15. Penny
FIFTEEN
PENNY
An odd sense of fear and anger thickened the town’s air supply. I felt it everywhere I went from the moment I stepped outside of my home on Monday morning, saw Gavin’s truck missing from his driveway, and drove to school. I had no doubt the news of Ava’s attack and Cameron’s injury had spread overnight like wildfire.
I’d found out the moment Cameron was hurt from a text from Faye, demanding I turn on the game. But it was hours later when sirens were blaring and blasting and waking me up that she sent me another one.
Shit’s happening. Lock your doors and stay inside. Max just showed up at my house and is refusing to leave. I’ll keep you posted, but he said it looks like something to do with Ava.
Since I didn’t know Ava or where she lived or what was going on, I’d been awake most of the night myself, finally managing to fall back asleep around four when the night returned to its silence with a lingering sensation of something off in the air.
I chalked that up to Faye’s text and no further information from her and was part zombie while I got ready for work. I debated texting Gavin, wondering if it’d be received well. The very last thing he needed was to be angry or push me away first thing in the morning, but my hope he meant we really could be friends won out.
Next door to mine, Faye’s classroom was still dark. I entered my own classroom, with my eyes so dry I was certain someone scrubbed them with sandpaper while I slept, juggling my key and bags with a gallon-sized coffee in my other hand. I wore little makeup, a wrinkled dress, and thick tights I was pretty sure had a run up the back of my left calf. So far, the only smart decision I’d made was tugging on knee-high boots that would hide it.
Today was going to be a long day, but my kids needed me.
I flicked on the light, gathered my things, and was sitting at my desk, flipping through my lesson plans and chugging coffee as fast as my body could take it, when a knock hit my door.
“What happened to you?” I asked Faye, who looked like she’d scrambled out of bed and thrown on the first set of clothes she could find on the floor.
“I haven’t slept a wink, but there was no way I could call out for a sub today. You heard? About Ava?”
“Only what you said. Is she okay?”
“I don’t know.”
She slunk into my classroom and sat down on the kidney-shaped table used for small group reading time.
“Remember when we were at Tom’s and I mentioned that guy Jimmy?”
“The bad news guy?”
“That’s the one.” She nodded once. “Apparently, he broke into Ava’s home last night and assaulted her.”
My eyes almost bugged out of my head with the news. “Oh no. Is she… well, obviously she’s not okay okay, but…”
“Max talked to Isaiah, her brother. She’s hurt, but it was stopped before it went too far, and the cops spent an hour chasing him down. Got him, though. Which is good.”
She picked at her wrinkled jeans, shaking her head. “It sucks, too. It’s not like everyone who met him didn’t learn real quick to stay far away, and I’m not so na?ve to think things like that only happen in the city or anything, but it’s weird… and then Max wouldn’t leave me alone, so yeah, shit night. Crappy days to come, I’m sure.”
“At least they found him,” I said, and what else was there to say? She was right. Break-ins and assault of any form weren’t relegated to the slums of apartments like the one I’d grown up in, but it was a violation all the same when your safe world was rocked.
“Poor Ava,” she whispered. “I want to help her, but what do you do in that situation? Isaiah says she’s staying with her parents, and Cameron is still in Buffalo. He ended up needing surgery.”
“You give her time, and you wait, and when the opportunity presents itself, you act.”
Faye glanced up, a curl of her lips giving her a soft smile on her face. “I had no idea you were so wise.”
I wouldn’t call it wisdom, more like practicality. “There’s a lot about me you don’t know yet. But if the Kelley family is as loved as you say they are, I’m sure they’ll have no shortage of help or assistance.”
“And probably more casseroles than Ava’s ever wanted to eat in her life.”
Ah yes, casseroles. The required healing items to any and all grief and troubles. “See? You already know what to do.”
Faye rolled her eyes but hopped off the table. “What do you say we scrap the lesson plans today and give these kids an exploration day? I have a feeling there will be several kids called out anyway.”
My brows rose. “Exploration day?”
“The kids explore how much mess and chaos they can cause in a day while we give them free rein to do whatever they want, and we explore the limits to our sanity and patience.”
Despite the morning and lack of sleep, I laughed. “Sounds exactly like the kind of day we need.”
The day might have been a day of chaos but full of learning all the same. Before school announcements could be made, I learned that news in a small town traveled faster than the speed of sound, and that parents didn’t necessarily protect little ears from overhearing their conversations. Thankfully, the only thing people had talked about was the news of Cameron’s injury. There wasn’t a child who stepped foot into my classroom who didn’t know that Josie’s uncle was hurt and in the hospital. Faye had been wrong about parents keeping their kids home because the only student missing from my class was Josie.
I further learned the kids could create endless amounts of chaos, and that I had a relatively high patience level given the day and previous night. Sufficiently exhausted after spending an hour resituating my classroom at the end of the day, my body was so tired my bones ached as I turned my car down my street.
But the fact that everyone knew of Cameron’s injury had at least given me an idea for some organized chaos, and the kids had quietly worked for an hour on a project I now needed Josie’s help to complete.
Gavin’s truck was parked in his driveway, front porch lights on even though the sun was still shining.
