Chapter 16 - The Extension
The three-year agreement would have tied Easton High to Harper Dining long after the current controversy faded. Its termination clause required a penalty larger than the school nutrition department's annual discretionary budget.
Ruiz referred the contract to outside counsel. The school board placed Principal Merritt on administrative leave pending a review of her conduct and records. An interim principal, Ms. Bell, met with students before making any promises.
"You shouldn't have to guess whether lunch is available," she told them. "We'll post the rules and the actual service schedule each Friday."
Emma liked that she didn't mention heroism.
Olivia was removed from cheer captain duties and assigned a suspension under the school's conduct policy. A separate panel considered the targeted harassment. She would receive credit for her classes, but no special exception because of her father's position.
For the first time in months, Emma sat through lunch without someone filming her. Maya traded half a peach for Emma's last cookie. Nia came over carrying her camera, switched off.
"Can I sit?" she asked.
"Always," Maya answered.
Then the local paper published a photograph of Grant beside Jonah Pike under a headline about donor oversight failures. Some readers accused Grant of buying influence while failing to supervise his own funds. He didn't argue with the underlying criticism.
"We didn't check enough," he told Emma. "There is no excuse for that."
"You can't fix every institution," she said.
"No. But I can stop pretending I did."
The independent audit identified two hundred eighteen thousand dollars in disputed contractor payments and more in improperly charged meal balances. The accountant would not call the whole amount stolen until transactions were reconciled.
At dusk, Mrs. Ortiz phoned Maya. Her workplace attorney had received a proposed settlement offering back pay if she signed a confidentiality agreement.
"Are you taking it?" Maya asked.
May you like
Her mother's answer was quiet.
"Not if it means every other cashier has to keep lying."
