Page 80 of The Forbidden Note

Harris is a small, unassuming man whose head barely tops his massive chair. The light bounces against his balding scalp, always with a sheen of sweat like his body knows he’s guilty and needs a way to express it.

“Have a seat, Miss Jamieson.” He points a crooked finger.

I fold myself into the chair and grip the handles. The room is unfamiliar to me. The walls are black and gold. Expensive artwork hang together in a sickening mash-up. Almost like the buyer chose by price tag rather than cohesion.

My eyes return to Harris and I shift in my seat. I’m uneasy. Uncomfortable. It’s one thing to see Harris at school events or during teachers’ meetings, but I’ve done my best to never end up alone in his office.

It’s not because I want to stay out of trouble.

It’s because seeing his face makes me think of Sloane.

The night she went missing, she got a phone call.

From Harris.

She took the call outside. I never heard what she said.

I only know she never came back.

Thinking of Sloane makes my heart scream in pain.

I close my eyes.

For a moment, I descend into the darkness.

Into sadness.

Regret.

Rage.

My fingers form tight fists and it takes a load of restraint to keep them at my sides.

Harris smiles at me. “This is our first one-on-one since your hiring interview, correct?”

I dip my chin.

“It feels like just yesterday you shuffled through those doors, slid your resume in front of our hiring committee and told us you wanted to give back to the school that changed your life.”

I bite down on my lip, hard.

“As you know, you’re the youngest teacher at Redwood Prep. Only a few years older than our seniors. Some would say, the age difference isn’t much at all.”

“Who would say that?” I interrupt him.

His lips curl up even more, edges hiking so high over his face he looks like the Joker.

I stare expectantly at him.

“The general public,” Harris says slowly.

I tilt my head. “Is the ‘general public’ the reason you called me into your office?”

Harris pauses, taking stock of me. I’ve tried my hardest not to be aggressive with him. In nearly a year at Redwood, I haven’t spoken in meetings or disagreed with any of his policies. When Cadence and Serena were in trouble, I fought him at every turn, while still remaining as docile and unassuming as possible.

He licks his lips, shifting in a way that reveals his displeasure. “Are you upset, Miss Jamieson?”

“Just trying to figure out why I’m here.”