Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Amber
“M om, Dad!” I exclaim as I open my front door to see my parents grinning back at me from the front porch.
My heart melts a little. Man, I sure have missed seeing them in person daily.
“I know it’s early, but we wanted to bring you a gift for your first day,” Mom says.
“Oh my goodness, you didn’t have to do that!”
“Yes, we did.” Dad laughs as he walks inside. “We’re just thrilled to have you back home for good.”
“I’m so happy to be home,” I breathe as I wrap them both in hugs.
“I made you lunch. I also made you some freezer meals for this week’s dinners. I know you’re not completely unpacked, and I want to make it easier on you,” Mom says.
She’s already in the kitchen unloading two cooler bags of food and putting them in my almost empty refrigerator.
God bless her.
I grin widely. It’s so nice to be home and have my parents trying to take care of me again. For someone who has been out on her own for so long, the gesture is appreciated.
My parents are the best.
“And we got you this,” Dad says as he shows me a hand-carved sign that says Miss Shafer, Hicks Creek’s best fourth-grade teacher .
“Aw, you guys, this is…this is amazing.”
I feel the tears pricking at my eyes. Coming back to Hicks Creek is giving me these special moments that I wouldn’t have otherwise gotten. I’m so grateful.
Dad leans in close while Mom is still putting food away. “Your mom wouldn’t let me touch that apple pie or the biscuits and gravy she made, so I will be over at some point to eat it with you.”
I giggle and nod as I throw my arm around him.
“This was the best surprise I ever could have gotten.”
“We know it’s not your first teaching job, but it’s important because you’re back to your roots,” Mom says, hugging me again.
“It is. It’s all a dream come true, honestly. I’m glad I get to be closer to you guys and my nieces.”
I’ve been whistling, singing to myself, and in such a great mood all morning. I actually jumped out of bed, ready to take on the day. It’s been a long time since I was this excited and happy about my life.
I wouldn’t have gotten these moments if life hadn’t happened the way it did, and those are the positives I need to remember, not that my boyfriend of two years cheated on me.
“The girls have talked about nothing else.” Dad laughs. “Plenty of family barbecues coming up.”
“You should get going so you’re not late for your first day,” Mom adds.
“Of course, thanks for this. You guys are seriously the best.”
They hug me again before walking out the front door, holding hands.
My parents are seriously the cutest and the best. I hope to find a love like theirs one day.
* * *
The hum of excitement buzzing through the halls matches the fluttering in my stomach as I step into my classroom. I grin, running my hands over the bright, cheerful bulletin boards and the meticulously organized shelves stacked with supplies. This is the first day of school, and it already feels so different from when I taught at the prep academy.
The energy is so different here, and I love it.
It’s so positive and…safe. It’s like everyone is happy to have me.
I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves as I stand by the door, greeting each new face that appears. I can already feel that familiar mix of jitters and excitement from the kids as they find their desks, chatting with one another and fidgeting in their seats. I spot Casey sitting near the back, hands folded in front of her. She politely but briefly smiles when I wave, her gaze dropping back to her lap.
“Good morning, everyone!” I say brightly once everyone’s settled. “Welcome to fourth grade! We are going to have the best year ever together.”
As I continue, there’s a chorus of giggles and a few shy waves. “Alright, let’s start by getting to know each other a little. I want each of you to tell me your name and something you love to do. I’ll go first. My name is Miss Shafer, and I love baking cupcakes.”
A few kids laugh, a handful look surprised, and one boy raises his hand, immediately asking if we’ll be baking cupcakes in class this year. I give him a wink.
“I’ll see what I can do,” I tell him.
Everyone chimes in with something new and exciting.
“I’m Cynthia. I like to swim!”
“I’m Deja. I like monsters!”
“I’m Josh. I like basketball!”
When we reach Casey, she shifts uncomfortably, stares at her desk, and murmurs, “I’m Casey…and I like to read.”
