Anything he did next would be interpreted through that power.
He could tell Rebecca to ban Brenda.
Nobody would question him.
That was exactly why he should not.
Marcus looked at Rebecca.
“I am Nia’s father right now.”
She understood.
“Okay.”
“You handle this through policy.”
“Yes.”
“Not because of me.”
“Yes.”
“District safety can review independently.”
Rebecca nodded.
“I already requested them.”
“Good.”
Brenda looked between them.
“What exactly are you implying?”
Rebecca opened the folder.
“No implication.”
She pulled out several forms.
“Documented events.”
Brenda's face tightened.
Marcus did not read them.
Not yet.
He turned toward Nia.
“We're going home.”
“But my backpack—”
Maya lifted it.
“I've got it.”
Marcus smiled.
“Thank you.”
Nia looked toward Evan.
The nurse had placed him in the transport chair.
His ankle rested elevated.
He looked miserable.
Not only physically.
He looked at Nia.
“Sorry.”
Brenda turned.
“Evan.”
He ignored her.
“I told her to stop.”
Nia looked at him.
She nodded once.
“Okay.”
That mattered.
Not everything.
Something.
Marcus held the gate of the wheelchair footrest while Nia adjusted.
Then he asked:
“Want me to push?”
“Yes.”
He put his hands on the handles.
Only after permission.
They moved toward the SUV.
Brenda watched.
Several phones remained raised.
Marcus hated that.
By evening, the video was online.
Of course.
Not the full encounter.
Twenty-eight seconds.
It began with Brenda gripping Nia's chair.
Nia shouting:
“Let go of my chair!”
Then Marcus entering.
Then the principal saying:
“Superintendent Carter.”
Cut.
The internet loved it.
Marcus did not.
He sat at his kitchen table at 8:40 p.m. staring at his phone.
The video had been reposted thousands of times.
Captions were already wrong.
WOMAN STEALS SUPERINTENDENT'S DAUGHTER'S WHEELCHAIR.
Steals.
Not exactly.
She attempted to take it temporarily.
Still wrong.
Different.
Another:
KAREN TARGETS DISABLED BLACK GIRL, INSTANTLY REGRETS IT.
Marcus hated “instantly regrets.”
Regret was not visible in twenty-eight seconds.
Fear of consequences was.
Different.
Nia rolled into the kitchen.
“Dad.”
He locked the phone.
“Yes?”
“Stop reading comments.”
“I’m not.”
“You literally hid the phone.”
“I was checking email.”
“Sure.”
She opened the refrigerator.
“What do you want?”
“Juice.”
She retrieved apple juice.
Marcus watched her.
“You okay?”
“You've asked eleven times.”
“Only eleven?”
“Maybe twelve.”
“Sorry.”
Nia poured.
Then sat across from him.
“Are they banning her?”
Marcus paused.
“Maybe.”
“Why maybe?”