A Neat Mess

7.Unholy Alliance

3:25 PM – the slowest part of the day, when the vibrant energy of the morning had faded and the evening's excitement hadn't yet begun. Ben's name flashed on her phone.

"Sorry, I know you're busy, but Lucille just called. She can't pick up Jenna; she's been given detention. The school wants us there by four. Can you make it?"

Shit! It hadn't even been two weeks since the nail-pulling incident.

"Did they tell Lucille why Jenna got detention?"

"No, nothing. But she wondered if I could go alone in case you're tied up," Ben said. "You know how considerate Lucille is. But apparently, the school wants both of us there. So, can you make it?"

"Yeah, give me twenty minutes. I'll meet you outside the school." Sam quickly wrapped up her work and left the office. En route, she called Lucille, hoping for some details so she'd be prepared. Please don't let it be bad.

"I have no idea, but I saw Scott's grandpa arguing with the principal about why they aren't releasing Scott or explaining the issue. That's why I didn't press further."

"Thanks for trying," Sam replied, her voice weary. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Do you think you can make some more time? I have a plan

Sam arrived shortly after everyone else. Ben and Mr. McGee were greeting each other. Sam knew that if there was ever a competition to see who caused more trouble, Scott would win hands down, which meant Jenna might be off the hook.

They all headed to the principal's office. The principal looked very unhappy.

Parker cleared her throat. "We've been having a series of issues with both of your children, but this time they've taken it to a new level. Most students at our school have had their encounters with Scott—bruises, bites, punches. He has also scared some students by telling them very frightening stories."

"Haven't we covered every single one of these issues before?" asked Scott's father. "Our son hasn't done any of this recently, has he?"

"No, not today. From what I hear, the other kids try to avoid him. Except for Jenna. As far as I know, he's never given your daughter any grief," Parker said, turning to Sam.

Sam and Ben exchanged concerned looks.

"Has she been a victim today? Can I see my daughter now?" asked Sam, flustered.

"Jenna is completely fine, but this time she and Scott appear to have teamed up. Jenna has been luring other kids—all girls—to quiet corners where Scott has been waiting for them."

"What's going on there?" Ben asked.

Parker sighed deeply, leaned forward, and lowered her voice.

"Taking their pants off and looking under their skirts... There's no easy way to say this, but the girls allege that Scott has been...touching them."

"Oh my god!" Sheryl shrieked, covering her mouth. Her husband leaned back in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair, struggling to process the information.

"When we interviewed the girls, they claimed they were threatened not to say anything or else they would get in trouble. Our janitor,  caught them in the act, but we have ways to find out who exactly was involved," Parker added, careful not to make any incriminating accusations.

Jabbing an accusatory finger at the principal, Scott's mother said, "The school should be held responsible for this too!"

"Look, I'm being totally transparent with all of you," Parker said, holding her hands up defensively. "These types of issues happen at school more often than you think or read about in the newspaper. Less than a week ago, two boys assaulted a six-year-old girl in the bathroom of a school not far from here. What I am trying to say is that kids gang up on others to enjoy some...forbidden activities. This is just an unusual pairing."

"Exactly!" Ben said, feeling vindicated. "Maybe Jenna has also been threatened!"

"That was my first impression too," Parker said, grim-faced. "I assured her she won't get into as much trouble as Scott, but she was cool as a cucumber." The principal's face took on a perplexed expression as she pondered this. "Don't take this the wrong way, but if it turns out she was involved, it's possible that she was more drawn to the rush of doing something outlandish rather than the prospect of abusing another student."

Ben looked at Sam, who was staring into nothingness and biting her thumbnails.

"What I will ask you to be mindful of while this investigation continues is that unlike Jenna's previous incident, we have other students implicating her."

"What previous incident?" Ben asked, turning to Sam.

Both kids were suspended until further notice.