Chapter 346 - What Parents Do

Chapter 346: Chapter 346 - What Parents Do

By the time Coach Miller dragged them into Principal Gonzalez’s office, Angela had stopped crying.

Roxie almost preferred the crying.

Angela sat between her and Karen with both hands wrapped around her phone, staring at the floor while Principal Gonzalez spoke quietly with Coach Miller near the desk. Someone from the IT office was there too, along with the guidance counselor, and every few minutes another person came through the door with an update. 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

The school was moving fast.

It still felt useless.

Principal Gonzalez finally returned to her chair. "We’ve identified several of the senior group chats where the image was forwarded. Students are already being called in, and teachers have been instructed to report anyone who continues sharing it."

Karen leaned forward. "Can you tell who sent it first?"

"We’re tracing it."

Karen frowned. "So you still don’t know."

Coach Miller looked at her. "Karen."

"What? That’s what she said."

Principal Gonzalez rubbed her forehead. "We know who posted it in one of the senior chats. We still have to determine where that student received it."

Angela’s fingers tightened around her phone.

Roxie glanced at her. She had barely moved since they entered the office.

Principal Gonzalez noticed too, and her voice softened. "Angela, you can take your time. We only need you to answer what you can."

Angela finally looked up.

"Can you make them delete it?"

The room became quiet.

Principal Gonzalez hesitated before answering. "We can make students here stop forwarding it. We can take action against anyone we identify sharing it, and we can preserve everything for an investigation."

Angela swallowed. "But can you make everyone delete it?"

That hesitation came again.

Angela looked back down.

Roxie reached over and covered one of her hands. They all knew what happened once something reached the internet. Somebody could save it, hide it, send it again months later. None of them wanted to say that to Angela.

Angela probably already knew.

The office door opened.

"Angela."

Mrs. Hart came in so quickly that the secretary barely had time to step aside.

Angela looked up, and whatever she had been holding together disappeared.

"Mom."

Mrs. Hart crossed the room and pulled her daughter into her arms before Angela even managed to stand completely. Angela buried her face against her mother’s shoulder and started crying again.

"Oh, baby. Come here."

Mrs. Hart held the back of her head and kissed her hair while Angela clutched at her blouse.

Mr. Hart entered right behind her.

He stopped when he saw Angela crying.

Roxie watched his face change. He had come through the door looking furious, but seeing his daughter sobbing seemed to knock something out of him.

"Baby."

Angela lifted her face.

Mr. Hart crouched beside her and touched her cheek. "Did anybody touch you?"

She shook her head.

"Did anyone come up to you? Say anything?"

"N... no."

"Did somebody threaten you in person?"

Another shake.

He closed his eyes for a second before nodding. "Okay. You’re okay. We’re here now."

That only made Angela cry harder.

It was like hearing those words broke whatever she had been using to hold herself together. Mrs. Hart started crying too while she held her daughter, and even Mr. Hart’s eyes reddened as he watched Angela sob against her mother.

Roxie looked away for a second.

Something about seeing all three of them hurting together felt painfully intimate.

Mr. Hart finally looked toward Principal Gonzalez. "Can somebody tell me what happened?"

His voice sounded calm enough, but Roxie could hear how forced it was.

Principal Gonzalez explained what they knew, and Mr. Hart listened.

At first.

Then his fingers slowly curled against his knee.

"So..." He stopped and rubbed one hand across his mouth. "You still don’t know who sent it."

"We’re tracing the source."

He stared at her.

Angela reached for his sleeve. "Dad."

He looked at her immediately.

She shook her head.

His shoulders dropped slightly. "I’m okay."

"You’re mad."

A breath left him that almost sounded like a laugh. "Yeah. I’m mad."

"Please."

"I know." He covered her hand with his. "I know, sweetheart. I’m trying."

Mrs. Hart looked toward Principal Gonzalez. "How many students have the picture?"

"We can’t give you an exact number."

Mr. Hart closed his eyes again.

Nobody spoke for several seconds.

