The Girl Next Door

Chapter 28

WILKERSON PREP - HEADMASTER'S OFFICE - DAY
Beyoncé enters and is greeted by a haggard secretary, LORETTA,

LORETTA: Go on in, hon. She should be back any minute.
Beyoncé enters and sits in a guest chair, facing a long wall of cabinets labeled "STUDENT FILES." Her eyes settle on the drawer labeled "R-S."
She glances through the open door to Loretta, who speaks on the phone, her back turned.
Beyoncé sneaks to the cabinet and pulls open the file drawer. It SCREECHES. She freezes with panic, but hears Loretta still on the phone. She rifles through the files until finding Y/N's.
She pulls out a TRANSCRIPT from BAY VIEW HIGH SCHOOL in Milwaukee. All "A"s. In a section entitled "Disciplinary Action" there is simply the entry "None."
She scans a "Family History" document and spots Y/N's mother's name, "Rebecca Y/L/N" and the notation "Deceased" next to it.
Her eye travels to her father's name, "CHARLES Y/L/N." Next to it, appears the same notation: "DECEASED."

Beyoncé:Deceased?
Headmaster Pete enters, grabs some message slips from Loretta.

LORETTA: Mrs. Knowles is waiting in your
office.

HEADMASTER Pete: Hold my calls.
She peruses her messages as she goes into the office
Beyoncé now sits innocently in the guest chair. Megan shuts the door.

Beyoncé :What's this about, Megan?
She sits down behind her desk, her face grim.

HEADMASTER Pete: I want to know what's going on between you and Y/N.

Beyoncé :What do you mean?

HEADMASTER Pete: Mike Schmidt reported an incident yesterday on the field.

Beyoncé: Oh that ... It was nothing. I was
reprimanding her for skipping class.

HEADMASTER Pete:  Mike said you got physical with her. You grabbed her.

Beyoncé: I may have pulled her arm a little,just to get her attention ...

HEADMASTER Pete: You know what our policy is regarding physical contact with students --

Beyoncé: Yes, of course, but --

HEADMASTER Pete: Frankly, I'm more than a little concerned, what with the interest you took in her early on --

Beyoncé: Interest? I did nothing more than
I would for any student who wanted to be in my class.

HEADMASTER Pete: And then there's this.
She slides her a photo of a wall covered in graffiti. Phrases such as: "I fucked Mrs. Knowles " and "Beyoncé Knowles is one great lay." She stares in disbelief.

HEADMASTER Pete: It was on the wall of the girls' lavatory across from your room.
I've had it painted over but I intend to speak to the girls in your class about it. Including Y/n.

Beyoncé:
Come on, Megan. You start questioning
the girls and you're just going to fuel the flames of a ridiculous rumor.

HEADMASTER Pete: This is a serious matter.

Beyoncé: I'm sure I'm not the first teacher
whose name has appeared on the bathroom wall.

HEADMASTER Pete:I'm not questioning your integrity, Bey. But we can't tolerate even an appearance of impropriety without a thorough investigation. It's for your own protection.

Beyoncé: That's bullshit and you know it.

HEADMASTER Pete (shocked): Beyoncé--

Beyoncé: Let's not pretend that this is
anything more than you trying to cover your own ass. You talk to the girls and you can expect a call from my union rep.
Beyoncé storms out.