Ira

Getting called to the principal's office was never a good thing but as someone trying to avoid attention like the plague, hearing my name over the PA system just before the last bell was its own brand of torture. Thankfully, my walk of shame was a short one and as it turned out I wasn't the only one in trouble. A few minutes after the nice lady at the desk who was all smiles and "have a piece of candy" told me to take a seat, River strolled in.

"Brenda!"

River went right to the front desk and didn't hold back at all. With the smile he gave her, you would have thought seeing her had just made his day. Leaning on his arms, River rubbed his hands together and gave Brenda a vary inappropriate once over.

"How's that new gym routine working out for ya? You look like you lost weight."

"Nice try but whatever trouble you got yourself into I'm not getting you out."

I guess she wasn't falling for it, but River straightened and clutched at his heart with both hands.

"Ack! you wound me. Do I really look like someone who would hand out disingenuous compliments just to gain someone's favor?

"Very impressive, Mr. Orman, you learned something" she stood and gave him a pat on the cheek as she headed over to the principal's door.
"But it'll take more than some fancy words to get anything out of me."

"Oh, come on. I looked that one up just for you."

Brenda just rolled her eyes and knocked on the door before poking her head in to inform principal Wagner that the students she wanted to see were here before returning to her desk. Giving up on trying to weasel his way out of trouble River turned to take a seat. His eyebrows spike up when he finally noticed me, and his charm turned to amused curiosity.

"As I live and breathe it's really true? Ira Carvalho called to the offices, what on earth did you do?"

I shrugged. "Who knows. You?"

"Hmm, haven't done any weed in a while so it can't be that." He plopped down on the seat next to me, slouching down with legs stretched out. "Maybe Coach has got another bone to pick."

We were quiet for a moment as he fidgeted before he spoke again.

"Sorry about earlier by the way."

Surprised I blinked at him. River wasn't the apologetic type. In fact, the only time I'd ever heard that word from him it came with far too much sarcasm to be genuine but now guilt dipped off his aura like heavy tears.

"If there's any way I can make it up to you..."

I shook my head at him. "it's fine, you don't need to do anything."

"Please, don't be one of those people." he groaned. "I feel bad enough. Let me take you to the ball or something."

I cringed.

"Seriously River, I don't need your pity."

He opened his mouth no doubt to deny it but just then the principal's door opened, and Teresa sauntered out followed closely by principal Wagner who looked every bit the part with her suit, pinup, and glasses. Teres smirked at River making him sit up and let out a long stream of curses as she passed him on her way out of the front office.

"Mr. Orman!" principal Wagner admonished "I will not have you using that sort of language in my office."

"What are you going to do" he snarked "suspend me? But then oh no, I'm a teenage delinquent not in school, whatever will I do with all that extra time on my hands?"

She opened her mouth to respond but a knock on the door interrupted her. All of us turned to see Mindy in the doorway. Emma's mother looked more frazzled than I'd ever seen her and the worry lines that creased her brow were new.

"I got a message about Ira?"

"Mrs. Carvalho thank you for coming." Principal Wagner managed to pull a friendly smile and gestured to her office. "Why don't you come in. Ira, will you join us."

I stood and followed Mindy into the office but didn't miss the look Wagner gave River before closing the door. Something about it told me he was going to get an earful later. Or now Wagner gestured for us to take a seat as she claimed her own chair and straightened a few wayward pens and papers. Having never been in here I took the opportunity to look around. The chairs were comfortable enough, but everything seemed too neat as if the entire room were picked straight out of a magazine and Wagner didn't have enough personality to change anything. An oddly disconcerting thought.

"Miss Carvalho? do you know why you're here?" I stared at principal Wagner and wondered if she seriously expected me to answer or if she was just being rhetorical. I guess it was the latter because she went on with barely a pause. "It was brought to my attention that you exhibited some rather concerning behavior earlier today."

I blinked and wondered what she was talking about before remembering the way Teresa had looked at River. Was she talking about what happened earlier? She couldn't be serious. I suddenly understood River's creative language and even considered using some of it myself, but Wagner turned her explanation to Mindy.

"One of our other students witnessed Ira have an... altercation with one of the boys she spends time with. I want to assure you that our school has a zero-tolerance policy against harassment and that includes any unwanted advances. Now I'm hoping this was just a misunderstanding but if something is going on, I would prefer we address it now." I picked at the lint on my shirt to avoid Mindy's concerned look, but Wagner was determined to draw me into the conversation. "Ira, could you please tell us what happened during lunch today."

Shifting nervously, I flicked a glance at Mindy and then Wagner before settling on the perfect row of pens near the edge of Wager's desk.

"Nothing really. The guys were just messing around, and River wanted to make Teresa jealous."

"Be that as it may" Wagner pointed out. "That does not excuse his inappropriate behavior."

"He didn't do anything wrong," I said in River's defense "I was fine with it at first but changed my mind, so I shoved him. If I'd asked him to stop, we would have been fine."

"I See." She didn't sound convinced.

