Jeb continued to look defiant, but Hailey actually looked shaken. Her eyes filled with tears.
“I didn’t know,” she whispered. “I honestly didn’t know how it felt to have people say hateful things.”
Laura held up a hand to stop the discussion. “I think what happened in here just now is really, really important. I hope all of you will think about it before you speak disrespectfully to or about another classmate. Sally got it exactly right. You don’t all have to be best friends, but you do owe it to each other to be courteous and respectful. Sally and Tim, thank you for speaking up. And, Hailey, I’m proud of you for taking another look at what you’ve been doing.”
When the bell rang, she dismissed the class, feeling the tiniest bit more optimistic.
But as soon as she stepped into the hall, she saw Jeb immediately align himself with his buddies, overheard the same old rallying cry in Greg and Annabelle’s defense. And knew that the risk to Misty was far from over.
J.C. was glancing at his next patient’s file, when Debra stepped into his office. “Laura Reed is on the phone for you. She sounds upset.”
Though he’d spent most of the weekend avoiding her, he knew that couldn’t go on forever. He nodded. “I’ll take it. Let Mrs. Hodges know I’ll be in to check Liza in a minute.”
Debra nodded, then retreated and closed the door behind her. J.C. picked up his phone.
“Is everything okay?” he asked at once. “Is Misty in school?”
“No sign of her,” Laura said tersely. “I’m really worried, J.C., and not just because she didn’t show up. I guess that’s understandable under the circumstances, but the talk around school isn’t good. The kids are taking sides. Some of them, especially those who’ve dealt with their own instances of bullying over the years, are firmly on her side, but the others, I don’t know, J.C., their attitude scares me. I think they want revenge of some kind. They see Annabelle and Greg and the others who’ve been suspended as the real victims.”
“Unfortunately, I suppose that’s not really surprising. Have you heard about any specific plans for retaliation?”
“No, but I have to wonder just how much more Misty can take. I called Diana before I called you, and she says Misty’s been locked in her room most of the day. She won’t talk and she won’t come out. I can tell that Diana’s starting to freak out just a little. I have a terrible feeling some of what I’m hearing here at school is spilling over onto the internet and Misty’s aware of it.”
“I can’t say I blame Misty for wanting to hide out or Diana for being scared,” J.C. said. “I’m sure my story about Stevie probably didn’t help matters. I meant it to be a warning to the perpetrators of how tragic things can get, but I imagine Diana can’t shake that image. I should have thought of that.”
“It was a story people needed to hear,” Laura said with conviction. “Don’t beat yourself up for sharing it. And I didn’t call to make you freak out over Misty, either. I’m just wondering if we shouldn’t go over there.”
“No question about it,” J.C. said. “I was there for a while on Saturday, and Misty seemed to be holding up okay, but I have no idea what’s been happening online since then. It makes sense to check on her. I’ll pick you up the minute school’s out.”
“Thank you,” Laura said.
“No thanks necessary.”
“Yes, there are. You didn’t make me feel like an idiot for worrying.”
“Are you kidding me?” he said incredulously. “It’s because you care so deeply that I fell for you.” He heard her faint gasp of surprise and almost smiled. That was definitely a conversation they needed to have soon. Things between them deserved some clarity, which he imagined had been in short supply the past few days with him steering clear of her, rather than turning to her for comfort.
“I’ll see you soon,” he told her. “We’re going to find everything is just fine when we get there.”
Despite the staunch words, though, he was a wreck for the next couple of hours until he could leave to pick up Laura. It took every ounce of restraint he possessed not to jump in his car and head straight over to the Dawsons. He did allow himself to make a quick call to Diana, who said Misty had emerged long enough to eat some soup. That was reassuring enough to get him through the rest of the afternoon.
Still, thoughts of Stevie were never far from mind. All those years ago, he’d managed to convince himself his brother was coping okay. He’d been so caught up in his own activities in high school, he’d left Stevie to fend for himself.