Lover's Rock Leap

chapter 2

It was just before Warren was about to take his lunch, go into the office to eat with Winnie when his cell phone began vibrating. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, the caller ID reading, Winnie's School. The color drained from his face when he realized he hadn't called to get ahead of her ditching school.

He stepped out of the garage, sliding his phone open. "Hello?"

"Hi, Mr. Carver, this is a message from Jasper Brook Elementary. We're calling to let you know that Winnifred Carver is marked absent again for today." A woman on the other line said.

"Right, right. Winnie is out sick for today. I meant to call earlier, but it must've slipped my mind." Warren mumbled.

"I'm afraid this is her FOURTH absence in the last two months. If you're able to provide her with a doctor's note tomorrow, it won't be marked an unexcused absence."

Warren pulled his eyebrows together. "An unexcused absence? She had a sick day. Everyone has them. I get PTO when I'm out sick."

"School policy states she cannot exceed five unexcused absences without being marked truant."

He winced. "Truant? I didn't have time to take her to the doctors, I barely found her a sitter." He said, glancing at the office door.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Carver those are just the rules. If you can't provide a doctor's note this is another unexcused absence."

Warren sighed, running his hand over his face. "That's...what if I came in tomorrow? Could I talk to someone about this?"

"You could, but they'd probably tell you the same thing, sir."

Warren shook his head, muttering, "Yeah, thought so." Before ending the call. He looked up Grayson's school number in his contacts to call in his absence.

When Warren came back to the garage, Charlie stood near the edge, his arms folded over his chest. "What was that call about?" he asked.

Warren sighed, his eyes falling to the floor. "You caught that? It was the kids' schools about their absences."

"I thought you called those in." Charlie pointed out.

"I completely forgot, I don't know what happened. And worse, Winnie's school needs a doctor's note or she's on track to being truant because this is her fourth unexcused absence." He explained.

"Fuck off, man. The kid's going through enough without the school piling on about her missing school. How are we gonna get her a doctor's note?" Charlie asked.

Warren rubbed his chin, looking up at the office door. "I don't know. But I'm going into school with her tomorrow to try and get them to cut her slack."

"Good luck with that, man." Charlie said, patting him on the shoulder.

***