Adrienne Thorne pulled into the beautifully landscaped and well-maintained parking lot at Aura Cove High School and parked her reliable Camry in the designated spot. She pulled her bag and the Pyrex container she’d filled with fresh-baked banana nut muffins from the back seat and walked into the darkened school. She was often the first one in and the last one to leave. Over the last seven years as principal, the school had quickly become her second home.
Dressed in a cobalt blue power suit with a pencil skirt that hit just below the knee of her long legs, the Converse sneakers on her feet made her more approachable to students. They were also infinitely more comfortable than the heels she stashed in her backpack for the meeting with the school board later that evening. At forty-seven, her classic beauty still turned heads, and she knew how to dress herself to play up her attributes. Thanks to good genes, an efficient metabolism, and a natural knack for makeup application, she easily passed for early thirties.
Juggling her keys and the muffins, she swiped her key card to open the door at the faculty entrance. She quickly navigated the darkened halls with ease and turned on the lights in the main office, taking the time to set a warm muffin on a napkin in front of her secretary’s computer. She pulled out the thank-you card she’d hand-written and set it in front of the muffin.
Her secretary, Dory Miller, was an invaluable member of her staff, and Adrienne never missed an opportunity to show appreciation for her hard work. Desperate for caffeine, she stumbled into the teacher’s lounge and made herself a steaming mug of breakfast blend that she brought back to her office. She sipped it slowly, savoring the final moments of calm before the storm of students rushed through the doors before classes began.
She tucked a thick chunk of her blonde, highlighted hair behind her ears as she logged into her computer to take a look at her email. Drumming her red lacquered fingernails on the desk, she culled through the thirty-three emails she’d been sent since seven p.m. last night. Keeping her inbox under control was a constant chore. As a result, Adrienne developed a habit of checking it and responding several times each day. Her email was often under siege by over-involved helicopter parents typical of the affluent school district she worked in.
A few minutes later, Dory arrived and ducked her head in Adrienne's office, holding the muffin aloft. “Thank you.”
“You're welcome. I know who keeps this school running and my schedule manageable. I never want you to ever feel your contribution around here is unappreciated.”
“You’re the best boss I’ve ever had.” Dory’s gray hair was pulled into a bun at the base of her neck, and she wore a conservative blue cardigan sweater with a long skirt. She pulled the liner from the muffin and took a bite, murmuring with pleasure. “You know, if this principal gig doesn’t work out, you would have a real future as a baker.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Adrienne grinned as she checked the watch on her wrist. She spent the next ten minutes prioritizing her schedule, and at precisely seven-fifty-five, she walked to the front entrance of the school and stood in the sun-soaked atrium. A few minutes later, like a well-oiled machine, a bright yellow school bus yawned open its door, releasing a flood of teenagers. They made their way to the front entrance, moving slowly as they stared down at their phones in the palms of their hands like zombies.
“Good Morning, Sam.” Adrienne was on a first-name basis with every student in her school. It was one nonnegotiable habit she’d acquired in her first school and it stuck. Each fall, she gave herself two weeks to learn the names of all the incoming freshmen. The small gesture endeared her to her students almost immediately, as well as her penchant for throwing outlandish challenges at them.
So far, her losing streak included having to shave her head three years ago when the matriarch of the Wilson Family (and head of the PTA) was given a stage-four breast cancer diagnosis. She challenged the students to raise the funds necessary to send them on one final family vacation. It had been worth it when Parker Wilson, a junior at Aura Cove High School, accepted the check on behalf of his family with tears in his eyes.
At their Carnivale night last spring, she’d spent the better part of two hours being thrust into freezing water from the dunk tank after the baseball team scored the highest on their yearly state assessment tests. With their frightening accuracy, she spent more time submerged in the water than she did on the platform, but she didn’t mind at all. Adrienne was the type of leader who would do whatever it took to keep her students properly motivated.
She glanced at the watch that circled her wrist as she made her way down the halls, stopping every once in a while to greet students. The halls were buzzing with the chatter of teenagers beelining to their lockers while talking to their friends. Other students were solitary, wandering the halls, looking down at their phones with the cord attached to white earbuds snaking up their torsos. At the art room, she stopped to talk to Mr. Lorraine, a rail-thin man with a shock of red hair and a manicured goatee. He wore an apron over a pair of worn corduroy pants and a button-down shirt with the sleeves neatly folded to his elbows.
“We’re almost to midterms. How’s it going?”
“Good,” he confirmed. “But there is one student I’m concerned about. Do you have a minute?” He walked her into his classroom, lowering his voice.
