The Honor Roll: Episode 11. The Toughest Decisions

   It's the next morning at Waters Elementary, as Thomas arrives inside his office, and begins to look over files, as Missy walks inside and apologizes for the night before, as Thomas asks "What do you have to be sorry for Missy? My Mama had something planned, and if I was your Mother, I'd move." Missy tells Thomas "I don't know what she has going on inside her head about us, but she doesn't need to take out her hatred for my Mother on me." Thomas takes a deep breath, and tells Missy "I don't know what to tell you about my Mama since everything that's happened, but if I were you, I'd kiss up." Missy responds, as the bell rings "I'll do that. She's fierce for a woman her age." Thomas quips "She took losing Valerie and T.J. hard, like I did, and I didn't even see her when I left, so I hope she hasn't picked up that "Sullivan trait"." Missy goes "What are you talking about?" Thomas responds "After you turn 65, you lose your filters." Missy responds "She definitely doesn't look it." Thomas goes "Keep telling her that, tell her what she wants to hear, and you may make a friend in Mama." Missy walks out, as she says to herself "Likely not since I'm the Daughter of Caswellton's most hated woman." Meanwhile, Dwight walks inside Thomas' office, as he asks "Have you heard anything from Bill? Louise had to pick up his route this morning." Thomas is silent, as he goes "That's odd. This is the first time he's ever been late." At Bill's trailer, Bill wakes up, as he looks at his alarm, and yells "Damnit! I'm going to get fired!" Eliza wakes up next to her Ex-Husband, and assures him "Well I'm sure Thomas will save you from your job." Bill looks at Eliza, as Eliza looks at Bill, as Eliza responds "You were better than Pedro last night!" Bill gets up, as he tells Eliza "That was meant for Mary, but that was the best sex we ever had besides making Thomas in that thunderstorm across the road." Eliza also gets up, and finds a pill bottle, and quips "Nothing like these to get the fires burning Bill." Bill roll his eyes, as Eliza and Bill look at each other, as Bill goes "Let's don't tell Thomas about this." Eliza asks, as she finds a shirt "So you can still work your magic on Mary?" Bill is quiet, as Eliza and Bill both are in shock over the night before.
    Meanwhile in Effie's classroom, as Louise tells Effie, as the kids in the class have play time "I'm glad this year's almost over. That was quite a drive doing two routes today." Effie meanwhile has her attention on a girl in the class, as she asks Louise "Notice that bruise?" Louise looks over, and nods, as Effie motions the girl, named  Mia over, as she asks "Mrs.Vasco, am I in trouble?" Effie gently goes "No. What's wrong?" Mia looks down, as she goes "I fell Mrs.Vasco. I fell in the floor." Effie walks over to the sink, as she tells her "Well let me clean that nasty boo boo." Mia jumps back, in fear, as she screams "Don't touch me!" Effie and Louise look at each other with concern in their eyes, as the girl cries "I fell." Effie looks at her Assistant, and tells Louise "Watch over the class. I'm going up to Thomas' office." Effie walks out, as she bumps into Erica, as she asks Effie "So where's my little star at this morning?" Effie, looking through the door, tells Erica "Something's wrong with her, and it isn't good." Erica asks Effie "And what might be the problem?" Effie tells Erica of the situation, and asks "Has she acted this way with you?" Erica tells Effie "I have noticed some things that has sent chills, and she can't handle yelling, or being touched." Effie snaps "We're going to tell Thomas." Erica tells Effie "If she reacts in a strange tone towards him, we'll have an answer." Effie sighs with sadness "I hope it's not the answer I think it is."
