“Get some rest,” I told her.
She nodded and disappeared back into her room.
Less than an hour later, my phone rang.
I looked at the screen.
It was Maya’s principal.
Principal Patel.
My stomach tightened immediately.
I answered.
“Hello?”
“Is Maya home with you?”
Something in his voice made me sit up straight.
“Yes. Why? What’s going on?”
“I need you to come to the school as soon as possible.”
My heart started pounding.
“Why? What happened?”
There was a brief pause.
Then he said:
“It’s better if you see it for yourself.”
I waited.
“I need you to see what we found in her locker.”
My mind immediately went to the worst possible places.
Drugs.
A weapon.
Something dangerous.
Something involving another student.
Something my daughter had been too frightened to tell me.
I grabbed my keys.
The drive to the school felt endless.
Every red light seemed to last forever.
