Nadine and Adele

Lockers and Secrets

It's the last week in January, and Nadine, whose immune system is starting to weaken from both the leukemia and chemotherapy, has become extremely ill from a cold; and will probably be unable to attend school for the next week or two. And although Sarah promised Nadine that Trish, Janice and she will look after Adele during her absence, Adele's still depressed over Miss Krinsky's death and tends to keep to herself; making it difficult for the girls to keep tabs on her. This essentially means that Adele is pretty much left up to her own devices to take care of herself at school.

Understanding that her granddaughter's still hurting, Estelle's been trying to give Adele a little leeway; but it's now 6:30, supper's cold, and still no call. This won't do. She figures that Adele must be with Nadine, so she calls the Martins, only to find out from Corrine that she isn't there; that she hadn't been there at all that day. Estelle starts to worry. Corrine reassures her that Adele's probably fine, and tells Estelle that she'll go out and find her.

Estelle informed Corrine that Adele left that morning for school; so she decides that's where she should start looking. Fact is, Adele did go to school; and she's still there.

Being fully aware that Nadine's home sick, Christy saw this as the perfect opportunity to get back at Nadine; while also having some fun with Adele. So, after eliciting help from Frankie and some of his fellow jock goons; immediately after homeroom, Adele was stuffed into an empty locker and left locked in there. And being how she has recently started to transform back into the 'old Adele', she had resigned from the notion of seeking out assistance from any passerby and forlornly accepted her situation; remaining shut up in there the entire day.

Corrine's been calling out for Adele; and eventually hears a faint response coming out from one of the lockers at the end of the hallway that she's walking down. "I'm in here, Corrine."

Corrine rushes over and peers into the slots at the top of the locker's door. "Adele? Oh my God; are you okay?"

"I'm okay."

"Hold on...I'm going to get the janitor. I'll be right back."

As soon as the janitor opens the locker, Adele, while avoiding making eye contact, immediately apologizes, "I'm sorry, Mr. Howard."

"Sorry for what?"

Adele, still standing inside, lowers her head even further and looks down towards the bottom of the locker. Both the janitor and Corrine look down; and they suddenly realize what she was apologizing for. Adele's standing in a puddle of urine. As their eyes slowly rise back up, they can see the path the urine had flown down her legs... indicated by the dampened pant legs...up to the front of her jeans; which are completely soaked.

"I had to go to the bathroom, Mr. Howard...I'm sorry I made a mess. I'll clean it up if you want me to."

Overtaken from an instant deluge of sympathy, Mr. Howard finds himself fighting back the lump which suddenly formed in his throat. "That's alright, Adele..." he takes her hand and holds onto it as he assists her out of the locker, "I'll take care of it."

Corrine's infuriated over the situation. This exploit had surpassed from being a mean prank to an act of cruelty as far as she was concerned; possibly even bordering dangerous. Corrine shutters to think of what could have happened to Adele if she didn't find her. But she tries to maintain her composure for Adele's sake. She quickly concludes  that she needs to clean Adele up; that she wasn't going to take her back to her grandmother in that condition.

As the janitor starts to walk away to retrieve a mop and bucket, Corrine quickly inquires, "Excuse me, Mr. Howard; but do you mind if I take Adele to the Home Ec. Room and use the washer and dryer to wash her clothes?"