Charles responded in kind, keeping his voice down, noting that a secretary had come into the office. “No. In fact, we did a section on heritage and hometowns, and I remember that she remained very quiet. I knew she was an orphan, so I refrained from asking about her parents, but I did ask her where she lived before coming to Castlewood and why she moved here.”
“And what did she say?”
“I will never forget it. She said, ‘I prefer to maintain my privacy regarding this matter.’ What could I say? Of course I permitted her silence.”
Dr. Whittier nodded, and his voice dropped even lower. “As you should.” And he remained quiet for several seconds. With an odd stare, he looked up again and studied the teacher’s face. “Hamilton, you look strangely familiar to me. You remind me of an old acquaintance of mine from a long time ago.”
“Oh, really? I’ve lived in England all my life. Have you ever been there?”
“Oh, yes, many times, but my acquaintance is long dead. I’m sure it’s just my imagination.”
Charles ran his finger across a set of old bindings and then pulled several books from the shelf and collected them in his arms. “Dr. Whittier, I shall look through these books, and I shall supply you with a list of the volumes I’ve borrowed later today. I regret that I am unable to assist you any further concerning Miss Silver.”
Dr. Whittier patted Charles on the back as they walked out together. “Believe it or not, you have.”
Chapter 6
From all directions, dozens of students streamed toward the school building. A few arrived on foot from nearby neighborhoods, and many more stepped out of the various minivans and sport utility vehicles that had lined up inside the school gate. In the circular driveway, a yellow school bus fed the sidewalk with one tromping backpacker after another, some jumping over the last step for emphasis. The first truly cold day of the season had brought smiling faces and even some playful rowdiness among the young males who pushed and punched each other as they passed groups of young females.
The cliques gathered here and there to consult on the latest gossip and give their “oohs” and “aahs” over the bright new sweaters and hats sported by both friends and enemies alike, while the less popular strolled alone, looking for an acquaintance or two, someone to share the joy of the fresh new morning.
One of these loners was Bonnie Silver, walking toward the school entrance at a skipping pace, her heart feeling light and alive in the crisp, sweet-smelling air. Her walk was a long one, more than two miles from her foster home to the school. Sure, the bus would have been easier, but after the first couple of rides, the teasing became too much to take. Anyway, on a day like this, the long walk seemed nothing more than a refreshing stroll. Today she forsook her braid, choosing to let her hair flow in the fresh breeze. What a pleasure it was to close her eyes and mentally gather the sounds of other kids chatting and laughing all around her.
“Hey, Bonnie.”
Bonnie turned with a smile when she heard her name. It was Jennifer Houston. She had called from a group of girls who huddled on the sidewalk near the bus loop. Jennifer carried her books in front of her with both arms wrapped around them, and they rested comfortably against her waist. Although her head was turned toward Bonnie, her body still faced her friends.
Bonnie focused on the brightly colored sleeve of Jennifer’s sweater. With forest reds and yellows running through it in a mottled pattern, her arm resembled an autumn branch showing off its yearly splendor. Apparently Jennifer wasn’t going to leave her klatch, so Bonnie crossed a sidewalk to enter her territory. As she approached, she admired the other girls’ outfits. How soft and beautiful their sweaters and hats looked! Bonnie glanced down at her faded blue sweatshirt, but only for a moment. She refused the temptation to feel sorry for herself and instead enjoyed the warmth of its inner fleece, feeling it softly caress her neck as she walked.
“I heard that Billy’s back at school today,” Jennifer said, her smile revealing a row of bright white teeth under her rosy lipgloss.
Bonnie walked up to within a few feet of the group, somewhat intimidated by all the eyes staring at her. She stuck her thumbs behind the front straps of her backpack and used them to rest her arms. “Really? I heard he got suspended for three days.”
Jennifer gestured with a swing of her head toward the school building. “Look over there by the corner of the wall.”
Bonnie spun around to see Billy on his knees scrubbing a light gray stucco area on the school’s foundation. Even from this far away she could see sweat dripping from his hair and face in spite of the cool air. Most of the section had been scoured clean, but a few faded black marks remained, and Billy pushed heavily on the scrub brush to wipe them away. She sighed and felt her heart sink in pity. “It wasn’t his fault, you know,” she said, turning back to the girls. “Adam Lark lied about him.”
Jennifer looked back with a smirk at her grinning friends and then spoke in singsong voice with her nose tilted slightly upward. “Well, I heard that a certain Bonnie Silver stood up for her boyfriend in front of the principal and then later decked Adam for trying to get him in trouble.” Jennifer walked around to Bonnie’s other side, and Bonnie turned to face her again, now recognizing the girl’s syrupy poison. “You sure are a forceful gal,” Jennifer continued. “When you Christian girls decide to get some action, you don’t mess around. I mean, I don’t think I’d be picking a fight over a guy, especially not with Adam Lark.”
