The Honor Roll: Episode 7. The Gifted One: Part 3 of 3. Conclusion

  It's the next day at Waters Elementary, and as Alice sits in her classroom getting her notes ready for Blake's IEP meeting, Pat walks inside, as she asks Alice "Did you get in touch with Eliza last night?" Alice sighs "I didn't. Pedro answered and apparently from what we know from Thomas, Bill, and Eliza, whatever happened in Kansas City, and with Valerie, has affected Thomas." In the Secretary's Office, Bill sits as Dwight walks out and asks Bill "Have you seen Thomas?" Mary responds "He's normally the first person here." Bill tells them "I went over to talk to him last night, and he didn't answer the door." Dwight sighs "I've called him, and called him, and he hasn't answered." Bill pulls out Thomas' house key, and tells Mary "Sorry I have to leave your presence, but it looks like I'm going to have to find my Son." Alice arrives, as she asks Bill "So I called Eliza..." Bill snaps "She and I only share one damn thing in common, and that's Thomas, and if Thomas won't talk about it, then I won't! And if you want my opinion, Blake's a hell of a lot better off here than at the damn psycho-school Maura Carson's trying to send him to. Now I have to go check on Thomas!" Alice asks "He isn't here?" Dwight nods, and goes "I don't know what's going on, but I think the other day shook him up." Alice tells Dwight "We are still in the dark, and Eliza won't say anything, Bill won't say anything." They turn to Mary, as Alice asks her "Have you and Eliza ever discussed Valerie?" Mary is quiet, and tells them "She mentioned something happened, and since then, all she's sent me are photos of her and Pedro." Alice shakes her head, as Anna walks inside the office, and tells them "Mrs.Judy's watching my classroom today, and I'm leaving it in tact for the new teacher." Alice tells Anna "Thomas isn't here yet." Anna responds "I know. Mama said he called her last night, but said it was brief, and he hung up the phone." Erica walks inside, and tells everyone "Ken and Trish are in the media center, with Maura." Anna looks around, and tells them "And our new director?" Erica responds "She'll be starting next week when she returns from her cruise. I'm filling in for her." Anna responds "Ok." Dwight tells Alice "Call Blake's parents and tell them the meeting's being moved to the afternoon, until Thomas gets here." Dwight heads to the media center, as Maura, Ken, and Trish stands inside, and Ken tells Maura "They toured the school yesterday." Maura tells them "Hopefully they'll let us send him there." Dwight walks inside and tells Maura, Ken, and Trish "Meeting for this afternoon." Ken responds "We have things to do." Dwight responds boldly, as Maura looks on "I said this afternoon. Final." Dwight walks out, as Maura, Ken, and Trish looks at each other as thoughts go through their minds as the head of the Media Center, Didi Nikos walks into her office, and tells herself "This will be better than checking my phone for drama."
   At Thomas' Farm, a distraught Thomas, as he sits on his back porch, with a pistol, looks at the creek, and looks at his phone, to notice missed calls, and ignores it, as he has flashbacks to his childhood, and aims the pistol to soda cans on the railing of the porch, as he shoots each one, with anger in his eyes, and then looks at the gun, and asks himself "What good am I really doing here? Why am I even here? Damnit I wish I was dead." Thomas holds a photo of his Wife, and his Son, as he looks at it with tears, and says with sadness "I can't do it Val, I just can't. I want to be with you, and T.J (Thomas James Duncan Jr).. My family." Bill pulls into the driveway, as he hears a gunshot, and runs onto the porch, as he hears Thomas scream, and walks around to the back, and Thomas holds the pistol tightly, as Bill looks at the picture of his Daughter In Law, and Grandson, and tells Thomas "Put that pistol down son." Thomas screams "I can't deal with this Dad! Seeing them." Bill asks "Seeing who?" Thomas yells with anger "Those bastards that took my life from me! Ken Walton, Trish Marsh. And I know for a damn fact that I can't keep that poor kid from going to that Graveyard Dad. I failed at my job. I have nothing. Not a damn thing to live for. I wake up, I go to work, I come here, where I try to escape these flashbacks that haunt me." Bill takes a deep breath, as he puts his hand on his Son's shoulder, and tells him "I'm not good at this kind of thing Thomas, but you don't realize how many people care about you, and love you at the school. Everyone's concerned about you. And you need to go and stand up for Blake. Valerie would want you to." Thomas cries "I see those kids, and when I see them with their parents Dad, I think about T.J., and my Daughter that was on the way, and I don't have any of that. I thought moving back would help, but seeing Ken and Trish.." Bill asks "Do you want me to go with you today? The school supports you, except the bitch, but otherwise, I'll be there. Pull yourself together. I miss them too. I miss having being Papaw." Thomas sighs "I miss being Dad." Bill looks at his Son, and hugs him, and consoles him, and tells him "Now let's go fight for that little boy. You are a Duncan, and we are tough! Give it to them Son!" Thomas and Bill heads to Waters Elementary, as Bill follows Thomas, as he sighs "Watch over him Valerie, and Junior, your Daddy needs yall."
