Lessons I Never Learned at Meadowbrook Academy (18 page)

It felt like we were there for another hour or so as Tim gently questioned Annie before he made a call to another officer. He discovered that Barry had taken the photos on his iPhone and what “good news” that was because even if he had already erased them, there was a way to retrieve the material for evidence. Tim also discovered that Barry had a previous record, in which he was guilty of committing similar offences, and that her coming forward was very courageous because it meant Barry would never do this again. Not to her. And not to anybody else.

Dr. Murphy came out at one point, and he was also filled in on what had happened. He tried to get Annie to come inside the school, but she refused. Dr. Murphy was actually a very nice man that made sure Annie understood that she had all the support she could ever want at Meadowbrook. He was going to help her get some counseling, and he let her know that Meadowbrook was not just a school, it was a family.

I was very proud of Annie. She was strong and resilient. And she didn't seem afraid. Maybe it was because she finally realized that she wasn't alone anymore.

At one point, my mother had run into the school to use the restroom as a black-and-white police car climbed up the Meadowbrook driveway. It pulled in front of the fountain where we were sitting.

The driver, another cop, whose young, clean-shaven face made him look kind, got out and spoke to Tim, my dad, and Dr. Murphy off to the side. Annie was sitting between me and Mervin, and our arms were wrapped around her.

During their conversation, the young cop glanced over at Annie a few times. He nodded to Tim, went to the trunk, and pulled out a grey wool blanket. He approached Annie and put it across her lap. “We're going to take care of you now.”

Annie nodded and held on to the blanket as the cop walked back over to Tim.

“Well, I guess we'll never forget today, huh?” Annie said with a sarcastic laugh.

“I'd have to say that this is definitely one for the ol' scrapbook,” Mervin joked.

“And to think, I didn't even want to come here!” I said to encourage the lightened mood.

“I really hope you don't get into too much trouble,” Annie said to me.

“Don't even worry. I've got that all covered,” I smiled with the full realization that I was probably going to get grounded for the rest of my life.

Tim and the other officer filled out a few pieces of paperwork as my mother walked back down to us.

“Are you guys cold? We can sit in the car and turn on the heat,” my mother said.

“No, I'm fine, Mrs. Romano,” Annie said.

“Me too,” Mervin echoed.

“Mrs. Romano?” Annie pulled the blanket up a bit. “Thank you.”

The goodness, which I truly know my mother to be, filled up in her eyes. “Annie, I hope we get to see a lot of each other. You're Roberta's friend now, and that means you're always welcome. Always.”

“Hey, what about me?” Mervin said.

My mother laughed. “Oh, yes, of course, and you too, Mervin. That goes without saying.”

I looked at my mom, and such an unbelievable warmth filled my chest. All this past year, I thought her main purpose in life was to ruin mine. I had convinced myself that she hated Christine because she wanted me to be a loser with no friends. Now, with her reaction to Annie and Mervin, I realized she simply wanted me to have good friends. True friends. The kind that last a lifetime.

Tim approached us and said that it would be best for Annie to come down to the station, just to get everything on file so that they could obtain a warrant for Barry's arrest. Mervin agreed to go with her and my parents and I also offered, but Annie thought we should just go home.

“Mervin will stay with me and I'm fine. Really,” she said. “I'm going to call my mother and have her come and meet me.”

“Are you sure you want to do that?” I asked.

“She's going to find out sooner or later. I want her to hear it from me.”

I reached out and grabbed Annie's hand and held it tightly. The gesture said more than I ever could with words.

“Will we see you tomorrow?” Annie asked hopefully.

I glanced over at my mother. She smiled and nodded. I was instantly filled with such gratitude. I really had no idea that, just after one day, this school could already mean so much to me. But it did.

“Yep,” I said to Annie and Mervin. “I'll see you tomorrow.”

And the three of us embraced in a huge hug.

As we were driving home, the lightest sprinkling of rain had started. My father turned on the windshield wipers, which made a creaking nose as they scraped across our windshield.

Sitting in the backseat, I finally got up the courage to meekly say, “How badly am I grounded?”

My mother glanced at my father for a moment. They were both silent, and I started to feel like I was going to be trapped in my room for the rest of my life.

“You're not,” she finally replied.

“What?”

“You're not,” my mother said again. “Let me make myself clear: this isn't a free pass, but as far as being grounded, there's no need.”

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. “But everything I did today, getting detention and cutting detention and breaking into the reservoir—”

“Are you trying to get us to change our minds?” my father asked jokingly.

“No. Oh, God, no. I'm just confused.”

“Roberta, trust me when I say that there were many things you did today that your father and I are not pleased about, but…”

Here it was, she was going to lay into me about what a disappointment I was and how they couldn't trust me and—

“But we are very proud of you.”

I blinked hard. “Proud of me? Why would you be proud of me?”

My father cleared his throat. “What happened to Annie…it is just unthinkable that things like this happen, but they do. And sometimes we have to make decisions in life that aren't very easy. Today you helped your friend realize that she could ask for help. And now, because she was brave, those bad things can be stopped. We're proud of you for being a true friend.”

A big smile spread across my face. And I felt amazing.

My dad was right; I had found true friends. And because of that, I could be a true friend.

“Now, don't get us wrong, you'll be doing more chores around the house to make up for the other stuff you pulled today,” my mother said.

“Anything you want,” I quickly replied.

I noticed that my dad made the wrong turn at the next light.

“Dad, where are you going?”

“We've got one more stop to make.” My dad smiled at me through the rearview mirror.

And five minutes later, we pulled off Northfield into the Codey ice skating arena, also known as “My Favorite Place on Earth.”

“Why are we here?” I asked excitedly.

My father parked the car and turned around to look at me. “Every good deed needs to be rewarded. And according to my watch,” he glanced down at his wrist, “there's still an hour left to the public session.”

I loved ice-skating and my parents knew it. Something about gliding through the ice with the cold air hitting my face always made me feel free.

We all got out of the car and I jumped into my father's arms. “Are you going to skate?”

“Sure, why not?” he said.

I kissed his cheek and slid down, out of his embrace. Quizzically, I looked over at my mom.

“Yes, all right, me too. God help me, I'll skate too.” She smiled. “But no making fun of me!”

“I would never.” I returned her smile and wrapped my arms around them both as we headed towards the entrance. “So, these chores you were talking about…”

“Don't start, Roberta,” my mother said. “I swear, you give me heart pains.”

The cool crisp air hit our faces.

As we walked in.

Together.

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