"In that case, the second reason we called you in is that this isn't the first time I've gotten a bad report with your name attached to it." Wagner turned back to Mindy "Several of her teachers have noticed she doesn't participate in the classroom or in any extracurricular activities. I understand she and her father are having a rough time of it, but I'm concerned that the only social interaction she seems to have at school is with her cousins,' your daughter's, friends."

"I don't understand" Mindy interjected, "is there something wrong with her having the same friends as Emma."

The way they talked about me I almost wanted it to remind them I was sitting right here but I wasn't sure it would make difference.

"No, of course not." Wagner was quick to assure.

"So, what's the problem? Are her grades low?

"Actually, she has the highest marks in all her class. It's just that she has not formed any relationship outside the group Emma associates with. If she were involved with any of them on her own, we wouldn't be concerned but this could be part of a bigger issue. My suggestion would be she sees a counselor just to make sure everything's alright. We have one available eight to six Monday thru Saturday."

"Alright well, I'll talk to her father about it." I flinched at Mindy's quick response. "Is there anything else?"

As it turns out I wasn't a complete failure so after a few more pleasantries Wagner gave Mindy several cards for some good therapists and then sent us on our way. River was still sitting in the same place when we came out and from the look of things was stewing over Teresa. A part of me hoped he found some way to get her back for such a bitchy move but the rest of me was too numb to care. He had wanted the crazy jealous ex; I just hope now that he got her, he'd rethink his options because I didn't really feel like being part of their war.

Outside Emma waited with the car next to Mindy's old scooter. Like her mother, Emma's face was creased with worry, but she didn't say anything. she'd wait till we got home and there was no risk of wayward listeners for the interrogation coming my way. Without a word mother and daughter exchanged keys and Emma puttered off on her own. The short drive to the diner was silent as usual but this time it was Mindy who wanted answers I didn't have. With the car in park, I gripped the handle to push open the door but before I could Mindy stopped me with a hand on my arm.

"Are sure you're alright?"

I wanted to tell her no. That I was stuck in a nightmare there was no waking up from but the way she gripped my arm told me she didn't want the truth. She wanted to believe everything was fine, even if it wasn't, so I gave her a quick nod.

"Yeah, I'm good."

I was going to need to work on being more convincing because she didn't look like she believed me. Thankfully, she let it go for now and dug through her oversized purse to pull out an envelope.

"This came for you today."

I took the envelope from her carefully, wary of what it might contain. it felt too light to be anything serious but definitely wasn't paper. My name and the diner's address were scrawled in Dad's familiar scratchy handwriting. But there was no return address. Shaking whatever was inside out, I let it fall into my palm.

Mom's pearl.

I recognized it immediately. The simple necklace was the first gift dad ever gave her and I'd never seen her without it. Even when she gave up on getting her wedding band resized every few years, she'd always kept this necklace on. Holding it in my hand now, it seemed to hum with sorrow and for a second, I almost felt like crying. But the feeling was gone as quickly as it had come. Only faintly disappointed I put the neckless on without much trouble.

The Pearl felt strangely warm against my skin and comforting.

Safe.

But that was a lie.

I wasn't safe and this gift was Dad's last goodbye.

This was him telling me he wasn't coming back.

A spike of rage struck me and suddenly I wanted to throw the thing away. But I couldn't, this was the last thing I had left of her and no matter what else he had done, at least he let me keep this.

"I think you should go." Anger draining away, I looked over at Mindy. "The counselor, maybe he can help."

I wasn't sure what she thought they could help with, but Mindy was always fretting, and it wasn't fair to her that Dad came crashing into her life just to dump me on her lap. She was already a single mother doing her best to give her daughter the life she'd never had while running her little diner. I didn't want to give her anything else to worry about. Suddenly exhausted by all the secrets I acquiesced without a fight.

"Okay." I nodded "I'll go."

"Great!" Her relief was so profound I almost felt guilty "I'll call them right now. You take the day off, I already called Carmen in to cover for me and she'll appreciate a few more hours on the clock."

Of course, I should have known better.

Idleness was a dangerous thing for someone who tended to fall into other people's lives when they dreamed and sure enough it didn't take long for the heavy drag of sleep to pull me under.

They were gone before he arrived. He slaughtered their captors so there would not be others, but he could smell the rot before he saw the bodies. The walls reeked of it and the single mind flickering inside was seeped in it. He found her with others still strapped to the machine killing her.

She had been the strongest and now she was the only one left.

When he took her hand, it was as cold as ice. When he looked into her eyes, they begged for death that would not come so he took her face in his bloodied hands and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. She had been denied the touch of another for so long that the warmth of his skin made her weep. He gave her this moment of joy then broke her neck with a sharp twist and let the light of her soul finally die.

He stayed there with his head bent in solemn reverence, letting the Icey skin of the dead seep the fire from his veins until his fury had abated. When all he had left was a bone-deep weariness, he lifted his head to look at the one who watched him.

"Have you found what you're looking for?" he asked.