    Back at Waters Elementary, in Dwight's office, Dwight, Erica, Alice, and Anna are inside, as Dwight tells them, as he hangs up the phone "Thomas will be here shortly. Bill said he had a breakdown, but that's all he said." Anna asks Dwight "Does Thomas know what we do about the Bankhead School, and what we learned yesterday?" Dwight responds "Nope. And when he finds out, then I'm expecting an explosion." Anna responds "I spoke to the board last night and notified them of the bribes, and we are cutting our ties with the Bankhead School, and I want to start our own program in Caswell County for kids like Blake. We're going to start a special program, and Maura's no longer lead teacher of Special Ed, and will be placed on probation. She'll find out once this meeting's over." Anna turns to Erica and tells her "I know you only work three days a week, but I want you to lead Waters Elementary's Special Education Program Dr.Elliott." Erica accepts, and Mary pages them, as she responds "Thomas and Bill have arrived." Dwight looks at everyone, as all swear to keep quiet on the news. Meanwhile in Maura's Classroom, Maura, Ken, and Trish sit inside, as Winnie looks over at them and quips "All of you look guilty of something? What could it be?" Maura snaps "You watch this classroom when the meeting starts." Winnie snarks "You know Pat and I both think The Graveyard is hell. The place should be condemned." Maura yells "Shut up old woman." Winnie looks at Maura, as no students are inside, and walks over, and slaps her, and Ken responds "That's not appropriate Ms.Johnson." Winnie also slaps Ken and Trish, and quips "When I taught, I always said to share, now get some ice for those slaps you evil people." Mary pages Maura, Ken, and Trish "Media Center ASAP." Maura looks at Ken, and Trish, as Winnie quips "Enjoy the meeting." Maura snarks "I hope you retire soon." Winnie laughs "Oh child what you don't know." Maura, Ken, and Trish walks out of the classroom, as Winnie looks at a sheet of paper, with pride, and smiles "Next year, no more sitting with the warden. I will be leading again!"
