When Emily Brewer entered the room, Principal Hollander looked up but didn’t offer a smile. Emily was surprised. The woman sitting behind her desk in the windowless office looked nothing like she’d imagined. The principal was a frizzy-haired pudgy woman in her late fifties, who probably hadn’t been out on a date in a decade. Nothing about her resembled the glamorous, sophisticated image Emily had conjured in her mind. Considering she was responsible for running one of the best private schools in the city, Emily was surprised by how boring her office was. No family photos. No inspiring quotes. No jars of hard candy. Just the bare necessities. From the sour expression on her face, Emily could already tell it had been a long day for the high-school principal. And it wasn’t even nine.
God, I don’t want to be here. And neither does she.
The morning had been a rough one for Emily. Her checking account was overdrawn. She had less than a quarter tank of gas left. Her new landlord forgot to mention the apartment didn’t come with a fridge. Her mother had taken Martin’s side in the divorce and was refusing to return Emily’s phone calls. Not that she could even if she wanted to, since Emily was convinced she’d left her cell phone sitting on top of a washing machine at a filthy Laundromat she’d spent three awful hours in two nights ago.
I really need some coffee. And a winning lottery ticket.
“You wanted to see me?” she asked, skipping introductions since they’d already spoken on the phone. Even though they’d never met face-to-face, Emily felt as if she knew her.
Principal Hollander held a pencil covered with teeth marks between two angry fingers. “Mrs. Brewer,” she said, “it’s nice to finally meet you in person.”
Is she always this convincing? This woman can’t wait for me to leave.
Emily sat down in an empty wooden chair. It creaked beneath her. “Actually it’s Ms. now,” she explained. “I’m no longer a Mrs.”
Emily did a quick scan of the woman’s desk. There was a ring of lipstick around the ceramic edge of her coffee mug. A black plastic container was overflowing with paper clips. A stack of manila folders was within arm’s reach.
She’s constantly fighting a battle to stay in control.
Emily smiled.
I know the feeling.
The principal glanced at the screen of her computer before she spoke again. “I was very sorry to hear about the divorce.”
Sure, you were.
“I think I’m the only one who was blindsided by it,” Emily said. “It seems everyone I know predicted it would happen.”
Principal Hollander asked, “How’s Riley doing?” There was genuine concern in her voice.
Emily gave her a look. She was confused. The principal’s question had a hint of closure to it, as if Hollander had planned to never see Riley again. Immediately, this put her on guard. “He’ll be coming back to school next week,” Emily said. “I figured he just needed a little time once the divorce was finalized. He’s sensitive that way.”
“He’s your only child, isn’t he?” Hollander asked.
Yes, thank God.
“My pride and joy,” she said. “I don’t know what I would do without him.”
I’ll be sleeping on a couch until he graduates in June. College can’t come fast enough.
The principal shifted in her black leather chair. She looked uncomfortable. “Then, this is even more difficult for me to tell you—.”
Emily raised a hand, indicating Hollander should save her speech. “I’ve already made arrangements with Riley’s teachers,” she said. “I e-mailed all of them. He’ll be making up any work he’s missed. They were very understanding about the…situation.”
The principal wouldn’t look her in the eye. The alarming feeling intensified and refused to go away. Something was wrong. This was no ordinary meeting to discuss Riley’s brilliant baseball-playing future. “Mrs. Brewer—.”
“Emily,” she said, correcting the administrator.
Hollander sighed and no longer made an attempt to hide her exasperation behind the mask of politeness and small talk. “Emily, your husband—or should I say your ex-husband was here this morning.”
Emily felt her shoulders tense. Just the thought of him made her physically ill. Hate was a new emotion she was experiencing for the first time in her life. And it was consuming her. “For God’s sake, why?” she asked.
The principal put down her chewed-on pencil and said, “I’m afraid Riley won’t be returning to our school. It seems that Mr. Brewer has decided not to pay Riley’s tuition for the remainder of the school year.”
Emily was certain she could hear the beating of her own heart. The room felt like it was swallowing her alive. “What?”
Hollander took a breath before she spoke again. “I assumed you’d already discussed this with Mr. Brewer.”
That cheap son of a bitch. I’ll kill him.
Emily had never been the type of woman who could hide her emotions. The anger surfaced immediately and filled the room. “I haven’t said a word to the cheating bastard since he left us a month ago. My son and I haven’t seen him since Christmas.”
The principal leaned back in her chair and let out another sigh, an unspoken indication that she was through. “Will you be able to pay the balance owed for Riley’s tuition on your own, then?”
Emily tightened her grip on her brown purse. It was sitting in her lap like a well-behaved child. “The balance owed?” she repeated. “Are you kidding me? I just moved into an apartment that’s only a few feet larger than this office. I’ve been a stay-at-home mom for the last seventeen years and now I suddenly have to find a job to support myself and my son.”
Hollander reached for her pencil again. Back to business as usual.
I’m just one of many appointments today. As soon as I’m gone, she’ll check me off her to-do list and won’t give me a second thought. She could fix this if she really wanted to. I know she could.
Hollander’s tone softened when she said, “I realize this is a difficult time for you.”
Emily leaned forward and the wooden chair creaked again. “May I remind you that my son is the reason why this school made it to the state championship last year?” she said. “He’s the goddamn star of your baseball team and you’re throwing him out because of a balance owed? He only has one semester left in this shithole. This is how you treat him? After what he’s done for this place?”
“I’m sorry,” Hollander said and Emily believed that she really was. But then, the principal surprised her and moved in for the kill. “Public school might be a good option for you now.”
Emily stood, ready to leave before she imploded and peppered the room with a thousand profane words. She tucked her purse under her arm, shot the principal a look, and said, “Woman to woman…for your sake, I hope your husband isn’t cheating on you.”
Emily turned and walked out of the office, aware that it was a place she was seeing for the last time.