Margaret Walks Across the High School Stage on a Warm June Morning
He picked up the document, his eyes moving quickly across the legal heading. “An honorary diploma petition.”
“The state says she earned this, Vance, and I intend to collect it,” I said.
He set his pen down with a small click. “The county superintendent is the only one who can sign off on a special request of this nature, Mrs. Campbell. The process takes time.”
“The graduation is in three weeks,” I said. “The law says the application must be processed within five business days.”
Vance looked at the paper again, his thumb brushing the corner of the page. “I will have to review this with the county office before we can make any determinations.”
“I will call Arthur’s office on Friday morning for the update,” I said.
Vance did not look up as he slowly slid the legal document into his top drawer.
The call came on Thursday morning, just after I had finished wiping down the kitchen counters. Principal Vance wanted me in his office at eleven.
When I walked in, his desk was unusually clear, except for a pitcher of ice water and two clean glasses. He stood up immediately and gestured toward the soft armchair by the window, the one usually reserved for school board members.
