Page 85 of Punked By the Playmaker
No, he didn’t really mean that. Clearly, he wasn’t thinking straight in the heat of the moment.
Austin pushed his broken glasses up the bridge of his nose, only for them to slide back down again. “There’s this eighth grader, Caden Masters, who thinks the only way to look cool is by putting down others. His group of friends thinks it’s hilarious and cheers him on. Today, he set his sights on Maisie.”
Voice going lethal, my husband asked, “What did he do?”
Rage flickered in Austin’s eyes. “He said it was no wonder she’d been put up for adoption because not even a mother could love a cripple.”
I sucked in a sharp breath, unable to contain my shock that someone could say something so heinous to the sweetest girl I’d ever had the pleasure of knowing. Maisie was always so upbeat;she never complained, never let the fact that she had a disability get her down.
Fists clenched and nostrils flaring, Levi gritted out, “Tell me you knocked his fucking teeth out.”
A humph sounded from Principal Jacobs. “The other student suffered a broken nose and has been taken to the nearest emergency room. His parents have already warned that they plan to pursue legal action.”
Sarcastic laughter fell from my husband’s lips. “Tell them good luck pressing charges when their kid provoked the fight.”
When I placed a hand on Levi’s arm, he flinched away from my touch. That’s how tightly he was wound.
Softly, I said, “I’m going to get Maisie, okay?”
With a stiff nod, he agreed. “Okay.”
Turning my attention to the secretary, I asked, “Which bathroom?”
The woman behind the desk pointed to the hallway straight ahead. “The one next to the auditorium.”
Having been here only a week or so ago for the school dance, I knew exactly where it was located. My heels clicked on the polished flooring as I hastened toward the bathroom where the girl who’d quickly stolen my heart was hurting.
She didn’t deserve to have someone treat her like that. No one did.
When I reached my destination, I pushed inside, only to be met with the sound of Maisie’s quiet sobs, and my heart fractured.
There was a woman with her hand placed on a closed stall, speaking in a soothing tone. “Maisie, I want to help, but I can’t do that if you don’t unlock the door and come out.”
“I’ll take it from here,” I announced.
Having heard my voice, there was a whisper-quiet “Arizona?”
“Yeah, it’s me, honey.”
The lock disengaged, and the metal door swung open to reveal Maisie’s tear-streaked face. Then she was a blur of motion, almost knocking me off my feet as she barreled into me, banding her arms around my waist.
I held her tight, murmuring against the top of her head, “I’m so sorry.”
She blinked up at me with glassy eyes. “Is Austin in trouble?”
My chest lifted on a sigh. “Probably.”
“It’s all my fault,” she wailed.
“No, sweetheart.” I smoothed a hand over her hair. “You didn’t make that boy say those terrible things, and while I don’t agree with Austin thinking violence was the solution, I can’t be mad about him defending you.”
“B-b-but what if he gets kicked out of school?”
“You let me and Levi worry about that, okay?”
Her big brown eyes grew wide. “Is Levi here?”
“Mm-hmm. He’s in the office with Austin. Why don’t you grab your backpack, and then I’ll take you to see him.”
