The Word of a Child Read Free

head ducked immediately, but she shook it no.
    Actually, to the best of Mariah's knowledge, Tracy's biological father wasn't in the picture. On the two occasions when Mariah had
called the mother in for a conference, she had left a different
unsavory-looking boyfriend lurking in the hall. Mariah wasn't as surprised as
she wished she could be that one of them, or another just like them, had
molested the pretty young girl who dressed in tiny miniskirts and baby Ts that
showed rapidly ripening breasts to superb advantage.
    "Will you tell me who he is?"
    "Will he have to know?" she whispered.
    "If he's an adult, he should be punished. In the eyes
of the law, you're a child. He cannot force you, or even persuade you, to have
sexual relations. You did say he's older?"
    Fresh tears flowed. "He's a teacher."
    Mariah's heart sank even as her mouth made an O of
surprise. Not one of the boyfriends.
    A teacher. This was going to be ugly, and she wanted no part
in it. Teachers were so vulnerable to these accusations. Look at her now: alone
in the room with Tracy, the door closed. A student could say anything happened,
and how would it be disproved?
    "Oh dear," she said weakly.
    "He … he told me he'd give me a good grade if I … you
know. And if I didn't, he'd flunk me."
    "I wish you'd reported him then and asked to be
transferred from the class." She immediately regretted saying even that;
she didn't want poor Tracy to feel as if what happened—assuming it had
happened—was her fault in any way.
    Tracy 's head
went down again. In a choked mumble, she said, "I thought it was kind of
cool that he liked me. Even though he's old.'"
    Mariah squeezed her hands again. "Who is it, Tracy?"
    The seventh-grader murmured something. "I'm sorry. I
couldn't hear you."
    "Mr. Tanner."
    Mariah couldn't suppress an, "Oh, no."
    Tracy 's chin shot up. "Do you think I'm lying?"
    "Did I say that?"
    She yanked her hands away. "You sound like it!"
    "No. I'm only … sorry. I thought he was a well-liked
teacher."
    "You mean, well-liked by you, "
the girl said spitefully.
    "Tracy, I know him only as a colleague. We aren't
personal friends. I'm on your side. I won't abuse your trust, I promise."
    The flash of fear and anger faded. "Oh."
    "Can you repeat your story for Mrs. Patterson?"
    "The principal?" she said in dismay.
    "She'll have to hear it, you know. And then I'm afraid
you'll have to tell the police or a social worker. You may even have to testify
in court."
    "In court?" Tracy shrank back. "They can't
just fire him?"
    "It's not that simple. How can he be fired on the basis
of one student saying he did something? He'll likely be suspended while an
investigation goes on, but unless he admits to having relations with you, he
may have to be convicted of a crime before he can be fired."
    The teenager looked genuinely frightened now. "But …
what if I won't talk in court?"
    Mariah hated having to tell the poor girl what she'd set in
motion by choosing to come to a teacher.
    "Now that you've told me," she said
sympathetically, "I have to report your story. That's the law for teachers. It would certainly
be hard to convict Mr. Tanner if you won't testify. That would leave him free
to molest other girls. Do you want that?" She gave Tracy a moment to
reflect, then levered herself out of the student desk. "I'm going to call
Mrs. Patterson to come here right now. Please stay and tell her, just like you
did me. The worst is over, Tracy. It'll be easier this time, I promise."
    Tracy sat
hunched and small while they waited. Feeling out of her depth, Mariah talked
gently about boys and how nice kisses were when both parties wanted them and
how inexcusable it was for an adult to compel a child to have intercourse.
    Noreen Patterson was a plump woman of perhaps forty filled
with good cheer that didn't disguise her willingness to command.
    The good humor faded the moment Mariah said gravely, "Tracy has something to tell you."
    Tracy did
haltingly tell her story for the