Page 73 of Red Mountain Burning
She could barely stand seeing him this way. “Why were you fighting?”
“He started it,” Zack said with an attitude.
Kelly, the head of summer camp, stood from her desk. “Hi, Ms. Hernandez.”
Adriana turned from her red-faced son and faked a smile. “Hi.”
A headband held back Kelly’s shoulder-length brown hair. With her calm demeanor, she evoked a sense of authority and experience. “The other student called Zack a name.”
“Yeah,” Zack said. “He called me a beaner.”
Adriana gritted her teeth at the derogatory term she knew from her youth in Los Angeles. The name originated from the amount of beans in Mexican cuisine. Adriana’s first instinct was to yell that the boy deserved a beating. Was the camp condoning racism? Surely, the boy had been kicked out for good.
“We do not allow such language at the camp,” Kelly assured her, “and the other boy has been sent home. Neither do we condone fighting in any capacity. Why don’t you both have a seat, and we can talk about it?”
Adriana nodded and looked at her son. “Come sit down, Zack.”
“I’m fine here.” His tone was both angry and defensive.
Adriana snapped her fingers. “Right now, Zack. Next to me. Let’s go.”
He popped up and plopped down next to her.
Adriana looked around for the first time, noticing a wooden cross hanging next to pictures of Kelly’s family on the wall.
Kelly sat down and smiled at Zack. “You’ve been disrupting camp lately, and it’s time we talk to your mom about it.” Adriana appreciated Kelly including him in the conversation. “You’re preventing other students from learning.”
Adriana lifted a hand. “Why is this the first I’m hearing about it?” She could hear the fire in her voice and reminded herself that Kelly was probably a very nice person and didn’t deserve the bark Adriana was capable of unleashing.
Kelly answered like she’d said this a thousand times before. “We try to address the issues in the classroom and don’t bring in the parents unless absolutely necessary. Obviously, today is that day. Zack punched the boy in the face.”
Adriana’s head snapped back. “What?” She side-eyed her son. “Why would you let him upset you like that? Words are just words,mi amor.”
Zack seemed to slink into his chair. “He’s a jerk, mom. Nobody likes him.”
“That doesn’t give you reason to hit him.” Looking back at Kelly, she asked, “What else has he done?”
“It’s nothing huge, but it’s adding up. Interrupting during reading sessions, saying bad words, not following directions.”
The truth of his behavior hit Adriana hard. As much as she’d like to blame it on Michael having shown up last year, it was more likely Zack feeding off her own depression. How could she expect him to excel when she, herself, wasn’t giving him the happy home life he needed?
* * *
Panic had set in.Margot’s feeling of conquering the world as the hostess with the mostest quickly dissipated as she watched Adriana pull away from Épiphanie. She’d been sincere in telling Adriana that Zack mattered way more than these petty obstacles, but Margot needed to figure out how to get through the rest of the day. She needed help.
She tried Remi and Jasper, neither of whom answered.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought about all the potentially bad future reviews from guests who couldn’t sleep in because it was too hot or because they couldn’t check in earlier, or worst of all, that the food was terrible.
“C’mon, Margot,” she said to herself. “You’ve dealt with worse before.”
And then…
An idea came to her. A terrible idea. It was perhaps the worst idea she’d ever had, but she had no choice. She barely acknowledged her hens scouring the dirt for bugs as she crossed over to her house on a mission to recruit help.
Carly was curled up on the couch. The black hoodie with a skull on it was pulled over her head like usual.
“I need you,” Margot said. “Adriana had to leave, and I’m hosting a party in a little while and have a full house tonight. I know you probably don’t feel like it, but would you please help me?” She added, “I’ll pay you.”
