Sean's blood boiled even more when he heard that. What was that supposed to mean? No matter how pretty this Claire girl was, that didn't mean she should get a free pass, right?
"Please don't be angry, sir. I can handle it," Carr said quietly. Seeing Sean's temper flare up, Carr actually got worried that he'd make a scene right then and there. All Carr wanted was to stay in the winter camp. If the teachers started targeting him, maybe his own chaperone could help plead his case, but he really didn't want things to get worse.
"How could I not be angry?" Sean snapped. He trusted his student, but seeing how scared Carr looked, he tried to soften his voice. "Go back for now. I know how to deal with this."
Carr hesitated. Did his teacher really know what to do?
"I want to stay. I really want to go abroad for the competition," Carr said again, hoping Sean understood.
Sean's face turned serious. "Don't worry. I get it. If they try to mess with you, I won't stand for it."
Without wasting a second, Sean stormed into the competition office. Inside, the staff were finishing up their discussion. He knocked. Everyone turned to look at him.
"Sean, is there something you need?" Fletcher asked, a bad feeling settling over him as he saw the look on Sean's face.
“Fletcher, did you know Carr got slapped by a girl in the cafeteria?" Sean was in his forties, a good bit older than Fletcher. So even though Fletcher was in charge here, Sean wasn't going to back down. The way he spoke made it clear he was here to confront someone.
“Sean, please calm down. Do you really know the whole story?" Fletcher gestured for him to sit.
Sean took a breath, trying to steady himself. The office was full of people-Şammie and the others
were all there-and now he feltanet
little embarrassed about how he'd come in so hot. Still, he thought about what Carr had told him. If Claire was pretty, of course ther younger teachers like Fletcher would take her side. That thought had gotten under his skin, and now here he was, ready to fight for what was right.
"What else is there to know? The slap mark is still on Carr's face. I heard you were right there in the cafeteria, Fletcher." Sean pressed on, "As teachers, we can't treat students differently just because of how they look or how sweet they talk. Some teachers see a pretty girl, hear her say a few nice words, and suddenly she gets special treatment. If this gets out, it could turn into a real scandal."
Fletcher nearly rolled his eyes. Was Sean really pulling the seniority card right now?
"Sean, what exactly did Carr tell you
that made you think I'm playing
favorites? Fletcher shot back. "Claire being pretty isn't some kind of crime. just I'm not judging anyon because of their looks. wasn't the only teacher there. Kathy and Norris
were with me. Go ask them."
Norris was a man, but Kathy was a woman in her fifties. Surely no one would say Kathy was biased toward Claire just because she was good-looking.
Back at Sean's own school, the younger teachers would just listen and nod whenever he lectured them. No one ever talked back. But here, he couldn't exactly pull the "respect your elders" card. This wasn't his turf.
Adolph, who had been listening quietly, couldn't stand it when people judged women because of their looks or said nasty things about them. Sean had picked the wrong fight.
“Sean, you're talking nonsense, just like Carr did,” Adolph said with a cold smirk. "No wonder you're from the same place. Carr was the one who started spreading rumors about Claire in the first place."