    Meanwhile in the Media Center, Didi has put the "closed" sign on the doors, as Dwight looks at Didi, and tells her "Ms.Nikos, you can leave early today. I don't think you want to be in here when this meeting starts." Didi laughs "The hell I don't. I talked to Mrs.Pat and she told me what was going to happen. I'll just go inside my office, and play on my phone, and catch up on things." Dwight quips "Well don't say I didn't warn you." Didi laughs "Out of all the people in this school, I can't stand Maura Carson, so I want to see her eat crow. Would it be ok if we do like we do back in my home country and celebrate my way?" Anna, Erica, and Alice walk inside, as all, including Dwight asks "And how do people celebrate in Albania?" Didi laughs "We shoot guns in the air and.." Alice and Anna shakes their heads, as does Erica, as they respond "No." Didi heads to her office, as she goes "Damn." Meanwhile Blake, and his parents arrive, and take their seats, as Blake asks Anna "What are you doing here Mrs.Waters?" Anna tells Blake "I'm now Superintendent of Caswell County Schools." Blake's parents tell Anna, Alice, Erica, and Dwight "We are glad Mr.Bill took some extra time with Blake yesterday while we toured that place, and we weren't sold." Maura, along with Ken, and Trish, walks inside, as Maura looks at Blake and goes "Adults only Blake." Anna responds "He can stay." Erica responds "Since the new Director of Special Ed for the County's on a cruise, I'll be filling in since I'M qualified to do so Maura." Ken and Trish looks at Maura, as they ask Anna "So did your Mother and Father pay off the board?" Alice changes subjects, as she asks "Where's Thomas?" Maura snarks "We don't need him in here." Outside, Thomas stands at the door, as he has a panic attack, and Bill stands by his Son, as does Pat, as she tells him "It'll be ok. Have I ever mislead you?" Thomas is silent as panic shows on his face, and Bill tells his Son "Fight like hell." Pat hugs Thomas, and asks "Would you feel better if I went with you, and Bill?" Bill goes "I was going to help Mary with her work." Pat tells Bill "Give that poor lady a break and join the meeting." Bill and Pat walks with Thomas, as he opens the door, and walks inside the media center, as Anna, Alice, Dwight, Erica, Maura, Ken, Trish, Blake, and his parents have taken their seats, as Thomas, with his Father, and Pat at his side takes their seats, as Maura asks Bill "Why are you here?" Bill looks at Maura and responds "To support my Son." Ken extends his hand to Bill, and Bill looks at Blake, and tells Ken "Sit back down and let's get this meeting underway." All agree, as the meeting starts.
    In the media center, Maura reads off all of Blake's behavioral problems, as Anna sits back silently, along with Erica, Dwight, Alice, and Pat, as Ken and Trish tells Anna "We have a wonderful program set up at the Bankhead School, as we strive for perfection for our students." Thomas looks down, as Blake's Mother asks Ken "Dr.Walton, do you have any other solutions for Blake? Like what is wrong with him?" Ken tells Blake's Mother "As you and your Husband seen yesterday, we have a great program set in place for him." Maura adds "He will strive there, and succeed, like Thomas has here." Thomas rolls his eyes, and bites his tongue, as Erica stands up, and pulls out a piece of paper, and tells everyone "As a former employee of the Bankhead School, and working for Bankhead City Schools for over 25 years, I can honestly tell everyone in this room the Bankhead School has nothing to show in terms of progress. Most of the students that have went to the school have dropped out of high school, most are on disability, or jail, and even a few committed suicide." Ken and Trish take deep breaths, as Trish responds "Dr.Elliott is lying." Anna stands up, and looks at Ken and Trish, and asks them "Is she really lying? I did my homework on the students from Caswell County that we've sent to your school, and there's a 99% dropout rate, and only one student has made it through to the end, and he's sitting at this table, Thomas James Duncan." Thomas is silent, as Blake's parents tells Maura, Ken, and Trish "We want Blake to remain here." Maura quickly snaps "He starts tomorrow." Thomas stands up and yells "The hell he does!" Erica also gets up, as does Anna, as she looks at Dwight, and tells Dwight "Would you like to tell everyone what you heard yesterday?" Dwight looks at Maura, and asks "How did you get that new SUV you're driving?" Maura snaps at everyone "My life outside this school is nobody's business! We are here to finalize..." Erica snaps back at Maura "We aren't finalizing NOTHING Maura! How about you tell everyone here the truth!" Thomas meanwhile is confused, as is Bill, and Blake's parents, as Dwight notices Didi, and motions for her to take Blake outside, as he whispers "He doesn't need to be in here. Take him to the playground." Didi walks