   In Dwight's office, Dwight talks to some students, as he tells them "ISS for today. Ms.Tibbs has ordered it, and maybe the two of you will learn something." One student responds "Well I hate her." Dwight takes the kids down to the ISS room, as he bumps into Erica and Effie, and Effie asks "Is Thomas in his office?" Dwight responds "He's currently in Pat's classroom." Effie and Erica tells Dwight "Well handle what you have to do, and we need to speak to him immediately!" Dwight takes the two students into the ISS room, and tells the ISS assistant "Here's some company.", as he walks out, and Effie and Erica waits, and they head down the hall, as Thomas shakes his head, as he hangs up his phone, and tells Dwight "Well I know where Dad was." Dwight asks "Where?" Effie tells Thomas "We need to have a talk now Thomas!" Thomas, Dwight, Effie, and Erica, walks into the back hall, as he hears his Father, as he cries to Mary "I cheated Mary. Oh God I cheated on you my sweet." Thomas quips "Now I know where Mama went." As Thomas walks inside his office, Effie and Erica fills Thomas and Dwight in on the situation, as Thomas pulls out Mia's file, and goes "Wow. She's Kyle Powell's Daughter. We were friends years ago." Effie tells Thomas "Well he or her Mama hasn't been to the school to a meeting, and something's going on that needs to be fixed now!" Erica tells them "I've noticed a slight delay with her." Thomas listens intently, as does Dwight, as Thomas hears Mary yell from the Secretary's office "Shut up! Why do I care you slept with Eliza!" Thomas' eyes widen, as he looks at Effie and Erica, and sighs "One hell of a morning thus far. I'm heading down there and check this out." They walk out, as Erica looks at Effie, as she asks "What is Bill's problem?" Thomas quips "I know where Mama went last night after that hellish dinner party." Effie quips "And we know what they did too."
   As the day has come to a close at Waters Elementary, Thomas sits inside his office, as Effie and Erica are inside, as well as Dwight, as he tells them "Her parents phone goes to voicemail." Effie tells Thomas "I think we need to call DFCS." Erica agrees, as does Dwight, as Thomas tells Effie and Dwight "Kyle was always very straight-laced in school, and both of you taught him." Dwight tells Thomas "Maybe then, but things change, as we all know. We have to look after that little girl, and make sure she's safe." Erica bluntly responds "Well from her reaction to Thomas earlier, she sure as hell isn't safe." Thomas responds "I don't want to take a child from their home if possible. I have an idea." Everyone looks in the room, as Thomas pulls out Mia's file, and tells them "I'm going to visit Kyle on my way home tonight and check out things for myself." Effie sighs "I wish Alice was here to advise us. She's had some similar situations." Erica tells them "I've had many cases like this over the years." Thomas tells Effie, Erica, and Dwight "I'm going to pay a visit by her home tonight, and then tomorrow we will go from there." Before anyone leaves the room, Pat walks inside, along with Winnie, furious, as Pat tells everyone "If Missy Gardner gives me one more lecture on smoking, I have this cane, and Winnie and I are going rogue!" Everyone rolls their eyes, as Thomas tells everyone "Another time we need Alice." Effie sighs "Bad timing. She went with her class to Atlanta today, and went home." Winnie looks at Pat, and tells her "Let's get the hell out of here before the warden's spawn finds us, and we can watch game shows at my house." Pat and Winnie walks out, as they bump into Missy, as everyone in Thomas' office hears Missy yell at Pat and Winnie "Why the bird? I'm only looking out for you." Thomas walks out, as does everyone else, and Thomas, Dwight, and Effie tells Missy "Mrs.Pat's been here for over 40 years, and take note to never give her, or Winnie grief over their bad habit or else you'll end up in their doghouse." Thomas quips "Also something never to mention to my Mother either." Missy yells "I'm going home! And I fear Eliza the most." Dwight asks Erica "Did Eliza go easy?" Thomas sighs with defeat on his face "She lost it." Erica tells Thomas, as she walks away "Eliza's my kind of woman. I loved it." Effie quips "Eliza's always been a spitfire."