Her voice is barely a whisper, and when I encourage her with a smile, she doesn’t meet my eyes. Her expression is quite sad. It’s as if she’s here but somewhere else entirely. I make a mental note to keep an eye on her.
The morning goes smoothly, and I find myself relaxing, getting lost in the rhythm of teaching. We play a few icebreaker games, and by the time we start our first activity—drawing “All About Me” posters—the room buzzes with excitement. But Casey is different. While the other kids eagerly share and swap crayons, she’s quiet, her eyes occasionally flicking to the window.
“Casey, besides reading, what are some things you love to do?” I ask gently, leaning down beside her desk.
She shrugs, glancing away. “I don’t know…I just like being outside, I guess.”
“That’s a great start! Maybe you can draw a picture of your favorite place outside. Do you have any pets or something you like to do outside?” I suggest, but she only nods, picking up a crayon reluctantly.
Over the next few days, I try various ways to encourage her to participate, but it’s like she’s holding up a wall, and I can’t quite figure out how to get past it. Her work is beautifully done when she completes it, but she often just stares out the window, her mind clearly elsewhere.
Her father was such a jerk to me. Does he treat her the same way? He seems awfully grumpy. Maybe she feels like she'll get in trouble if she says the wrong thing.
The man may be hot, but he definitely seems like a jerk.
I watch her carefully, trying to see if I can mentally come up with a way to break through to her.
“Miss Shafer,” a little girl says, bringing me back to reality, “I’m done.”
“If you guys can pass your math work up to the front, please,” I say with a smile.
The kids begin passing their sheets forward. I immediately notice one of the papers is upside down. When I flip it over, I see that it’s Casey’s, and all she did was put her name on the paper. I sigh inwardly.
I know it’s only the third day of school, but this is how it’s been every day with her. She doesn’t want to engage with anyone. She’s so quiet in the room and on the playground. Even in the cafeteria, she keeps to herself. I don’t think it’s a case of her needing extra time. I need to stay on top of this.
As she starts to leave the room at the end of the day, I call after her.
“Hey, Casey,” I say, gesturing for her to come to my desk.
“Yes, Miss Shafer?”
“I noticed that you didn’t finish your math test. Were you having a problem remembering the material?”
She looks away quickly before she nods.
“That’s okay, sweetie. It was to gauge where everyone was at so no one gets left behind. What do you think about staying after school for a bit every day with me so we can work on it?”
“I…I can’t. I have to help at home.”
“I’m sure your dad will allow it if I talk to him. Your schoolwork is important, especially math.”
She shakes her head and keeps her eyes down.
Is she scared I’m going to yell at her?
“Dad says school isn’t important and the only reason I’m here is because I have to be. He says the state will take me away if I don’t come.”
Of course, he would say that!
The more I learn about this man, the less I like him. All of it is making sense now.
I clear my throat and swallow my irritation.
“School is very important, Casey. Maybe I can talk to your dad and…”
“No!” she says quickly. “No, it’s…it’s, um, it’s not a big deal. I’ll do better, I promise. Just please, please don’t say anything to my dad.”
I pull back and take in the fear in her eyes and the way she’s fidgeting nervously.
Something is going on, and I’m going to get to the bottom of it.
“Okay, but I’ll need you to do your work or ask for help, Casey. I won’t let you fall behind. You’re not engaging or paying attention.”
“I don’t get much sleep. We…we have to work on the farm a lot and…” she rambles.
I put a hand up and nod. “Okay, I get it. I won’t say anything to your father yet, but you’ll have to try. You’ll have to pay attention and ask for help. Okay?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Okay, you can go,” I murmur.
She nods and races out of the room. I bite my bottom lip as I run through what she said in my head.
Something about this doesn’t seem right.
Katrina had said that Derek was overwhelmed, but she didn’t say much else. I’m going to have to ask around and get to the bottom of this. When I talked to the other teachers about this class and if there was anything I should know or if any students needed extra love, Casey Townson wasn’t mentioned.
“Katrina,” I call out as I see her pass by my office.