outside with Blake, as he asks "Tell me about Albania." Didi laughs "Ok." Back at the meeting, Alice and Pat watch Thomas, as Ken and Trish starts to squirm, as Anna looks over to Erica, and hands her a file, and Erica tells everyone "Every time a student in Waters Elementary has been sent to the Bankhead School, Maura has received a paycheck. In other words, a bribe. Bill gets angry, as does Thomas, as Ken and Trish, along with Maura denies what Erica's said, and Erica asks "Why are you three nervous?" Bill yells at Maura "Eliza was right about you and that partner of yours. You bitch if my ex wife was here she'd kick your ass across Caswelltown and back and again!" Blake's Mother and Father gasps, as they ask Maura "How can you do such a thing?" Thomas stands up and responds boldly "Because she only cares about money. And this makes me sick!" Thomas gets up, and walks around the table and tells everyone in the room, glaring at Ken and Trish "Once upon a time, there was a kid, who one day was approached by his teacher at the Bankhead School, and she asked "What did he want to be when he grew up? He replied "I want to be a teacher." She told him he couldn't be a teacher." He then said "I want to own my own business." She repeated herself. Remember that Trish? Hey Ken, remember when I asked you why I wasn't learning Algebra, and Ratios, and you told me to shut up? Do you remember that? I hear nothing." Ken responds "I never said that to you." Trish is also in denial, as Bill yells "My Son used to have damn nightmares and scream at night, and I'd hear him, and now I know why." Blake's Father grows angry, as does his Mother, as Dwight looks at Anna, and tells her "I support your decision." Thomas agrees also, as he responds "Children have feelings, they have thoughts, they have souls, and they deserve a chance to prove themselves in this world, and damnit I will make sure on my Wife, Son, and my unborn Daughter's graves that any kid in this school gets that chance, something I never got!" Bill and Blake's Father rushes at Ken, as Dwight runs over, along with Alice to break it up, as Blake's Mother yells "I never want Maura Carson to ever teach my little boy EVER!" Anna looks at Maura meanwhile, as she has a look of defeat, and Anna hands her a slip, and tells her "You're on probation throughout the rest of the year. Dr.Erica Elliott is now the leader of Special Ed at Waters Elementary, and also Maura, you're on suspension for two weeks and Winnie Johnson will be teaching your students, and become lead teacher due to seniority once her teaching certificate's renewed, and Blake will remain at Waters Elementary, and in the Caswell County School System." Alice, Pat, and Dwight, and Blake's parents look on with pride, as Anna and Erica looks at Ken, Trish, and Maura, as Erica tells Maura "Go pack up and get out of here. Suspension starts now." Maura walks out with disgust, as Ken and Trish look at Thomas and Bill, and tells both of them "We aren't bad people." Thomas laughs, as he looks at Ken, and says "Dr.Walton?" Ken goes "What is it?" Thomas tells him "I want to tell you something I've meant to say for over 20 years." Thomas delivers a left hook to Ken, and knocks him to the ground, and looks at Trish, and tells her "Now you and him get the hell out of here and don't come back ever again!" Bill smiles, as does Blake's parents, and everyone in the room, as Bill tells his Son with a smile "That's my Son." Alice asks "Do you feel better now?" Thomas quips, as he holds his left hand "The kids will be happy, my writing hand is hurting, but that felt great! Let's go tell Blake the great news." As Maura packs her things in her classroom, and Winnie laughs "You had it coming." Maura's Daughter, Missy Gardner, walks into the room, and goes "Mom?" Maura looks at her Daughter, as Missy slaps her Mother, and tells her "You make me sick!" Winnie walks out, as Missy heads to where she'll be teaching, as Maura gets in her SUV, and flies out of the parking lot. Meanwhile, Thomas, Anna, Erica, Alice, Pat, Dwight, Bill, and Blake's Mother and Father walks down the steps outside to the playground, as Effie, Winnie, Mrs.Judy, Mrs.Louise, Mary, and the rest of the staff follow, as Blake sits on the climbing board, as Didi sits on a bench, as Thomas climbs up, and sits next to Blake, and tells him "You're going nowhere. You're going to stay right here. With all of us." Blake hugs Thomas with tears in his eyes, as the tears flow from Thomas' eyes, as he looks up with a smile, as below, everyone smiles, with joy in their eyes, as Blake and Thomas walks down, and the staff of Waters Elementary gather around Blake, as his Parents thanks everyone, as Thomas tells them "This is why we become educators, and join this profession, to make sure every student gets treated normally, and respected, and molded into model citizens in society, and one day this young boy will make all of us proud."