Agnes in JackieLand

Chapter 21

"All right, Mrs. Evans, I understand what you're saying. Mrs. Harrison is out of line by saying your son is a scoundrel," the principal said, exasperated beyond belief.

They had been at this for just over an hour. It wasn't getting any better. Graham looked as miserable as I felt. He was slumped down in his chair as far as he could without falling out of it. His expression was glazed over.

"My son did what he thought was best," Mrs. Evans insisted.

"Your son got my grandchildren in trouble with the authorities," Grandmother stated, and she was right.

Mrs. Evans sighed. "Look, Graham isn't going to charge Jackie with assault."

Grandmother snorted rather unladylike. "I should think not."

Mrs. Evans ignored her. "We both feel that Jackie has had a trying couple of days, resulting in her outburst. No harm was done to Graham. We will leave it at that."

"Well, if I might say something," the principal interjected. Everyone turned to look at him. He fidgeted with his blue and silver striped tie. "School policy is hands-off. What Miss Franklin did to Mr. Evans was definitely not hands-off. Therefore, I will have to suspend Miss Franklin for one week."

"That's absurd," Grandmother said.

Graham frowned.

Honestly, I couldn't care less about this.

Mrs. Evans said, "I don't think that's necessary, Mr. Adams."

"Yes, well, policy, you see," the principal said.

Grandmother rose, and I thought for sure she was going to deck Principal Adams. Instead, she turned to me. "Let's go, Jackie dear. We have wasted enough time listening to this garbage."

I got up and shot the Evan's an "I'm sorry" look. At the door, Grandmother turned to Principal Adams. "My lawyers will see that you no longer have a job after this."

Principal Adams paled at Grandmother's words, and she smiled so sweetly it was creepy. She walked through the school halls, her heels clicking, her head high, and her back straight, a woman of authority. I followed behind, head down like a scolded puppy following his master. It was humiliating.

Grandmother didn't speak until we were in the limousine.

"Jacqueline, that was beyond unacceptable. I thought you were old enough to understand that what happens in this family stays there. We don't air it out like dirty laundry."

"It wasn't like that," I mumbled.

Grandmother raised an elegant eyebrow. "Oh, really. Please enlighten me then. How did that Evans boy know about our personal business?"

I sighed. She had me there. And there was no way that I could explain it in a way that the old bulldog would understand. She was all about protecting the family name. It wasn't the Franklin name she was worried about; it was the Harrison name by connection. Who exactly were the Harrisons? I had never heard anything about them. I couldn't really ask; that was something Jackie would know.

We went straight to the hospital to see Jackie's mom. As soon as we walked through the door of her room, Vivian asked, "What happened?"

Grandmother strode into the room and walked straight over to look out the window, not even glancing at my daughter. "Ask your daughter."

Vivian at least had the decency to let me sit down in a chair, unlike Grandmother, who was tapping her foot like an impatient child. Vivian looked so much better than the last time I saw her. She was dressed for once in a pair of designer jeans and a red blouse. Her hair was done, and no makeup adorned her face, but she didn't need it; she was beautiful without it. The only telltale sign of why she was in here was her shaking hands, which she tried to hide in her lap.