Then he looked toward Principal Gonzalez. "My daughter’s picture is being passed around this school and we have no idea how many people have it."

"We’re doing everything we can to contain it."

He looked away.

Angela still had hold of his sleeve, and Mr. Hart glanced down at her hand before speaking again.

"What happens to the students who shared it?"

"They’ll be dealt with according to school policy once we establish their involvement."

He nodded slowly, then rubbed his jaw.

"If there was any point where this school could have stopped this and somebody ignored it..." He paused and breathed through his nose. "I’m calling our lawyer."

"Dad."

"I’m telling them now."

Angela covered her face.

Mr. Hart immediately softened. "Sweetheart."

"You’re making it scarier."

He went quiet.

Angela wiped her eyes. "Everybody keeps talking about lawyers and police and investigations and... I just want it gone."

Mr. Hart stared at her, and the anger slowly drained from his face.

"I know."

"You can’t make it go away."

His mouth tightened. "No."

Angela looked down.

Mr. Hart moved his chair closer and took her hand. "I wish I could."

Roxie watched him struggle for another few seconds before he finally admitted, "I don’t know what I’m supposed to do right now."

That hit harder than the threat about lawyers.

Mrs. Hart touched his shoulder before looking back at Angela. "We’ll figure it out."

Angela leaned into her mother again.

Roxie looked at the three of them and felt something twist quietly inside her chest.

This was what parents were supposed to look like when their kid was hurt.

They came.

Her mother held her like letting go was impossible. Her father looked ready to tear apart half the school because somebody humiliated his daughter, yet every time Angela asked him to calm down, he tried.

There was no embarrassment in either of their faces when they looked at Angela.

Roxie hated the tiny ache that came with watching them. It brought back memories of Claire she had spent enough time trying to bury.

She pushed them away.

Angela needed her parents right now.

The IT staff member opened his laptop. "Angela, I need to ask a few questions about the original photo so we can narrow down where it may have been accessed."

Angela stayed close to her mother. "Okay."

"Was the picture taken on this phone?"

"Yeah."

"Was it ever uploaded anywhere?"

Angela shook her head.

"Sent through an app?"

She hesitated.

"To Caleb."

The IT staff member typed something. "Your boyfriend?"

"Yeah."

"Anyone else?"

"N... no."

"You’re sure?"

Angela nodded quickly.

Mrs. Hart squeezed her hand.

The IT staff member looked at the screen again. "Were there other photos like this sent to him?"

Angela’s face turned red.

Karen shifted beside Roxie.

Angela stared at the floor. "A few."

Mr. Hart looked uncomfortable for half a second, then deliberately turned his attention toward the window.

The IT staff member kept typing.

"Why were you sending pictures like that?"

Roxie’s head snapped toward him.

What the fuck?

Angela went completely still.

Karen spoke first. "What?"

The IT staff member looked up. "I’m trying to establish context."

"That sounded like victim blaming."

"I’m asking why the photos were sent."

"And how does that help you figure out who stole them?" Karen asked. Her voice sharpened. "Watch your fucking mouth."

"Karen," Coach Miller said, though even his expression had tightened.

Roxie leaned forward. "She already told you who she sent them to."

The IT staff member looked between them. "I’m trying to determine whether there may have been other circumstances where someone could access them."

"Then ask that," Karen said.

Mr. Hart had gone silent.

Roxie looked at him.

He slowly lifted his head. "Say that again."

The IT staff member paused. "Sir, I phrased the question badly."

"My daughter is sitting here because someone took a private picture and sent it around this school." Mr. Hart stopped, glanced at Angela and visibly forced himself to lower his voice. "She doesn’t need to explain why she trusted her boyfriend."

Angela’s eyes filled again.

Mrs. Hart immediately pulled her closer. "Sweetheart, look at me."

Angela reluctantly did.

"You trusted someone you love."

Angela’s mouth trembled.

Mrs. Hart wiped beneath her eye with her thumb. "That’s it. You trusted him."

