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I nod and take a deep breath. I’m thankful my sister’s here because she’s got experience dealing with firestorms, and I’m happy to have her on my side.
Meanwhile, there are a table of middle-aged people sitting up front, and I assume they must be the school board. An old man clears his throat into the mic, and then calls the meeting to order.
“Welcome,” he begins. “I’m Douglas Roundtree, and I’m the chairman of the Cedar Toms School Board. We have quite a few items on our agenda today, so let’s get started.”
The first two items pass by in a blur. It’s something about handicapped sidewalks for better wheelchair access as well as replacing the cafeteria door at a nearby elementary school. I sit in my chair and listen although the words are a stream flowing into one ear and then out the other. It seems the audience feels the same way too because there’s a lot of coughing, people getting up to use the restroom, and not-so-subtle yawns. By the time the board gets to the third agenda item, the crowd is restless. I can hear chairs scraping against the floor and a lot of whispers. There’s more coughing while some folks get up to stretch.
I sigh because I realize that what Ed and I did is taboo and dirty, but still. Most of these outraged townspeople will likely blabber on for ages when it comes time for public comment, and many of them will repeat each other’s words. Even worse, Ed and I will have to sit and listen to it all as our sins are described in excruciating detail.
“Now for item three,” Douglas Roundtree says, pushing his bifocals up. “Just for everyone here, I’ll summarize quickly. During Prom at Cedar Toms High School, a loud scream came from a classroom right down the hall next to the gymnasium. Mr. Jack Stanton, a chaperone, hurried to find the source of the scream and was stunned to find Corey Sterling stumbling out of the classroom. Even worse, Mr. Stanton discovered Ed Sterling, Corey’s father, in the darkened classroom with Maggie Talbot, a senior at Cedar Toms High. They were – let’s just put this delicately for our audience – coupling."
There’s a buzz of murmurs around the room even though everyone already knows these facts. Douglas Roundtree continues, reading from his script.
"When Mr. Stanton confronted Mr. Sterling and Miss Talbot, they did not deny their relationship. As a result, the board is here to discuss next steps. Obviously, a chaperone taking up with one of our students at Prom is unacceptable and will need to be addressed. We’ll start with the board members. Do you have any comments, questions or suggestions pertaining to this issue?"
Four hands shoot up. The first board member to speak asks clarification about my age. I tremble in my seat, squeezing Ed’s hand as Douglas Roundtree answers.
"Miss Talbot is eighteen, thank god. She is a legal adult."
The next board member asks why Ed Sterling was chaperoning the dance.
"Mr. Sterling volunteered to chaperone, and there was no reason to suspect him of immoral behavior.”
Again, murmurs pass through the audience.
A third board member asks about my disciplinary history and my GPA. What the fuck? Why would that even matter? I squeeze Ed’s hand and he squeezes mine back.
"That’s confidential information that we will not make public, nor should it have any relevance to this hearing,” Doug Roundtree says in a firm tone.
Then, the chair asks if there are any more questions, and a final board member speaks.
"Yes. Is it true that Mr. Sterling impregnated Miss Talbot during their rendezvous in the classroom?"
As soon as that question leaves the man’s mouth, citizens scramble toward the microphones to give their opinions. But I’ve had enough. This has been embarrassing, humiliating, and over-the-top invasive. With trembling legs, I get out of my seat and make my way to one of the microphones. I don’t care that there’s a line. I need to defend myself and the man I love because we’re not going to be silenced. We should be able to tell our side of the story as well.
The room goes silent as I step to the front, microphone in hand.
“Hi, I’m Maggie Talbot. I’m the senior in question,” I begin in a trembling voice. Doug Roundtree nods.
"Yes, Miss Talbot. Could someone turn up the microphones please? You may speak. "
I take a deep breath.
"First, I want to say that while our actions may not have shed the best light on Cedar Toms High School, I want to state that Ed Sterling and I are in love. Yes, he’s the father of one of my classmates, but that doesn’t mean that what we feel isn’t real.”
A woman shrieks from the back, “You’re too young to know what love is!”
But I plow forwards, determined to say my bit.
