“I have to go to the club for a while, but I’ll come home early and we’ll all go out to celebrate Maddie’s first day. And us. Okay?”

I still barely know who and where I am, but I manage to squeak out “okay” or “sure” or something along those lines with my face still half buried in the covers. I stay there, comfortable and content as he throws his clothes back on and kisses the side of my face.

I listen to the front door open and close, then the sound of the car pulling out of the drive. I sigh and decide this is where I was going to stay most of the day. Naked, spent and curled up in the bed of the man I had wanted all my life. The man who wanted me all my life.

At that moment, I remember what time it is. I shoot out of the bed, almost face planting from the tangle of sheets around my legs, and start pulling on my crumbled clothes. I don’t even bother looking in the mirror before I bolt for the door. I had forgotten to tell Rob I had a meeting about the curator job, but I knew it didn’t matter. With Maddie at school I could come and go during the day till the bus brought her home.

I do my best to compose myself in the car. I didn’t want to be a mess while meeting with my new employers. I manage to get there with a few minutes to spare so I touch up my makeup in the rear view mirror. I don’t recognize the number of the phone call that comes in right before I’m about to head inside.

Then suddenly I do. “Hello!?”

“Hello, is this Amy Sikes?”

“Yes! Is everything okay?!”

“There was an incident with Maddison, can you please come to the main office as soon as possible?”

“Yes! I’m on my way!”

I hang up and throw the car into reverse, but before I take my foot off the break I remember where I’m supposed to be in five minutes. I stare at the Museum doors for only a second more before I back out of the parking space.

Screw it. My Maddie needs me.

It’s a miracle I don’t get a ticket on the way to the school, I didn’t know I had the guts to drive so fast. When I arrive, I park right in the front in a spot marked “faculty” – they can tow me if they want. I can’t spare the extra few minutes to park in the visitor lot at the back.

Out of air and in a panic, I ring the buzzer at the entrance and try to get someone’s attention inside. I assume they see me in a camera somewhere, because the door makes a loud click as the bolt is released. I practically fall inside and barrel towards the office. I only slow down when I catch sight of Maddie through the office window. She isn’t screaming or crying, she’s sitting in one of the waiting room chairs with her headphones on, staring at a picture book.

I decide to pull myself together before I open the door. Thank God she wasn’t upset, but she didn’t need to see me in a panic, that wouldn’t help anything.

I inhale deeply and casually open the door, “Hey princess, what’s goin on?”

She looks up at me and shrugs as she gestures to the nurse’s office. Through the small glass window of the clinic door I can see movement and hear wailing.

Oh no.

Before I can ask Maddie what’s happening in there, the office administrator gets my attention as she pulls her glasses down her pointy nose, “Miss Sikes?”

“Yes, that’s me, what happened?”

“Mr. Zale is waiting for you and Maddison in his office.”

“Oh, thank you.” I give Maddie a wave that indicates she should follow me and I head for the principal’s door. I try to put on my professional pants, whatever happened, it was fixable. It had to be.

“Hello, Mr. Zale. I was told something happened?”

“Have a seat.”

I do, but I keep my head held high. It. Was. Fixable.

He continues, “Maddison would you like to explain what happened today?”

Again, she shrugs and keeps her ‘matter of fact’ tone, “Left jab, right hook, right uppercut.”

Shit.

My blood runs ice cold. “W-what?”

The principal suddenly doesn’t seem as upset to me as he should be, “Can you tell Miss Sikes why?”

Maddie half shrugs again, “Defense.” Her one-word sentences have me on the verge of explosion, I need the whole story, damn it!

Mr. Zale must have felt my urgency because that’s when he decides to take over, “Can I show you the footage from the hallway camera?”

“Yes! Yes, please, I’m so sorry about this.”

“Just watch.”

When my apology is cut off, I decide not to make a scene if… when he tells me Maddison isn’t welcome back here. After all, this was shaping up to be my fault.

He turns the screen of his desktop to face me and hits play. I try not to wince.

A black and white soundless image shows Maddie walking down the hallway with a large badge around her neck. I recognize it must be this school’s version of a hall-pass. She enters the girl’s bathroom and all is quiet. Then three boys walk down the same hallway with matching badges, I guess they are a few grades above her, judging by their size. One starts to go into the boy’s bathroom when he’s stopped by the others. They huddle and talk – laughter, hesitance, then… they abandon the boy’s room… and head for the girls.

I inhale sharply. What?!

Agonizing silence and stillness follows.

“What’s happening?”

“Wait.” Mr. Zale doesn’t break his eyes from the monitor.

I don’t have to wait long. The screen comes alive with movement as the larger of the three boys falls out of the girl’s room holding his nose. Although the screen is colorless, I don’t need to see red to know his nose is pouring blood. Suddenly I have a face to go with the crying coming from the nurse’s room.

The other two boys run out of the bathroom at full speed and back down the way they came without any regard for their fallen comrade holding his busted nose on the hallway floor. And then my princess comes out, cool as a cucumber. She gives the crying boy a wide berth as she puts on her headphones and heads back to class.

The screen freezes in sync with Mr. Zale’s click of the mouse. Before I can open my mouth, he looks at Maddie, “Now tell her the story the way you told it to me.”

“I was going to the bathroom and those boys came in and asked me if it was true that no one could touch me. I said yes. They asked why. I said I don’t like it. Then the big one said he could if he wanted. I said don’t. And he said it was no big deal and he reached out so I moved to the right and left gab, right hook, right uppercut. I remembered about my feet. And the sound. I didn’t like to touch his face, but I just pretended he was the bag. And then I washed my hands.”

Mr. Zale nods as Maddie puts her headphones on and goes back to her book.

My mouth is still in my lap, but all my fear is gone. And although I try not to show it, the fear is replaced by pride.

“I..I..”

“The young man eventually corroborated her story. But honestly there is nothing he could have said that would have put him in the right, just by following her into the girl’s room they were in violation of policy, and in my opinion she wasn’t wrong to defend herself. Now, according to the district rules, Maddie should also receive a suspension for engaging in an altercation, but I think we can make an exception in this particular case. That being said, it’s important for you to explain at home the special circumstances to Maddison and that physical violence is not usually the way to solve conflict.”

“Oh, yes, yes, of course, thank you.”

“Maddison is welcome to return to class. Thank you for coming up Miss Sikes.”

“Oh, thank you, yes, she will, thanks.”

Despite my relief, I must still be in shock because I find a way to destroy a perfect moment. Maddie is still engrossed in her book, so I reach down and tap her shoulder to get her attention.

And ruin everything.