My phone buzzed against my thigh during a meeting with Tina about our quarterly projections. Principal Davis flashed on the screen. A cold knot formed in my stomach.
"I need to take this." I pressed the phone to my ear and turned away from Tina's concerned face. "Hello?"
"Mrs. Collins? This is Principal Davis. There's been an incident involving Austin."
The knot tightened. "What kind of incident?"
"A physical altercation. I need you to come to the school immediately."
My hand trembled as I ended the call. "Tina, reschedule everything. Austin's in trouble."
The fifteen-minute drive to Westridge Elementary stretched into an eternity. My mind raced with possibilities. Austin wasn't a fighter. That was Alex's domain—quick to anger, quick to defend. Austin calculated, observed, planned. S
