Everyone followed Tabitha as she walked out to get a better look at the car. But as she drew closer, she realized she did not recognize it.
Nervously, she wondered if this was the car Alex had claimed to be waiting for after all.
Although it was not a particularly fancy car, it was extremely official-looking and neat, well-maintained and polished to a shine.
Sasha leaned down to peer at the license plate. It was stamped with an insignia marking it as an official car from Oak Ridge.
"That doesn't mean anything," Tabitha muttered. "Maybe he's friends with the driver and asked him to come as a special favor."
But Neil was surprised and pleased by the development. He began to wonder if he had been wrong after all.
The driver stepped out of the car, walked toward Alex, and said, "Mr. Ambrose! I'm terribly sorry for the delay. I hope I did not keep you waiting too long?"
The driver was very young, and seemed a bit nervous. He spoke to Alex in an extremely respectful tone. He did not seem like a friend Alex had called to pretend to be his driver.
Everyone gasped in shock as they realized that they had been wrong.
They looked over at Alex, feeling foolish. He had said over and over that he was telling the truth, but they hadn't believed. Now it appeared that he really was the principal of the school.
Alex smiled at him. "It's Xander, right? I've told you before, you really don't have to be so formal. And you're fine, your timing is perfect. Shall we head out? Otherwise people might start asking me more questions."
"Of course, Mr. Ambrose!" Xander cried, instantly forgetting that his boss had just asked him not to call him that. But then he looked around and seemed to register that people were staring at the car. He bristled, a little defensive. "It's not the fanciest model car, I'm sorry about that. But this one is very secure, and the engine is of a good make. We went for quality over anything flashy. It seemed more appropriate for the principal of a place like Oak Ridge. I hope that's not a problem."
"Of course, that's fine," Alex assured him.
The rest of the crowd was beginning to murmur appreciatively now that they understood that Alex really was the principal of Oak Ridge. No matter how they looked at the situation, the car and driver seemed to prove everything.
Max and Ben were particularly startled. They thought they had a good understanding of Alex's character. While they knew Alex was generally a good guy, they never would have imagined he had it in him to achieve such a high position at his young age.
Joe and Suzan were also muddled by the reveal.
Neil was staring at Alex in wonder, reassessing the young man's character as rapidly as he could.
Tabitha had become as pale as a ghost. Sasha looked as though she had been slapped in the face.
They turned what they had just learned about Alex over and over in their minds. Not only had he achieved a highly prestigious position, but he seemed to have done it entirely on his own merits. Becoming the principal of a school like Oak Ridge wasn't the sort of thing a rich parent could bribe their child's way into. Not to mention that Alex had barely mentioned his family all night. However he had achieved this amazing position, he seemed to have done it on his own terms.
Tabitha thought ruefully of her friend, who desperately wanted his child to go to Oak Ridge. She realized she might have just poisoned their chances of getting in for good. It was galling to think that this was the person they would have to apply to in order to make it happen.
Many of the people who had been joking about Alex before covered their mouths, wishing they could disappear. They wondered if Alex would remember their names and faces.
A deeply uncomfortable silence settled over the whole group.
Sasha was consumed with shame and indignation. She had been riding high on her sense of superiority all evening, and now she had come crashing down to reality. She had a son of a similar age to Alex currently struggling with drug abuse. He would probably never achieve anything like what Alex had done.
"Well, it's time for me to go," Alex finally announced.
Neil stepped forward. "So it's really true? You were telling the truth this whole time?"
Alex smiled modestly. "I can't say it was an appointment that I was seeking out, but since it has fallen to me, I will do my best."
"You're too modest!" Xander cried out. "You've made so many improvements to the school. The whole teaching staff has raised their game. You even managed to get a new round of donations to boost the school's facilities! And with so many children of so many important people attending the school, you've become a friend to every leader in the city."
His words shamed the crowd even further. They couldn't believe they had been so rude to someone with so much influence.
"Billy Wilde was working there for a while too," Alex said, desperate to take some of the attention off himself.
"Billy?" Max cried. "I remember him, he was awful!"
"I still can't believe he stole your girlfriend like that," Ben muttered. "It was cheap."
"Oh, but that was just college stuff," Joe said. "That's just how things were."
"Mr. Wilde has been driven out," Xander reported to them. "He had no real skills, and he was jealous of Mr. Ambrose! Finally everyone had had enough. I've heard he's been blacklisted in the district. He won't find work again." Xander didn't completely understand what situation he had walked into, but it was clear the crowd didn't really understand who his boss was. He felt compelled to tell them.
Alex shook his head. "I don't know about any of that. Xander, we don't need to gossip." He didn't want to put on airs for himself, and he didn't want anyone else to flatter him either.
Xander's eyes went wide. "Sorry, sorry! But it is true though."
"Success is the best revenge, though," Ben said sagely. "After everything Billy put you through back then, this is an amazing turn-around."
"It's pretty amazing revenge on other people, too," Max whispered, sneaking a look at Tabitha and Sasha.
Alex's former classmates continued to congratulate him on his hard work and good fortune.
Neil finally stepped forward and asked to shake Alex's hand. "I really misunderstood you this evening," he said humbly. "But I'm happy to be proven wrong."