Page 89 of Welcome to Forever
Chapter 22
Kat’s mouth went dry and her chest tightened as she walked toward the picnic table where Micah was sitting on Monday afternoon. The two newest club members were already hard at work, one looking sullen and not a bit remorseful over his acts of vandalism this school year. The other seeming to enjoy himself.
“Hey,” she said, soliciting Micah’s attention.
He was wearing mirrored sunglasses against the late October sun, but she suspected his gaze was washing over her, remembering what her body looked like without the iron-pressed blouse and long skirt. Remembering the other night when they’d devoured each other’s body in a heated frenzy, after which he’d left her a thank-you note and apparently created a garden in her backyard.
“I haven’t gotten a chance to say thank you yet. For Saturday night,” she said.
He raised an eyebrow. “Which part?” he asked, lowering his voice.
She pulled her lower lip into her mouth, scanning the campus and making sure there were no little ears to overhear them. “All the parts, but the swing and the flowers is what I was referring to.”
He nodded. “I thought you could use a place to relax.”
Hewas her place to relax. She’d been very relaxed in his arms as she’d fallen asleep on Saturday night. “Well, thank you. It’s beautiful. How are our vandals doing?”
“They have an attitude as big as Texas, but a little work in the earth should do them good.”
Since the beginning of the school year, the flat piece of land behind the school had transformed into a large expanse of green sprouts and leaves, its delicious colors rising from the dirt. It was amazing, and the kids had done it with Micah’s help. And hers.
Micah gestured toward the boxes of handpicked vegetables. “A home-cooked meal will do the wounded warriors good. A lot of them won’t be going home for the holidays.”
She smiled. “The Veterans’ Center agreed to let us have the facility on Saturday, so we’ll be able to treat our heroes right. Do we have cooks for Saturday’s feast?” she asked.
Micah rubbed his chin between his fingers. “I have a few good men. Lawson owes me.”
“And Val and Julie offered to help. Probably more to look at the guys, but”—Kat shrugged—“whatever works.”
Micah’s attention turned to the tall, lanky man walking toward the back of the school with a notepad in hand. Glasses framed his angled face.
“He’s a reporter from the Seaside Daily News.” Kat stood and smiled.
“You’re smiling?” Micah asked.
“He’s here to do a story on our club. A real story. I invited him.” She extended her hand as the reporter approached. “Mr. Todd. Thank you so much for coming.”
The man shook her hand and then took Micah’s. “Wow. You were right, Principal Chandler,” he said, directing his attention to the after-school group.
“Please, call me Kat.”
“Kat. This place is amazing.” The Gumby-like man pulled a pen out of his chest pocket and started writing feverishly as Kat and Micah told him about the club, and how several of the kids who’d been assigned time after school were still here, because they wanted to be. They told him how the kids’ efforts would be feeding the wounded Marines this weekend to show their appreciation to them for serving their country.
When they were done walking the premises, the reporter stopped and stared at the wall of latest graffiti. Stanley had been home sick over the last week and couldn’t get to it. She wished she’d removed the paint herself.
“Kids will rebel everywhere,” she said, turning to Mr. Todd. “It’s what you do to handle it that makes the difference. No kid wants to misbehave. They want to be loved. They want to know they’re worth something. That they’re worth a lot.” Kat was getting all misty-eyed and tight-throated just talking about the Friendship Club. This was something that mattered, and it made a difference. She knew it did.
Micah’s hand squeezed her shoulder. Then he pushed his mirrored sunglasses up on his head and shook the reporter’s hand. “I can’t wait to read the article.” There was a tone laced in the comment. A tone that said it better do the school, and its principal, justice.
The reporter nodded. “And I can’t wait to write it. When I spoke to your assistant principal about the club the other day, she led me to believe this would be more of a sidebar article.”
“Mrs. Burroughs?” Kat queried.
“I ran into her at church on Sunday. Can’t hardly go anywhere in a small town without running into someone you know. I asked her about the club.”
“And what did she say?” Micah asked, still standing beside her. Kat could almost hear his muscles tightening in her defense, and she loved that about him. Even though she didn’t need rescuing, she liked the fact that he had her back.
The reporter shrugged. “I believe she said your little club was temporary. That traditional methods of punishment were more effective in changing kids’ behaviors.”
