"Confronting the Truth"

The principal, Mr. Johnson, looked at Ashley with a mixture of concern and curiosity. "What's going on, Ashley? You can tell me," he said, his voice gentle. Ashley took a deep breath, feeling a lump form in her throat. "The teacher is a dick, that's what's up," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Mr. Johnson's expression turned stern. "Okay, enough of that. Maybe you can actually tell me what's going on," he said, leaning back in his chair. Ashley shook her head, feeling a surge of frustration. "She won't listen to me," she said, her voice rising, tears welling up in her eyes. "I try to tell her I don't understand, but she just gets angry and yells at me." Mr. Johnson's expression softened. "Ashley, what's going on with math? Is it really that you're not listening, or is it something else?" Ashley took a deep breath, feeling a wave of emotion wash over her. "I just can't do math, really. It's not for attention, I swear," she said, her voice cracking. "I try and try, but it just doesn't make sense to me. And Mrs. Thompson makes me feel like I'm stupid, like I'm not trying hard enough." Mr. Johnson nodded thoughtfully, his eyes filled with understanding. "Ashley, I'm going to make a phone call. We're going to get to the bottom of this," he said, picking up the phone. As he dialed, Ashley felt a sense of hope rising up inside her. Maybe, just maybe, someone would finally listen to her, finally understand what she was going through. As Mr. Johnson waited for someone to answer, he looked at Ashley with a kind expression. "You know, Ashley, I think we can work something out. Maybe we can get you some extra help with math, or find a way to make it more... palatable for you." Ashley felt a tiny sense of relief wash over her. Maybe, just maybe, things were going to get better. Just then, Mr. Johnson's phone was answered, and he launched into a conversation with whoever was on the other end. Ashley didn't pay much attention, her mind wandering back to the note she had found on the floor. Who could have written it? And what did they want to meet with her about? As Mr. Johnson wrapped up his conversation and hung up the phone, he turned to Ashley with a thoughtful expression. "Ashley, I think we're going to get you some extra help with math. And I also think we need to have a talk with Mrs. Thompson about her teaching methods." Ashley felt a surge of gratitude towards Mr. Johnson. Maybe, just maybe, things were going to change.