Page 8 of Burn It Down

CHAPTER FOUR

I’m still seething by the time I get back into my classroom—but I’m a teacher first and foremost, so I make sure my bright smile is present on my face as I greet my brand-new class.

Their eyes are all lit up and hopeful, which helps calm my rage slightly. I mean, who the hell does he think he is? Just because I had a teeny tiny little crush on him in high school—and he had absolutely no idea I even existed—he thinks that I’ll be mean to his child?

I mean—okay, so I was a little bitter and maybe a little short with Kade on meet-the-teacher night, but I would never take it out on a child. It makes me boil on the inside that he could even think that about me.

Which makes no sense at all, I understand, because he doesn’t know me. He has no reason to know I’m not going to be a prick to Elijah—but he should. He just should.

I manage to quell my rage slightly and introduce myself again to the whole class and then suggest they each take a turn stating their names and one fact about themselves. “It can be anything you want. Favorite food. Favorite color. Doesn’t have to be a favorite anything. You can tell us about your pets or your hopesand dreams,” I say whimsically as I walk around the room—the excitement I felt this morning getting ready for school coming back.

The first little girl—Rosalynn—raises her hand and proudly tells us about losing a tooth the night before. The kidsoohandahhwhen she tells them about the five-dollar bill under her pillow today when she woke up.

The next child is Xander. He tells us about his parents getting a new horse and pig over the summer and how much the pig stinks, but he still loves him anyway.

When I get to Elijah, I notice he looks a little nervous, his big green eyes looking at me. I offer him a smile that I hope comforts him. “Okay, Elijah, your turn. You can tell us anything at all.”

He looks around the room, wiggling in his seat. “Um... I’m Elijah Mitchell.” I smile, encouraging him to go on. “Um... my mom’s dead.” Well okay, that’s not what I expected him to say, but I did tell him he can tell us anything. “And my dad died this summer too.”

My eyes widen, and I hear a few gasps in the classroom. I’m not sure what he means though. Is Kade not his father? I try to think back to our meeting. I don’t know if I specifically asked or he said. I just assumed. But Megan was pregnant in high school, and they were dating—and while Elijah doesn’t really look like Kade—he for sure looks like Megan. Her blonde hair and green eyes are prevalent in the child.

Did she cheat on Kade? Is he not the biological father?

My head is spinning. “Kade isn’t your dad?” I ask before I can even call it back.

Elijah doesn’t seem to be thrown off by my question though. “He is.”

Okay, now I’m really confused, but I’m not sure I can really discuss this around a bunch of first graders. “He was here this morning, Elijah,” I say gently.

He just shrugs his little shoulders and looks down at his desk, using his finger to draw on the smooth surface. “He died.”

Okay. So yeah, I can’t really unpack this right now, and it’s clear Elijah is done talking, so I reluctantly move on to the next student, who thankfully wants to talk about going to a water park this summer.

I make a note to talk to Kade about it today after school though, no matter how uncomfortable the conversation may be. It’s clear Elijah is struggling, and whether Kade knows it or not, that makes it my business. And I do care.

It’s notKade who picks up Elijah at the end of the day though—it’s his older brother Bowen. I recognize him from school. He’s not really one you can forget. While Kade was always pretty quiet, Bowen was the absolute opposite.

Large, loud, and obnoxious. The jock type I went out of my way to avoid in school. But I watch as he embraces his nephew with large, tattooed arms, and I can see the love there instantly.

“Hey, buddy! Good day?”

Elijah nods his head and smiles at his uncle, but he doesn’t look all that happy. It’s not that he’s a sad kid exactly—but for only seven years old, it’s pretty clear he already has some pretty big demons to battle.

Bowen’s eyes meet mine, and I notice they’re the same shade of blue as his brother’s, except Bowen’s have a certain bit of mirth behind them where Kade’s are more serious. “Hey, I’m Bowen Mitchell. Elijah’s uncle.” He holds his hand out for me, which definitely wouldn’t have happened in school.

Not a chance. Just like Kade, I highly doubt Bowen even knew I was alive.

I meet his handshake. “Spencer Bell. I’m Elijah’s teacher.”

“Right,” he says as our hands part, and he studies me. “Kade said we all went to school together.”

“We did.”

“Huh. I don’t remember you at all.” I have to fight with my eyes so they don’t roll. He’s a blunt asshole, but at least he’s honest.

“That doesn’t surprise me at all.”

He chuckles. “Yeah, Kade said you were one of the nerds in school, so it makes sense we didn’t hang out with the same people.”

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