Sutton ’ s resolve remained strong. She was going to f ind out why Hillary Greyson stopped going to school.
“ So what did Hillary tell you about being bullied? ”
“ There ’ s a group of girls who were picking on her...you know, typical teen girl bullshit, they ’ re jealous of her is all. ”
“ What precisely did Hillary say they did or said to her to make her so upset that she no longer want s to go to school? ”
“ They call her names, you know, like slut, bitch, whore.... ”
“ Have they hurt her physically? ”
“ No, not like that. ”
“ How many girls have been bullying her? ”
“ Three or four. ”
“ What are their names? ”
“ I don ’ t know...that ’ s not relevant. ”
“ It ’ s very relevant, Mr. Greyson, if you claim Hillary ’ s being bullied so badly that she doesn ’ t want to attend school any more . Any reasonable parent would go to the school immediately and get to the bottom of it. ”
“ Yeah, well, I think Kathy tried that early on and —”
“ Kathy? You mean your wife who had no clue that Hillary is allegedly being bullied? ”
Michael ’ s face burned red with embarrassment and anger.
“ Look, we ’re private people we deal with things our way. ”
“ Do you know that truancy is against the law? You could be in a lot of trouble, Mr. Greyson. ”
“ Bullshit! We ’ ll deal with —”
“ Where ’ s Hillary? I have to speak with her. ”
Michael went from angry to nervous. He swallowed hard then bit his lower lip.
After hesitating, he replied, “ she ’ s not home. ”
It was an obvious lie.
“ Oh? ” Mrs. Sutton challenged, “ Then where is she? ”
Kathy returned carrying a silver-toned tray with a cup of coffee, a sugar bowl, a creamer and a spoon. She set th e tray upon the coffee table.
“W here ’ s Hillary? ” Mrs. Sutton asked Kathy.
“ At the library, ” Michael quickly replied.
Kathy frowned.
“ I was asking Mrs. Greyson, ” Mrs. Sutton sternly responded.
“ Mrs. Greyson is going to bring me a cup of coffee, ” Michael said sharply.
Kathy turned to leave.
“ Just one second, Mrs. Greyson, is Hillary —”
“ I already told you Hillary is at the library! ” Michael erupted. He stood up and glared down at Mrs. Sutton.
“ You need to leave now, ” he said angrily.
“ I ’ m not done yet, ” she replied calmly, meeting his glare with her own icy stare. “ Unless, of course, you ’ d like to get the police involved. ”
Michael fell for her bluff; there was no way he wanted police involvement. He fell back onto the couch. Kathy started slowly walking back to the kitchen.
“ Mrs. Greyson, why don ’ t you join us? ” Mrs. Sutton asked.
Torn between obeying her husband and Mrs. Sutton ’ s suggestion, Kathy froze in place for a few seconds before returning to the couch. She sat with her head lowered, clearly uncomfortable with being placed in the middle.
“ Where ’ s Hillary? ” Mrs. Sutton asked her sternly.
“ At the library, ” Michael chimed in.
“ I ’ m not asking you, ” Mrs. Sutton responded, clearly annoyed. “ I was talking to Mrs. Greyson. ”
“ S-she ’ s at the library, ” Kathy stammered nervously.
“ So if I go upstairs, I won ’ t find her? ”
Michael abruptly stood up.
“ You ’ re not going upstairs, ” he yelled, “ get out, we ’ ve answered enough questions. ”
“ Mr. Greyson, I —”
“ Get out , his voice boomed, “ Hillary will be at school tomorrow. ”
Mrs. Sutton stood up. She glared bitterly at Michael before turning her attention to Kathy.
“ If you ever need to talk, Mrs. Greyson —”
“ Out! ” Michael bellowed and Mrs. Sutton clung to her pad of paper tightly as she made her way to the door.
Michael followed behind her. Just before leaving, she turned to him and said, “ I ’ ll find out what ’ s going on here. ”
Without waiting for a response, she let herself out of the home, slamming the door behind her.
