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Amelia gasped and turned away, both hands over her mouth in horror.
The entire office went silent.
Pivoting to face her, Leo clasped his hands behind his back. His words were laced with steel. “I am an only child and I do not need your money. My family’s wealth has been passed down through generations of Spanish and Scottish nobility. I offer to help because my help is needed.”
“Well, I don’t…”
“Goodbye.” Walking past Amelia, he said her name softly. She glanced up with tears on her cheeks. “It will be alright. You have my word.”
Mrs. Whitehall stared at the door he’d disappeared through and muttered, “I don’t like his arrogance.” Looking around at the other people in the room, she asked loudly, “Is there anyone else…?”
“No, Mom. Leo is going to tutor me. I need to get to class. I’ve missed another one now.” To the staff, she added, “I’m sorry for all this. Truly.”
She half ran for the corridor as the principal emerged from his office. “Mrs. Whitehall. I was on a call. I believe the school superintendent gave you specific instructions about meeting with our personnel in future?”
“I’m the parent of a student here…”
“And you do your daughter a great disservice with your behavior each time you make an appearance.” He walked around the reception counter and approached Mrs. Whitehall. “Amelia is a lovely student. You make her life harder with your demands. Don’t return to the school again. As specified in the last hearing, you’re to have a mediator act on your behalf.”
“If you weren’t trying to fail my…”
“Your daughter is failing because she’s absent more than any other student in any grade. Students who have severe disabilities attend class more than Amelia. There are strict rules we must follow - like any school, public or private - and we can only grade her based on what is turned in. Most of her work is missing or incomplete.” Sighing, he said, “Several professionals have now recommended that you stop taking her places during school hours but you refuse to heed their advice.”
She laughed in his face. “Figures you’d say that. I can always homeschool her. She’s not going to need all this shit anyway when she’s a famous model and actress. I let her stay here because she has friends but I can make alternate arrangements like that!” She snapped her fingers.
“You live vicariously through your child. It’s almost parasitic. Amelia is smart and kind. She has repeatedly stressed that she wishes to remain in a normal school environment. If you remove her from classes with her peers to focus on nothing but her looks, she will shrivel up inside.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. Only ugly people say beauty doesn’t matter!”
“Only ignorant people think beauty is the only thing that matters.” Nodding once, he looked at the school security guard entering the office. “Mrs. Whitehall was just leaving. Per the superintendent’s instructions, she’s not allowed on school grounds outside of student events her daughter is participating in.”
“Ma’am.” The security guard held the door wide and gestured through it. “It’s time for you to leave.”
“You’re going to regret this. That Mexican kid better get results and all of you better stop discriminating against our family.”
Putting her nose up in the air, she left and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
The principal shook his head. “If that woman was physically abusive, we might have a chance to stop what she’s doing but...our hands are tied. I hate it.”
Leo reappeared from the hall. “She’s horrible but I’ll help Amelia. She’ll be back on track and I’ll do what I can to keep her there.”
“That’s good of you, Leo. Don’t fall behind yourself.”
“Not a chance. The bell’s about to ring. I need to know where to focus with her tutoring.” Glancing at the guidance counselor, he asked, “Where is she behind?”
One of the receptionists typed rapidly and the counselor frowned. “Looks like all her core classes. Math worse than the others but also science and history. It won’t take much to bring up her English grade.”
“Thank you. I’ll do what I can.”
When he left, the staff talked amongst themselves. They agreed it was going to take a miracle to catch the girl up on all the work she was missing. They wondered if Leo would have the commitment for such an undertaking.
The principal smiled and said, “With Leo in her corner, she’ll be back on track in no time.”
