The School bus rolled to a stop in front of the Treepoint High School. Winter and her assistant principal, Jeff Morgan, rolled their eyes as the boisterous teens stormed off the bus.
“Another year begins,” Jeff groaned.
“Oh come on, it’s not that bad.” Winter’s cheerful voice could barely be heard among the loud voices.
“Yes it is,” he said watching two football players pick on one of the band students.
Winter laughed at his glum attitude, her smile dying when she saw Carmen’s mother walking towards her from the parking lot.
“Why is Mrs. Jones here?”
“She has an appointment to see you first thing this morning,” Jeff spoke looking at the schedule in his hand.
“I’ll talk to her then call the students to the gym for the ‘Welcome to the New Year’ speech.” Winter mentally reorganized the start to her day.
“Better you than me.” He hated dealing with parents, and Winter was more adept at dealing with the problems the students and parents would unload on the school.
“Ms. Simmons.”
“Mrs. Jones, I understand we have an appointment this morning. My office is this way.” The two women walked through the busy hallways to reach Winter’s office. Informing Emily to hold her calls, she escorted the woman inside.
“How are you today?” Winter asked concerned because the woman looked so tired.
“Fine,” she said abruptly. “I will cut to the chase and tell you that Carman will be leaving Treepoint High. Her father and I have decided that it is better that she live with my sister for her senior year. When we find a buyer for the house we’ll be moving also.”
Winter had not seen Carman since the picnic a month ago and was hoping things had improved.
“Has she ended her relationship with Jake?”
“Unfortunately not. They feel that we are trying to keep them apart, which truthfully we are. Carmen snuck out of the house last week and did not return until the next day. She had a black eye, yet refuses to admit he is responsible. He frightens her father and me. After we told Carmen she was no longer allowed to see him, our tires were slashed and someone set our shed on fire. We called the Sheriff but there is little he can do until he can find proof or Carmen admits he hit her. My sister lives in New Jersey and doesn’t work so she can keep a eye on her until we can join her.”
“Usually I would hate to lose a student of Carmen’s caliber but in this case, I wholeheartedly agree with your decision.” She wasn’t about to talk her parents out of taking their daughter to another school when her safety was in question. Winter pushed the button for the intercom requesting copies of Carmen’s records.
“I think it’s best if I just give you notarized copies of her records, that way there will be no trail for Jake to follow unless Carmen tells him.”
“We haven’t told her yet, we’re going to pack her things when I get home. We aren’t going to let her have a phone so she won’t have the opportunity to call him.”
Emily entered carrying the requested records. Taking the papers, Winter looked through them making sure all the correct forms for entering a new school system were there, and then stamped them with her notary stamp. Placing the paperwork in a large envelope, she handed it to Mrs. Jones.
“I wish you all the best. Please keep me informed on how Carmen does in her new school,” Winter requested, truly concerned for Carmen’s safety.
“I will, and thank you, Ms. Simmons. If you hadn’t brought Carmen home after the picnic it might have been too late for my daughter.”
Winter smiled, escorting the woman outside to her car. She was walking back towards the school when she saw Jake sitting in his black mustang on the lot watching her. The hatred on his face was plain to see even from a distance. She pulled the phone from her pocket and called school security.
“Tom, this is Ms. Simmons. There is a black mustang on the south lot. The young man inside is no longer a student. Will you see that he leaves the school property?”
“Yes, Ms. Simmons. I will be right there.”
“Make sure you bring someone with you. I don’t want you confronting him on your own. Notify the Sheriff’s office also that you will be asking a trespasser to leave the property.
“Yes Ma’am.”
She entered the school standing there until Tom and another male security guard approached the car. When they were within a few feet he spun out of the lot. Relieved he had left without a confrontation, Winter went to her office to call for the assembly to greet the new students and give encouragement for the year ahead.