off-site sports facilities we can bus the jocks to after school.”
My head was swimming. What was happening?
“You’ve already had plans drawn up?” Lena asked.
“Not yet,” Kent Buckley said. “This image is from the website of the company we’ll hire. They used to be a defense contractor, but now they build schools. And great news: I’m an investor, so I can get them for cheap.”
“Has this—been approved by the board?” Carlos asked.
But Kent Buckley shook his head. “The board is excited. I’ve got all the board approval I need. We will be a go.”
That’s when I stood up.
Just … stood.
Kent Buckley turned in my direction. “Librarian,” he said, pointing at me. “Question.”
But my question was not for Kent Buckley. I turned and scanned for Babette.
She was at the back of the room.
“Babette,” I said. “Can you do me a favor and shut this guy up?”
There were gasps around the room.
Babette met my eyes, but she didn’t move.
I took a few steps closer. “I mean, don’t you feel like we’ve all had to put up with enough bullshit this year?” I looked around at the room. “Is there anybody in this room who wants to hear this dude waste any more of our time? I mean, there’s no way we’re doing this. We’re not selling our beautiful, historic building so that we can move to a sensory deprivation chamber.” I looked around. “None of this is happening. Why let him keep talking?”
Mrs. Kline was staring at me like I’d lost my mind—and was about to lose my job, too.
I came to a stop next to Babette. “It’s time to shut this down, don’t you think?”
But Babette looked at me through her glasses and then—just barely—shook her head.
But I didn’t understand. I leaned in closer. “What are you waiting for?” I whispered. “Fire him.”
But Babette just gave that same, imperceptible head shake again—and then, from her expression, I knew.
I took her hand, squatted down next to her, and very softly I said, “You can’t really fire him, can you?”
Her eyes had tears in them now. Just barely, she shook her head.
“But you told me you could because…?”
“Because I knew Duncan would only believe it if you believed it. And you are a terrible liar.”
I nodded. I kissed her on the cheek. I gave her a little hug. And then I turned around, and I marched right out of the room.
* * *
I didn’t even know where I was going. I charged my way through the courtyard, and shoved the school gates open. I didn’t even have my purse with me. I was so angry, it was like rocket fuel. I needed to move or it would burn me up.
I hadn’t even finished listening to Kent Buckley’s plan. I didn’t even know if there was a way to fight it. I didn’t know if this was a done deal or a foregone conclusion or what.
But that wasn’t the point.
The point was Duncan.
The point was he’d been in some kind of cahoots with Kent Buckley this whole time. He’d been hanging out with me—acting like a friend—when all the time he’d been working with the enemy. He’d been helping Kent Buckley sell the school? Of all the worst-case scenarios I’d pictured, this wasn’t even in the running. I’d thought we’d cured him. I thought we’d solved it. I thought the threat was over.
Apparently not.
I was two blocks from the seawall when I heard running feet behind me.
“Sam! Wait!” It was Duncan.
I did not wait.
The sun had gone down. It was dark. I kept moving.
“Sam!”
I knew Duncan’s legs were longer than mine, and I knew he’d eventually catch up with me, but I sure as shit wasn’t going to make it easy for him.
I didn’t even know where I was going. I was just … going.
When Duncan finally caught up with me, I wouldn’t slow, and I wouldn’t look at him, and I wouldn’t wipe the tears off my face. What I would do was yell: “Are you kidding me right now? You’ve been in cahoots with Kent Buckley this whole time? You’ve been eating Babette’s food, and hanging out with me, and bonding with the teachers—letting us all like you, and root for you, and help you—and you’ve been some kind of enemy spy all along—for Kent Buckley? Of all the douchebags in the history of douchebags—that guy? Really?”
These weren’t even questions that needed answers. I was just talking. Just making noise. Just attaching words to the primal yelling.
But Duncan tried to respond. “No! No.