Alan gave me a hug, and before I knew it, I was being bombarded by hugs left and right, from band kids, composition students, the yearbook committee, and those who just thought I was a “cool guy.”
Stephen waded through the sea of teenagers, reached a hand out to me, and shook it firmly. “Welcome back, Mr. Merlin.”
“What? Oh no, I have to meet with the—”
Stephen turned and held his arm out toward a petite woman with a perfect bob of black hair. “Superintendent Doris Lee.”
“Hello, Mr. Merlin,” she said, shaking my hand. “I’m so sorry you had to see that. Stephen, would you kindly direct our students to head to first period?”
Stephen nodded, gave me one last smile, and started ushering kids away from us as the bell rang.
“Come with me,” Doris stated. She led the way into the office and down the hall to the guidance counselors’ corner. She sat at the unused table with college brochures and crossed her legs. “Cass was let go,” she said, straight to the point.
I hurriedly sat down in the spare chair. “I think it’d be hard to oversee the school from behind bars.”
“I wasn’t aware the police were coming. He was—they arrested him for arson.”
“Wait…Casswas?”
Doris nodded. “The police said it was regarding the fire at Snowy Ridge.”
Fuck. So Casswasin on that too?
“It was brought to my attention,” Doris continued, “that Joshua Cass forged documents and passed them off as a legitimate excuse for letting you go. I’m frankly horrified. And on behalf of this school district, am offering my most sincere apology to you.”
I unbuttoned my coat and shrugged out of it. “I’m not going to sue.”
I saw Doris relax a fraction. Her schools were not located in a wealthy region of New Hampshire. Lancaster was a small town nestled deep in the thick forests of the White Mountains…. No, they didn’t have the funds to handle someone suing them for wrongful termination due to discrimination.
“That doesn’t change my apology,” Doris answered. “Iamso sorry.”
“I appreciate that,” I said. “And I accept your apology. Ms. Lee, may I be frank?”
“By all means.”
“I want my job back. That’s it. I don’t need special treatment and apologies. I just want to teach.”
She smiled again. Her expression was softer. “Mr. Merlin, it would make me very happy for you to return to your position as band director.”
And just like that, the weight of uncertainty and unhappiness lifted from my chest. I let out a breath of air that for the first time in days didn’t feel like a struggle. “Thank you.”
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to hold a school assembly,” Doris said. “I want to take control of this situation before rumors cause it to become unmanageable.” She stood.
“That’s fine with me.”
“Wait here. I’ll go speak to the office.” She went back down the hall toward reception.
“Merlin.”
I looked up to see McCabe in the doorway of his office. I stood. “Good morning.”
“Mr. Hansen dropped your courses a few days ago.”
“Oh, about that. I know it’s an inconvenience—”
“I’ve enrolled him back into band and music composition.”
“You have?”
