What's Enough?

Chapter 179

"I can't do this," I don't understand why I have to do it; don't they have all the info they need to fire everyone or do whatever the hell they need to do.

"You decided to send that information to that reporter; you decided to expose us, the Adam's, and the other families," my mother says.

"It was the right thing to do," she's acting as if I was wrong for doing what I did. I don't regret what I did at all; I didn't know that the situation would get this serious; I just wanted people to know AJ and recognize what happened here. I didn't expect to have to go before the school board and talk about it. "Can Ms.Moore get fired?"

"Ms. Moore resigned," she states.

"She did?"

"Usually, when things get these serious, people in head positions resign," she explains.

Wait. "So if she resigned, what am I going before the school board for?" All of this seems pointless.

She sighs and says, "The super attendant wants to hear your side of things Jayda, she's the person who can fire the people on the school board,"

"Oh,"

"This wouldn't even be a problem right now if you didn't do what you did, Mellisa," My father says; it turns out my father had no idea also. "You could have told me,"

My father, I would have expected this heartless act to be his idea, but my mother, I never imagined. "No, I couldn't, client confidentiality," she says; she has been saying this all week. They have been fighting all week long.

"Yeah, you keep saying that," he turns the car left into the parking lot of the school. They decided to have the board meeting here; reporters are waiting on the school's steps, taking pictures and asking questions to everyone who walks into the building. My anxiety has skyrocketed. I look around for Ryder, but I don't see him; he told me he was coming. Maybe he's already inside. I convinced Blair to just stay at my house; I really didn't want her to come here; I regret saying that now, I would like her here for moral support.

It's okay, though; Jess is here. I smile at her; she sits inches beside me. My mother unbuckles her seatbelt and then turns around to me, "The Adams has a lawyer; he's going to be asking you a lot of questions; some may be harsh, but just answer them as quickly as possible, and don't skirt around the answer. If he sees that you are afraid, he'll use that,"

"Do you know him? The lawyer,"

"We have crossed paths before, he's good,"

Well now I am even more afraid than before . "Why do they have a lawyer? Is someone getting sued?'

"No, it's more like a press conference reputation thing. I was informed that their lawyer would be speaking for all the parents. The Adams are powerful people; because of what Josiah did, their reputation is being tarnished and dragged through the mud along with the others; the lawyer is there to make it seem as if they did nothing wrong; he's going to defend them and Jacob Adams,"

I would hate to have his job. "And what about us?" I ask, scared of the answer, all week; our family has been in the news. I heard my father the other day yelling at someone on the phone about how sales are going down at his dealership. My mom also had to take a leave of absence at work, and I don't think it was by choice.

"There's nothing we can do,"

Security comes up to the car door and taps on the window. We all get out of the car, and they escort us up the steps of the school. The paparazzi and reporters' cameras click hundreds of times as they take pictures of us, they scream and shout, asking us questions, but we just ignore them and head into the school.

Soon as we walk in, I spot Ryder and his family standing together, along with the man I'm guessing is their lawyer. He is wearing a black suit with a navy blue tie, his black hair is cut low, and the waves on his head are equal all over. The gold watch on his wrist compliments his dark brown skin.

Ryder walks over to me, saying hello. I look away from his parents and the lawyer and ugh Jacob and to him. "Do they hate me... your parents?" I know Jacob hates me; I don't care how he feels about me. But I do care what his parents think. They're nice. Good people. Josiah made a mistake; we all make mistakes.

"They don't hate you," he answers. "Especially my mom, she's happy you did what you did!"

"And your dad?

"He doesn't hate you; he's just not as fond of you as he was before. But he's not that mad, trust me, he's more pissed off at my brother than you,"

"Okay," I sigh, hearing that makes me feel slightly better. "He looks really mean, the lawyer," he looks so serious and intimidating.

"You'll be fine,"

The door comes open, and the staff on the board walks in; William Mclain walks up to me and says, "Jayda, I knew our paths would cross again; I just wish it was under different circumstances," he gives me the cruelest smile. "Good luck to you,"

"I can't do this," I tell Ryder after releasing a breath and then walking away from him, down the hall to the nearest classroom. I place my hand on my stomach and try to slow my breathing, but I can't.

He walks in behind me and places his hand on my lower back, telling me to take deep breaths, "You're going to be fine, Jayda,"

"What if I mess up... or, or say the wrong thing. What if they blame me for the shooting and everything else?" I'm terrified. I know how vicious lawyers can be; I do live with one.

"You won't mess up, and if they try to turn it on you, just turn it back on them," he says. "None of this is your fault; it's there's,"

"I'm sorry I ruined your family," I blurt out. My family isn't the only one who has been in the news all week, "I should have talked to you about it first before I submitted the stuff,"

"I don't care; what happens to them doesn't affect me really. And it didn't ruin my family, they're fine, they'll be fine,"

"I'm scared," I admit.

"Don't be, I'll be right there; if you get nervous or scared, just look at me,"
I take a deep breath and then stand up straighter. "And just think an hour from now we'll be out celebrating and having a lengthy conversation about the college and LA thing, and what were going to do about it and us,"

"I know, I know," I've been avoiding talking to him about it ever since he found out last week. I know we have to discuss it and everything else. I'm scared to talk to him about it. I'm scared to plan my future with him.  I shouldn't be because I love him, and I know there's no one else out there for me, but the deeper we get into whatever we have, the more serious it'll become. And when things get serious, when you become one with someone and start relying on them, that's when bad things happen.

"Are you ready?"

I turn off the thought about Ryder and our future; I need to focus. "Yes,"

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