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Anyway, when my car tires crunched over the loose gravel on the old black top at the school, Molly pacing the lot immediately drew my eye. At the sight of me stepping out of the car, she ran toward me, her flowy sundress billowing as her sandals thwacked on the cement. She torpedo-hugged me. The force of her embrace knocked the air from my lungs. I held her tightly, stroking her hair.
“Do you know what they want?”
She pulled back and sighed, giving me a is that a real question look.
“I mean do you know what they’re planning?”
She shook her head. “Not a clue. I asked Becca, in case she overheard anything in the office, but she said everyone is being tight-lipped about it.”
“Whatever happens in there, I need you to trust me,” I said, not certain why. I just wanted to reassure her that no matter what happened in there we were in this together, but I was never great at translating my feelings into words.
Her brows furrowed slightly, three little lines appearing between them. I stroked her cheek. “Let’s just get this over with. ‘If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well it were done quickly.’” I hoped the Shakespearean quote would cheer her dorky self, but it didn’t quite garner the reaction I was hoping for.
“Except, Macbeth was talking about murder so, unless we’re planning on consequence-free homicide, I would think of a better reference.” She patted my chest and pecked a swift kiss on my cheek before walking into school.
I laughed and called after her, “Best to just rip the Band-Aid off?”
She smirked at me over the shoulder. “That’s better.”
I wasn’t surprised to find the entire school board assembled in the conference room, their faces grim and serious. Principal Walker sat at the head of the table; his hands folded in front of him like a man about to deliver a death sentence.
"Jake, Molly," he said, his voice heavy with resignation. "Thank you for coming."
"Of course," I said, taking a seat across from him, Molly by my side. The tension in the room was palpable, and Molly fidgeted in her seat, crossing and uncrossing her legs. I wanted to put my hand on her to ease her nerves, but I thought better of it.
We were in enough hot water as it was.
"There's no easy way to say this," Principal Walker began standing to address us, knuckles pressed to the table like some great big ape, "so I'll just come out with it. Due to the nature of the recent scandal and the negative impact it's had on the school's reputation, the school board has decided to reinstate the no inter-faculty relationship rule."
I frowned, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'm not sure I understand. What exactly are you asking of us?" I leaned forward, clasping my hands to keep from forming them into fists.
Walker exchanged a glance with the other board members, his lips thinning into a tight line. "Were you aware that the school has always had this rule?"
I wracked my brain, trying to remember any mention of such a policy. "No, I can't say that I was. Besides, everyone knew about Molly and me. We disclosed our relationship to Morgan." I looked around for the rep who should have had our backs, but she was nowhere to be seen.
He nodded, as if he had expected as much. "It's an old rule, one that hasn't been enforced in many years, but it states that faculty members are not permitted to engage in romantic relationships with one another, as it could lead to conflicts of interest and a disruption of the learning environment. We are aware that you disclosed your relationship, and it was considered acceptable at the time, but that has changed."
Molly spoke up, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and disbelief. "This is ridiculous. Jake and I are both consenting adults, and our relationship has never interfered with our work at the school. You can't possibly justify enforcing such a rule!"
I placed a hand on her arm, silencing her protest. She shot me a look of confusion and hurt, but I couldn't let her jeopardize her job. Not when I had a plan.
Walker sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Molly, believe me, I take no pleasure in this. But the fact is, your relationship with Jake has become a topic of great concern and controversy in the community. Parents are worried about the impact it could have on their children, and the school board feels that we have no choice but to take action."
I shook my head, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. "So, what? You're going to fire us? Force us to choose between our jobs and our relationship?"
"No one is getting fired," Principal Walker said, his voice strained. "But we are asking that you and Molly either end your relationship or one of you resign from your positions at the school. We cannot allow this situation to continue, not with the reputation of the school and the well-being of the students at stake."
My anger swelled until it quickly burst, giving way to resignation, the weight of the decision before me crushing my chest like a vice. If I resigned, Molly and I could be together, but that would mean leaving the job I loved and the students who depended on me. If Molly resigned, she would be sacrificing her dream and her passion for teaching.
I sat there, in that conference room, for what felt like an eternity, the decision looming before me like a chasm. And as the seconds ticked by, I felt the last vestiges of hope slipping through my fingers.
I cleared my throat, my voice hoarse as I spoke. "If we choose to break up, we will both have a job to come back to in the fall?"
Principal Walker nodded, a glimmer of relief in his eyes. "Of course, Jake. Neither of you are being fired, you are simply being asked to make a choice. One that the school board and I hope you will understand."
I could feel Molly's eyes on me, wide with shock and disbelief, but I knew what I had to do. "Molly and I will end our relationship."
There was a moment of silence, the tension thick and suffocating. And then, Principal Walker reached across the table, offering me his hand. "I'm sorry, Jake. I truly am."
