Breaking the Rules Read online

  He stared at his feet. “Bret pushed me, so I just pushed him back. Then it went on from there.”

  Colin nodded. “And what started all this?”

  Jason rubbed at his eyes. “He laughed at me and said I wanted Ms. Robinson to be my mom.”

  Colin lifted his head and looked at the ceiling. He had to take a deep breath and unclench his fists so he wouldn’t slam the wall behind him.

  “All the other kids around him were laughing. I couldn’t just ignore him, Dad. He’s a real jerk and I couldn’t let him push me around.”

  Colin placed his hand on Jason’s shoulder. “You’re right and you’re wrong. He had no right to say those things.” That little shit had no freakin’ idea. “But, we need to talk about how to defend yourself better.”

  Jason rubbed his eyes again, this time a tear escaped on his cheek. “I thought Ms. Robinson would help me, but she wasn’t in the office. Mr. Stevens didn’t get it.”

  “I know. We’ll talk at home about what we’re going to do about this and what your consequence will be. For now, here are the keys and I need you to go to the car in the parking lot. I’m just going to talk to Kelly for a few minutes.”

  “Okay.” He took the keys from Colin’s hand.

  “What room in she in again?”

  “Down that hall. Room Four.” Jason pointed.

  Colin didn’t know what the hell was happening, but he was right when he thought things could only get worse. A two-day suspension. And to top it off, something wasn’t right with Hope. Where was she? Why was it all secretive? A chill ran down his back.

  He opened the door to Room Four. Kelly was helping one of her students when he spoke up, “Mrs. Weeks, can I have a word with you?”

  She blinked rapidly and answered, “Sure, Colin.”

  Slipping outside the classroom, they stood together in awkward silence in the hallway. Kelly couldn’t look him in the eye.

  “Did you hear about Jason?”

  “Everyone is talking about it. It was a big fight, Colin. Is he okay?”

  “He’ll be okay, but I feel like beating the crap out of that other boy.” He shook his head. “Forget I said that.”

  Kelly smiled and then nodded. “Bret is suspended for a week. He’s had issues with other kids and this is the last straw for him before he gets kicked out.”

  “Where’s Hope, Kelly?”

  She broke eye contact and glanced down the hall. “She’s not here.”

  “Why? What the hell is going on?”

  She twisted her hands together. “She’s been suspended from work the last two days and there’s going to be a board meeting on Thursday night about her continuing at the school.”

  A pounding in his ears made him stand up straighter. “What the — ” He stepped aside and back to her. “How did this — ” Running his hand over his mouth he looked up. “Does this have something to do with me?”

  “It has everything to do with Mrs. Morales and her cronies.”

  He lifted a fist. “That woman is the devil.” He took Kelly’s shoulders. “Where is she?”

  “I can’t say. She’d disown me.”

  “This is unbelievable. If this has something to do with me, I have a right to know.” He walked away and pointed. “I’m going to find her, with or without your help.”

  He found himself almost running down the school steps to his car. Once in the car, next to Jason, he pounded the steering wheel.

  “Dad, I’m sorry, okay.”

  “I’m sorry, too. I have to find Hope. Let’s get home so we can make a plan.”

  Where was she?

  • • •

  At home, Jason stayed in his room writing an apology letter to the assistant principal and the crappy kid, Bret. Colin gulped down a glass of water and sat on the barstool at the kitchen counter. He pulled out his phone and tried to call Hope. As expected, she didn’t answer. Slumping into his stool, he keyed in a message.

  Where are you? We need to talk.

  He waited for an answer and didn’t hear back. Should he drive to her place? He couldn’t leave Jason home alone and he wasn’t about to ask his mom to watch him. He’d get a mouthful from her about how his parenting was half-assed — too many hours at the office, less time as a family. He didn’t want to hear it. Getting up, he held his chest because it hurt.