Not wanting to risk the possibility one or both could be sleeping, I rapped quietly on the door, closed the storm door, and stepped back. My hands clutched the bag I held for Josie, and I rocked back and forth on the heels of my boots.
The door opened and for the first time since I’d met him, Gavin’s expression showed neither irritation nor anger at my presence.
“Hey.” Exhaustion thickened his tone and as leaned against the doorway, I considered this might have been a mistake. I could give them a day or two before I did this. But I was already here, so I powered through.
The worst he could do was tell me no, shut the door in my face, and if history was any predictor of the future, he’d apologize for it before nightfall.
“I brought some things for Josie today. Is it okay if I talk to her for a minute? I kind of need her help.”
His dark, thick brows rose. “You need her help.”
“Class project.” I shrugged. “I’ll only need a minute, or, if she’s sleeping, I can come back.”
“She’s watching a movie in my room. Come on in and I’ll go get her.” He stepped back and let me in, and I swore there was a hint of a smile on his face as he did so. It was gone, and quickly followed by a sigh as he closed the door behind me.
I took another risk, one I wouldn’t have dared do before his offering for friends. “Are you okay?”
“I’m not,” he said and shook his head. “But we will be. Cam’s beat up and pissed at the world, but he…he doesn’t know about…” He glanced at me with a question in his eyes.
“I heard about Ava, at least partly,” I whispered. “I’m really so very sorry.”
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “It’s been a shitty twenty-four hours, but we’ll manage. And Josie will be excited to see you. She doesn’t know about Ava yet, so if you could not mention it…”
“Absolutely. Of course I wouldn’t.”
“Right.” He shoved his hand through his hair. “Come on in then. I’m sure she’ll be right out.”
“If you’re tired…” I stepped forward, unable to help myself. “If you’re tired, she can come to my house for a little while. I have a craft for her to do, something the rest of the class did today for Cameron. If you need a break…”
“I’m exhausted, but I slept while she’s been watching the movie, so I’m good. I’m more struggling with restraining myself from going to the jail.”
An angry huff fell from his lips, and I blinked. “I don’t think anyone would blame you.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t want to end up in prison right next to him, so here we are.” He scrubbed the back of his neck and cringed. “Thank you for offering, though. I do appreciate it.”
There was a pleading in his eyes, something heavy and deep in his dark eyes that made me catch my breath. “You’re welcome,” I said, swallowing thickly. “Like I said, I’m happy to help anytime.”
“Well, be prepared.” He quirked a small grin. “I might take you up on it this time.”
“Deal.” I nodded back, still unsettled by the look in his eyes.
That wasn’t friendship I saw right before he turned away. It was something else, much heavier. Stronger.
And I was starting to forget all the reasons why it’d be bad to give my student’s father a chance at a whole different kind of relationship.
“Miss Pesco!” Josie’s excited voice rang through the hall before I had time to drop my arts and crafts bag on their kitchen table. “I didn’t go to school today. My uncle Cameron got hurt last night really bad during his game.”
“I know. We missed you.”
“Did you bring me my homework?”
“Nope. But we all heard about your uncle and felt really bad, so I brought you something to help him feel better. Would you like to do that?”
Her eyes grew to the size of the moon. “Yes! I would love to help him feel better.”
“All right then. Hop on up.”
I pulled out a kitchen chair and started emptying my bag, first pulling out the drop cloth I’d grabbed so whatever she used didn’t make a mess. Once Josie helped me flatten it, I pulled out the rest of my supplies. Paints, glitter, pens, makers, and stickers along with the tag board I’d cut at school and folded into a card.
“Now,” I said, once I had everything out. “Your job, if you want it?—”
“I do want it! I do!” She bounced in her chair.
Behind us, Gavin chuckled. I glanced at him and that smile of his almost melted me into the floor. For the first time, he didn’t bother wiping it away, and he was still smiling when he turned to his fridge and started filling some glasses with water.
“Okay then. Everyone in your class came in today, sad about your uncle too, so we decided to make him cards. I thought it’d be really wonderful if you made him one too, and then the next time you see him, you can be my special helper and get those cards to him. Think you can do that for me?”
“Oh, I sure can.” She flattened the card and gaped at all the supplies. Bringing a finger to her chin, she tapped it. “This is going to take some work.”
I pressed my lips together to avoid laughing.
She was too damn cute.
Decision made, she reached for a blue glitter pen.
“Here’s some water,” Gavin said and set down a plastic cup, “in case you decide to paint something.”
“Mm-hmm.” She was so lost in her concentration she barely paid her father any attention, something he wasn’t bothered about.
I set my hand on her shoulder and gave her a gentle shake. “When you’re done, you can have your dad call me and I’ll come get everything cleaned up, okay?”
“Or you can stay and keep me company,” Gavin said. “Have some pizza with us later?”
I glanced at him. There was an earnestness in the expression, but I couldn’t forget about the exhaustion either. “I’m not offended if you don’t really want that.”
“I didn’t ask out of obligation or politeness.”
Color me stunned and knock me over with a feather.
Gavin reached for a water glass on the counter and held it out to me. “We can talk in the front room.”
I took the glass and glanced at Josie. “Let me know if you need any help.”
She didn’t look up. “I won’t.”
Okay then.
What a strange, and not unwelcome, turn of events.