that Jennifer would show for her retake. Glancing at the clock, she was ready to concede defeat when the door cracked open and Jennifer peeked in.
Rachel smiled broadly and motioned her inside.
“Am I too late?” Jennifer asked.
“Of course not. You have plenty of time, and I want you to not rush through it.”
Rachel picked up the paper and held it out for Jennifer to take. Jennifer smiled shyly, took the test, and then went to sit in the first row of desks.
Rachel watched from underneath her eyelashes while pretending to grade other papers. Jennifer’s brow was creased in concentration, and she nibbled at the eraser on the pencil as she carefully read through the questions.
Holding back a smile of triumph, Rachel did a mental fist pump.
When the bell rang signaling the end of lunch, Jennifer stood, a satisfied smile on her face.
“I finished,” she announced. “And I think I got them all right.”
“Very good,” Rachel said proudly. “I knew you could do it.”
“Thank you, Ms. Kelly. For giving me another shot at it. I won’t let it happen again.”
“See that you don’t,” Rachel said crisply. But she softened the statement with a genuine smile. “Go ahead and take your seat. The others will be coming in soon. Do you need a bathroom break before the next class begins?”
Jennifer shook her head. “No ma’am. I’m fine, thank you.”
The kids began to noisily file in, the roar from the hall invading the classroom as well.
Rachel stood to clean the blackboard from the previous class so she could begin anew for this period. After wiping it down and drawing up her outline, she turned and was startled to see a man standing in the back of the room.
“Sir, you can’t be in here,” she said.
He had no visitor’s badge. She’d received no call from the office to suggest a parent was arriving. Alarm bells immediately went off, and she reached underneath the desk for the panic button that had been installed the year prior.
Maybe she was jumping the gun, and maybe she was being stupid and overreacting. But when it came to the safety of her kids, she didn’t really give a damn if it turned out to be a false alarm.
The silent alarm would immediately send the school into lockdown. The local police would be notified and would converge on the campus with astonishing speed. Everyone took the safety in schools seriously here. And, well, everywhere. School shootings had become so commonplace that no leeway was given, and police were swift to stamp out any threat.
The students swung around to see whom she was addressing. Jennifer went pale.
“Dad! What are you doing here?” she hissed.
But her father didn’t look at her. He didn’t even acknowledge her. Rachel’s heart plummeted when he lifted his hand to reveal the pistol he carried. Her instincts hadn’t been wrong.
“Everyone get down!” Rachel yelled. “Under your desks!”
There was a series of screams and desks scraping across the floor as the students scrambled for cover.
“Everyone be still!” Jennifer’s father roared.
He waved the gun precariously, and Rachel’s heart nearly stopped for fear the gun would discharge and one of the children would be caught in the crossfire.
Only Jennifer remained where she was. She was terrified, completely pale, and staring at her father in utter disbelief.
“Dad, what are you doing?” Jennifer asked in a shaky voice. “Why are you here? Where did you get that gun? You’re scaring me!”
For a moment, the man’s face softened as he looked at his daughter, and then his expression hardened, and he waved the gun in Rachel’s direction.
“Everything will be just fine once she makes a call for me,” he muttered.
In the distance, sirens could be heard, and Jennifer’s father froze. Then he rushed to the window to peer out and let out a string of obscenities.
Sobs rose from several of the children, but most huddled under their desks too petrified to make a sound.
“What did you do?” he raged at Rachel. “Did
Rachel smiled broadly and motioned her inside.
“Am I too late?” Jennifer asked.
“Of course not. You have plenty of time, and I want you to not rush through it.”
Rachel picked up the paper and held it out for Jennifer to take. Jennifer smiled shyly, took the test, and then went to sit in the first row of desks.
Rachel watched from underneath her eyelashes while pretending to grade other papers. Jennifer’s brow was creased in concentration, and she nibbled at the eraser on the pencil as she carefully read through the questions.
Holding back a smile of triumph, Rachel did a mental fist pump.
When the bell rang signaling the end of lunch, Jennifer stood, a satisfied smile on her face.
“I finished,” she announced. “And I think I got them all right.”
“Very good,” Rachel said proudly. “I knew you could do it.”
“Thank you, Ms. Kelly. For giving me another shot at it. I won’t let it happen again.”
“See that you don’t,” Rachel said crisply. But she softened the statement with a genuine smile. “Go ahead and take your seat. The others will be coming in soon. Do you need a bathroom break before the next class begins?”
Jennifer shook her head. “No ma’am. I’m fine, thank you.”
The kids began to noisily file in, the roar from the hall invading the classroom as well.
Rachel stood to clean the blackboard from the previous class so she could begin anew for this period. After wiping it down and drawing up her outline, she turned and was startled to see a man standing in the back of the room.
“Sir, you can’t be in here,” she said.
He had no visitor’s badge. She’d received no call from the office to suggest a parent was arriving. Alarm bells immediately went off, and she reached underneath the desk for the panic button that had been installed the year prior.
Maybe she was jumping the gun, and maybe she was being stupid and overreacting. But when it came to the safety of her kids, she didn’t really give a damn if it turned out to be a false alarm.
The silent alarm would immediately send the school into lockdown. The local police would be notified and would converge on the campus with astonishing speed. Everyone took the safety in schools seriously here. And, well, everywhere. School shootings had become so commonplace that no leeway was given, and police were swift to stamp out any threat.
The students swung around to see whom she was addressing. Jennifer went pale.
“Dad! What are you doing here?” she hissed.
But her father didn’t look at her. He didn’t even acknowledge her. Rachel’s heart plummeted when he lifted his hand to reveal the pistol he carried. Her instincts hadn’t been wrong.
“Everyone get down!” Rachel yelled. “Under your desks!”
There was a series of screams and desks scraping across the floor as the students scrambled for cover.
“Everyone be still!” Jennifer’s father roared.
He waved the gun precariously, and Rachel’s heart nearly stopped for fear the gun would discharge and one of the children would be caught in the crossfire.
Only Jennifer remained where she was. She was terrified, completely pale, and staring at her father in utter disbelief.
“Dad, what are you doing?” Jennifer asked in a shaky voice. “Why are you here? Where did you get that gun? You’re scaring me!”
For a moment, the man’s face softened as he looked at his daughter, and then his expression hardened, and he waved the gun in Rachel’s direction.
“Everything will be just fine once she makes a call for me,” he muttered.
In the distance, sirens could be heard, and Jennifer’s father froze. Then he rushed to the window to peer out and let out a string of obscenities.
Sobs rose from several of the children, but most huddled under their desks too petrified to make a sound.
“What did you do?” he raged at Rachel. “Did
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