A Flower for Angela by Sandra Leesmith Read Free Book Online Page B

lounge."
    "What are those two up to now?" Angela never paid much attention to the worst gossips on the staff. The two teachers constantly found fault with their students, other teachers and the school in general.
    "Plenty, I would guess." Maria didn't hide the annoyance she felt. "They were telling all the other teachers that they had talked to Ricardo de la Cruz."
    "Oh?"
    "They said he told them he would have you fired."
     
     
    CHAPTER 4
     
    "WHAT?!" ANGELA BRACED HER hand on the dashboard. "They're making it up."
    The two women didn’t like Angela and made no effort to disguise it. Angela wouldn't put it past them to come up with some lie just to upset her.
    "I thought so, too." Maria shrugged. "So I asked them when and where he said that. They said they were passing by the station where he works and saw him leaving. They talked to him right before he left for Copperville."
    Angela's heart sank. That sounded plausible.
    "They even described the clothes he was wearing—cotton slacks and a safari shirt.”
    Angela's hopes faded. He had worn a safari shirt the day he had stopped by the pool. She remembered, because she had wanted to toy with the buttons located in strategic places on his body.
    Fool! she admonished herself. Manipulated by his charm, she had trusted him. Well her guard was up now. Forewarned, she would be prepared. If he still refused to acknowledge the value of her teaching after what she planned to put him through, he could only be classified as close-minded. Ricardo de la Cruz was not ignorant. He would see for himself that he was wrong. And she would gloat over her success.
    "So what're you going to do?" Maria asked.
    "Bring out the big guns,” Angela declared, sounding more confident than she felt. "I've got it.” “I’ve got an idea.” She shifted in the bucket seat to face Maria. "Can you take my class the afternoon of Ricardo's last visit?"
    "Sure.”
    "One afternoon off from their studies with me won't hurt. It'll be for their good in the long run."
    "What're you going to do? What can I do to help?"
    Angela shook her head in wonder at her friend's continual support. Changing to a new program, no matter how good it was, always created stress. Oftentimes, when Angela had been frustrated or discouraged while mastering whole language teaching, Maria had popped into the room with encouraging words.
    Maria's backing had been especially helpful whenever Cathy or Lupe were on the prowl and looking for any chance to knock the program. At first, Angela thought the problem with the two teachers stemmed from the fact that Lupe had been forced to teach a different grade level to make room for Angela's whole language class. She couldn't blame her for being annoyed. And she would expect Lupe’s friend to feel righteous indignation on her behalf. But it soon became obvious that there was more to the animosity than that.
    Lupe and Cathy simply did not like the program and made every effort to criticize and question all aspects of it. All too often, the attacks became personal and Maria inevitably stepped in to stand up for Angela. Still, Angela felt guilty involving her friend this time, even though she knew Maria would insist on it.
    "He promised me a session to analyze the tapes. I'll call the professors and get them to come, too." Angela felt better now that she had set her course. "With all of us in on the session together, he won't be able to refute what he sees."
    "Why would having the professors there make any difference? You can explain the program better than they can. They get all caught up in educational jargon." Maria downshifted gears.
    "True, but that's not the point. With them there, I'll have witnesses."
    "Why do you need witnesses?"
    "The videos." Angela waved her hand in impatience. "If he tries to edit them to discredit me, I'll have proof."
    Angela saw the confusion furrowing Maria's brow. She stopped talking for a minute and sighed, then gathered her thoughts.
    "He could take out all of