"You told me before there are legal aid attorneys now—ones who help people from the countryside with lawsuits. That's real, right?"
"Good. Let me get the number down. People like us, out here on our own, when somebody tries to pin something on you—you've got to have somewhere to make your case, right?"
The moment I finished, a crash came from inside the room.
I ended the call and pushed the door open.
Advisor Chavez's face was drained of color. The cup beside her hand had tipped over, and she hadn't even bothered to wipe up the spill.
That overbearing posture from moments ago had vanished completely.
She'd pushed for a private settlement because she was afraid of the matter escalating.
But it never crossed her mind that some hick from the mountains would actually go looking for a lawyer.
When she saw me walk back in, she forced an awkward smile.
"Rebecca—you're back? Sit, sit, sit down."
"About all that… ahem, I got a little heated earlier, that's all."
"I'll take care of it, okay? Just—don't go running off to some lawyer. This is a school matter, we can talk it through…"
I watched her face change and said nothing.
Fine. If nobody here was going to make this right, I'd do it myself.