Amber Stone and the Dead Doctor Chapter 2.6
Amber steps in after tensions between auntie Leona and Principal Fontaine rise.
Auntie’s jaw stiffens. No one puts Auntie in her place. “I’m going to have a word with Phelix.”
“Oh, I bet you will.”
The current of tension between Auntie Leona and principal Fontaine is disconcerting. My stomach ties up in multiple knots. The tension is so dense I can slice it with a knife. I take a deep breath,
“I think what Auntie is trying to say is that,” I finally speak up, “coming to school and not worrying about being beat up or bullied, but passing my classes, will be worthwhile for all of us. I mean, I want to stay in Marble and continue on the path to the research program and, eventually, an actual career in science and medicine. That is what I am striving for here. So, if there is anything you can do to make this school safer for me, then it’s worth looking at.”
Principal Fontaine’s tired look softens at my words; she looks between Auntie and me. “The three of us will have a meeting and discuss this further. I will talk to Phelix once I get home. I will be in touch, Leona.”
Auntie rises from her seat.
This is my chance. “Principal Fontaine, there was a witness. Did she mention anything to you?”
Principal Fontaine’s inquisitive eyes slide over me.
I quickly fumble for words. “I—I was told the person w—was a she, and she brought me to the nurse’s office.” My voice lowers to just above a whisper by the end of the sentence.
“We are trying to keep this as quiet as possible, but many students saw you get dragged by Natalie and Abigail. We are trying to deal with this privately. The less of each other you know, the better.” Principal Fontaine exhales, but I can tell she is going to give in. “She is one of our Median students. She saw you hanging from a tree, and after they attacked you, they started attacking each other.”
“Beating each other? That’s n—” mid-sentence; I decide to keep my mouth shut.
“Quite bizarre, isn’t it?” She rises one more time from her chair. “I don’t want to keep you too long. Go home and get some rest.”
“We’ll be in touch, Janice,” Auntie says and leads me away.
Why would the girl lie? I wrack my brain at which Median it would be, but no one comes to mind. We’re in the second half of the school year after the three cold winter months of Roslyn. I’m still in my first year, and I don’t know anyone yet. I may have to figure this out myself.