Kathy
“ So what did Hillary tell you about being bullied? ”
“ There ’ s a group of girls who were picking on her...you know, typical teen girl bullshit, they ’ re jealous of her is all. ”
“ What precisely did Hillary say they did or said to her to make her so upset that she no longer want s to go to school? ”
“ They call her names, you know, like slut, bitch, whore.... ”
“ Have they hurt her physically? ”
“ No, not like that. ”
“ How many girls have been bullying her? ”
“ Three or four. ”
“ What are their names? ”
“ I don ’ t know...that ’ s not relevant. ”
“ It ’ s very relevant, Mr. Greyson, if you claim Hillary ’ s being bullied so badly that she doesn ’ t want to attend school any more . Any reasonable parent would go to the school immediately and get to the bottom of it. ”
“ Yeah, well, I think Kathy tried that early on and —”
“ Kathy? You mean your wife who had no clue that Hillary is allegedly being bullied? ”
Michael ’ s face burned red with embarrassment and anger.
“ Look, we ’re private people we deal with things our way. ”
“ Do you know that truancy is against the law? You could be in a lot of trouble, Mr. Greyson. ”
“ Bullshit! We ’ ll deal with —”
“ Where ’ s Hillary? I have to speak with her. ”
Michael went from angry to nervous. He swallowed hard then bit his lower lip.
After hesitating, he replied, “ she ’ s not home. ”
It was an obvious lie.
“ Oh? ” Mrs. Sutton challenged, “ Then where is she? ”
Kathy returned carrying a silver-toned tray with a cup of coffee, a sugar bowl, a creamer and a spoon. She set th e tray upon the coffee table.
“W here ’ s Hillary? ” Mrs. Sutton asked Kathy.
“ At the library, ” Michael quickly replied.
Kathy frowned.
“ I was asking Mrs. Greyson, ” Mrs. Sutton sternly responded.
“ Mrs. Greyson is going to bring me a cup of coffee, ” Michael said sharply.
Kathy turned to leave.
“ Just one second, Mrs. Greyson, is Hillary —”
“ I already told you Hillary is at the library! ” Michael erupted. He stood up and glared down at Mrs. Sutton.
“ You need to leave now, ” he said angrily.
“ I ’ m not done yet, ” she replied calmly, meeting his glare with her own icy stare. “ Unless, of course, you ’ d like to get the police involved. ”
Michael fell for her bluff; there was no way he wanted police involvement. He fell back onto the couch. Kathy started slowly walking back to the kitchen.
“ Mrs. Greyson, why don ’ t you join us? ” Mrs. Sutton asked.
Torn between obeying her husband and Mrs. Sutton ’ s suggestion, Kathy froze in place for a few seconds before returning to the couch. She sat with her head lowered, clearly uncomfortable with being placed in the middle.
“ Where ’ s Hillary? ” Mrs. Sutton asked her sternly.
“ At the library, ” Michael chimed in.
“ I ’ m not asking you, ” Mrs. Sutton responded, clearly annoyed. “ I was talking to Mrs. Greyson. ”
“ S-she ’ s at the library, ” Kathy stammered nervously.
“ So if I go upstairs, I won ’ t find her? ”
Michael abruptly stood up.
“ You ’ re not going upstairs, ” he yelled, “ get out, we ’ ve answered enough questions. ”
“ Mr. Greyson, I —”
“ Get out , his voice boomed, “ Hillary will be at school tomorrow. ”
Mrs. Sutton stood up. She glared bitterly at Michael before turning her attention to Kathy.
“ If you ever need to talk, Mrs. Greyson —”
“ Out! ” Michael bellowed and Mrs. Sutton clung to her pad of paper tightly as she made her way to the door.
Michael followed behind her. Just before leaving, she turned to him and said, “ I ’ ll find out what ’ s going on here. ”
Without waiting for a response, she let herself out of the home, slamming the door behind her.
Kathy
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