The Point of No Return {sequel to The Arbitrary life of Avery Blake [teacher]}

The Point of No Return {sequel to The Arbitrary life of Avery Blake [teacher]}23

There were too many people here to even think about finding my friends. But after a quick look around, I found them. But I didn’t budge an inch. Meghann and Ashton were close together, lucky that was about it. I guess they had some standards. Kiren was there too but I wasn’t close enough to see him properly. He didn’t look like Kiren, though. I knew it was him . . . but in part, it wasn’t him at the same time. I probably sounded crazy right about now, but I was only putting forward what I thought.

I sighed as many people shoved past me, most of them younger. There was so much talk that so many words kept flying everywhere. You could hear fractions of the thousands of conversations running.  But all social interactions ceased as soon as Principal Maletos got into it.

‘Now, I am very sorry I have called all of you here like this in such late notice, but it was unavoidable.’ He started, voice spreading throughout the whole school so even if some people weren’t present; they could still hear his words. He continued, ‘I just had some news to share with all of you, it is a necessity that I tell you now. I’ve had to sit on this decision for a while now, but I thought now was the right time to share it with all of you.’ He exhaled, looking as though he were trying to keep all strain and anxiety off of his features. ‘I am leaving,’ and in that moment, silence spread through the big crowd. No one moved as confusion was running through everyone’s minds. ‘A-as I was saying,’ he began again, getting a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping his sweaty forehead. ‘I have been thinking about this for a while now. I can lie to you all now and tell you that I’m leaving to go to another school, or that I’m retiring, but I’d be lying, and that’s something I don’t want to do to you right now. The truth is that I don’t think I am right for this anymore. So many things have happened recently and it has opened my eyes to see how truly incapable I am of running a school.’ Between that sentence, he –somehow- found my eye in the midst of the crowd and shared a long look with me before looking away in an instant, as though the look we shared was never exchanged. Some gasped from the audience; some nearby teachers even shook their heads in unease and anxiety, tears gathering in their eyes because of the great time they must have known him for. ‘All I can say is that I am sorry. But you all will find a better and fitter principal than me.’ He said in sorrow.

I don’t know why I did it, but I just did; without thinking, like I did most things. ‘That’s not true.’ I yelled, enough so that my voice could be delivered to the front. This time, his eyes went wide in surprise. Many people around me looked at the source of the yell until recognition hit them and they realized it was me. Some people even nodded in agreement.

‘Avery . . .’ he said, losing touch of his professional side for just a moment before he regained his composure. ‘I mean, Ms Blake, thank you for the comment but I have decided this long before. The new principal will be here on Monday. Tomorrow, Friday, is my last day.’

Everyone looked back at me, expecting the conversation to continue. And so it did. My objections were the only thing keeping me from crying. I may not have always liked him, but he had saved my butt a whole bunch of times. He even took it upon himself to risk his job to keep Cole and me at this school. I wasn’t sure any other principal would have done so.

‘Principal Maletos, you’ve been here for, what? Twenty-five years, how can you possibly think you could pick up everything and leave, just like that? You’ve been an amazing principal, I’ve been through a lot, I’m sure everyone can back me up when I say, if it was any other person, I would have probably died thrice over.’ I confessed.

‘I…I wouldn’t say that, exactly. But here now, I called all of you here to tell you my decision, not to discuss it. I know within me that I cannot do this anymore, embarrassing as it is to admit it, and even if one had slight doubts, they should not be permitted for the job. Being principal is a big duty, being held responsible for the whole school, staff and students. All I want to do I hand it over to someone more capable and step back; maybe taking up a different job.