Margaret Walks Across the High School Stage on a Warm June Morning
“This is why Vance has been acting so strange,” Kayla said, her fingers tightening on the edge of the paper. “He didn’t want anyone to see this.”
“Charles Sterling funded the entire wing,” I said, sitting in the armchair opposite her. “The contract says they cannot have any somber memorials during the ceremony. They wanted to keep it positive.”
“Tyler Sterling is graduating,” Kayla said, looking up from the pages. “He is the class president. He is scheduled to give the opening remarks right after Vance speaks.”
“The developer’s son,” I said.
“Yes,” Kayla said. “And his father is going to be sitting on the stage with the school board members. They have a special row reserved for the major donors.”
She laid the contract on the coffee table beside her list.
“We knew they were hiding something,” Kayla said, her voice dropping. “But we didn’t think it was about money.”
“It is always about money, Kayla,” I said. “Vance wanted his promotion, and the school wanted a new building.”
“But they can’t just pretend she didn’t exist,” Kayla said. “She was third in her class. She was supposed to walk across that stage right before me.”
