Yet underneath that, another feeling rose.
Pride.
Still, Yates was not the only teacher who was angry.
I could tell from the way the others stared that they were highly displeased with Kyler.
Because no one was hurt, I assumed that was the end of it.
One more time, I was incorrect.
The next day, my phone buzzed while I was off work.
I almost let it go.
Then I saw my son’s school number, and something in my chest tightened.
“Yes?”
“Alyssa?” It was Principal Navarro. “You have to drive to the campus. Immediately.”
Her voice sounded rattled.
My stomach sank.
“Is Kyler alright?”
There was a quiet moment.
“We have guys in the building requesting him,” Navarro stated, her sound quivering.
“What sort of guys?”
“They avoided saying a lot, Alyssa. Simply… kindly hurry here.”
The line disconnected.
I never paused while I snatched my vehicle remotes.
My hands would not stop shaking on the wheel.
Every possible scene raced through my mind; not one of them was good.
By the time I parked, my heart was pounding so hard it was difficult to think.
I walked straight toward the principal’s office and stopped cold.
Five men stood in a line nearby in army uniforms.
Still.
Alert.
Stern and put-together, as if they were waiting for something important.
Navarro stepped out of her office and leaned in the instant she saw me.
“They have waited outside for twenty minutes,” she spoke softly. “They claim it is related to how Kyler helped Rhys.”
My mouth went dry.
“Where is my kid?”
