Ms. Wyatt remained silent. Other employees chimed in:
“My parents are hospitalized—daily fees eat my salary. Savings are gone. If I’m fired…”
“I’m this close to a down payment. Lose this job? My wedding’s canceled.”
“Ms. Wyatt, I…”
Outside the door, Alarieka slowly lowered her eyelids. Her clenched fist relaxed.
Neither Ms. Wyatt nor she spoke. Turning silently, she leaned on her cane and limped away.
No one witnessed her arrival. No one marked her departure.
Her next stop was the school.
The appointment was set for 3 PM. She arrived at 2 PM—one hour early.
At this hour, students were probably just waking up from their naps or still on their way to campus. Teachers hadn’t arrived yet either. The whole school was quiet. The iron gates at the entrance were shut, and the security guard on duty in the booth was snoring loudly with his head tilted back. No one noticed Alarieka.
Alarieka thought for a moment, then took out her phone and reinserted the SIM card.
As soon as it powered on, she saw a flood of missed calls from unknown numbers.
Her fingers moved numbly across the screen, blocking each number one by one. After declining another incoming call, she dialed Reyna.
Alarieka knew everyone would be awake from their naps by now.
Usually, Reyna answered her calls immediately. But this time, Alarieka waited until the call was about to disconnect before Reyna picked up.
Reyna’s voice remained as gentle as ever: “Alarieka, is everything alright?”
Alarieka said: “Reyna, I’m at the school gate. It’s locked. I can’t get in.”
The school provided dormitories for teachers. Reyna usually rested there during lunch breaks before going home in the evenings.
When Reyna arrived, she woke the security guard and had the gates opened.
Frowning, her expression serious and cautious, Reyna grasped Alarieka’s wrist and slowly pulled her toward the secluded walkway in the corner. She asked in a hushed tone:
“Why is your foot in a cast? You’re injured and should be resting. What are you doing here? Don’t you know many people are looking for you lately? The school administration has major issues with you right now. How dare you show up? Do you actually want to get expelled?”
Alarieka opened her mouth to speak, but Reyna cut her off: “Listen to me. Leave now. Come back after this storm passes. Since you’re injured, you’ve got every reason to stay home. You’re a good student—study diligently there. Don’t come to campus for now. Understand?”
Alarieka pressed her lips together, looking earnestly at Reyna: “Reyna, I know you mean well. But since I caused this trouble, I should face the consequences. I won’t let innocent teachers and classmates suffer for me.”
“Reyna,” Alarieka continued, “I can guess—have people been calling you too? That’s why it took so long for you to answer.”
Reyna’s frown deepened: “Then what do you plan to do? How will you resolve this?”
Alarieka said: “I’ve arranged to meet with the Dean at three this afternoon. I’ll hear what they have to say.”
“You can’t be serious?”
Reyna objected immediately, her brow furrowed.
Alarieka reached out and grasped Reyna’s wrist, whispering: “Reyna, trust me. I’ll fix this. I won’t let you get dragged down because of me. You know I’d never want to see you criticized for my sake. I thought they should only be targeting me. But when they attack people around me… I can’t stand it. I can’t just accept that.”
“Reyna, I know you care about me. But I’ve thought this through. Please believe in me.”
Reyna Wright gazed into Alarieka Huston’s clear, dark eyes, her heart fluttering.