Bonnie felt her heart race and a lump form in her throat. She tried to keep her voice calm, but it cracked ever so slightly. “Some action? What do you mean?”
“Oh, you and Billy Bannister, of course.” Jennifer smiled coyly and took Bonnie’s hand and patted it. “It’s all right, Bonnie. Nobody really believed that Little Miss Purity act anyway. And besides, he’s kind of cute, and he’s a nice guy, too. Walking hand in hand with Billy would look a lot better than trudging around here alone all the time. Everyone knows you’re an orphan, but you don’t have to act like one.”
Bonnie drew her hand back, but not so quickly that it would give away her disgust with Jennifer’s game. She was determined to keep her temper, so she spread her hands and stayed cool. “You’re way off base, Jennifer. I just didn’t want Billy to get in trouble, so I told the principal the truth. There’s no ‘action’ going on.”
“Oh, maybe you could persuade
me
Bonnie,” Jennifer said. She then gestured toward her friends, and both girls turned to look at Jennifer’s seven twittering companions. “But there’s a lot of other girls you’ll have to convince before the rumor stops. I mean, decking Adam makes a pretty strong case that you and Billy are . . . well . . . an item. What other explanation is there?”
Bonnie shrugged her shoulders. “Adam tried to open my backpack.”
Jennifer nodded slowly. “Oh . . . I see.” She then spoke louder while turning toward her friends. “He tried to open your backpack. Now that’s a good reason for decking a guy. I understand now.”
Bonnie frowned and took a deep breath to quell her hurt feelings. She didn’t know how to answer Jennifer’s poisoned sarcasm. She thought she might cry if she said anything, so she just remained quiet and watched the clique drift away.
After a few seconds Jennifer called back, waving, “See you later, lover girl,” and all eight girls broke out in loud laughter.
Embarrassment stung Bonnie’s heart, and she tried to hold down her erupting anger, but it still bubbled like covered porridge on a hot stove.
That Jennifer Houston! What a two-face! Just yesterday she was as nice as she could be. Now, when she’s with her gossipy friends, she pulls a stunt like that!
Bonnie turned back toward the school building to find Billy again. He was sitting down, resting and wiping his brow with his sleeve.
I should go and talk to him, but if Jennifer and her cronies see me, they’ll start their tongues wagging all over again.
Bonnie glanced quickly over her shoulder. Yes, they were watching.
Well, I don’t care what they think. I’m going over there.
Bonnie marched resolutely to the corner of the building while trying to think of a way to talk to Billy, some way to be natural. She knew she had no desire to have a boyfriend, at least not yet, but how could she be nice to him without making him think she was interested? Bonnie arrived at the corner, and greeted him with a big smile. “Good morning, Billy.”
Billy looked up and wiped his forehead again. “Oh. Hi. . . . Bonnie . . . right?”
“Yes. Bonnie Silver.” She took note of Billy’s smile, friendly but tired. Jennifer was right about one thing—with his small, button nose, strong chin, and sparkling hazel eyes, Billy was definitely cute. But there was something more there, something profound that attracted Bonnie at a deeper level. She noticed a glimmer of it when she saw him in the principal’s office, but it seemed stronger now. After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, she finally spoke up again. “That looks like a hard job. Why are you doing it?”
“Dr. Whittier said he’d wipe the suspension from my record if I cleaned the wall. I’m almost done, but I have to rest for a minute.”
Bonnie thought about mentioning the injustice of the situation, but what good would that do?
Billy’s here. He has to do the job.
She spied the bucket and reached in to grab the scrub brush. “Well, it looks like you’ve done a great job. Let me get that last spot for you.” Bonnie got down on her knees and began scrubbing the wall, pushing hard to wipe out the stubborn marks. She looked back again to see the girls watching and talking excitedly, but for some reason she no longer cared. She kept on scrubbing, and within a couple of minutes the marks disappeared. “There,” she said, rising to her feet. “It’s done.”
“Thanks, Bonnie. That was a tough stain.”
Bonnie let the brush plop back into the bucket of sudsy water, and she wiped her soapy hands on her sweatshirt. “You must’ve been tired. My arms were fresh.” She reached her hand down toward Billy. “Need help?”
Billy gladly took her hand, and Bonnie hoisted him to his feet. He marveled at the strength in her grip and took note of how well she balanced herself, bracing her legs expertly, like a swordsman or a gymnast. This was definitely no ordinary girl.
