Page 23 of Class Act

I tilted my head. “So, you think I might only be the shiny thing of the month and that Hillary will move on soon?”

“The theory seems sound to me,” Aryn stated. “And a lot more comfortable to deal with than her trying to get you to date her dad.”

I smiled. “Maybe you’re right.” And maybe I could see Ford without seeing Ford.

“In the meantime, there’s no reason to hurt her feelings. I cheerfully talked to my student about the flute, never once saying how hard it would be to learn or how expensive they are. And when she moved on to jump ropes, I did the same. I think you should go to Hillary’s recital. Give her some warm fuzzies while you’re in her sights. When she moves on, she’ll have nothing but happy memories of how kind you were.” Lizzie’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she laid it out, and the feeling was contagious.

“Besides,” Ruby added, “we all had a teacher growing up that we especially liked. It’s natural to feel that way.”

“You’re right,” I stood straight and nodded. “I’m totally overreacting. I can ease the loneliness of a little girl. And I do enjoy watching people dance.” And Ford, I could be near him one more time.

“It’s settled,” Meredith grinned. “Off to the recital you go.” She turned to leave the room but paused at the doorway. “You know, if it’s Ford you’re worried about, nobody said you have to sit with him at the recital. You can sit anywhere and then go say hi to her when it’s over.” She offered a little wave and disappeared.

“She’s right,” Aryn said, following her out.

“She is right,” I whispered to myself and gave Lizzie a little wave as she left the room, too. I was a pro, after all, at soaking him up from afar.

Ruby smiled at me as I followed the others out. “Good luck.”

I walked down the hall feeling much lighter having spoken to my friends. I’d be Hillary’s flavor-of-the-month, give her support, and help her feel happy, all while keeping Ford’s wishes for distance intact and enjoying a little eye candy for myself. No more lose-lose, things were looking up.

CHAPTER SEVEN

The scribbling of pencils was the only sound as I walked slowly around the desks in my classroom, watching my students work and helping where I was needed. I’d finished reading them Frog and Toad Are Friends, and they were writing a very short story about friendship. For once they were all on task, and I was pleased, although I didn’t go so far as to pat myself on the back. I’d learned in my first years of teaching that celebrating a victory like this moment was asking for total chaos to erupt.

“Teacher?” Joel asked, raising his hand and looking up at me. “How do you spell toad?”

I walked closer to him and spelled it out. “T-O-A-D. What are you writing about?”

“I toad my friend we should play soccer at recess.”

I stifled a snort of amusement. “It would be, I told my friend. That’s spelled T-O-L-D.”

He giggled at his mistake and erased the letter A to replace it with L.

I moved back through the classroom and was stopped by another student with a raised hand. “Yes, Zeke?” I asked.

“How do you know if a girl is a kid or a mom?” he asked.

“Easy,” Kelsey piped up before I could. “She carries a purse. If she’s carrying a purse, then she’s done growing up.”

Zeke took it in thoughtfully. “Thanks.”

I loved teaching for these moments. Kids were so open to discussion and willing to share without fear of judgment. I loved how they wanted to know things and asked so many questions. I also truly appreciated them still thinking that the teacher was cool. It’s why I’d chosen to focus on the younger grades, and I had no regrets about it. I wished my parents could spend a day or two with me here. They’d been mostly supportive of my career choice, but I didn’t believe they totally understood it. My parents weren’t really ‘kid’ people. They loved me, but they didn’t seek out children in general. I, however, was the opposite. I’d always sought out children and interacted with them. They were easier than adults, in my opinion. I was in middle school when I’d decided I wanted to teach, and I was so grateful to have a classroom full of kids to shower my affection on.

After a few more minutes of writing their stories, it was time to pack up for the day and head home, and before I knew it I was sitting in Ruby’s office with my friends laughing over some of the happenings of the day during Recap and Recoup. I started the ball rolling with my stories, but theirs were just as funny if not better. The kids had really been on one today.

“I asked my class why freshwater fish can’t live in saltwater,” Meredith chuckled. “One of the kids replied that it would be dangerous for them because salt causes high blood pressure.”

“We’re working on the clock right now, and the problem was ‘If Mira goes to the library at 6:15 and leaves at 6:30, how long was she there?’ Luke’s answer was ‘Not long, teacher.’” Lizzie had us rolling with that one.

Aryn held up both hands, her smile beaming. “I think I win today,” she called. “I asked the class to list five good things Abraham Lincoln had done. My favorite answer was ‘When the war was over, he celebrated by taking his wife to a show.’” She barely made it through without cracking up. “Another kid yelled out, ‘Yeah, and he died at that show, so I guess it wasn’t really good choice.’”

I pressed my hands against my stomach as I joined in the amusement of my friend group. “What about you, Ruby?” I asked. “Any adventures from your day?”

“Two barf buckets and one rash. It was awesome.”

I wrinkled my nose. “I don’t know how you do it.”

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