Page 21 of Defined and Defiled
“Richard?” I will try.
“I knew I recognized his voice. I just couldn't recall where.”
“Whose voice?”
Richard blinks a few times before frowning.
“Mike. When he spoke to you this morning, it sounded familiar but it's not until we saw his face that I remembered where I heard it from.”
“He was your student?”
“Yes. He is also the one who cursed me.”
I don't have time to process this as my alarm on my phone blares. I have to get back to my classroom, but how can I bring Richard back when with what we know now? I look in the back of my car, an idea forming.
“How long do you think you can stay quiet?”
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Watch morecookingdetective shows
“Okay class, I will see you next week! Remember to think about what you'd like to do for the stained glass project!” Cami smiles at me as I reenter the classroom holding Richard.
“All yours, Ms. Sumner.”
“Cami, I was wondering if you'd take Richard, or um, my book, with you? We can meet up when I meet you for drinks later.”
I hand Richard over to Cami. He's wrapped in my special edition Thrice Night duskjacket, his face covered by the hero's shirtless torso. Her brow crinkles and her smile wilts a little.
I push on before she can say anything else.
“I can send you what I'd like drawn if you'd like. I'd just feel more comfortable if you held on to him for me. I may be a little late joining you but when I do drinks are on me.”
Cami takes Richard into her arms, and I have to force myself to not rip him back.
“It's going to be okay.” I say.
“It will.” Cami agrees, and squeezes my shoulder before rolling her cart out of my room.
I make a mental note to look up how many free drinks it takes to make your coworker forget you're a weirdo.
When I return from dropping my last kid off at the bus line, Mike is already waiting by my desk.
He's fiddling with the sleeve of Sophia's jacket which she forgot to grab again, even after my chat with her mother. I want to rip it from his hands, it unnerves me to see him touching my student's things after knowing what he did to Richard.
Mike ignores my disgust as he always does and smiles at me.
“Are you ready to go?”
I scan Mike's face for answers. Maybe the Mike we saw in the yearbook was his young dad . That doesn't account for Richard recognizing his voice though.
“Not yet. I still have some stuff to finish up here.”
Mike finally lets go of Sophia's sleeve and puts his hands in his pockets. He rocks back and forth on the balls of his feet and glances around the room.
“Anything I can help you with?”
