on.
‘Thank you.’
‘We’ll see whether there’s anything to thank me for, Miss Harrow. Don’t think that if you’ve been telling lies as I suspect, that this will end well for you. You’ve already gone through one school this year, do you really want to jeopardise another?’
‘I’d rather that than let this go without saying anything.’ It was the truth if nothing else. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here.
We faced each other down across the desk, waiting for Michelle to turn up and confirm someone’s point of view.
When Ms Pearson knocked on the door and then entered I could see she was still smarting from Mr Fitzsimmons’ behaviour. Her lips were pursed as she said, ‘Michelle is here to see you.’
He nodded and said, ‘Show her in,’ as though Michelle wasn’t already standing right there. In the doorway.
She scowled at me, but there was a small frown line creasing her forehead. I wondered what she thought I was doing here. If she thought that I was trying to get my own back for her bullying. Whether I was making a complaint about her that she so richly deserved.
‘Please take a seat Miss Carrasco.’
Michelle sat on the edge of the seat and stared straight ahead, not making eye-contact with him, but not looking away either.
‘Miss Harrow has made some allegations against you,’ he continued once Michelle had taken her seat. ‘She alleges that there has been some sexual misconduct on your part.’
‘No I did not!’ I interrupted. I could feel the skin on my face heating up, the indignation made it harder to speak, and also made me want to cry. Was this whole thing hopeless?
I turned to look at Michelle, but she was glaring at me and so I turned back to Mr Fitzsimmons who was doing the same.
‘I reported that I saw Mr Bond and you in the English room last night,’ I said, my voice quiet. I looked down at the floor as the hopelessness of the situation swallowed me whole and drained my determination. ‘I told Mr Fitzsimmons that it looked like you were being raped.’
There was silence for a long time. Mr Fitzsimmons cleared his throat, but then didn’t follow up. My words echoed in my ears. A buzz started as the silence grew longer. Like the sound in your eardrums when loud music stops playing. I listened to the buzz and closed my eyes against the rest of it.
When I opened them again I saw that Mr Fitzsimmons was staring at the deskpad in front of him. I turned to Michelle and was astonished to see that she was crying. It was silent. The tears ran down her cheeks in a steady stream but she didn’t make a noise. Until she sniffed. Long. Loud. She swiped the back of her hand across her face, gathering the tears up with her fingers and flicking the moisture off.
‘That’s a vicious lie. I’ve never had sex with anyone.’
‘It wasn’t an accusation Michelle,’ I said as I turned fully towards her. ‘I just didn’t want to think that he would get away with it.’
‘Get away with what?’ she said and turned to face me. Equal. She was furious, and I felt my blood fizzle in fear.
‘I…’ but I couldn’t follow it up.
‘There’s nothing to get away with, Mr Fitzsimmons,’ Michelle said, turning her attention back to the principal. ‘There has never been anything of a sexual nature between me and Mr Bond. He’s a teacher for Christ’s sake,’ she said, and turned back to me. ‘He must be three times my age and there’s no way I would be stupid enough to meet up with an old man after school in an empty classroom. I don’t know why Daina is making this stuff up about me,’ she paused then, and rubbed her top lip with her forefinger.
She met Mr Fitzsimmons gaze again. ‘Actually I do know why. I had a run-in with Daina a few weeks ago. I suppose this is her way of getting back at me. But this isn’t true.’
She looked back at me, her eyes narrowed. ‘I’m sorry that I teased you Daina. But this is no way to get back at me. Mr Bond is a teacher; he could get in
‘Thank you.’
‘We’ll see whether there’s anything to thank me for, Miss Harrow. Don’t think that if you’ve been telling lies as I suspect, that this will end well for you. You’ve already gone through one school this year, do you really want to jeopardise another?’
‘I’d rather that than let this go without saying anything.’ It was the truth if nothing else. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here.
We faced each other down across the desk, waiting for Michelle to turn up and confirm someone’s point of view.
When Ms Pearson knocked on the door and then entered I could see she was still smarting from Mr Fitzsimmons’ behaviour. Her lips were pursed as she said, ‘Michelle is here to see you.’
He nodded and said, ‘Show her in,’ as though Michelle wasn’t already standing right there. In the doorway.
She scowled at me, but there was a small frown line creasing her forehead. I wondered what she thought I was doing here. If she thought that I was trying to get my own back for her bullying. Whether I was making a complaint about her that she so richly deserved.
‘Please take a seat Miss Carrasco.’
Michelle sat on the edge of the seat and stared straight ahead, not making eye-contact with him, but not looking away either.
‘Miss Harrow has made some allegations against you,’ he continued once Michelle had taken her seat. ‘She alleges that there has been some sexual misconduct on your part.’
‘No I did not!’ I interrupted. I could feel the skin on my face heating up, the indignation made it harder to speak, and also made me want to cry. Was this whole thing hopeless?
I turned to look at Michelle, but she was glaring at me and so I turned back to Mr Fitzsimmons who was doing the same.
‘I reported that I saw Mr Bond and you in the English room last night,’ I said, my voice quiet. I looked down at the floor as the hopelessness of the situation swallowed me whole and drained my determination. ‘I told Mr Fitzsimmons that it looked like you were being raped.’
There was silence for a long time. Mr Fitzsimmons cleared his throat, but then didn’t follow up. My words echoed in my ears. A buzz started as the silence grew longer. Like the sound in your eardrums when loud music stops playing. I listened to the buzz and closed my eyes against the rest of it.
When I opened them again I saw that Mr Fitzsimmons was staring at the deskpad in front of him. I turned to Michelle and was astonished to see that she was crying. It was silent. The tears ran down her cheeks in a steady stream but she didn’t make a noise. Until she sniffed. Long. Loud. She swiped the back of her hand across her face, gathering the tears up with her fingers and flicking the moisture off.
‘That’s a vicious lie. I’ve never had sex with anyone.’
‘It wasn’t an accusation Michelle,’ I said as I turned fully towards her. ‘I just didn’t want to think that he would get away with it.’
‘Get away with what?’ she said and turned to face me. Equal. She was furious, and I felt my blood fizzle in fear.
‘I…’ but I couldn’t follow it up.
‘There’s nothing to get away with, Mr Fitzsimmons,’ Michelle said, turning her attention back to the principal. ‘There has never been anything of a sexual nature between me and Mr Bond. He’s a teacher for Christ’s sake,’ she said, and turned back to me. ‘He must be three times my age and there’s no way I would be stupid enough to meet up with an old man after school in an empty classroom. I don’t know why Daina is making this stuff up about me,’ she paused then, and rubbed her top lip with her forefinger.
She met Mr Fitzsimmons gaze again. ‘Actually I do know why. I had a run-in with Daina a few weeks ago. I suppose this is her way of getting back at me. But this isn’t true.’
She looked back at me, her eyes narrowed. ‘I’m sorry that I teased you Daina. But this is no way to get back at me. Mr Bond is a teacher; he could get in
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