“Of course.” He shut the door behind them for privacy and continued. “Maisy Duncan has several incompletes, and I talked to the other faculty members and discovered she’s been performing the same way in their classes.”
“And I am assuming this is a new pattern of behavior?”
“Yep.” He explained, “She’s normally very conscientious about completing her assignments in Art, but during the last month, she’s been checked out. It’s like she’s just going through the motions.”
Adrienne nodded. “I appreciate how plugged in you are with our students, Graham.” She thought for a minute. “Is anything happening at home?”
“Not that she’s openly speaking about.”
“Are there any other warning signs?”
“Other than her drastic change in appearance, but to be honest, you could say that about any art student. Their body is their canvas.”
“True story. We have to be detectives most of the time. What’s changed about her look?”
“Darker mostly, cruising toward gothic punk, which isn’t alarming on its own, but basic grooming has taken a hit. It’s just a feeling I have.”
He walked over and tugged open a large horizontal drawer that contained her limited portfolio. “There’s definite dark themes in the few assignments she’s chosen to hand in.” He pulled out two pieces, both self-portraits depicting beautifully executed pain. In one, her mouth was covered by a metal gag with a padlock dangling from it. In the other, horizontal lines covered her skin and her mouth was open in a scream.
“Whoa,” Adrienne said. The sheer agony of the pieces rendered her speechless.
“It’s probably nothing,” Graham began. “She’s like most teenagers, trying to find her own voice and thinking she has to shock us to do it.”
“But it might be something,” Adrienne admitted as she studied the art. “Could you give her an assignment to depict joy or love instead, even if it is just a palette cleanser to placate us?”
He grimaced. “I can try, but I think she’s putting a premium on feelings of angst at the moment.”
“Are you concerned about her safety?”
“No.”
“Are there any other mitigating factors?”
“No unexplained marks that I can see. Maisy is bright and talented, but handicapped by the anxiety that plagues this generation.” He shook his head.
“Your intuition is usually spot on, and I trust your judgment,” Adrienne praised. “I will pull her in for a chat today during her free period.”
“I think it’s a good idea,” Graham said.
“Thanks for keeping me informed about Maisy. By the way, I brought your favorite muffins.” Her voice adopted a warm sing-song tone. “They are in the teacher’s lounge.”
“Better grab one before they’re all gone.” He smirked and they left the art room together.
She continued down the hallway, stopping to check in with other teachers in the west wing of the building until the bell rang, signaling the beginning of first period. Back in her office, she settled into her chair and began to plan the upcoming teacher development day. It was a day to assess what was working and chart a plan for greater success in their school, and she was eager to brainstorm with her staff. Teacher in-service days gave them valuable time together, and she typed out a loose itinerary in an email and sent it to Dory to send to the rest of the faculty.
An hour later, she was pulled into a meeting with the athletic director to discuss the academic eligibility policy and changes to the activities handbook. By lunch time, her stomach was growling as she made her rounds in the cafeteria. Budget cuts meant she often had to wipe a table or sweep up after the students, menial tasks she never minded and the reason she was still rocking her Converse until the end of the school day.
In the late afternoon, the school counselor, Rebecca White, entered her office with Maisy and closed the door behind them.
“Please come in and have a seat.” She offered them both a warm smile. A hesitant Maisy glanced at her and then looked away. “You’re not in trouble.” The statement allowed Maisy’s shoulders to relax, and she folded one leg on top of the other and swung it up and down.
“I wanted to pull you for a chat, Maisy. Your teachers are concerned about you and asked me to speak with you about some recent observations they’ve had.”
“Okay?” Her tone shifted to wary and she tapped her foot even faster. It was becoming clear that the walls Maisy had built around herself were a fortress of self-protection that would not be easily dismantled.
“You’ve been a great student here at Aura Cove High School for the last two years, but recently, there has been a run of incomplete assignments. Your teachers have voiced their concerns about your lack of focus in the classroom. Can you give me some insight into why this is happening and what has changed? We want to rally around you and find the best way to support your success.”
A long, drawn-out silence lingered. Seeing the dark circles under her eyes, Adrienne asked, “Are you getting enough sleep at night?”
“Does any teenager?” Maisy asked, thrusting her thumb into her mouth and ravenously chewing at the nail bed.
“That’s valid.” Adrienne grinned, trying to win her over. Her expression was stoney, and Adrienne knew she had to dig deeper. “I really want to help you, Maisy.”
“I’m bored. High school just seems like such an arbitrary waste of time.”
“I remember feeling the same way when I was a sophomore. If it wasn’t on the pages of a fashion magazine, I wasn’t interested.”
“You?” She scoffed at the idea of her principal pouring over “Vogue.”
