Three days after the escape, I sat in the chair outside Principal Tannery’s office. Mom and Dad stood on either side of me like ever-watchful sentinels. I hadn’t wanted to come with them today but they insisted I be there for a meeting with the principal. To my surprise, the front desk receptionist even made eye contact with me. Getting kidnapped had clearly reversed my invisible factor.
“Mr. Tannery will see you now.” The receptionist left her desk and opened the door.
Following Mom and Dad into the principal’s office I wondered briefly whether Erin and Rosa were in similar situations. We’d agreed to meet up before the end of the school year to get rid of the play. Once everyone was seated, Mr. Tannery leaned forward but kept his gaze focused on anything but my parents and me. “I’m very sorry about what happened to you, Miss Rollands.”
No you’re not. You were probably in on the whole thing.
I rolled my eyes at his apology and Mom nudged me in the arm. “Abbie, he said something to you.”
“I heard him. But I don’t think I have to accept his apology. He probably sent lots of kids to see her. If we hadn’t listened to him, none of this would have happened.” Gripping the armrests I tried to keep my anger from bubbling closer to the surface.
“I swear I had no idea she was going to do anything like that. You have to believe me. She came highly recommended.” Principal Tannery held up his hands in a defensive posture.
“You’re lucky we don’t sue you and the school for this.” Dad’s voice rumbled deep in his chest and he stiffened in the chair.
Principal Tannery gaped at him in shock. I wasn’t expecting that threat to come out of Dad’s mouth either. Sure, there was the criminal case to worry about but I never considered suing the school.
Mom let out a breath and repositioned her purse in her lap. “We’ve also decided that it’s in Abbie’s best interest if she finishes the year with a tutor.”
Principal Tannery coughed into his hand. “There are only two weeks left. Surely she can wait and finish out finals.”
“We went to that woman on your suggestion.” Mom leaned forward and narrowed her eyes. “And you know my daughter is right. We don’t know how many other children you’ve sent to her. She abducted my daughter and two other girls and kept them locked in a room for over a week. I don’t trust you or this school to keep her safe.”
“Please, I swear I didn’t know.” The principal’s lower lip quivered.
“Look, the thing is we’re not happy with the way things have gone this year for Abbie.” Dad’s shoulders relaxed. “She’s had a tough time in school and I think a change is what she needs. So, after today, you won’t be seeing her again.”
There’d been no definite discussion about where I’d go for junior year but at this point anything was better than being stuck there. Mom and Dad stunned Mr. Tannery into silence. Mom slid her purse onto her arm and turned to me. “Go get your things from your locker and say goodbye to your teachers while we get your school records.”
Darting from the room—grateful to see the last of the principal’s office—I made a quick trip to my locker before racing to Mr. McManus’s room. If I’d been in attendance today, I would have been listening to whatever they were discussing. My heart fluttered with anticipation when I spotted Liam through the door. I longed to catch his attention, to see him smile and know that he was okay. The bell rang and the students inside packed up, beating a hasty retreat to the door. I ducked out of the way to avoid being trampled then the door swung shut, leaving only Liam and Mr. McManus inside. I walked in and Liam broke out into a huge grin when he looked my way. Relief washed over me because he was safe. Mr. McManus busied himself with shuffling papers around on his desk.
Liam pulled me into a hug when he was within arm’s reach. “I was so worried about you.”
I squeezed him back. “I should have listened to you. You said I shouldn’t trust her.”
“I didn’t know something like that would happen.” Liam let me go.
“I thought about you a lot when I was kidnapped.” Warmth touched my cheeks.
“Me too.” He grinned.
Mr. McManus stepped out from behind his desk and smiled. “Welcome back, Abbie.”
“Thanks. I’m not staying though.” I set my half-empty backpack on the floor between my feet. “I’m finishing out the year with a tutor. And I’m going to a new school in the fall, a fresh start.”
“You’re always welcome here, Abbie, even if you just want to stop by and say hello.” Mr. McManus turned to Liam. “Liam, you should get going. You don’t want to be late for class.”
Liam squeezed my hand and leaned in to kiss my cheek. “I’ll text you later.”
I never wanted to let go of his hand but I did. Biting my lip, I tried to keep my smile from growing to Cheshire cat size. After the hell I’d gone through, Liam was safe and I had a boyfriend, even if those words hadn’t explicitly passed between us. The door closed behind him, leaving Mr. McManus and me alone. “You know, Mr. McManus, you were the only teacher here who acted like I was a person, not some disruption.”
“I saw how talented you are and that makes you strong. You have gifts. Don’t let other people tell you different.” He leaned on a nearby desk.
I raised an eyebrow. “You think so?”
“I know so. Use them wisely, and you can do anything. And don’t be afraid to rely on the people who are close to you.”
“Thanks Mr. McManus.” I gave him a quick hug. “I’m going to miss being in your class.”
“And I’m going to miss the inspiration you brought to class. There are people out there who will always be there to help you. They may even need you one day.”
A twinkle in his eye set off a chain of connections in my brain. “Glaukos?”
Mr. McManus put a finger to his lips like it was a secret. He winked as he escorted me from the room. No wonder he was my favorite teacher. I guess that connection hadn’t been as crazy as I’d thought. I repositioned my backpack on both shoulders. “Can I ask you something?”
He nodded. “Sure.”
“Everything that happened, it sounded like they were getting ready for a battle. And those dreams were almost always about fighting. There’s a battle coming again, isn’t there?”
“Yes, there is. But for now you don’t need to worry about it.” He placed a hand on my shoulder. “Hades tried to use your abilities to his advantage and he lost.”
I nodded and turned to leave. “Oh, one other thing; did you know who I was when I started this year?”
“I had a pretty good idea after things started happening in class.” He waved. “Be safe, Abbie.”