Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
ZERO
It felt like centuries since I’d last been in a classroom. Lucky for me, Jasper sat in the back in his first class, so I could sit behind him without having to squeeze myself into a desk. I got the feeling Simone wouldn’t be so nice about it.
Kids eyed me curiously as they came in and dropped their bags by their desks. Meanwhile, Jasper had his hood up and his face buried in his arms as he tried to block out the reality of his situation. I couldn’t stop myself from grinning. As far as punishments went, this one was kind of fun.
The teacher, an older lady named Mrs. Blair, called the class to attention, going over their schedule for the day and shushing them when the announcements crackled over the speaker in the corner.
I winced when feedback made it squeak and half the class clapped their hands over their ears.
Poking Jasper in the side, I asked quietly, “Does that happen a lot?”
He shot me a scowl over his shoulder. “What?”
“The squeaking? Does it happen a lot?”
“I don’t know! Who cares?” he hissed.
Pursing my lips, I sat back thoughtfully.
I’d never been hired for a job at any of the schools before, they probably hired someone who was part of the district or whatever, but we did volunteer shit all the time now that Sierra had started working on our image.
I made a mental note to mention it to her, she would get permission way easier than I would, and returned my attention to the class as the teacher came down the aisle, still talking to the students while offering me a book.
“We were on chapter seventeen. How many of you did the readings like I asked you to?” she asked the class without more than a glance in my direction.
Flipping the book over, I studied it. Pretty sure I read it in school, I was at least familiar with it, so I could keep up with the work if she decided to ask me to join in. Leaning closer to Jasper again, I asked, “Did you do the reading?”
He gave me a dirty look over his shoulder, but didn’t answer me until I raised a lazy eyebrow at him. He wasn’t going to get me to stop pestering him. My whole job being here was to get him to act right, and that included doing his work.
“Didn’t have to,” he grumbled. “I finished it already.”
Huh. That wasn’t what I expected, but hey, it counted, right?
“Jasper?” Mrs. Blair called his name, and I got another dark look for drawing her attention his way. “Can you read the first paragraph, please?”
I was mostly invisible in that class, which was fine with me, and my presence seemed to be enough to get Jasper to do what was expected of him.
We moved on to the next class, and I offered Jasper my phone to show him the update from Skylar while we were walking, including the picture of Isla and Ryder playing on a blanket on the floor.
He seemed satisfied with that and nodded, hands shoved into his hoodie pocket.
While they got settled for the next class, the science teacher approached me, offering me a hand to shake. “You’re Mr. Fletcher, correct? Jasper’s guardian?”
“That’s me. Call me Zero, though.”
He gave me a look similar to what Simone gave me the first time I made the request, but didn’t question me about it. “Nice to meet you, Zero. I’m Joel Stickleman. I’m glad you’re here. Jasper has been… unmotivated.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” I agreed. “I’ll keep him on track. What are you guys working on?”
“We’re currently on Ohm’s Law, or a middle school version of it anyway. Are you familiar?”
My eyebrows shot up. They taught that shit to little kids? “Uh, yeah. I’m an electrician. It’s basically my bread and butter.”
The dude looked overjoyed by my reply, a big grin overtaking his face.
“You’re an electrician? That’s amazing. Would you be willing to share with the students what you do?
I’m asked at least a dozen times a week why they need to learn this and when they’d use it.
Hearing from a professional might help them conceptualize it a little better. ”
Nodding slowly, I replied, “Uh, yeah. Sure. Sounds good. I have my tools in the car if you want a demonstration.”
“The students would love that!”
Dude was seriously excited. I didn’t hate it though. The world always needed more electricians and if the science teacher was this hyped about getting the kids interested, it might lead to a few of them joining the field in the future.
I stopped at Jasper’s desk, letting him know I had to duck out to the car, and the secretary buzzed me back in after I jogged to my car for my tools.
I let her look inside the bag so she knew it was all safe, and came back to the classroom right as Mr. Stickleman started going over what they’d learned the day before.
“I remember a few of you asked in what situation you’d use this information. Mr. Fletcher, Jasper’s guardian, happens to be an electrician and has agreed to show you how he uses Ohm’s Law in his work.”
Murmurs swept through the class and I saw Jasper bury his head in his arms again when a few students looked in his direction.
