[Kokopelli25]

CHAPTER 24

Ellie’s dad didn’t call when he was almost done - he didn’t want her coming to the school, not after what he learned at the high school. Confused, worried, angry, embarrassed - he was still reeling but knew he didn’t want to subject his little girl (who wasn’t so little anymore) to further humiliation. Walking home he was lost in his thoughts trying to figure out how to handle this.

Ellie was exhausted and somehow asleep (fitfully) by the time her dad returned home. After telling Ellie’s mother what he knew (and after calming her down), he went upstairs, knocked on her door, waking her abruptly, and simply said in a calm voice, “Ellie, we’d like to talk with you downstairs, please” and went back down before Ellie could bring herself to respond.

She slowly walked down the stairs, barefoot and wearing the same outfit as earlier, suddenly very self-conscious about not having a bra or panties on at the moment under her sweats, trying not to think about whether her father had seen the alumni website…or just been informed by someone who worked at the school who had seen it. The thought caused her to stumble but she regained her footing and went to the kitchen and sat down. She couldn’t bring herself to look at her parents and just kept her head down.

“Ellie, Mr. Jackson stopped by my office after I got there.” Ellie’s eyes got wide for a moment - somehow between Natalie’s brother having her photos and then all her old classmates seeing her on the website, Ellie had forgotten all about out Mr. Jackson. As her father continued she somehow had just enough left in her to hope the music teacher was okay.

“He told me about an incident with an intruder last night. Apparently a young woman was naked and running around the building last night. We’re checking for theft and vandalism but there doesn’t seem to be anything like that so far. What’s even more troubling is that this woman apparently ran into Mr. Jackson and knocked him down, causing him to twist his ankle. He wasn’t seriously hurt otherwise, and he doesn’t think he was attacked, just an accident from this person not paying attention.”

Ellie couldn’t speak, she just sat there, waiting.

“Apparently whoever it was dropped some keys when they ran into him. He recognized the style of one of the keys as a school key and brought it in, figuring it was stolen and used to break in. As he handed them to me I mentioned I couldn’t find my keys this morning…”

Emma started to tremble, knowing what was coming.

“When he heard me say that, he got a look on his face, like he had just realized something. I asked him what it was. Before he even said anything I knew he had figured out they were my keys…and who he had collided with last night.”

Ellie, thankful Mr. Jackson was mostly okay, was beyond embarrassed that he knew it was her who had been naked and nearly on top of him. She started to tear up as her father told her what happened next...

*****

“I’m sorry, Steve - I thought I recognized her voice when she fell on…when she fell. It all happened so fast I wasn’t sure. Maybe, maybe it wasn’t Ellie - it’s been a few years since I last saw her, I’m sure she looks different now…” Though the band director admitted to himself that he had never seen Ellie up (very) close and completely naked before - that was certainly a different look for the girl…young woman, he corrected himself. Very much a woman…

*****

“Before either of us could say anything else,” Ellie’s dad was saying to her, “Kathy, the school secretary, came in to my office…”