darker_london | Renee - suspicions at school

Home room was a boring affair as always. Renee really didn't see the point of it. File in, take five minutes to go through whatever banal announcements needed to be made - hardly ever anything that concerned her - take the role, then march off to their first class. What did they really do in home room that they couldn't just do in their first classroom? It all seemed rather silly. Just cut out the middleman already.

"Renee, may I have a word with you?"

Renee said nothing as she turned around to face the teacher, but obliged him by slowly re-entering the room and sitting down on a desk in front of him. Mr. McKenzie was a nice enough teacher. She quite liked him. He was usually jovial, and had the open, friendly features of a man who was chosen to be the school Santa Clause every Christmas. He clasped his hands together, then laid them down flat on his knees. It was odd to see him fidgety and nervous. What was going on?

"Renee. I just wanted to touch base and... see how things were going with you."

Renee gave the man a quizzical look. Where was he going with this? "What do you mean?"

"Well, how are you? Is everything okay at school? At home?"

Renee shrugged. "I have nothing to complain about. Has there been something unsatisfactory about my performance?"

"Well, you've certainly missed more classes recently than I would like, but that's not really what has me concerned." He consulted some papers that were clipped into his binder behind the role. "I see here you've recently moved back into your parents' house after living on Victoria Lane... may I ask why?"

"Personal reasons," Renee said without missing a beat.

"I see," Mr. McKenzie replied with a slight grimace. He sighed and looked Renee in the eye. This was never a pleasant subject to have to approach. "Now, Renee, I don't know what you might think of me. You may well think of me as an old fuddy-duddy who really isn't of very much use to you. And that's okay. You're entitled to your opinion. But I do have a reasonably functional pair of eyes set into this ugly old head of mine, and I do see things. Is there anything you would like to tell me about those marks on your neck?"

"No. There is not."

The teacher sighed heavily. Students in this situation never cooperated at first. "Renee, I'm only asking you these questions because I'm concerned about your safety. It seems to be quite a coincidence that these marks have appeared so soon after your moving back home. Now, would I be wrong in saying that these things might be related?"

Renee shifted uncomfortably. She didn't know where this was going, but wherever it was, she didn't like it. "I was mugged. I was walking home, and I was attacked. My friend Pierre heard me scream, and fought off my assailant. I never saw his face, and Pierre was too involved in the fight to remember." She knew this cover story by heart. Goddess knew she had recited it enough times to her family and acquaintances at Regents who didn't need to know the truth.

"I see... Would I be able to speak to Pierre about this?"

Renee shook her head. "No. He is leaving for France today."

"Of course he is. Renee, I want you to know that if you are under any sort of duress... if there is something you aren't telling me because you're afraid something bad will happen, then you needn't be. Your safety is my top priority, and the paramount concern of Regents Park Secondary College. Do you understand?"

"Oui." She made a show of ostentatiously checking the time on the clock above the teacher's head. "Is that all? I shall be late to class if I am kept much longer."

"I'd like you to see the school councilor tomorrow during your spare period, Renee." At her incensed expression, he quickly added, "It's just for a chat. I am required by law to refer you to the councilor. Just sit down with a nice cup of tea, tell him whatever you think you need to, and that will be that. If there really is nothing wrong, then there will be no need for a follow-up, will there?"

Renee glared at the teacher, but had no choice but to nod her acquiescence.

"There's a good girl," Mr. McKenzie smiled. "You'd best hurry to your class. You don't want to keep the other young drama stars waiting."

Renee gave the man a frosty smile and quickly left the room, glaring daggers at anyone who made the mistake of getting in her path on the way to drama.