Chapter 2 - THE NEW HOMEROOM TEACHER
The next morning Ms. Parker stood beside her desk.
Her phone vibrated again.
Vanessa’s voice filled the room.
“Don’t make my son do math!”
Another message.
“Don’t ever call him up to the board! The pressure will cause him psychological trauma!”
Ms. Parker stared at the screen.
Then:
“And stop marking up his work with red ink! You’re hurting him when you do that!”
Another:
“You need to always stand by my son and protect him!”
Ms. Parker closed her eyes.
Breathing unsteadily.
Then the classroom door slammed open.
Vanessa stormed inside.
Designer coat.
Expensive handbag.
Fury already prepared.
She slammed the bag onto the desk.
“My son is the top priority! You have to change the way you teach—for HIS sake!”
Ms. Parker stepped back.
“Mrs. Cole, this is not an appropriate—”
Vanessa slammed both palms down.
“I’m going to SUE you! You’ll end up at the police station for hurting my son!”
Ms. Parker went pale.
“But… what if I haven’t done anything wrong?”
Vanessa shrugged.
Calm.
“Then I’ll apologize. Isn’t that how the law works?”
The door opened.
Principal Harris entered.
Beside him stood Rachel Moore.
Thirty-two.
Calm.
Unreadable.
Vanessa turned.
Harris said:
“Meet your new homeroom teacher.”
Rachel stepped forward.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Cole.”
Vanessa’s smile faded.
Then Rachel did something Ms. Parker had stopped doing months earlier.
She picked up the ringing phone.
Pressed stop.
Silence.
Vanessa stared.
Rachel said:
“Before we discuss anything else, I’ll need all communication to go through the school system.”
Vanessa laughed.
“You’ll change your mind.”
Rachel smiled.
“I prefer written records.”
May you like
Vanessa’s expression tightened.
She did not realize those words were exactly why Rachel had been chosen.