“Yeah, me!” Adrienne grinned. “I bet you’ll never believe I wanted to be a model when I was your age! I had big dreams of walking the runway in Milan and Paris. Thought I was going to be the next Christy Turlington.”
“Who’s Christy Turlington?”
Adrienne chuckled, realizing she’d aged herself with the reference. “One of the first supermodels.”
“That seems pretty sketchy, Ms. T.” She wrinkled her nose. “No offense.”
“None taken,” Adrienne admitted. “My point is that you only need to find the one thing that lights you up inside.” She turned to the counselor. “Mrs. White, what was your one thing?”
“Helping people.” In the chair, Maisy tried to conceal her annoyed eye roll, but Adrienne caught it anyway.
“You have to say that. You’re a counselor,” Maisy argued with Mrs. White. Then, directing her teenage venom at Adrienne, waving her hand behind her, she indicated the office. “If fashion was your one thing, I’d say you settled.”
“Hmm.” Adrienne considered her brash statement. “I can see why you’d say that.” Her skin was thickened from years of working with at-risk youth, so the criticism slid off her like she was made of Teflon. Usually, their barbs were weak attempts to get a rise from a person in authority. Settling back into her chair, she explained, “Fashion became a hobby and an artistic form of self-expression, which I think you might know a thing or two about.”
Maisy’s current look featured a black spiked choker and corset dress that contrasted against the elaborate henna designs covering her wrists and forearms. A silver ball piercing in the middle of the dimple in her cheek winked when the overhead light kissed it.
“I know our upcoming production of Alice in Wonderland could use your makeup and set painting skills. Would you think about participating?”
Maisy shrugged, brightening up only slightly at the compliment.
“There is also a pilot program at Central Florida Community College that would give you college credit. It’s in the fashion and textiles program.”
“Would it get me out of here?”
“For a few hours a week at least,” Adrienne answered. “Man, I wish these types of programs were available when I was in high school. I would have jumped at the chance.”
Maisy sniffed. “I didn’t say no.”
“You have to submit a portfolio and maintain a B average to qualify,” Adrienne said, dangling the prize. “You’re brilliant. You could plot a course now to meet with your teachers and dig yourself out of this hole you’ve made.” She paused then continued, “It would take some work, but you can do it. I’d even write you a letter of recommendation once you’ve completed your missing assignments.”
Maisy’s wary eyes slid to meet Adrienne’s before a tiny grin threatened to breach the scowl on her face. “Why is it so hard to say no to you, Ms. T?”
Adrienne flashed her a triumphant grin. The rush of purpose she always felt when she connected with a student who was in jeopardy filled her with giddy joy. “Good.” She stood. “Meet with your teachers, and I’ll check in with you in a few days.” Walking her to the door, Adrienne added, “Mrs. Miller will give you a hall pass.”
Back in the room, Mrs. White said, “Well, that went better than I thought it would. What a great opportunity! Do you think she’ll take it?”
“She’s certainly capable of turning this around, but is she willing to do the work?” Adrienne thought for a moment and then shrugged. After a couple of decades in education, she’d learned not to get her hopes up too high. “Time will tell. All we can do is plant the seed. It’s the student’s job to tend the garden and prepare for harvest.”
Later that evening, she slipped on her heels, buttoned her jacket, and strode into the school board meeting. The room was buzzing with tension as the board members filed in, each taking their seat at a large conference table. Above them, a banner that spanned the wall read, “Aura Cove Community School District. Nurturing Tomorrow’s Leaders since 1986.” A projector screen displayed the meeting agenda, casting soft light across the room, while the board members sorted through a stack of documents, exchanging furtive glances and occasionally jotting down notes. Behind a podium, a closed circuit camera recorded the session and streamed it on the school’s YouTube channel. The meeting was quickly called to order by the current Superintendent, Dr. Charles McGrath. Dressed in an olive-colored suit, he tapped the gavel on the podium to quiet the room before speaking. In the following silence, the shuffling of papers and creaking of chairs underscored the seriousness of the meeting.
“Esteemed colleagues and parents.” His voice projected authority as he continued. “Tonight’s meeting is crucial in determining the future success of our school district. It’s time for me to step down and hand the mantle over to the next generation. During my time as your leader, I’ve tried to lead by example and put the needs of the Aura Cove Community School District, its parents, and our students first. I am proud of the work we have accomplished together and look forward to placing the helm of this vibrant organization into the hands of its next capable leader. I’ll now open the floor for nominations.”
A stern-looking woman seated at the head of the table raised her hand. “I’d like to nominate Principal Adrienne Thorne.”
