Page 127 of Roommate's Guide to Love

Quinn cups my face with her hands, bringing me in for a kiss that screams forever. “Plans change, Porter. And this life? The one we’re building? Getting to love you? Getting to watch that little girl grow up? I can’t imagine my life being any other way.”

I tip my forehead down to meet hers as her hands loop around my neck. “This life. It’s unexpected. Us? Grace? I never would’ve imagined this life for myself. And yet, I can’t imagine the future going any other way.”

Quinn lifts up on her toes, giving me one last kiss. “Just you wait. The best is yet to come.”

guide to love rule #143

There truly is no place like home.

epilogue

Quinn - Six Months Later

“So what dowe think the hero was trying to accomplish with his quest?”

I can’t count the amount of hands that go up between the students who have piled into the Rolling Hills Middle School library and the ones who are streaming in via our Zoom feed. But it’s a lot.

And it fills my heart.

“Yes, Antonio?”

“I don’t think he knew Ms. Banks. He for sure didn’t have a plan.”

“Yes he did!” Stephen, one of my students back in Rolling Hills, chimes in. “He knew he had to go into the outer land to save the world!”

“Well yeah, he knew that. But going into an unknown world without at least a sword? Ain’t no way I’m doing that. How you going to go into a quest where you’re probably going to meet a dragon and not go in with a sword? It’s a suicide mission Miss Banks.”

I laugh, because Antonio isn’t wrong. And this is the beauty of book club, one person says one thing and suddenly that’s better than any topics I could’ve come up with.

“That sounds like a good discussion today!” I clap my hands to grab everyone’s attention. As I’ve done this plenty of times during the months we’ve had our after school meetings, the students know that they need to quiet down for these few minutes. It’s usually not a problem because they know they’re about to get plenty of talking time. “You’re going to break up into your pairs and discuss the topic ‘did you think the protagonist had a plan.’ When you’re done with your idea exchange, you can discuss that if you were going on the quest, what would you bring to defeat your enemies.”

I see a hand go up and I quickly nip it in the bud. “And no. Your phone is not an acceptable answer because, believe it or not, I don’t think Chat GPT will help you defeat a dragon.”

The kids laugh as the ones I have in my home library grab their Chromebooks and headphones before dispersing around the library into their small groups. I quickly glance around the room to make sure everyone is situated and I can’t help but smile.

Quinn’s Crew Book Club—my former students in Arizona refused to let me change the name—has now gone from a summer activity to an after school club for students. And yes, we’re based in two locations because my Arizona kiddos were not going to be left out. And since they’re doing buddy reads with one of the classes here, we just added them to the after school book club. So now, once a month, students come in and talk about our book of the month. We start off in a large group before breaking off into our buddy talks. The kids are talking books and making friends they never would’ve met before. I’ve even heard snaps have been exchanged. Whatever that means.

The amount of support I’ve gotten from Rolling Hills and, shockingly, my former school, has been amazing. The language arts teachers are thrilled with how much the kids read outside the classroom and have told me whatever I need from them to just ask. Our school had more Battle of the Books signups than ever before and I’ve even been asked by the county to give a talk about reviving libraries for students.

Don’t get me wrong, Rolling Hills Middle School is not the same without Mrs. Metcalf. But her legacy lives on in the permanent shelf that’s been now coined, “Mrs. Metcalf’s Infinity Star Reads,” which of course also houses a framed picture of her and I from many years ago right next to a copy ofThe Westing Game.

As for my former school…it’s been a journey from what I’ve heard. Since I’m still in contact with my former fellow English teachers, they’re more than happy to fill me in on the gossip.

And oh my, there’s been tea…

Apparently my leaving started a mini revolution. Four other teachers quit before the school year ended and two teachers opted for early retirement. And that was on top of the three who were retiring at the end of the year. But the board didn’t panic until no new teachers were applying for the position. Which, I’m not sure why they wouldn’t be? It’s not like myself and a few of the departed teachers were posting on teacher Facebook groups about our time there and how the administration didn’t have teachers’ backs.

Guess what? It worked. The board panicked, talked to the union, and made a sweeping declaration that all parent groups had to be board approved. Parents can still talk to the administration about specific issues with their own child, but it can’t be done in groups and if it requires that, it must be brought to the board first.

I was shocked. I couldn’t believe they agreed to that. Then again, that might’ve had something to do with someone’s sister digging into social media posts and finding long and buried things about each member of the P.E.N.I.S. Posse. And weirdly, I heard that those photos and social media posts were sent to the board to let them know that these were the people trying to take over the school and curriculum.

Moral of the story: If you’re going to go on spring break in Cancun and show your tits to the world, and then proceed to also have a small role in aGirl’s Gone Wildvideo, make sure it’s not on the internet before going into a school and preaching about moral values in education. That’s all I’m saying.

Oh, and don’t fuck with Quinn Banks. Ever.

And while I’m glad they now have things straightened out, I’m still glad I left. Because leaving Arizona brought me exactly to where I needed to be.

It’s been eight months since Grace made her grand entrance, and subsequently turned both Porter and my lives upside down. Looking back, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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