  The entire last two weeks had hurt. Realizing he couldn’t live without Hope hurt worse than losing Beth. He hated to admit that, but Beth and he were finished before she died. With Hope, he was far from done with her. Their relationship had blossomed into something truly special and he had long ago admitted, to himself at least, he’d fallen in love with her.

  Being in love and not being able to hold on to that person sucked. Trying to laugh it off only ended up hurting worse. He had told her he wouldn’t come back, but like a boomerang, he knew the minute she said she wanted him again, he would drop everything and run back to her.

  Jason even acted grumpier than usual. Knowing that kids were making fun of him because of his relationship with Hope made Colin rage on the inside. Jason had attached himself to Hope already, just like Colin, and knowing his son was involved in this too hurt worst of all.

  His phone beeped and he quickly picked it up.

  I’m in Virginia with my parents. On a break.

  Shit. All the way to Virginia? He needed to see her. What’s going on? I know about the suspension.

  He stared at the phone for the next two minutes waiting for a response. It doesn’t concern you, Colin. Forget about it.

  He cackled. You’re kidding me, right? Answer your damn phone. I’m calling.

  The phone rang a few times and he was about to slam it across the room when she picked up. “I can’t talk long.”

  Colin clasped the phone. “This has everything to do with me, Hope. I’ll make it better.”

  “Please don’t get involved. I can handle this myself.”

  A tiny flame formed in his chest. Nothing to do with him? Hell if she didn’t drive him crazy. He laughed again. “Hope, this is about me and you, and I’m going to make this right.”

  She spoke quickly, “I need to fix this myself, Colin. It’s something I need to do for myself.”

  He stared out the window toward the pool. The pool he could never look at again without remembering Hope wrapped around him. “What is Mrs. Morales saying?”

  She paused for a minute. He heard her soft breath and wished he could hold her to comfort her. “She’s claiming I’m in a prohibited relationship and that I’m not handling the principal position to the best of my ability. She also says she has witnesses who have seen my inaccuracies, whatever that means. It’s the school policy to suspend the principal if there are any accusations until the next board meeting, which is this Thursday.” Her voice shook.

  He closed his eyes and scratched his jaw. “You know this is all a bunch of bullcrap, right?”

  In a quiet voice, she answered, “I know that, you know that, but apparently there are others who think it’s the truth.”

  He ran his empty hand through his hair. “I’m going to be there on Thursday. If I need to speak, I will.”

  “Please don’t. I can’t see you.”

  “I need to see you and I’ll help you if you need it. That’s why I’m going. I won’t speak up unless it’s needed.”

  “Fine,” she huffed.

  He swallowed, his hands trembling, and he slumped on the barstool. “Jason got suspended again today.”

  “I know. The assistant principal told me. I’ll be back to handle Bret. Don’t worry.” She paused. “Is Jason okay?”

  “He’ll be alright.”

  “Are you okay?”

  He took a moment to answer, tapping his fingers on the table. “I’ve been
better. I miss you, Hope. We need to talk about us.”

  “I can’t deal with us right now, Colin. I have my job on the line.”

  He ground his teeth. Again, she dug in deeper that her job was more important than he was. “Got it. I’ll see you on Thursday.” He hung up and paced the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and then closed it. Opening the pantry, he looked inside and then closed it. What should he do? He couldn’t just stand around and let people try to ruin Hope. And he couldn’t let his heart be trampled on when he knew she felt something for him, too.

  He had to make a plan — a plan to save their love. Because his future would include Hope in it, one way or another.

  Chapter 19

  When Hope entered the middle school office, the secretary informed her the board meeting was moved from the conference room to the cafeteria. Entering the cafeteria five minutes later, she realized why. There were far more people than she’d ever seen at a board meeting — thirty, forty attendees maybe. She clutched tighter onto her briefcase and moved to the long table in front. She opened it and pulled out file after file, not really knowing if she’d need them, but needing to do something with her hands. After a few moments, she felt a presence by her side. Afraid of who she’d see, she took her time to look up.

