“It’s not going to be okay. Dad’s probably freaking out and blaming Mom. That’s what he always does. It’s probably why they didn’t want me around yesterday.”
When she lifted her eyes to Emily’s, they were filledwith betrayal. “They should have told me. I’m part of the family, too. They shouldn’t have let me walk into school this morning not knowing. It was just plain mean.”
Emily agreed, but she wasn’t about to say it. Instead, she said, “I’m sure they’re so upset that they weren’t thinking clearly. If I’d known, I would have told you myself, but they didn’t say a word to me, either. And obviously the media didn’t pick up on it till sometime last night since it didn’t hit the newspaper or TV till this morning. I’m sure your folks thought they had time to tell you before the news got out.”
“Yeah, right,” Caitlyn said sarcastically. “Was it their idea for you to come and get me?”
Her need to know that she mattered to her parents nearly broke Emily’s heart. “I know this is what they’d want.”
Caitlyn’s shoulders sagged. “That means it was your idea.”
Emily kept one arm tight around her shoulders. “Actually it was Dani’s. She’s waiting in the car. Let me sign you out and the three of us will spend the rest of the day doing something fun that will get our minds off all this.”
Don Jacobs emerged from his office just then and gave Caitlyn a sympathetic look, then turned to Emily. “I’m glad you were able to pick her up. It’s been a little rough around here this morning. I’ve had her in here since right after homeroom.”
“I can imagine,” Emily said, knowing how cruel and unthinking kids could be.
“I called the house, hoping to speak to her parents, but I couldn’t reach them. If Caitlyn needs the rest of the week off, I’m sure we can arrange to get her assignments to her so she won’t miss anything.”
Emily appreciated his understanding and the carefully worded suggestion. “I’ll speak to her parents and let them know that,” she promised him.
At the car, Caitlyn scrambled into the back seat.
“You okay?” Dani asked, looking over her shoulder.
“Today really sucked,” Caitlyn said. “But it’s better now. Thanks for telling your mom to get me.”
“No problem,” Dani said, then glanced at Emily. “What are we going to do now?”
Good question, Emily thought. She imagined that the Carters’ house was in chaos. In fact, given Evan’s football celebrity, the entire neighborhood was probably swarming with media. Neither girl needed to deal with that.
“How about lunch and a movie and some shopping?” she suggested. That ought to keep their minds off what was happening to Evan.
For the second time in the past hour, Dani beamed at her. “Mom, you’re the best.”
Emily shook her head. She now knew that the way to achieve maximum regard in her daughter’s mind was to practice deception and help her play hooky from school to do her favorite things. Those were probably not the best lessons for her to be imparting. Then again, she couldn’t think of a single time when breaking a few rules was more called for.
“Lunch at The Falls,” she suggested, mentioning the nearest shopping center, which also had movie theaters and some of their favorite stores.
“TGIFridays,” Dani said at once. “Okay with you, Cat?”
From the back seat, Caitlyn finally mustered a faint grin. “Awesome.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do,” Emily said. “I’ll call your mom and let her know where we are. Maybe she’ll even be able to get away to meet us.”
“She won’t,” Caitlyn said, her grin fading. She regarded Emily worriedly. “Maybe this is a bad idea. Maybe it’s wrong for me to be having fun, when Evan’s in trouble.”
“Sweetie, there’s nothing you can do to help your brother right now. As long as your mom and dad know you’re safe, they’ll be able to concentrate on fixing this.”
“I
When she lifted her eyes to Emily’s, they were filledwith betrayal. “They should have told me. I’m part of the family, too. They shouldn’t have let me walk into school this morning not knowing. It was just plain mean.”
Emily agreed, but she wasn’t about to say it. Instead, she said, “I’m sure they’re so upset that they weren’t thinking clearly. If I’d known, I would have told you myself, but they didn’t say a word to me, either. And obviously the media didn’t pick up on it till sometime last night since it didn’t hit the newspaper or TV till this morning. I’m sure your folks thought they had time to tell you before the news got out.”
“Yeah, right,” Caitlyn said sarcastically. “Was it their idea for you to come and get me?”
Her need to know that she mattered to her parents nearly broke Emily’s heart. “I know this is what they’d want.”
Caitlyn’s shoulders sagged. “That means it was your idea.”
Emily kept one arm tight around her shoulders. “Actually it was Dani’s. She’s waiting in the car. Let me sign you out and the three of us will spend the rest of the day doing something fun that will get our minds off all this.”
Don Jacobs emerged from his office just then and gave Caitlyn a sympathetic look, then turned to Emily. “I’m glad you were able to pick her up. It’s been a little rough around here this morning. I’ve had her in here since right after homeroom.”
“I can imagine,” Emily said, knowing how cruel and unthinking kids could be.
“I called the house, hoping to speak to her parents, but I couldn’t reach them. If Caitlyn needs the rest of the week off, I’m sure we can arrange to get her assignments to her so she won’t miss anything.”
Emily appreciated his understanding and the carefully worded suggestion. “I’ll speak to her parents and let them know that,” she promised him.
At the car, Caitlyn scrambled into the back seat.
“You okay?” Dani asked, looking over her shoulder.
“Today really sucked,” Caitlyn said. “But it’s better now. Thanks for telling your mom to get me.”
“No problem,” Dani said, then glanced at Emily. “What are we going to do now?”
Good question, Emily thought. She imagined that the Carters’ house was in chaos. In fact, given Evan’s football celebrity, the entire neighborhood was probably swarming with media. Neither girl needed to deal with that.
“How about lunch and a movie and some shopping?” she suggested. That ought to keep their minds off what was happening to Evan.
For the second time in the past hour, Dani beamed at her. “Mom, you’re the best.”
Emily shook her head. She now knew that the way to achieve maximum regard in her daughter’s mind was to practice deception and help her play hooky from school to do her favorite things. Those were probably not the best lessons for her to be imparting. Then again, she couldn’t think of a single time when breaking a few rules was more called for.
“Lunch at The Falls,” she suggested, mentioning the nearest shopping center, which also had movie theaters and some of their favorite stores.
“TGIFridays,” Dani said at once. “Okay with you, Cat?”
From the back seat, Caitlyn finally mustered a faint grin. “Awesome.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do,” Emily said. “I’ll call your mom and let her know where we are. Maybe she’ll even be able to get away to meet us.”
“She won’t,” Caitlyn said, her grin fading. She regarded Emily worriedly. “Maybe this is a bad idea. Maybe it’s wrong for me to be having fun, when Evan’s in trouble.”
“Sweetie, there’s nothing you can do to help your brother right now. As long as your mom and dad know you’re safe, they’ll be able to concentrate on fixing this.”
“I
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