“What the hell happened, Wesley?” Edward sat behind his desk with elbows resting atop a scattered pile of legal documents and other notes that had recently swarmed his office.
Wesley had a somber look on his face, but his answer was confident. “Nothing!”
The principal sighed. “I’m going to need an official statement from you right now if you don’t mind. Mrs. Haversmit is building up a storm with the school board and the whole thing’s just getting a bit out of hand.” He took off his glasses and looked up from the papers. “They’re calling in some proper authorities to investigate the whole thing.”
“Investigate? What’s there to investigate?” Wesley couldn’t understand how such a simple misunderstanding could build up such a storm. “Nothing happened!”
“I’m sorry, Wesley. That’s just the process for serious accusations like this.” He returned to shuffling through the papers. “And given the recent revelation of your lifestyle, it’s a pressing matter. It’s out of my hands.”
“Wait, what do you mean ‘lifestyle’?” Wesley leaned forward and placed a firm hand on the desk in front of him.
Edward looked back up and gave him a look that revealed nothing at all. “The fact that you’re gay, Wesley. The rumors are all over school, and quite frankly if you’re trying to hide it, you’re doing a horrible job.”
Wesley’s mouth stood open in disbelief. “I’m not gay!”
Edward sighed and leaned back in his large chair. He spoke in a kind but stern manner. “Wesley, your personal life choices are really none of my business, so let’s just talk about this statement I need from you.”
Wesley reiterated, “But I’m not gay, and it affects how I’m seen in this investigation!”
Edward sighed again. “Son, I’m not one to judge, but if it makes you feel any better, this report won’t include anything of the sort. It’s just a simple account of your side of the events. Avery’s mother has been adamant in declaring some sort of abuse, so we really need to address this as soon as possible.”
Wesley was out of ways to try and convince the man of his heterosexuality, so he muttered under his breath, “Mrs. Haversmit is a liar…”
Edward had caught a part of the comment and only raised an eyebrow as a warning to be civil. “Now tell me what happened from the beginning, and don’t leave anything out. I’d rather not have to do this more than once.”
Wesley huffed in agreement. He was furious that he had been subjected to such ridiculous claims by an overprotective mother who knew nothing of her child’s life at school. Shaking the thoughts from his mind, he began in a collected note. “I don’t know, it was maybe around eight something - the part of the play where all the guys find out they’ve been seeing the girls behind each other’s backs.”
Edward nodded and jotted down a few notes as Wesley spoke.
“I had to use the restroom, so I tried the one in the theater but there was a line that stretched outside the door, and I didn’t feel like waiting, so I crossed over to the one right outside the gym and did my business.” He closed his eyes trying to remember exactly that night had gone. “When I came out, I heard some noise coming from inside the gymnasium, so I went to take a look.”
“Mhmm. Mhmm.” Edward continued to transcribe everything he was saying.
Wesley had expected some questions to prompt him, but when none came he continued. “I found Avery there throwing a basketball around, so I walked in and the door shut behind me. I didn’t realize it would lock me in until he turned and shouted for me to hold it open.” Wesley shrugged to indicate his mistake. “It was too late though.”
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.
Hayley knocked on the door and waited for an answer, but no one came to open it, so she tried the knob. The door was unlocked and swung open faster than Hayley had intended. It crashed with a loud bang when it hit the wall inside, and she locked up hoping no one would yell at her.
She relaxed a few seconds later when she realized no one was coming.
“Hello?” She slowly inched into the home. “Anyone home?”
No answer, no noise, no life.
She walked into the open living room and looked around, but no one seemed to be there at all. The patio’s shutter door to the side was creaking in the wind, and Hayley followed the noise to emerge into a breathtaking view of the overcast southern California coastline.
On the shore were a middle-aged couple dipping their feet into the ocean. She watched them for a minute, but the glare of the sun off the water made her look away. The house was decorated with a flair for rustic country and the open spaces really helped tie it in with the large opening to the sandy backyard.
Hayley returned to the front door when no one emerged and made her way to the back where the couple were enjoying themselves. As she approached, the woman turned and gave her a big smile.
“Oh, you must be Hayley!” she exclaimed while waving her arm.
The man with her also turned and waved with a smile. Hayley waved back and carefully made her way towards them - the heels were not such a good idea for sand. The couple made their way over to Hayley holding hands.
“My, you look just like her.” The thin, blonde woman reached up a hand to touch Hayley’s face but reconsidered and put it back down. “Beautiful.”
Hayley smiled unsure of what to say, but the man ushered them inside. “Let’s go in and have a talk. Better than standing here all day.”
Back inside the house, Hayley was seated in the living room while the woman ran into the kitchen to grab refreshments and the man went upstairs to change into less sandy attire.
“Wow,” the woman returned. “You’re the spitting image of Millie.”
Hayley gave her a warm smile.
“I’m Robin,” she stuck her hand out for Hayley to shake. “Your mother was my older sister. I didn’t think I would ever get to see you again.”
“Hayley…”
“How are you, dear? Tell me about yourself. Are you married? Job? Oh gosh, where are my manners. Here.” Robin passed Hayley the lemonade and cookies she had brought. “I’m sure you have questions. Don’t be shy to ask me anything at all.” Her grin was was threatening to eat up her entire face.
“Robin, I think you’re frightening the poor girl.” Her husband had returned in attire more fitting for guests. “Hi there,” he gave her a casual salute. “Naval Captain James Bogart at your service.” He sat down across from Hayley next to his wife.
Hayley smiled, too lost in the elation of meeting her mother’s sister and brother-in-law. She had not been sure of what to expect before arriving, and Sara’s description of a naval officer and his professor wife made them seem like they would be very rigid and somber people.
“Showing off for your niece are you?”
James laughed, “Well it’s not everyday I get to meet my only niece for the first time!”
“Well aren’t you gonna say something, honey?” Robin looked at Hayley a bit concerned at the quiet girl.
“Oh sorry, hi.” Hayley replied with a dazed smile. She had been too caught up in watching the cute couple playfully talk amongst themselves that she had forgotten she was the subject of their conversation. “I’m good.” She paused for a second. “Really good.”
Robin and James gave her a loving gaze and all three sipped lemonade quietly before launching into a nightlong conversation of their entire lives. Hayley told them of her work at the distribution company and about the parents that raised her and how thankful she was to have such great people to watch after her. She told them of her friends: the quietly romantic dancer Cassidy, the recently married Alicia, and the ever present and ever so dear Wesley.
“Oh Wesley. Is he the one?” Robin gave her a teasing smile but didn’t press further when she quickly denied it.
Hayley went on to talk about growing up in the city and how she never realized her secret family were so close by. She talked about hopes and her dreams and she wanted to know all that she could about her birth mother.
James told Hayley what he could about the later years of Milicent’s life and how she had wished to see Hayley before the cancer took her, but it was Robin that filled in the blanks with happy, sad, embarrassing, and downright mundane details of the late woman’s life. The two girls had been nine years apart in age, but it was Millie who had looked after Robin while their own parents had been busy working to support them.
The three of them talked on for hours only taking a break to eat some dinner and take a nice stroll along the beach. It was nearly midnight when Hayley finally had to say goodbye, with all of them promising to keep in touch from now on.
With renewed feelings of warmth and love, Hayley left and drove along the scenic Pacific Coast Highway to head back home.