Page 39 of Losing the Rhythm

“We need to report this,” Toby said in a tight voice.

No one said anything else as we went to the main office.

I was so stuck on the violence of it all that I didn’t really pay attention until we were sitting in front of Principal Calgary.

“The janitor and security guard are looking into this. From what they were initially able to tell me, someone cut your lock off to get access inside.”

“Any cameras?” Justin asked.

“We’re looking into it.” She leaned back slightly, her focus narrowing on me. “How about you tell me what is going on? Why do I have students in my school who feel the need to vandalize lockers? And yours specifically?”

Toby visibly bristled as he straightened his back and narrowed his eyes. “Do you have to make it sound like it’s her fault?”

Principal Calgary’s eyes widened briefly. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I don’t think anything is your fault. I’m just cautious by nature. As you know, bullying is taken seriously at this school and from my perspective, Cadence is being bullied. I’d like answers so we can fix this issue effectively. Do you have any idea who did this?”

“I don’t,” I finally replied.

“How about what was drawn on the door?”

I glanced over at Justin and Toby. I didn’t want them being dragged into this. It was so ridiculous. Bully because why? I’m friends with some guys?

“This year I met Toby and Justin, and the others. Bryan, Paxon, and even Seth. I’m actually a neighbor of Seth’s.” I picked at the fabric of my pants. “They’ve been a big help.”

“I see.” Principal Calgary’s expression didn’t give anything away other than her anger.

Truthfully, the principal was one of my favorite people. She was a beautiful older woman with a head full of gray hair that she kept long. Even today, she wore her hair down and it looked so soft and silky that I wanted to touch it. Nothing about her made anyone think grandmotherly. She was confident, independent, and stern in her beliefs. And one of those beliefs was her zero tolerance for bullying.

For a person in charge of the only public high school for three towns, it was a feat of how little bullying was going on at school. Sure fights broke out and bullying did happen, but Calgary was swift in reacting. People were punished quickly, and rather harshly, no matter who their mommy or daddy were.

She got a lot of pushback, but she was also willing to push back just as hard. There were even rumors that the school board tried to get rid of her a few times, but failed every single time. She was a person I looked up to, not that I’d ever tell her.

Our principal was also known to have a fiery personality. People thought twice about crossing her. No doubt, the students who destroyed my locker must have thought long and hard before making that choice.

“Well, no matter. We’ll find those students. If my students are going to act as they have, then it is only fair that I step in and react appropriately. Cadence, I am so sorry that you have to deal with this on top of everything else that is happening. If you need to talk—”

“Toby referred me to a therapist. I’m good.”

The principal stared at me for a moment before smiling briefly. “Good. Your mental health is extremely important. If you need anything from me, please do not hesitate to reach out.”

“Is that it?” Justin asked.

“If you mean in terms of this incident, I’m only just beginning. But not much can happen until I know who the students are. I assure you, they’ll be punished accordingly.” This time when Principal Calgary smiled, it felt more like a predatory one. As if she was about to cause her own trouble. “Besides, I haven’t had an anti-bullying assembly in a long while. I must be becoming too lax and summer made students forget how to coexist with others.”

I bit back a groan, already knowing what she was talking about. She held it every year. It wasn’t that it’d been too long, just that she hadn’t held one yet this year. And considering we were not even two months into school, it really hadn’t been all that long.

No doubt soon, we’d all be herded into the auditorium, broken up by class year at different times, and we’d get lectured for the next hour about bullying and its repercussions. Calgary enjoyed scaring us as much as possible into not bullying. It was a bit comical if I thought about it. She practically bullied us not to bully others.

“I’m sure your assembly will be as enlightening as it has been the last three years,” Toby said, trying to hide how he really felt.

Calgary snorted as the bell rang, signaling the end of class. “Get to your next class. I’ll let your teachers know why you missed this period. Once I have more information, I’ll let you know. As for your textbooks, we’ll need a little more time to get replacements.”

“Okay.” I didn’t wait and beelined out of the office.

“This is fucked up,” Toby said. “Did they seriously do that because we’re friends with you? That’s bullshit.”

“They dug their own grave,” Justin said. “Principal Calgary won’t go easy on them.”

“I’d like to not go easy on them,” Toby grumbled and kept going on about something, but I couldn’t make out his words with the sound of people all around. Between Toby’s and Paxon’s reactions, I was starting to worry about what they’d do.

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