  Kelly stood by her side with a firm smile and touched her arm. “It’ll be okay, Hope. You have more people on your side than you think.”

  Hope smiled. “Thanks, Kelly.” Her friend took the seat beside her as the board members meandered into the room, settling into their places behind a table on a makeshift stage. Time to get this party started. Hope held her chin high and gave eye contact to each person in front of her. There were five board members in total; some she knew well and others she only knew from the monthly meetings she held. This time Hope’s name was at the top of the agenda.

  Mrs. Morales avoided eye contact, which pissed Hope off more than she cared to admit. If the woman had a problem with her, she should at least look at her.

  Kelly whispered, “Mr. Stently and Mrs. Morehouse are on your side, Hope. They’ve talked to me.”

  Hope nodded her head. “They should all be on my side. I haven’t done anything.”

  “You’re right.” Kelly looked around the room. “Colin is in the back. Have you seen him?”

  Butterflies rolled in her stomach and she cleared her throat. “Since this whole meeting is about my inappropriate relationship with him, it would be better if I don’t look.”

  Kelly shook her head. “Remember, you need to be on your side, too. People are people, Hope. Relationships happen.”

  “I’ll try to remember that,” she whispered as Mr. Stenley approached the microphone.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, it is great to see such a turnout this evening.” He chuckled. “We’ve never had such an exciting board meeting before. In the future, we hope you plan on attending more meetings about serious matters for our school, Harbor Bay Prep.” He glanced at Hope and nodded. “Tonight we will go ahead and begin with the most demanding issue, and that is Ms. Hope Robinson’s position at Harbor Bay Prep. We will ask Ms. Robinson to speak in her defense.” Then he looked at Mrs. Morales. “The floor will be open to anyone else who would like to share their concerns, and then the board will vote on Ms. Robinson’s continuance at our school.”

  There was a collective murmur in the audience. Hope couldn’t help herself and she looked over her shoulder to the back of the room. Colin’s eyes were locked on her. He nodded his head in encouragement. Next to him sat Jason, slouched, but his eyes shone with an enormous nervousness that caught Hope off guard.

  Her heart tugged at the boy and she wanted to rush over to hug him. She could do this. For him. For students who needed her. For her dream. She was a damn fine principal and she didn’t deserve this. Looking lastly at Colin, she smiled. When he smiled back, a pang settled in her stomach and shot all the way up to her heart.

  She loved him. And in that instance, she knew he loved her, too.

  She would do this for him. For them. For the possibility of a bright future.

  She stood. “Mr. Stently, if I may begin.”

  He held his arm out and sat down. “Of course, please.”

  “Thank you.” She turned to face the audience and let out a breath. “Thank you all for being here. It is an honor to see so many familiar faces to support me and what is best for our school.” She licked her lips and then remembered to stand tall. Holding her chin up, she continued, “I am so proud of Harbor Bay Prep. Our school is one of the top scoring schools in the state. Our students lead in academics in Southwest Florida and our teachers are all National Board Certified. Additionally, our sports program leads across the district in soccer, swimming, and track. I couldn’t ask for anything more in those respects.” She looked down and then turned to the front table. “However, I am disappointed in how rumors and dishonesty can lead to a downfall without much backing. In a matter of one day, Mrs. Morales had brought accusations against me as a person, which suggest I have not been working to the best of my ability at Harbor Bay Prep. Ladies and gentlemen of the board, this is not true.”

  When she turned back to the audience, her eyes went straight to Colin and she spoke only to him. “Yes. I have a personal life. So do many of you, I hope.” This brought snickers from the group. “My personal life has nothing to do with how I perform in the workplace.”

  Mrs. Morales stood then and shouted, “It does if you are sleeping around with parents.”

  Hope cocked her head at this audacious woman. “Really? Where do you get your facts, Mrs. Morales? Show me how I’ve performed poorly since I began my relationship with Dr. Calaway.”

