Chapter 4 #2
Putting my glasses on the kitchen counter, I went back outside, headed for Gigi’s. She’d been so kind to me when my parents passed so quickly after each other, coming over with food and letting me cry on her shoulder. Her sons were little shits, but I love Gigi.
She answered my knock at the door, a big grin on her face. “Come in, come in, Shae. How are you?”
I handed her the plate of cookies as I walked inside. She hummed as she lifted it to her nose and took a whiff. “I’m good, thanks. I’ve been baking, and I can’t possibly eat them all. Thought you might like some.”
“Oh, gosh, yes. My granddaughter is here to help eat these. What great timing! Do you mind if I introduce the two of you?” Gigi leaned in closer, her voice dropping. “She starts at the high school on Monday and she keeps things close to the vest, but she has to be nervous, you know?”
My heart lurched, thinking about those tumultuous teenage years. Starting a new school in the middle of senior year couldn’t be easy. “Of course. I’d love to meet her.”
Gigi hollered up the stairs and soon there was the sound of bare feet plopping down the stairs and music coming from a cell phone.
Gigi’s granddaughter rounded the corner at the bottom of the stairs and finally lifted her head.
She hit the pause button on her phone and tucked it in her jeans pocket.
“Yeah, Gigi?”
Gigi put her arm around her and brought her over. “I’d like you to meet our next-door neighbor, Ms. Fletcher. She’s also a science teacher over at the high school. Ms. Fletcher, this is Kinsley Wolfe.”
We shook hands, and I had to hand it to Kinsley. She kept eye contact the whole time, even if she did look like someone kicked her puppy. “Hi, Kinsley. Maybe some cookies will help you forget about Monday?”
Her lips quirked into a ghost of a smile. “Not sure even cookies can do that.” Her voice was soft and shy.
“Yeah, sugar can do a lot, but a new high school is a big deal. Can I answer any questions? Tell you anything about it that might make you feel more comfortable?”
Gigi waved us to the couch and we all sat down. Gigi passed the plate around and we all bonded over the sweet treats.
“I guess I’m mostly worried that everyone knows each other and I’ll stick out,” Kinsley finally said with a mouth full of brownie.
“Can I be honest?” I leaned forward as she nodded. “You are going to stick out. It’s a fact, so instead of panicking over whether it’s going to happen or not, I think you should expect it and have a plan on what to do when it happens.”
Kinsley stared at me for a few seconds, and I feared I was too blunt. Then she burst into a grin and tucked her leg under her, getting comfortable in the crook of the couch. “Okay. So what’s my plan?”
“I think it starts with the perfect outfit. From there, we work on a friendly but confident smile. Have you heard the phrase fake it ’til you make it?”
Kinsley nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I’ve been doing for the last week.”
I didn’t touch that comment with a ten-foot pole. Her relationship with her dad or her move here was none of my business, but if I could make her feel more comfortable at school, I could at least take one worry off her plate.
“Well, get ready to use that phrase some more. Let’s role-play.” I stood, twirling my auburn hair around my finger, my hip popped out to the side. “Hey. You new here?” I gave her a casual head bob that all the kids did instead of saying hello these days.
Kinsley cracked up, but then cleared her expression. She rolled back her shoulders and pasted on a calm smile. “Yep! I’m Kinsley.” She popped the p, sounding just like every teen that came through my classroom door.
I sank onto the couch. “That’s perfection. Girl, you got this.”
Kinsley’s warm smile melted my heart. I knew what it was like to feel like the odd woman out. To feel like you didn’t fit in with the kids around you. High school had been hard for me. If I could make it just a tiny bit easier for other teenagers, I felt like I was making a difference.
“There. Aren’t you less nervous already?” Gigi said, beaming from her leather recliner.
The back door banged open and Boon strolled into the living room, taking all the oxygen with him. “Wait, you’re nervous, Kinsley? I thought you said you didn’t care?”
Kinsley huffed, rolled her eyes, and turned to me. “Nice meeting you, Ms. Fletcher. See you Monday.” Then she ran up the stairs to her room without another word. The door slammed shut and all three of us winced.
Boon turned to Gigi, who glared at him. Then he turned to me. “What did I say?”
I shook my head, irrationally irritated with him. He annoyed me any day, but now he annoyed me for Kinsley’s sake too. When I answered him, the snark in my tone was unmistakable. “It’s amazing the effect you have on women, big dog.”
Gigi burst out laughing and exited the room, saying she was getting some water to wash down the cookies.
Boon glared at me, looking good enough to eat in a pair of worn jeans, Texas Outlaws T-shirt that stretched across his chest, and a pair of tennis shoes that didn’t look like the ones they sold to the general public.
I stood up, intent on getting out of this house as quickly as possible now that Boon was back.
“Don’t fuckin’ call me that,” he groused.
I batted my eyelashes. “Would you prefer bat boy?”
He came around the coffee table and blocked my exit, his arms folded over his chest. “What is your problem, Fletcher?”
I stood toe to toe with him. “My problem is you .”
Gigi materialized, startling me. I wondered why I hadn’t heard her come back in the room. She held out a water bottle and I took it. “Thank you.”
“If it wouldn’t have ruined my couch, I would have brought the hose in here and hosed you both down,” she drawled.
Boon scoffed, and I barked out a humorless laugh. “Oh please.”
“Whatever.”
“Thank you for the water, Gigi. See you around.” I nudged Boon out of my way with my forearm and walked around him. I heard Gigi hiss something at him behind my back.
“Thanks for the cookies,” Boon called after me in a monotone, clearly forced to say it by his mommy.
I laughed, opening the door. “They weren’t for you, big dog.” Then I shut the door and walked back to my house, feeling good. I’d gotten in the last word and it made my freaking day.
The rest of the weekend flew by, which always happened, but especially this one as I dodged catching sight of Boon next door whenever possible.
Monday arrived bright and early and blessedly cool.
I donned black cigarette pants, a light blue button-up shirt topped with a tan sweater with crystal buttons, and a pair of ballet flats.
Mom’s tiny diamond earrings graced my ears and a chunky watch I’d gotten from an estate sale years ago adorned my wrist. My tote bag was heavy with papers, my computer, and a paperback I kept meaning to read.
I made sure I had enough time to stop in at the break room to fill my coffee mug, a daily habit of ten years now.
Lydia was already there at the coffee station, so I joined her, doctoring up my coffee.
The warning bell rang and I lifted my cup in a cheers-to-the-workday type of thing.
The door to the break room opened, letting in the cacophony of noise out in the hallways.
Boon stood in the doorway, looking spiffy in a navy-blue polo shirt and khaki shorts that showed off his tanned, muscled legs.
Lydia elbowed me and I jumped back as my coffee spilled on my shirt.
I ripped my gaze from Boon and gave her a death glare.
Setting my mug down on the counter, I had to button up my sweater to cover the stain.
Dang. Hadn’t even made it to first period before spilling on myself.
I was all too aware of Boon flittering around the break room like the gosh dern mayor of Blueball. What was he doing here? I got my coffee mug back in hand and had a plan to beeline it out of here before I had to speak to him, but as I looked up, he stood right in front of me and Lydia.
“Ladies.” He tipped his head. Lydia just stared at him, neither impressed nor annoyed. Just…curious. Boon was undeterred, turning his attention to me. “Shae. So lovely to see you here.”
It was Monday, I had a stain on my shirt, and I was about to be late to my class. In other words, I had zero patience to deal with this man today.
“What are you doing here?” I hissed.
Boon just smiled. An ominous kind of smile.
“You’re looking at the new Blueball High health teacher and head baseball coach.”