Page 122 of Hot Shot

“No I didn’t!”

“Yes you did!”

When Cricket lunges, I grab her. She thrashes against me, all roaring and claws.

“You’re aliar!” she snaps. Avery has buried her face in Mrs. Panko’s side, the missing chunk of hair swaying unevenly with her sobs.

“Where are the scissors?” Mrs. Panko asks.

Cricket’s energy is running down, and her growling dissolves into sobs. She goes limp in my arms, turning to throw hers around my neck.

“I didn’t do it, Cassie,” she swears into my shirt, which is damp from her tears. I want to believe her. Idobelieve her. But a sliver of hesitation stops me from throwing myself into full bulldog mode.

Mrs. Panko and I share a look, and she goes in to inspect. When she comes back, she’s still bewildered. In her hand is a pair of massive silver shears. “They’re from the art room.”

Avery howls, her fists gripping Mrs. Panko’s skirt, face still buried.

Up and down the hallway, teachers and students have stuck their heads out of their classrooms. Molly’s standing nearby, and I catch her gaze.

“Would you watch our classes for a second so we can take the girls down to the office?”

“Of course,” she breathes, and with that done, we hurry to the front of the school.

By the time we get there, the girls are more sniffles than sobs. The counselor blinks, and when Avery starts up wailing again, she takes the crying girl first. Mrs. Panko steps aside with the principals to tell them what little we know, and I sit Cricket in one of the chairs and kneel, meeting her eyes.

Gently, I ask, “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

She all but explodes, hurt and angry and rambling so fast, I wonder if I missed any of it. The gist of it is that she walked into the bathroom and Avery was cutting her hair. They got into a small argument and Cricket said she was going to tell, which was when Avery screamed and ran out of the bathroom.

“I didn’t do it!” She’s crying again, and her misery makes me miserable too. “You believe me, don’t you?”

I don’t answer right away, fumbling for what to say. “Do you remember when I said I’d always believe you if you always tell me the truth?”

She nods.

“Then if you say you’re telling the truth, I believe you. And if you’re not, I think you should tell me right now.”

Again, her emotions flare, her little body tight with indignance and pain. “I didn’t! I was going to tell on her because she stole the big scissors and she cut up her hair. She got mad and told me not to tell. I said I was gonna anyway and n-now she s-says I-I—I didn’t do it, Cassie, I promise. I haven’t lied once, not since the last time.”

She sticks out her pinkie, her eyes shining and puffy. And I hook her little digit with my own pinkie. Together, we kiss our thumbs.

“Wait here. You’ll have a chance to tell your side. Okay?”

She nods, and with a sigh, I stand and make my way to the knot of administration and Mrs. Panko. The looks on their faces stiffen my spine despite how much of an outsider I am in that moment.

Again, I sigh. “Cricket says she didn’t do it.” Briefly, I recount her side of things and shake my head.

“Do you believe her?” Christine, the principal asks, and I’m not sure I like her tone. She’s worried, her brows drawn and lips tight.

“She didn’t have anything in her hands when she left for the restroom. It’s possible she stole the scissors and stashed them in her cubby, but…” Why can’t I stop sighing? And why won’t my sighs release the tangle in my chest? “My instinct says she didn’t do it. Her story is too specific to come up with that fast and with so many emotions.”

The furrows in Christine’s forehead deepen. “Her parents are going to be upset. Very, very upset. It’s a serious accusation—they could call it assault. I don’t know what they’ll do, but the board will get involved. I’m sure of it.”

Tingling awareness trickles down my back.

“Wehaveto figure out how to fix whatever’s going on with these girls,” Cheryl says.

“Without her mother cooperating, I don’t know how.” My voice is too sharp. I work hard to smooth myself. “You know we’ll do whatever it takes to make it right. She’s been through so much. We’re doing what we can at home.”

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