60. Cohen

Ollie's forehead creased and his lips were set in a hard line as he walked to my car. What had happened in school today? Worry flooded my mind, and I begged he wouldn't tell me Birdie had been fired. Or that today was his last day coming home with me.

I had my apology ready for the second he opened the door, but instead, he said, "Dad, we've got to do something."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He shut the door behind him, turning toward me. "They fired Birdie today."

I felt like I was going to throw up and pass out at the same time. "They did what?"

"I saw it this morning—she came out of the office looking really sad, and then Ryde and his mom came out after. I asked him about it and..." He swallowed hard. "He did it. He was the one who did it, Dad, and I feel so guilty. He never would have seen you and Ms. Melrose if I hadn't brought him out there."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I said, my mind reeling in an attempt to pick up all the pieces. Birdie lost her job. Ryde told the secret. Ollie was sorry. "We're on the same team?"

The person behind us laid on their horn, and with a frustrating grunt, I whipped out of the spot and parked.

Ollie said, "I'm pissed at you for lying, but I'm on your team. This isn't right."

I shook my head, gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white. "What can we do? The next board of trustee meeting isn't for another month."

"We need to talk to Headmaster Bradford," Ollie said. "He's the one who fired her."

I nodded slowly.

Ollie opened the door.

I raised my eyebrows. "Now?"

Ollie nodded. "We've got to fix this, Dad."

I couldn't disagree. I followed my son out of the car, proud of him for standing up for what was right, but also mad as hell. The headmaster of my son's school had fired a woman who so clearly cared for her students just as much as herself. Getting rid of her was doing a disservice to every student in that damn school.

We walked up the stairs and went to the front desk where Marjorie was packing her things. She gave us wary looks, and Ollie said, "We need to speak to the headmaster."

"Keep it short," she said.

Oh, it would be short. As long as he made the right decision.

The door was cracked open, so Ollie pushed it the rest of the way and walked in. Headmaster Bradford turned away from the filing cabinet he had just shut and faced us. "Ah," he said, "I wasn't expecting this so soon."

I narrowed my eyes. I already wanted to punch him in the face.

Ollie said, "Headmaster, you need to give Birdie her job back."

His dismissive smile made me want to punch him that much more. "Ms. Melrose and your father broke rules very clearly written in the Emerson Academy bylaws."

"But I read them," Ollie said, "and it didn't say she had to be fired. Why not place her on probation? Because of what the Alexanders say? Ryde's going to be gone in a year, his sister will be a freshman, and then what? We have a new guidance counselor who doesn't care half as much about the students as Birdie does."

I watched in awe as my son stood up for me, for Birdie, and clearly spoke his case. He wasn't my little boy anymore. He was a man.

I put my hand on Ollie's shoulder and said, "When I first met Birdie, I didn't know she was employed at the school. I came in a week later to discuss concerns I had for Ollie, and even though she told me we couldn't date, she worked tirelessly to make sure he was cared for academically, in his friend circles, and at home. I pressed her to date me because I was so amazed by her. If you're going to blame someone, blame me. I'll pay a fine; I'll speak to the board of trustees. I'll do whatever it takes."

"The time has passed," Headmaster Bradford said, nodding toward my son. "I want you to see this, Oliver. Actions have consequences. We must choose our actions carefully. The results, negative or positive, are up to you."

My hands clenched at my sides. How dare that prick talk to my son about me like he knew anything about me.

"That's bullshit!" Ollie said.

My thoughts exactly.

The headmaster let out a sigh. "Learning quickly, I see. That will be a week of out-of-school suspension."

My mouth fell open. Was that really what they were teaching here? Comply or die?

"You're going to regret this," Ollie said, his eyes shining with angry tears.

"Come on," I said, putting my arm around his shoulders and turning him away. As we walked out of the school, I made a promise as much to him as to Birdie. "We're going to figure this out. No one deserves to keep their love a secret."