Hidden Burdens (working title)

Claudia's Secret

While they were throwing away their trash to leave the restaurant, Kayla got a call from Ben. He had received a call from the high school, one or both of them were requested to meet with the vice principal as soon as possible. Kimmy wasn’t sure what it was about, but Kayla did not seem excited about it.

Since the high school was closer, Kayla decided to bring Kimmy along since running her to the house would be out of the way. When they walked inside the front office, she had Kimmy wait for her in one of the chairs beside the doors as Kayla went up to the desk. The lady sitting there was on the phone, so she had to wait to be acknowledged.

The vice principal came out shortly after. She was a short, middle-aged woman with hair similar to Blanche from The Golden Girls, but sounded more like Dorothy. She and Kayla shook hands, introducing themselves before disappearing into the vice principal’s office.

While she waited, Kimmy peered around the room.

There was a large black silhouette mural of a scorpion with its pincers ready to strike. It reminded Kimmy of the scorpions in her game and how many times her character had passed out trying to capture one for her museum.

The high school was also a lot bigger than the elementary school. Outside of a movie or TV show, Kimmy had never seen a high school. Since it was close to the end of the day, students were walking through the halls, already leaving. Most had backpacks, but several students carried their books and binders in hand. Some looked like adults as well, especially the guys, complete with facial hair.

A woman Kimmy assumed was a teacher came by to check her mail and started chatting with the lady sitting at the front desk.

The entire time Kayla was in the vice principal’s office, Kimmy sat there with her hands smashed underneath her thighs, looking around the room. No one even acknowledged her presence. Now and then, she would glance up at the clock on the wall. Only about ten minutes passed before the door opened and Kayla stepped out, along with Claudia, who was slipping her arms through the straps of her backpack.

While the adults wrapped up the meeting, Claudia headed around the front desk where Kimmy was sitting. “Hey, kid. How was your day?” she asked and added, “mine was just peachy,” with sarcasm.

Kimmy glanced from Claudia to the dark gray carpet.

Kayla shortly joined them. “Let’s go, girls.”

Kimmy stood up from her seat and followed Kayla and Claudia out of the office and out the school’s main entrance where Kayla had parked. She particularly watched the woman, noticing Kayla still wasn’t mad. 

Kayla tried to ask Claudia if she wanted to talk about what happened, but Claudia shrugged her off, pointing out, “those girls had it coming.”

Those girls? Were those the girls who had thrown water on Claudia that day? Did she actually get them back for that?

Once the jeep was unlocked, Kimmy climbed into her seat and fastened her seat belt.

“Listen, I know those girls have been awful. But that doesn’t mean you should pin one of them to the wall and cut off her air flow,” Kayla eventually said as she was starting the jeep.

Claudia slumped down in the front seat, lifting her knee against the door. “Whatever,” she said, continuing to brush her off and stare out the window with her arms loosely folded.