from him was concerning.

Robbie still hadn’t looked me in the eye. “I’m not a charity case.” He shouldered past me, leaving me stunned in the hallway.

I blinked away the sudden surge of emotion as I stared into the near-empty hallway. Walking with his secretary at his side,Principal Cartwright headed straight for my room. I swiped the moisture from my eyes and lifted my chin.

I perked up and gave him my attention. “Good morning, Mr. Cartwright.” I nodded at his secretary. “Miss Austin.”

The principal offered a flat-lipped nod. “Miss Ward. Miss Austin will look after your classroom for a few minutes. I need a word with you in my office.”

My heartbeat fluttered, but I kept my composure. “Of course.” I stepped aside to gesture toward my classroom. “Right this way, Miss Austin.”

Principal Cartwright waited at the entrance to my classroom while I briefly walked Miss Austin through our typical morning procedure, adjusting slightly for the fact someone other than myself would be opening today’s math lesson.

Once I was satisfied the children were in good hands, I met Principal Cartwright at the doorway. He nodded and together we made the silent, uncomfortable trudge from my end of the hallway to his office.

“I’ve got to say,” I started, laughing. “I can’t remember ever being called down to the principal’s office.”

My small chuckle was weak, and the joke landed flatly. Once at the doorway to his office, he gestured toward the small table and chairs. “Please have a seat, Miss Ward.”

“Emily, please.” I smiled up at him. My hands were jittery, so I clamped them together in my lap to maintain my composure.

Principal Cartwright sat across from me. I guessed he would have been around Whip’s age—older than me, sure, but by no means an old man. The stark contrast between the two men was almost laughable. The overhead fluorescent lighting illuminated the male pattern baldness on Principal Cartwright’s scalp and disappeared into the halo of hair that circled the back of his head.

He shifted in the chair. “I’m sorry to interrupt your morning routine, but I needed to speak with you about an incident that came to my attention this morning.”

“Oh?” I lifted my chin, proud that my voice was clear and strong.

“Is it true that you gave Robbie Lambert a brand-new pair of gym shoes?”

The angry, near-tears expression on Robbie’s face this morning flashed through my mind.

I took a quiet breath and steeled my spine. “I happened to have a pair of shoes in his size, and I offered them to him, which he accepted.”

Yes, not a total lie, but Principal Cartwright didn’t need to know that I had spent hours obsessing over whether the Nikes were on trend enough to purchase.

Principal Cartwright scribbled something on the notepad to his right. “I see. And have you purchased gifts for other students in your class?”

A tendril of panic seized my chest before calm settled over me. “I wouldn’t really call them a gift. His shoes are steps away from falling off his feet while he wears them. He needed new tennis shoes, and I happened to have a pair. I view it the same as if a student needed a new notebook or pencils. I wouldn’t refuse a child in need.”

More scratching and scribbling on his notebook. I wished I could read his chicken-scratch writing to know what the hell he was writing down.

He frowned. “But you agree that a brand-new pair of expensive tennis shoes is a bit different from a pencil. Do you not?”

My temper flared, but I tamped it down and took a calming breath. “‘Fair treatment doesn’t necessarily mean equal.’ Thatwas the statement you made in the staff IEP training last month. Is it not?”

His upper lip twitched as I smiled sweetly across the cheap cherrywood table. He sat forward, his hands smoothing down the bulge of his belly. “Yes, I mean, we did discuss that... but that was in terms of students with special needs.”

I nodded. “I agree. And I also believe that Robbie had a unique and special need for footwear.” I smiled sweetly across the table. “I apologize if I had taken your presentation and its intent a bit too literally.”

Principal Cartwright let out an exasperated breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. A thrill of victory zipped through me. It wasn’t often someone could defeat calmly presented simple logic.

“Look, Mr. Lambert stormed into my office this morning, going on and on about how this school views his son and his family as a charity case. He threatened a discrimination case against us.” My brows furrowed and he continued: “I know, it doesn’t even make any sense, but he’s noisy, and I don’t need the headache. Do not go around me on this.”

I clenched my jaw. “I understand.” I almost addedit won’t happen againbut decided flat-out lying to my direct supervisor was probably a bad idea.

Principal Cartwright wrote one last scribble on his notepad. “Good. Thank you, Miss Ward.”

Dismissed and utterly pissed off at the entire situation, I stormed down the hallway to my classroom.

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