The Reunion

John Regis Haughout walked swiftly down the hall. The halls were empty except for the occasional student or staff member. Each would smile and give him an enthusiastic, good morning, Mr. Haughout, as he hustled past. He would smile wishing them well while moving on. John was proud of the job he did as athletic director and vice principal at Lakeview. He was a big man, surprising many he oversaw athletics at the school. Right now, none of that mattered because he was a man on a mission.

He entered the eleventh and twelfth grade office running into Beth Pacella, the twelfth-grade vice-principal, and her secretary Ginny Smith. Kathy Henderson, Summers’s secretary, came out of his office, smiling and closing the door behind her.

“Hi Reggie,” said Beth, “what’s up?

“I need to see Jon!” he said moving passed Beth and her secretary.

“He’s got a student in with him right now,” replied Kathy staying between the door and the visitor. “I don’t think he’ll want to be disturbed unless it’s an emergency.”

Reggie knew better than to lock horns with Henderson.

“Kathy,” he said as calmly as he could, “I have to see Jon. It is an emergency.”

The secretary looked at him with a discerning eye before picking up the telephone on her desk and pushing several buttons. There was a moment of silence before she said, “Mr. Summers? Mr. Haughout is here to see you and says it’s an emergency.”

Before Kathy could hang up the phone, the door opened, and Summers stepped out. Behind him, you could see the conference room attached to his office. There were two young men with their heads bowed sitting across from each other at the table. Reggie guessed they were caught doing something they weren’t supposed to and looked very remorseful. Summers was good with student management and discipline. Most of the students at Lakeview knew you didn’t want to end up in Mr. Summers’s office for doing something wrong. Reggie was well liked by the students, but he wasn’t sure they respected him. When they were really in trouble, they all went to Mr. Summers because they knew him to be fair and open minded.