Nevertheless, she hadn’t anticipated that they would expel Jenna, which was what the principal demanded as soon as Nola sat down. “Just give me a few weeks until the custody hearing,” Nola said. “Then she’ll come live with me—”

The woman shook the mass of gray hair. “Every day there’s a problem. Yesterday, during recess, some girls were giggling—you know how twelve-year-old girls are. Full of secrets. Jenna thought they were ridiculing her. She flew into a rage, charged into them and hit and bit them. She left teeth marks! This morning I got calls from parents. Not for the first time, nor the tenth. They want her removed—and so do I.”

Nola bit her lip. “I’m sorry. I’ll speak to the doctor about her medication. Please help me find a way to keep her here without creating another interruption in her life.”

The principal looked at her for a long time.

Nola couldn’t even come up with a good argument to convince her. “Please,” she said. “Just a few more weeks.”

The woman nodded pensively. “I’ll try because it’s you. I respect how well you’ve done under the tragic circumstances.” She summoned one of the girls working in the office and introduced her as the captain of the high school cheerleading team. “Lauren is also a finalist in the New York State Spelling Bee.” She turned to the girl. “Would you keep an eye on Jenna? She’s excellent in English. Train her to become the next Spelling Bee Queen in her division.”

“Cool.” The girl’s awestruck gaze fixed on Nola. “I’ll hang around with her at recess. After school I can take her out for ice cream.”

Nola let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. I’ll pay, of course, for your time.”

Jenna stormed into the office but stopped short when she saw Nola. Her features squeezed together into the center of her face like a string

purse. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve come to pick you up. Remember? We had a date for a picnic at the estate—”

“I mean here, in this room.” Jenna stomped her foot.

“Jenna, honey.” Nola rose to put her arm around her, but Jenna pushed her away. Nola avoided meeting the principal’s eyes. “Lauren will help you practice for the Spelling Bee. Everyone thinks you have a chance at winning the championship.”

Jenna turned to the girl. “You’ll mock me with your popularity and perfect looks, and I’ll throw acid in your face.”