Page 20 of For Your Own Good

“Sorry,” he says, rushing to sit down. A few people glance up, but at least no one gives him a dirty look. Some of the parents get pretty upset about tardiness.

The meeting is in one of the classrooms at Belmont. Ingrid Ross standsat the front, right next to the smartboard. Mrs.Ross, as Zach calls her. He’s known her as long as he’s known Courtney.

“As I was saying, you all know how long this process has taken. The memorial statue is something that has been talked and debated about for years, but I think we’ve finally accomplished our goal.” She stops to smile at everyone. “After so many attempts, so many versions we’ve considered and eliminated, I present to you the final statue. Or at least a picture of it.”

Mrs.Ross taps the board.

A bronze rock appears.

That’s all it is: a big rock. This is the end result. Most ideas were rejected because they were considered offensive or inappropriate. Angels were not inclusive. A bust of the headmaster could be misconstrued as glorifying suicide. Anything resembling a wall was too derivative. The list went on and on until someone said it should be a big bronze (plated) rock.

A symbol of strength and permanence. A symbol of Belmont.

At the bottom, a small plaque saysbelmont forever.Beneath that is the name of the headmaster who killed himself, along with the year he died.

“It’s lovely,” someone says.

Zach nods. He’s afraid to open his mouth, because he might laugh. It’s taken Belmont years to come up with arock.

Mrs.Ross waits for any further comments. There are none. “The statue will be unveiled by the headmaster at the end of the ceremony, followed by the official pictures.” She smiles at the group, teeth on full display. “It looks like we’ve finally done it. Thank you all for your hard work on this. I know this has been a very long road.”

A smattering of applause ripples through the room.

Next up is the pedestal for the rock, which was only slightly less controversial than the statue. The final design is very plain, and no one should have a problem with it. Zach certainly doesn’t.

When the meeting is over, he fantasizes about getting out of there before anyone corners him into a conversation. Of course he won’t. He never leaves without saying goodbye to everyone. It’s part of the protocol.

And now, Ingrid Ross is standing right in front of him.

“Hello, Mrs.Ross,” he says.

“Good evening, Zach. Am I remembering this right, or did you miss the last meeting?”

“Yes. I’m so sorry. I had an assignment to finish.” He stops, waiting for her to say something. When she doesn’t, he keeps talking, to fill the air. “This is going to be quite an event. It’s great to be a part of it.”

She smiles, the skin crinkling around her eyes. “No doubt it will look good on your college applications as well.”

It sounds like an accusation. He nods, unsure of the proper response.

“Still planning on Princeton?” she asks.

“Hope so. It’s my top choice.”

“Courtney’s applying for Early Action to Yale. I’m sure you know she’s always wanted to go there.”

Nothing about that statement is true. Courtney wants to go out West, far away from her mother. Doesn’t matter if it’s Stanford or Berkeley or even UC Santa Cruz, just as long as she’s on the opposite coast. “She’s mentioned it a few times,” Zach says.

“I’m sure she has.”

“It’s been nice to see you, Mrs.Ross. Next meeting is in a week?”

“That’s right.”

Zach smiles and walks away, forcing himself to nod and smile and say goodbye to everyone. When he finally gets out of that room, he feels like collapsing. It’s hard to pretend to like people you hate. Well, maybe nothate. But something close.

By the time he gets home, Courtney has texted.

My mom said she saw you. Princeton??