She watched the principal head toward his desk, pausing beside Lisa to lay a comforting hand on her back. If she hadn’t been studying them so closely, Ginny would have missed the way he slid his hand down to the small of her back. The lingering touch made Ginny uncomfortable, and she couldn’t explain why.
Ginny stiffened in her chair at the look that passed between them. Innocently unaware of why it bothered her, she didn’t have time to wonder at it before the principal went behind his desk to stare at her aloofly.
“What just took place outside cannot go unpunished, Ginny. I expect to be receiving phone calls once Calvin and Evan arrive home. I’m going to have tell them that I took action to stop your dangerous behavior from continuing.”
Ginny pressed her lips together so tightly that the outside curled inward.
“To do that, I feel the best thing to ensure your behavior is better under control is for you to stay in the detention room next to mine, where I’ll keep an eye on you throughout the entire day. I will escort you personally to your foster mother’s car in the afternoon, and if, at any time, I feel you have not learned the lesson about what behavior is expected of you, I will extend your punishment until it does. Do I make myself clear?”
Ginny stared back unflinchingly at the censorship of their eyes. He was going to punish her?
Ginny lowed her head so he wouldn’t see the hatred pouring out of her for his lack of care that Calvin and Evan were tormenting Moses. It wasn’t fair, but Ginny had already learned a lesson much harder than the principal thought he was going to teach her.
Life wasn’t fair. It was like a river that was just there—no rhyme or reason. It didn’t have feelings, didn’t care that every living thing needed it to survive, yet it would share its wealth or be as stingy as a miser. It could turn on you indiscriminately, creating havoc at a moment’s notice, destroying lives and everything in its raging path. Exactly like the principal and her foster parents were trying to do to her.
The principal used his authority to squeeze her into a plastic mold that had no substance, like Lisa and Dalt. Pretty on the outside and hollow on the inside.
“Yes, sir.”
“You’re lucky, Ginny. Mr. Henderson could have expelled you for your behavior.”
Ginny cringed at the look Lisa gave her principal.
Seeing that she was watching them, his expression became even more foreboding, silently giving her a warning that she was unable to understand. “Get your backpack. I promise you, Mr. Henderson, her punishment will extend at home. I’m looking forward to working with you to get Ginny on track where she will be able to overcome a background that, I think both of us would say, has been sadly lacking in social graces.”
Ginny didn’t give Lisa the satisfaction of letting her see her wince when her hand went to Ginny’s shoulder, biting her nails into her skin. Reaching down for her backpack, she was relieved when Lisa released her shoulder to shake Mr. Henderson’s hand.
Following her foster mother from the office, Ginny knew that her polite attitude would change as soon she was alone with her. To her surprise, though, Lisa didn’t say anything to her once they were in the car, nor did she when they walked in the door of the house.
“Go to your room and get started on your homework. Pastor Dean is free this evening and wants to begin your tutoring sessions.”
Her stomach rumbled as she went up the steps. She was gradually learning to ignore the hunger pangs that she never had to deal with before. The kitchen was another room she was not allowed into. If she was hungry, then she would have to wait until mealtime. She was allowed to keep a glass to fill from the bathroom faucet in her room, but if Lisa came inside, as she periodically did during the day when she was home, and the glass wasn’t sitting on a coaster, she would take it. It had taken her being without for three days to ingrain that habit into her.
Taking her books out of her backpack, she started doing the homework that she hadn’t been able to finish during the day. No sooner had she started, Lisa came in to tell her it was time to go. She hadn’t even been able to start the work that needed to be completed at home. Despite how hard she tried, she was falling further behind.
Had Silas felt so sorry for her and checked her answers right even when they were wrong? Was Lisa right? Was she stupid? Her family had always made her feel like she was smart. Had it all been a lie to keep her from realizing the truth?