“Hey, Amber!” She grins widely as she walks inside. “How’s it going?”
“It’s going great! I do have a question about one of my students, though. Casey Townson, you said that her dad was overwhelmed, but…no one has said that she’s had issues before, and she seems…distracted.”
She lets out a sigh. “Really? That’s odd. She’s typically a delight. She’s very outgoing and a little love bug.”
That’s not at all the student that I have in my class.
“She said that her dad told her school wasn’t important.”
Katrina laughs and shakes her head. “I don’t see Derek saying that, but I guess he could have, or maybe she misunderstood him. She’s a great kid, and he’s a great dad.”
“Have there been complaints about her older brother?”
“No, he struggled a bit a few years ago when Sharon died, but he’s been great since he started seeing a counselor at the youth center. Derek was so good about making sure we nipped Eric’s problems in the bud early. You should talk to him if you’re concerned.”
I try to keep my face neutral.
Casey is Sharon’s daughter?
That child is too sweet to have had such a monster for a mother.
It does explain why Derek is such a jerk to me, though. Maybe he knows why Sharon tortured me for all those years.
Instantly, I’m transported back in time, and I’m in high school again, crying in the bathroom because Sharon embarrassed me in front of the entire school when she tripped me during the school play.
I was seven years old and pretending to be sick because Sharon had turned all of the girls in my class against me, except for Bree. That girl was meaner than Regina George in Mean Girls .
I sit on my hands, swallowing hard as I look back at Katrina. I can’t let her see how thrown off I am by her nonchalant mention of Sharon’s name.
“I’ll do that, thanks!”
She nods and walks back out of the room. I make a weird noise and put my head down on my desk in frustration. I squelch all the emotions bubbling to the surface with this new piece of information. The pain and hurt Sharon caused in my life, coupled with the worry I feel for Casey and the irritation I feel for Derek, is a bit much right now.
I take a few minutes to concentrate on my breathing as well as take a second to take stock of my surroundings.
Don’t go back to the anger you feel toward Sharon because Casey will be the one to suffer for that. It’s not her fault her mom was a wretched woman.
The following day, there’s no change in Casey’s demeanor or schoolwork. When the final bell rings, I walk outside and spot Derek at pickup. He’s leaning against his truck as he waits. I recognize the sturdy set of his shoulders and the way his gaze scans the crowd, ever watchful. Taking a deep breath, I walk over.
He’s so handsome in that country boy way, but I swore off those long ago.
“Hi, Mr. Townson.”
“Derek,” he says curtly, folding his arms. He doesn’t offer a smile, but his eyes flick to mine briefly before shifting back to the crowd.
“Oh, alright then,” I say, a little rattled by his brusque tone. “I wanted to see if you’d be open to meeting with me tomorrow to discuss Casey’s progress and make sure she feels comfortable. I try to meet with each parent early in the year to get to know the family a little better.”
His face tightens, and he shifts his stance, clearly uncomfortable. “Is there a problem with her work?”
His voice is steady, but there’s an edge to it, a protective tone that tells me he’s ready to jump to her defense if he needs to.
“Casey is a very bright girl. I just noticed she seems a little distracted. Sometimes, in my experience, kids have a better transition when we’re all on the same page.”
His gaze sharpens, but he doesn’t respond. He just watches me, his jaw set, and the look in his eyes is guarded and a little intimidating.
This was not the same man who kissed me at the winery. That man seemed so tender and…ughhh, stop thinking about it. You cannot guess someone’s personality by the way they kiss!
After what feels like an eternity, he nods once, slowly. “Fine. Tomorrow, then. I’ll be here at four.” He doesn’t offer any further niceties. He just turns and walks toward his truck, calling Casey over with a quick wave.
I don’t miss the irritated look Casey shoots me as she scurries toward her father’s beat-up old truck. Any thoughts I had about Derek being mean to her is gone as I see how she runs to hug him and how relaxed she is around him.
As I watch him leave, I blow out a long breath. Something about Derek has left me flustered, more than I’d like to admit.