“Ms. Thorne, do you accept this nomination?”
Adrienne stood tall and proud as murmurs of agreement filled the room.
“I would be honored to be the next Superintendent of Aura Cove Schools.”
“Are there any other nominations?”
The room fell silent.
“I nominate Dr. Douglas Randall,” a small voice said from the other end of the table.
Adrienne’s heart dropped. She’d been one semester away from her doctorate when she was offered the principalship at Aura Cove High School. The new position came with a punishing learning curve so she’d put her plans to graduate on hold. Now, it looked like that decision was the one thing standing in her way of stepping into a role she never dreamed she’d be offered.
“Let’s open the floor for discussion,” Dr. McGrath offered.
Adrienne barely heard a word as Dr. Randall’s praises were itemized and accounted for passionately over the next ten minutes. Next, her champion addressed the board members. “I’ve witnessed firsthand the positive changes Principal Throne has brought to Aura Cove High School. She's innovative and truly cares about the success of every student. She is a collaborative communicator with a proven track record of success. Look at how our test scores have skyrocketed in the last seven years alone!”
Murmurs of agreement from the parents in attendance intensified, and Adrienne glanced behind her shoulder, flashing a smile to her crowd of supporters. In attendance were every member of the current faculty at Aura Cove High School, and their support shored up her desire for the appointment.
“Now let’s hear from the nominees. I’d like to invite Ms. Thorne to the podium first.”
Adrienne stood and tugged on the bottom of her jacket before striding confidently to the podium. She adjusted the microphone and spoke in a powerful voice.
“Thank you, Dr. McGrath and members of the school board, for giving me this opportunity to address you today.
Over the last seven years, I have witnessed the incredible dedication and passion that our educators, staff, and students bring to our schools. I stand before you today, not just as a principal but as someone deeply invested in the success of every student in the Aura Cove Community School District.”
She paused long enough to catch her breath and offered a relaxed smile as she made her promises. “As your next superintendent, I vow to be a unifying force. I will work tirelessly to ensure that our district is a place where everyone feels heard, valued, and empowered.
“My vision for our schools revolves around creating an inclusive and diverse environment that nurtures each student’s academic success and personal growth. I am committed to fostering innovation in teaching methods, embracing technology, and adapting our curriculum to prepare our students for the challenges of the future. At the same time, I promise to efficiently allocate resources to ensure our budget reflects our vibrant community’s priorities.”
She paused and then addressed the elephant in the room. “Though I have not achieved the same academic heights as the other nominee, I believe I am the better choice. What I lack in pedigree, I make up for with passion. I bring a deep understanding of the unique challenges our district faces. I am not just familiar with the strengths and opportunities that exist within our schools, but am also attuned to the areas that require strategic attention and improvement. Thank you for your consideration.”
She was stunned as the room burst into applause behind her when she finished speaking. As the noise died down, she pivoted to take her seat. Adrienne exhaled a warm breath. She’d done her best to convince them. If this was the next challenge life was presenting her, she was ready to step up to meet it. She waited as Dr. Douglas Randall made his way to the podium and struggled to clearly define his wins as Vice Principal of Aura Cove Middle School. Yes, he was a respected doctor and educator, but she had the better track record. He rambled out a dry, emotionless speech that lasted far too long and was greeted by tepid applause.
“Thank you, Douglas.” Dr. McGrath waited until he reached his seat. “Now that we’ve heard from all interested parties, I would like to call for a vote. All in favor of appointing Principal Adrienne Thorne as the next Superintendent of Aura Cove Schools, please raise your hands.”
Hands shot up around the table. Six out of seven members voted yes and the sea of support overwhelmed Adrienne as she stepped forward to accept the appointment to thunderous applause. The vote was such a landslide that he didn’t even call a vote for the other candidate. Dr. McGrath banged the gavel on the podium.
“Congratulations, Ms. Thorne. We will begin the transition process, and you will take office at the first of the year. Meeting adjourned.” As the crowd got to their feet and streamed toward the exits, he handed the well-worn gavel over to her with a congratulatory smile. Leaning in, he lowered his voice. “You were the right choice. It brings me great joy to know that the Aura Cove Community School District is in such good hands.”
Adrienne floated to her car slowly, constantly stopping to receive congratulations from parents and teachers and especially her staff. It would be bittersweet to step away from her day-to-day involvement at Aura Cove High School, but she was thrilled to tackle a new set of challenges as Superintendent of the Aura Cove School District. As she drove home, she was flooded with gratitude at the path her life had taken, marveling at the way the universe worked. It might not have been the path she’d wanted when she was fifteen, but this one felt right.