  Mrs. Morales sat down. “I’ll get to that.”

  Mr. Stently commented. “Please, Eugenia, let Ms. Robinson continue. You will have your turn.”

  Again Hope stared out to Colin. “Yes, Dr. Calaway and I had a relationship. In fact, it was the best time of my life. But did it affect how I worked? No. Over the past two months, our school had less discipline problems than last year at this time.”

  In the back of the room, Jason slumped down in his chair.

  Hope smiled to try to reassure him. “Also, for the first trimester, all students passed their classes. Not one failure. Additionally, we’ve been involved in more community outreach programs and our school has been positively reported on five times in the St. Pete Times and the Tampa Herald.” She pointed up to the board members. “You tell me what facts you have that show I am not doing my job. I’m anxious to hear what you have lined up, Mrs. Morales, because I cannot think of one success story gone bad. In fact, your own son, Javier, has improved an entire grade point average and he’s been elected student body treasurer. Not bad, if I say so myself.”

  Mrs. Morales held up her nose. “He’s done better, but that’s because of who he is and what we do at home.”

  “Mrs. Morales, board,” Hope held her hands out, “Harbor Bay Prep parents, I couldn’t be happier here at this school. My record shows my administration has been nothing but encouraging. I hope you will still have me as the principal of your school and know that no matter what, I will work hard for your students, while having a personal life. Thank you for this opportunity.”

  She sat down, took a deep breath and hoped that her words rang true to everyone in the room.

  Kelly leaned over and grabbed her hand. “Nice job, tiger.”

  “Thanks.” She looked over her shoulder again. Colin stared with a straight face. What did that mean? He didn’t like what she said? Maybe he didn’t want her to admit to their relationship. She only hoped when the time came, he would take her back, because she had a lot of love to give.

  Mr. Stently stood and continued the questions. “Maybe this would be a good time to tell us the major complaint, Eugenia.”

  Mrs. Morales stood and pointed at Hope.
“She had inappropriate relations with Dr. Calaway.” Her finger crooked toward Colin.

  Hope turned in time to catch Colin squirm in his chair.

  Mrs. Morales continued, “Now, now, doctor. I know you’ve been lonely a long time. A horrible thing what happened to you, but it’s not appropriate for Ms. Robinson because she is the principal of your son, Jason.”

  Colin stood. “Mrs. Morales, if I may interrupt you.”

  “No, you may not. I’m not finished yet.”

  Hope breathed deeply. As if this menace hadn’t interrupted her own speech. Hope tried to nod her head in Colin’s direction, but he didn’t look her way. He was too busy targeting Mrs. Morales with a death stare.

  “It’s not a secret that Jason Calaway has been in some trouble. There are those of us who think he got away with a lesser consequence because Ms. Robinson was involved with his father.” Mrs. Morales shook her head and tsked. “Really, that’s a breach of power. Jason is a sweet boy, and we all know he’s gone through a lot losing his mother in that way, but when it comes to equality, Ms. Robinson did not treat him fairly or like any other student.”

  The room was quiet.

  Mr. Stently asked, “Is there anything else?”

  “There’s also the question of Ms. Robinson’s professionalism at our school. She arrives wearing unprofessional clothing — short skirts, high heels — and it gets inappropriate attention from our teenage children.”

  Hope couldn’t believe her ears. What the hell was this woman talking about?

  “Also, other fathers might think that since she has relations with one, she might have relations with them.” Mrs. Morales sat down and folded her hands. “That is all.”

  The room was as quiet as a church. Speechless. Disbelief. Then she heard a small voice in the back of the room.

  “I have something to say.”

  Jason stood with his hand up in the air. Colin stared at his son and brought Jason’s hand down, whispering something in his ear.

  Jason stepped out into the makeshift aisle. “Can I come forward?”

  Mr. Stently looked around, baffled, and then gestured. “Of course, son.”