"I sent it."

"I know."

"I shouldn’t have."

Mrs. Hart shook her head and held Angela’s face gently. "No, baby. Somebody took something you trusted them with and used it to hurt you. That part belongs to whoever did this."

Angela started crying again.

Mr. Hart reached for her other hand. "Your mom’s right."

Roxie looked away for a moment because the whole thing was bullshit.

Angela was sitting there humiliated while someone asked why she had sent a private picture to her boyfriend. She had already spent the entire day terrified that everyone was judging her, and now an adult had managed to make the exact thought she was probably fighting sound reasonable.

Karen crossed her arms and kept staring at the IT staff member.

He cleared his throat. "Angela, I’m sorry. That question came out wrong."

Angela gave the smallest nod.

Principal Gonzalez looked toward him. "Keep the questions focused on access and distribution."

He nodded.

The room settled again.

After a moment he asked, "Do you know if Caleb still has the original photo?"

Angela shook her head. "I never asked him to delete it."

"Can we contact him?"

"He’s in Europe. His grandma is sick."

Mr. Hart frowned. "He still hasn’t answered?"

Angela shook her head.

"N... no. I tried."

Her father’s expression changed, but he caught himself before saying anything.

"Okay."

Angela looked at him quickly. "He wouldn’t do this."

Mr. Hart held her gaze.

"He wouldn’t."

"I heard you."

"He loves me."

Mr. Hart squeezed her hand. "Okay."

Angela stared at him, almost waiting for him to argue.

He sighed. "I’m calling his parents because somebody got the picture from somewhere. Maybe somebody got into his phone. Maybe something happened over there. I’m asking questions. That’s all."

Angela slowly nodded.

Mrs. Hart stroked her hair. "We figure it out together."

Principal Gonzalez kept them in the office for another hour while the school continued dealing with the spread. Students were called in one after another, teachers kept sending updates, and Coach Miller looked angrier every time somebody knocked on the door.

By the time Angela’s parents decided to take her home, Angela looked exhausted.

Mrs. Hart stood near the door and looked at Roxie and Karen. "Girls, would you stay tonight?"

Angela looked at them.

Roxie answered immediately. "Yeah."

Karen nodded. "Of course."

Mrs. Hart looked relieved. "Thank you. Call your parents from our house. I can explain everything."

Angela gave them a tired little smile.

That was enough.

Roxie texted Zac while they left through the administration side entrance.

Staying at Angela’s tonight.

His reply came almost immediately.

Okay. Call me if you need anything.

Angela’s house was only about fifteen minutes from Briarwick, tucked inside one of those neighborhoods where every lawn looked professionally maintained and every driveway seemed big enough for three cars.

Roxie had been there plenty of times before.

The size still got her.

Angela’s bedroom alone was probably almost as big as Roxie’s entire bungalow. The room was painfully Angela, with pink curtains, pink throw pillows, a white bed covered in stuffed animals, framed cheer pictures across one wall and a vanity crowded with makeup and perfume. Even the rug was pink.

Karen dropped her bag beside the dresser. "I forgot how aggressively pink this room is."

Angela sat on the edge of the bed. "It’s cute."

"It looks like Barbie exploded or a unicorn vomited."

Angela gave her a tired glare.

Roxie laughed and lowered herself carefully beside her, stretching her braced ankle across the mattress.

She had spent enough nights in this room that everything felt familiar. Movie nights, exam weeks, sleepovers after games, Angela forcing them to use face masks that burned Roxie’s skin while insisting that meant they were working.

Tonight the room looked exactly the same.

Angela looked different.

She had changed into loose pajama pants and an oversized pink shirt almost immediately after getting home. Her hair was tied into a messy bun, and she had washed off the thick concealer from earlier, leaving the dark circles underneath fully visible.

Her phone stayed facedown on the nightstand.

Karen was scrolling through food delivery options when the bedroom door opened.

Angela’s older brother, Kurt, walked in carrying a plastic grocery bag.

