Page 39 of Playing for Keeps in Starr's Fall
“Well,” her son replied, scuffing his foot along the floor, “it was Zach’s idea.”
Maggie stilled, then set the kettle down very carefully. “What?”
“He told me to make a meme and send it around the whole school, with the basic thing. He thought it would be funny.” Ben lurched forward, alarmed. “But don’t be mad at him for it?—”
“I’m not mad at him,” Maggie said quietly. No, she wasn’t mad, she was furious.Zachhad been encouraging her son to bully bullies? To do something stupid with potentially long-lasting effects because it wasfunny, and that was without considering all the mental health dangers that revisiting that painful episode in his life was likely to cause, some of which she knew he’d already guessed?
“Youaremad at him,” Ben stated, sounding miserable. “I shouldn’t have said anything. He didn’t?—”
“I wish he hadn’t made that suggestion,” Maggie replied evenly. “But that’s not your problem, Ben. Now why don’t you shower and get dressed, and then you can get started on your work? I’ll make a few calls.” And once she’d sorted out the school, she was definitely paying a visit to Zach Miller.
* * *
Maggie’s fury did not abate as she waded into the mess of the meme, calling various school officials, people she had hoped never to deal with again. They’d been understanding when Ben had been in the hospital, but Maggie had never been able to shake the suspicion that some of the staff believed Ben’s problems were at least partly of his own making, simply because he wasn’t the usual swaggering, lacrosse-playing jock that the school pandered to. Reassuring them that Ben would not hack the email system again was only part of the apologetic explaining she had to do. There was the mental health of his bullies to consider, of course, who had apparently played a harmless prank, only to be humiliated by Ben in a far worse fashion, something that made Maggie choke with frustrated rage.
“I understand Ben’s been through some challenging times,” the school counselor told Maggie rather sternly, “but that was a year ago and we won’t let any student play the victim card forever.”
“I’m pretty sure,” Maggie remarked coolly, “that as the school’s counselor, ‘playing the victim card’ should not be in your vocabulary. But in any case, Ben has learned his lesson, and this is the only time he has ever hit out against the students you know made his life a misery for an entire year?—”
“Yes, I do realize that, Mrs. Parker,” the counselor hastily assured her. “I’m only saying this because I had hoped thateveryonein this unfortunate situation had moved on.”
Mainly because two of Ben’s bullies were stars of the school’s lacrosse team, and the school had beenveryreluctant to discipline them in any noticeable fashion. Maggie felt the start of a headache at her temples. She had really, really wanted to have moved on from this, too.
“I promise you, it won’t happen again,” she said stiffly. “Ben is now fully off the grade’s group chat and going forward we intend to have absolutely nothing to do with the high school.” She could not keep a note of savagery from entering her voice.Because in the end you did so little for us, she wanted to say but managed to stop herself.
“Well, considering the circumstances,” the counselor replied stiffly, “that’s probably wise. But I do wish Ben the best for the future.”
“Thank you,” Maggie managed, her voice sounding strangled, before saying goodbye and hurling her cellphone onto the sofa in a futile fit of rage.
By the time she got off the phone, her fury at Zach for instigating the whole palaver was even hotter than it had been when Ben had first told her about it.Howcould Zach have been so thoughtless, so reckless, soimmature, as to suggest such a stupid thing?
The answer, when it came, made her feel only worse. Because clearly hewasthoughtless, reckless, and immature. A thirty-one-year-old hanging around and gaming with a fourteen-year-old boy? Maybe she should have heeded her sister Lynn’s concerns. And Maggie had been right about worrying about Zach’s influence over her son. As for that kiss… well, it was resigned to the trash heap of history, one of the stupidest things she’d ever done, and never to be thought of again. Just the memory of it made Maggie’s face heat, and not in a good way.Shehad been thoughtless, reckless, immature, in welcoming that kiss. In telling Zach she was good with it. What on earth had she been thinking of?
Well, it ended here and now.
“Where are you going?” Ben asked when Maggie emerged from her bedroom, dressed and clearly on a mission.
“I just have a couple of errands to run. I’ll be back shortly.”
“Mom…” Ben sounded worried. “You’re not?—”
“It’s fine, Ben.” She moderated her tone as she gave him a smile. “I just have a few things to do. Why don’t you get started on your homework, okay? I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She squeezed his shoulder, doing his best to reassure him. “Don’t worry. The school’s fine.”
Outside, the sky was a pale, fragile blue, the air damp and cold but holding the barest hint of spring. Maggie was about to climb into her car when she heard a voice, filled with relish, call from down the street.
“Well. Someone looked like they had a nice evening last night.”
Maggie closed her eyes, the car keys clutched in her hand, biting into her palm. Then she opened her eyes and turned to smile at Liz Cranbury, who was coming toward her, her Pilates mat rolled up under one arm. “I was out walking Frou-frou and I happened to see you and Zach,” she explained unrepentantly. “I have to say I’m impressed. But don’t worry. I won’t breathe a word.” Her eyes danced with delighted curiosity as she leaned forward. “But you have to promise to tell me all about it. How on earth did you snag Starr’s Fall’s most eligible bachelor? Not to mention its most notorious one?”
Notorious, indeed. “It wasn’t a big deal,” Maggie said rather tightly. “Trust me.”
Liz’s face softened into sympathy. “You’ve got to guard your heart with that one,” she agreed with a nod. “From what I’ve heard, anyway. And men can be such jerks. I’ve got an ex-husband to prove it.”
Maggie nodded mechanically, doing her best to sound normal. “I’m sorry.”
Liz reached out and grasped her arm. “Just be careful, Maggie, okay? I know you must be vulnerable, just the way I was after my divorce. Grief can make you feel lonely, and it can also make you do stupid things.” She made a face. “I bought three pairs of Louboutin shoes which I definitely could not afford. I had to sell them all on eBay.”
Maggie forced a smile as everything in her ached.Too late, she thought, and then told herself not to be ridiculous. She wasn’t hurt. And she wasn’t going to let herself be,orBen. “Don’t worry, I’m not in danger of buying any shoes, or doing something stupid.” At least, not something stupider than she’d already done, which had certainly been enough. “What you saw was a one-time event.”