   As evening's arrived, Thomas pulls up at the Whitetail Trailer Park, south of Caswellton, as he gets out of his car, and looks around, as foil's on the windows, and Thomas knocks on the door, as someone from inside peeks through the window, and asks "Who are you?" Thomas goes "Thomas Duncan." The door opens, as Kyle answers and yells "Thomas! What in the hell are you doing here? I haven't seen you in years!" Thomas looks around the trailer, as Kyle scratches his face, and a woman walks out, as Thomas goes "Sasha?" Sasha goes "Thomas Duncan?" Kyle asks Thomas "What brought you here? We're in the middle of something, but we can catch up later." Thomas tells Kyle and Sasha "We need to discuss your Daughter. She came to school with bruises on her face, and she is very timid around people. What's wrong with her?" Kyle and Sasha respond quickly "Oh nothing is wrong with Mia. She's that way all the time. Clumsy and all. Tell Mrs.Vasco to chill the hell out!" Thomas asks "Where is Mia?" Sasha responds "She's at a friend's house. We are expecting someone!" Thomas walks around, and asks "The drug dealer?" Kyle yells at Thomas "We don't do that kind of shit!" Thomas' eyes grows red, as he finds a pipe on the kitchen table, and goes "Oh? And the first response from you was guilt." Sasha yells "Get the hell out of our home you son of a bitch before we call the police!" Thomas laughs "You'd call the police with this kind of stuff laying around here? Smart Sasha, very smart." Thomas tells Mia's parents "I have a feeling she's being abused. Is she in the way?" Kyle yells "Don't look at me! Sasha's a whore, and the little brat's always in the way!" Thomas grows angry, as he throws Kyle against the wall, as he goes "If you make the choice to be a Father to a kid, be a Father. And you should treasure each and every damn moment of it while you have the chance!" Sasha pulls out a knife, as Thomas yells at Kyle and Sasha in disgust "Ok, I'm gone. Be at Waters Elementary in the morning ASAP! And as well, enjoy your damn meth you disgusting bastards!" Thomas storms out, as he walks out to his car, as he hears Mia scream inside, as her parents scream at her, and Thomas pulls out his phone, as he makes a phone call, and drives away.
    At The Courthouse Inn, Eliza's sitting in a chair, as she looks around, and tells Didi "That's it for tonight. The equipment's coming tomorrow, and then I'll be hiring people." Didi asks "So I heard you and Mr.Bill hit the sheets?" Eliza sighs, as she lights a cigarette "Yes, we did, and I promised to keep quiet, but Mr.Personality had to go cry to Mary, and now the whole damn town knows." Didi asks "Why be ashamed?" Eliza goes "My Ex-Husband and had sex! And actually, I think I enjoyed myself, and I think in a way, so did he." Thomas walks inside, with anger, as Eliza and Didi looks at him, and Thomas looks around, and tells his Mother "So this is where you've been hiding? I'd thought you'd be tired from last night." Eliza changes subjects, as she asks her Son "What's wrong baby?" Thomas sighs with sadness "I went to see Mia's parents, Kyle and Sasha Powell. And.." Didi goes "The girl from Effie's class that never returns her books?" Thomas responds "How can she when her parents beat her and God knows what else. Her parents are meth-heads, and I took care of it." As police sirens go by, Eliza looks at her Son, and sighs "It's hard to be a Principal, and you took a risk tonight." Thomas tells his Mother, as Didi looks at plates "I wanted to give the damn family the benefit of a doubt before calling DFCS, and when I heard her scream in that blood curling tone..I had to stop it." Eliza hugs her Son, as Didi asks "And the books?" Thomas tells Didi "Just void it Didi. We'll replace them." Thomas walks out, as Eliza looks at Didi, and sighs with disgust "Sasha Powell came by here today looking for a job, and I told the crackhead to get the hell out of here! Talking ninety miles a minute and so qualified." Didi tells Eliza "I feel so sorry for Mia. If I'd known..." Eliza sighs "Most children who are abused stay quiet, or skittish and timid." Didi heads home, as Eliza looks around, and sighs "What has happened to people in this town? Sick bastards."
    The next morning, Effie and Erica arrives in Thomas' office, as Anna sits inside, as Effie asks Thomas "What happened last night? I heard the police scanner at home saying they were headed towards Mia's?" Anna responds "Her Father and Mother were some of the areas biggest dealers of Meth, and they are in the county jail, without bond, and Mia's been sent to the Southwest to stay with a relative." Dwight and Alice walks inside, as they are filled in on the outcome, and Thomas tells them all "I hope the bastards get what they truly deserve for what they've done." Alice, Effie, and Anna all respond "Caswell County has a bad reputation with that stuff, maybe we've just saved lives, and children most of all." Thomas responds "I hope so."