One even leaned across the table, whispering something to him that Jasper either didn’t answer or grumbled low enough that I couldn’t hear him.
I grinned, setting my tools on the teacher’s table and waving at the class.
“Hey. I’m Zero, I’ve been working as an electrician for over fifteen years now. If you live in town and you’ve ever had your power short out or something like that, you might’ve seen me around.”
Hands shot up and my eyebrows jumped. I hadn’t expected to have questions already.
Mr. Stickleman called on one of the students before I had to play any games of trying to figure out who I’d called on without names.
“Darnel?”
“Have you ever been electrocuted?” the kid asked with a wide grin. I grinned back.
“Yep. I challenge you to find a single electrician who hasn’t at least once in their career. That’s why stuff like what you’re learning right now is so important. Closed circuits, insulators, voltage, it all goes into what I do and how I keep myself alive and my clients happy.”
Like with the lesson I’d given Jasper the day before, I was surprised by how focused the kids were as I was talking.
I let them pass around tools to look at them while explaining what they did, and the science teacher pointed out each time something I said directly related to what they were learning.
Even Jasper was paying attention, getting to hold the tools he’d seen me use the day prior.
“I used this one just yesterday to test the panel on a hydraulic lift. Jasper was with me while I worked on that, so he got to see firsthand how it worked,” I commented, handing the multimeter to the nearest student.
“It’s the fastest and safest way for me to measure voltage, current, and resistance, literally everything you’re learning right now. ”
Another hand shot up, this one of a girl with a spunky short hair cut and big glasses. “If there’s a tool for it, why do we have to learn the formula?”
“Because there wasn’t always a tool. And if the tool is dead or I forgot it, I can’t just walk away from a job, can I?
I gotta use the tool between my ears.” I grinned, tapping my temple.
The tease made the kids laugh and I felt like one hundred bucks for keeping them engaged.
By the time I could head back to my seat beside Jasper, I’d answered at least a dozen questions about being an electrician and how hard it was.
A few kids looked interested enough that I figured I might see them one day in the field working beside me.
If I hadn’t keeled over from exhaustion by then anyway.
Isla would certainly give me a run for my money once she was Jasper’s age.
The tools had ended up on Jasper’s table since he was farthest to the back, and the other kids who sat across from him were still talking and playing with them when I sat back down.
I was glad to see they were including Jasper, pestering him for answers until he gave in.
He needed friends like that. Kids tough enough to draw him out of his grump.
“Did you get to work on the lift too?” the kid across from him demanded of Jasper. “That must’ve been so cool.”
“No,” Jasper grumbled. “I just watched.”
When the kid pouted, I added, “It’s the life of every apprentice, unfortunately. You gotta watch before you can do anything on your own. That way you know the newbie won’t become a crispy nugget by the end of the first day.”
They snickered and a shadow of a smile flickered across Jasper’s face when I elbowed him playfully.
“So you’re Jasper’s dad?” the second kid sitting diagonally from Jasper asked, leaning forward on his elbows curiously.
I saw Jasper stiffen out of the corner of my eye and was quick to correct the kid, figuring if it came from me, people would stop assuming.
“Nah. We’re cousins.” I paused, thinking about it.
“Second cousins? I don’t know how that works.
His mom was my uncle’s daughter.” I glanced at Jasper. “You got any idea how that works?”
Jasper’s brows furrowed, but Mr. Stickleman, who had been nearby and overheard us, offered an explanation so we didn’t have to figure it out ourselves.
“If Jasper’s mother was Zero’s cousin, then Jasper and Zero would be first cousins once removed.
First cousins share a set of grandparents.
Second cousins share a set of great-grandparents.
Children of first cousins have two different generations, since Zero’s grandparents are Jasper’s great grandparents, so he’s a first cousin once removed. ”
Made sense to me, and the conversation seemed to help Jasper too.
His shoulders came down from around his ears and the more the fact that we’re cousins was reinforced, the more relaxed he seemed.
Simone was right. He was worried his family would be replaced and people would see me as his dad.
That wasn’t what I wanted. I was their guardian, and I cared about them, but I never wanted to take his moms’ places.
I was happy just being his cousin and supporting him as best I could.