He dismissed his curiosity and reached down to get his sweater off the ground. After pulling it over his head he fluffed up his matted hair. A chilly breeze swept through his clothes, evaporating the sweat and making him shiver, but it was a good shiver now that he had thick sleeves wrapping him in comfort.
“Thanks again,” he said. “That’s twice you’ve helped me out.” Billy didn’t know what else to say at this point. He suddenly had a strange feeling, the same sense of worry he felt when he saw that Cadillac in his neighborhood. He clumsily extended his hand again to shake Bonnie’s. “Let me know if there’s anything I can ever do for you.”
A deeper voice broke into the conversation. “Well, Mr. Bannister, I see you have a friend here to help you.”
Billy turned to see Dr. Whittier standing a few feet away. Over the principal’s shoulder, he noticed a hefty, broad-shouldered woman. At first he thought the principal’s companion was a man. Her upper lip displayed more than a shadow of hair, but a closer look at her body proved her female gender. Her face looked familiar, but he couldn’t place it.
“I scrubbed most of it,” Billy explained, “but she did help me right at the end.”
“Don’t worry. I saw you working, and I’ve already taken care of your record. Actually, I’ve been waiting for Miss Silver.”
Bonnie’s eyes widened. “For me?”
“Yes, we have something important to discuss. Someone has reported that you keep contraband substances in your backpack. I understand the sensitive nature of your privacy concerns, so I asked Olga to assist me in searching your person, starting with your pack.”
Billy noticed Bonnie’s glance toward him, a look that begged him to help her out. He cleared his throat and stepped forward. “I’m sure Bonnie would never keep anything like that in her backpack,” he offered. “Right, Bonnie?”
“Of course I wouldn’t!”
The woman approached Bonnie with her hand extended. “Then you should have nothing to hide, dear.”
Billy thought the “dear” stuff was a little too much to believe. There was something devious about her.
Olga took Bonnie firmly by the arm, and the two adults began escorting her around to the rear of the building. Bonnie looked back at Billy, terror and a pleading cry shouting from her eyes.
The school bell rang, making Billy flinch. He glanced around at the students beginning to head toward the building.
What do I do? Can they just take her like that?
When they disappeared around the corner, Billy followed and hid behind a bushy tree to watch. Bonnie struggled to free herself, but she couldn’t pull away from the woman’s clutches. Bonnie’s thrashing finally forced Olga to wrap her in both arms, squeezing her, chest to chest, making her give up the fight. Although they had moved nearly to the backyard, Dr. Whittier and Olga were still close enough for Billy to see what was going on, though he wasn’t able to hear their conversation.
Something was said that made Bonnie start kicking wildly, and Olga lifted her off the ground, making her legs flail in the air. Her screams drowned in the woman’s coat in muffled gulps.
When Dr. Whittier reached for the backpack, Billy couldn’t take any more. He ran out yelling, “Stop that! Leave her alone!”
Dr. Whittier jerked his head around. “Billy, you stay out of this.”
Billy rushed up and put his mouth on Olga’s arm, blowing on it as hard as he could.
“Yeeow!” She threw the wounded arm upward, and Billy wrenched Bonnie away from her other arm. With a lightning fast reach, Olga snatched Billy’s wrist before he could get away.
Billy pulled and twisted his arm, trying to break free. “Run, Bonnie!” he yelled. “Run!”
Bonnie scrambled a few yards away and then glanced back at Billy, her mouth open in silent terror.
“Just go!” Billy shouted, giving up his efforts to free himself from the woman’s iron grip.
“Go after her!” Dr. Whittier ordered. “You know I can’t run. Give me the boy.”
Olga thrust Billy into Dr. Whittier’s arms, and Bonnie took off again. Olga chased her, sprinting like an Olympic athlete, much faster than Billy thought she’d be able to run. When Bonnie rounded the corner, it looked as though Olga was gaining on her, and Billy feared that the chase wouldn’t last long. They had gone around to the back of the cafeteria where an alley opened into an outdoor basketball court. If Bonnie tried to escape through the alley, hoping to go through the cafeteria, she would be trapped. They never unlocked those doors this early, and there was no other way out. Bonnie probably didn’t know that, being a new student.
They waited in silence for a moment, and Dr. Whittier loosened his grip, leaving his hands on Billy’s shoulders with just enough firmness to keep him in place. After another moment, Dr. Whittier began to speak. “I wonder what—,” but he was interrupted by Olga, who dashed from around the corner, holding her hands up in futility.
“She disappeared!”
Dr. Whittier limped toward her, pulling Billy along by his right arm. They followed Olga to the alley, where all they could see was a dumpster and bits of cafeteria trash lying around—old aluminum cans, an empty milk crate, and a few banana peels.
“Did you check the dumpster?” Dr. Whittier demanded.
Olga nodded. “It’s empty.”