Teach Me a Lesson by Jasmine Haynes

Author:Jasmine Haynes [Haynes, Jasmine]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2014-03-31T16:00:00+00:00

* * *

“OH MY GOD, THEY WERE HORRIBLE.” CHARLOTTE ROLLED HER EYES expressively.

She and Alice were sitting out in the quad with steaming mochas from the deli next to the high school. The sun had dried up the concrete, and the day had turned quite warm as long as you were wearing a jacket and basking in the sun, though that would be dipping below the horizon in half an hour or so. Charlotte had needed some air after the grueling session with the Wrights. She would have liked to discuss it with Lance, but Alice was her assistant principal and her boss. Besides, Alice had always proved a good sounding board.

“They’re just clueless,” Alice said. Having entered the army for the educational opportunities, Alice still maintained that military bearing, whether intentional or not, but she was quite softhearted and always tried to see the best in people.

“Clueless is the most diplomatic word you could apply,” Charlotte said with a sarcastic note.

She’d spent another half hour with the Wrights. Melody had trouble during the school year with some of the kids making fun of her lacking in the breast department. Then, just at the end of the year, the acne started.

“They don’t even know what happened with Eric and Melody, yet the kids were supposedly best friends. How could her parents not know?”

“You’re being too hard on them,” Alice countered.

“I thought I wasn’t being hard enough. Is it possible to charge parents with child abuse if they give their girls breast implants and Botox injections for their sixteenth birthday?”

She was being facetious but Alice was a very literal person. “There’s a parental faction who believe surgery is the ultimate answer to their children’s esteem issues.” She shook her head at Charlotte. “Don’t you watch the afternoon talk shows?”

“Like I have time?” She arched a brow. “When do you have time?”

“I record them. I love Dr. Phil.” Alice’s face softened with awe. “I never miss an episode. Not that Dr. Phil advocates that kind of thing at all.”

Charlotte had seen Dr. Phil, and he was quite reasonable for a talk show host. “Honestly, the whole thing is just plain crazy. Any parent pushing surgery to solve an esteem issue doesn’t deserve to have kids.” She was overstating, but all she could think about was the harm this kind of thing had done to Melody.

“You’re not usually so judgmental.”

“There’s something about that woman that gets to me,” Charlotte said in defense. “I think they’re ashamed of Melody. Maybe they’re afraid her face will be pockmarked.” She grimaced. “God forbid.”

“The more emotional you get, the less you’ll be able to help Melody.”

Alice was right. A counselor had to step back to maintain impartiality. She couldn’t do that if she let herself be emotional. The key word was empathy.

“So tell me what they think happened.” Alice steered them back to discussion rather than judgment. “Was Eric part of this hazing Melody received?”

“Not as far as they’re aware. There was no big fight. They used

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