Meltdown: Chapter 1
| April 3, 2023“I apologize that this got so out of control,” he said softly. “Really, I wish it hadn’t ended like this”
The emergency phone was ringing. I felt my heart nosedive to my stomach. Chezky! Was something wrong with Chezky? Grabbing my purse, I fled the conference room, ignoring the steely stare of my supervisor. She got offended if any ringtone disturbed her meetings, let alone an ill-behaved underling who actually answered the phone call.
But it was the emergency phone. I fumbled for it at the bottom of my bag. Maybe it’s a telemarketer, I told my beating heart. It’s probably a wrong number, it’s probably—
“Hello? Mrs. Leibenson?” The principal didn’t even need to introduce himself. “Everything is under control” (professional doublespeak for everything is not fine) “but we need you to come down to the emergency room. Chezky is going to need stitches.”
“I’m coming! I’m coming. It’ll take me a half hour. I’ll be there.” I jammed the phone into my pocket and took off at a run. I hadn’t even asked what happened, the details didn’t matter. Chezky was hurt, and I had to get there. Quickly. Before things got worse.
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