Our Autumn Fire

Twenty

    Edward spoke up for the first time since Wesley began. “And what happened after that?”

    “Nothing. We just talked.”

    “You just talked?” His body language gave an indication that he found the remark incredulous, but his voice surrendered nothing. “You were in there for almost two hours. What could you have possibly talked about for two hours?”

    “Well we didn’t just talk. We spent a good amount of time trying to contact someone to get us out, but you know how the service is in there.”

    “Yeah,” the principal agreed. “Those damned metal walls.”

    “We spent some time playing a game of horse hoping someone might come, but really that was it.” Wesley explained.

    “Mhmm.” Edward jotted down a few more things before bringing his attention back to the accused teacher. Sighing, he said, “Well that’s all I need from you right now.”

    “Alright,” Wesley motioned to rise, but his boss stopped him.

    “Please, stay seated, Wesley. You’re not gonna want to be standing for this.” His voice was warm, almost endearing but the words were too alarming to be dampened so easily.

    Wesley’s heart skipped a beat. The foreboding sentence didn’t settle any nerves he had had about this meeting, and he could feel his throat choking up, not exactly ready to hear some grave news. He settled back into his seat and meekly asked, “What’s going on?”

    Edward sighed again. “I’m sorry, son.” He scratched the side of his face. “I’m afraid I have to put you on temporary leave until all this is resolved.”

    “What!” Wesley couldn’t control his outburst, but he extrapolated more quietly. “But I haven’t done anything!”

    “It’s out of my hands.” Edward shook his head. “The school board won’t risk having you here while such a serious allegation is up in the air. I’m sorry.”

    Wesley was at a loss for words still trying to understand what he had just been told.

    “I’m sorry,” Edward repeated. “And it’ll have to be without pay,” he added in an uneasy voice.

    “What?” wesley was half listening and only half understanding what was going on due to the spinning his mind was currently experiencing. “But I didn’t do anything!” he kept thinking over and over again. “I didn’t do anything!”

    “If you’re cleared of all the charges, you’ll get back pay for every day you miss, but for now I’m barred from giving you any pay.”

    “What?” Wesley half whispered, half thought. “If?”

    “I’m sorry, Wesley,” Edward said again. “I don’t have a choice in this.”

    “But I didn’t do anything!” The thought screamed in his head, but he was a numb mute still reeling from the shock of the flash bang that had just erupted in his life. He quietly got up and walked out with unfocused eyes, never hearing Edward apologize yet again.

           *            *            *

   Hayley patted her dress to shake off any loose wrinkles before pulling her coat around her. She had decided to wear her favorite red heels to match the red pea coat she was buttoning on. Today was the day she would meet her biological mother’s family and she wanted to make her best impression.

   Checking herself in her pocket mirror one last time, she made her way to the lightly colored beachside home. Sara had told her the family was expecting her, but there seemed to be no activity going on.