Chapter 3 - The Wall of Bureaucracy
Mrs. Higgins, the school counselor, sat behind her cluttered desk.
She listened politely as Arthur explained what he had found.
However, her expression remained painfully neutral.
"Mr. Pendelton, this is a very serious accusation," she said slowly.
"I know what I saw," Arthur insisted, his voice rising in frustration.
"Finding birth control doesn't automatically mean abuse," Mrs. Higgins replied defensively.
"Did you see the way her mother's boyfriend looked at her?" Arthur pleaded.
"We cannot launch an investigation based on a bus driver's hunch," she stated coldly.
She promised to keep an eye on Maya, but Arthur knew it was an empty promise.
He left the office feeling more hopeless than before.
The system was designed to protect itself, not the children.
If the school refused to act, Arthur was on his own.
He walked back to his bus, a fire of determination burning in his chest.
He was not going to let this girl become another tragic statistic.
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He had to gather concrete evidence.
He had to prove that Maya was in danger.