Angela looked up, and her eyes immediately filled again.

"Kurt."

Kurt’s expression changed the moment he saw her. He dropped the bag beside the bed and opened his arms.

Angela went straight into them.

He held her tightly while another sob broke from her, one hand moving slowly over the back of her head.

"Hey. Hey, it’s okay."

Angela buried her face against his chest.

Kurt looked over her head toward Roxie and Karen and gave them a small nod before focusing on his sister again.

"You’re going to be okay."

Angela only cried harder.

"I mean it." He kissed the top of her head. "You’re going to be okay."

Roxie felt something uncomfortable move through her chest again.

Parents who came running.

A brother who walked into the room carrying junk food and immediately opened his arms because his sister was crying.

So this was what family could look like.

No wonder Angela had always seemed so comfortable loving people. She had spent her whole life being loved like this.

Roxie looked away and caught Karen staring at the siblings too. Karen had no siblings, and the two of them had always been weirdly fascinated by Angela and Kurt’s relationship whenever they stayed here.

Kurt finally pulled back and wiped Angela’s cheeks with his thumbs.

"I brought stuff."

Angela sniffed. "What stuff?"

He picked up the grocery bag and emptied it across the bed.

Chocolate bars, gummy candy, two bags of chips, soda and a small stuffed bear holding a heart spilled around Angela.

Karen immediately reached for the chocolate.

Kurt pointed at her. "That’s for my sister."

"I’m emotionally supporting your sister."

"That doesn’t include stealing her food."

Angela laughed through her tears.

Kurt smiled immediately.

There it was.

Roxie realized that had probably been the entire point.

Kurt looked at Roxie and Karen. "Thanks for staying with her."

Roxie nodded. "Yeah."

Karen held up the chocolate. "Anytime."

"Put that down."

Karen reluctantly returned it.

Kurt leaned down and kissed Angela’s forehead before heading toward the door. "I’m downstairs if you need me."

Angela nodded.

He stopped at the door and looked back at her. "And if somebody bothers you tomorrow, tell me."

Angela wiped beneath her eyes. "What are you going to do?"

"I’ll figure that out when you tell me."

"Kurt."

"I’m serious."

She gave him a tiny smile. "Okay."

He left.

For a few minutes after that, it almost felt like one of their normal sleepovers.

Roxie finally relaxed against the pillows while Karen stole the chocolate the second Kurt was far enough away.

Angela slapped her hand weakly. "He literally told you."

"He’s gone."

"You’re horrible."

Karen broke off a piece and handed it to her. "Eat."

Angela did.

Then she picked up her phone.

The mood changed again.

Roxie watched her unlock it. "Anything?"

Angela scrolled briefly before shaking her head.

"Caleb?"

Another shake.

Roxie hated how quickly Angela tried to hide the disappointment.

Karen leaned against the headboard. "Stay home tomorrow."

Angela looked at her. "Why?"

Karen stared. "Angela."

"I’m going."

Roxie sat up slightly. "You can take a day."

Angela shook her head. "I’ll just sit here thinking about what everybody is saying."

Karen frowned. "Going there means you might actually hear it."

"Then so be it." Even saying it made Angela’s voice tremble.

Roxie watched her fingers tighten around the bottom of the oversized shirt. "You can give yourself one day," she said. "We can stay here with you."

"And then what?" Angela looked between them. "I go back Friday? Monday? Next week? Everybody already saw it."

The room went quiet.

Angela looked down at herself, at the oversized shirt covering almost everything.

"I can’t stay in here until graduation."

Karen’s expression softened.

Angela glanced toward the cheer pictures covering one wall. "I’m going tomorrow."

Roxie and Karen exchanged a look.

Neither pushed again.

Angela reached for one of Kurt’s chocolate bars and started opening it.

"Besides," she said with a small smile, "we’re National Champions. I have a reputation."

Karen rolled her eyes. "Ofcourse."

Angela smiled wider.

Roxie smiled too, even though something about the smile felt fragile.