Page 24 of XOXO, Valentina

In the east wing hall, a group of students sat on the floor, working on a timeline. At the end of the hall, several fifth graders painted their portraits on the wall. The students worked diligently, despite the constant distractions happening around them.

The hall smelled like twelve-year-old kids who hadn’t started using deodorant yet and paint, but my classroom probably smelled worse. I really needed to convince Sally Ann’s mom to quit with the tuna salad. Considering moving my fourth block class outside if the weather warmed up this afternoon, I fit the key in the lock and opened the door. Inside the supply closet, it smelled of pine and citrus. The windowless space was pitch black, except for a bright-orange light coming from the back corner.

I flipped on the overhead light and saw Gabriella sitting on a crate in the back of the closet. She jumped up when she saw me. Her phone clattered to the floor, and she yanked her earbuds from her ears.

“Close the door,” she hissed.

I stepped inside and pulled the door closed behind me. “What are you doing in here?”

She tipped her chin upward to glare at me. “I’m trying to have a private moment.”

I struggled to contain my grin. “What kind of private moment?”

She gave me a prim look. “Everything is sexual with you, isn’t it?”

“Who said anything about sex?”

She rolled her eyes and retrieved her phone from the floor. “I’m watching the championship game,” she said. “My mom is there, and she’s sending me a live video.”

“You’re hiding in the supply closet, watching a basketball game?”

“Shh,” she hissed. “What are you doing in here?”

I turned the lock on the door. “Watching the game with you.” It was my planning period, which I had planned on using to clean up my classroom. This seemed like a better option.

Gabriella turned her attention back to her phone. “Get the light. Just in case.”

I flipped the switch and joined her at the back of the closet. “What’s the score?”

“It’s tied, with eighty seconds remaining.”

“Why aren’t you in Charlotte?” I asked.

“I had a meeting this morning, and I had to be here. This is the best I could do.”

My heart squeezed at the sound of guilt in her voice. My mom had struggled to work full time and raise four kids, but at least she had my dad to help. Gabriella did everything on her own. Shane was lucky to have such an amazing mom.

She scooted over to make room for me to sit on the carton. Despite the powerful scent of bleach in the supply closet, the smell of her shampoo tickled my nose. Gabriella handed me one of her earbuds, and the sounds of the game filled my ear as we huddled together, watching Shane dribble down the court for what should have been an easy layup. But nothing came easy in the championship game. The defensive player blocked Shane with an elbow to the ribs.

“Foul!” we cried in unison.

Shane hurried to the foul line and took his first shot. The ball swished through the net without hitting the rim. He missed the second, but Mossy Oak got the rebound and scored a quick two points.

We grinned at each other over the soft glow of light from her phone. Mossy Oak was up by three points. They had to hold on for one more minute, and they would be the state champs. The opposing team called a timeout, and everyone filed off the court.

“Have you been able to watch much of the game?” I asked.

“I missed almost all of it,” she said. “But my mom will give me the play-by-play later. She never misses a game for any of her grandkids.”

I shifted on the box, putting my arm around her shoulder to take up less space. “It must be tough not being there in person.”

She stiffened under my arm. “No matter how much I’d like to, I can’t do everything.”

I rubbed my hand on her shoulder. “You’re doing a great job. Shane is an awesome kid.”

Her shoulder relaxed under my touch. “Thanks.”

“How long have you been doing it alone?” It was the deepest we’d ever gone in conversation, and I wondered if maybe she wouldn’t answer me.

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