‘I’m afraid so. Yes. We tried calling you immediately after the incident, but, as you know, we’ve had some trouble contacting you and Mr Ballantine this morning. We also left a message on…’ she looks at a piece of paper on her desk ‘… on Mrs Diane Ballantine’s voicemail. She’s listed as one of your alternative contacts.’
That’s all I need – Robert’s mother’s judgement on top of everything else. ‘Are you absolutely sure Eva did this? It’s just, it’s so out of character. She’s never been violent in her life.’
‘It’s true, I’m afraid. She hit Lauren in the face and gave the poor girl a nosebleed.’
‘No! A nosebleed?’ My mind starts racing with possible explanations. ‘Where’s Eva now? Did you speak to her? There must be some mistake… she must be covering up for another child.’
‘I’m sorry, but there’s no mistake. Eva admitted to it, and all the girls in her class saw what happened.’
‘Where is she?’ I say, getting to my feet, my fists clenching at my sides. ‘Where’s Eva? If she really did do this, then it must have been in self-defence. She would never hit someone for no reason.’
‘Eva wouldn’t tell us. She’s refusing to talk about it. But, whatever the reason, there’s no excuse for violence. Please, won’t you sit back down, Mrs Ballantine. I know this must have come as a bit of a shock. Eva has never been in this kind of trouble before.’
‘It’s just so out of the blue!’ I’m desperate to find out what really happened. I need to speak to Eva. To get her side of the story. ‘Where’s my daughter now?’ I ask, walking towards the door, desperate to speak to her.
‘She’s in isolation with one of our teaching assistants.’
‘Isolation?’ Sounds like something from a prison drama. ‘What’s that? Sorry, I don’t mean to snap, but this whole situation sounds crazy.’
‘I understand it’s a bit upsetting. Think of it as a time out. She’s in a quiet classroom reflecting on what she’s done. Please, come back and sit down for a moment more. Would you like some water? A cup of sweet tea?’
‘No, I don’t want anything, thank you.’ I force myself back to the blue felt chair. If Miss Chalmers doesn’t get Eva here in the next five minutes, I’m going to go searching for her myself. ‘And what about Lauren?’ I ask, swallowing. ‘Is she okay?’
‘The school nurse said she’ll be fine. Nothing’s broken. But you should know… her mum’s taken her to A & E to get her checked out, just in case.’
‘A & E!’ A flare of adrenalin sets my heart racing. ‘Is it that bad?’ I’m horrified by this whole situation. Rebecca must be furious. I’ll have to apologise. Eva will have to apologise. It will be all round the school by this afternoon.
‘There’s another thing…’ Miss Chalmers says, shifting in her chair.
‘What other thing?’ My palms are sweating and I wipe them down the sides of my skirt.
‘Mrs Taylor is contemplating reporting the incident to the police.’
‘What?’ How can my quiet-as-a-mouse, good-as-gold daughter be reported to the police for violence? It’s like I’ve stepped into some alternate universe. This can’t be happening.
Six
‘Rebecca Taylor wants to report Eva to the police?’ I ask, hoping I’ve misheard.
‘Yes,’ Miss Chalmers replies, crushing my hopes. ‘I did ask her not to. And, to be perfectly honest, I think it was simply an initial, angry reaction. I don’t really think she’ll go through with it.’
‘But she might! She might report my ten-year-old child to the police.’
‘She won’t have a criminal record. Please try not to worry. Like I said, I’m sure it was just said in the heat of the moment. But I wanted to make you aware that it’s a possibility.’
A wave of nausea hits me. I pull my phone out of my bag. ‘I’ll give her a call. Apologise.’
Miss Chalmers shakes her head. ‘I’d leave it for a few hours. She’s at the hospital right now. Once Lauren’s been given the all clear, Mrs Taylor will probably feel less… emotional about the situation.’
‘And you really think Lauren’s okay?’
‘I’m sure she’s fine. It was a nosebleed, nothing more. That doesn’t excuse Eva’s behaviour, though.’
I try to relax my shoulders, and drop my phone back into my bag. ‘Okay. Thank you. You’re right. I’ll speak to Rebecca later.’
Miss Chalmers gives a satisfied nod, her shiny bobbed brown hair swinging forward and back. ‘For now, you’ll need to take Eva home.’
‘Okay, yes, sure. She must be so upset.’
