10. Noah - June
TEN
Noah - June
FOLLOW THE SUN - XAVIER RUDD
“What do you mean I’m being let go? I’m being fired?” I asked, my words trembling despite my effort to hold it together.
The school principal, a woman in her fifties, sat across from me. Her graying hair was pulled back into a neat bun, and her eyes, usually bright with encouragement and kindness, were now filled with genuine regret as she looked at me.
“I’m really sorry, Noah. The budget cuts for the next school year have been harsh, and we had to make some tough decisions. With so many veteran teachers, it’s difficult. If it were up to me, you’d be staying, but the final decision isn’t mine to make.”
She slid a few papers across the desk toward me. “I’d be happy to offer you a letter of recommendation, wherever you decide to go next,” she said, giving me a weak smile. “Take this as an opportunity for a fresh start.”
While I knew her intentions were good, her words only reminded me of how others had been treating me for the last several months. John had been all over the news for months, and now that his identity was revealed, it was well-known that I’d been dating someone who turned out to be a serial killer.
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Thank you.”
“You know how to contact me if you need anything, professional or otherwise. I’m so sorry, Noah. You truly are one of the best.”
We exchanged a few more words, her hand briefly squeezing mine in comfort before I turned to leave. The door clicked shut behind me, and the quiet settled in again.
On my last day, I began packing up my classroom, the finality of it sinking in as it marked the end of this chapter of my life. The once vibrant walls, now almost bare, seemed to close in as I sorted through my belongings. Every book, every flyer, felt heavier than it should, each one a reminder of dreams that now were impossibly far away.
Needing a distraction, I grabbed my phone and called for reinforcements.
“Hey, stranger!” Dotty’s voice rang through the phone, light and full of energy.
“Hi,” I muttered.
There was a beat of silence, then her tone shifted, instantly sharp with concern. “What’s wrong?”
Dotty was the first person I called after the meeting last week, and hearing the change in her voice now made it sting all over again.
I hesitated. “Today’s my last day.”
“Ugh, I hate that,” Dotty blurted, her frustration clear. “I still can’t believe they’d do that to you.”
“Me too,” I admitted.
A heavy sigh came through the phone. “I’m so sorry, Noah.” Her voice was soothing, always offering comfort even from miles away. “Have you thought about what you want to do next?”
I shut my eyes for a moment, trying to shake off the knot that formed in my stomach. “No, not really,” I mumbled.
The uncertainty of my future was too big of a decision for me to make on a whim, and I wasn’t ready to think about it. But time was running out, and I had no other option but to start figuring out my next steps.
There was a long pause before Dotty spoke again. “Ya know… you could always move to Woodstone.” She hesitated. “Trent and I moved into the cabin, so his house is empty now.”
I missed Dotty in my day-to-day life. Her company always helped keep the loneliness at bay, but I had only ever known city life.
There, I could blend in, losing myself in the crowd, but I feared a small town would offer no such refuge.
“I don’t know, Dotty… What would I even do there?”
“Funny you mention it,” Dotty said, a hint of excitement in her tone. “One of the teachers just retired, and they need someone to replace her in the fall.”
I took a deep breath, letting the possibilities run through my mind. Maybe it was time to try something different.
“You know what? I’ll apply.”
“Wait, really?”
“Yeah. I will.”
Dotty squealed, and the sound of her excitement made me smile despite everything. “Oh, shut up,” I muttered, though I couldn’t hide the laugh that followed.
“I would have convinced Mrs. Williams to retire six months ago, if I knew that’s all it’d take to get you to move here,” she joked.
“Sometimes I forget how much I miss you, and then you always seem to remind me.” The words echoed in the bare room as I watched the way my rings twisted around my fingers. “I’m… just feeling heavy today. I think a change of pace might be what I need.”
Dotty continued to be my rock, showing her support in a million ways. After catching up for a while, we ended the call, and I let out a sigh, still processing everything.
Just as I started to gather my thoughts, my mother’s name flashed on the screen. I froze, staring at it for a moment, suddenly aware of the conversation I’d been avoiding. My chest tightened at the thought of explaining everything, knowing how she’d react.
With a sigh, I answered, setting the phone on speaker as I reached for the faded decorations on the bulletin board. I hesitated, pulling down a tacked-up flyer from last year’s school play.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Hey, sweetheart!” Her voice was bright. “How are you doing?” she asked.
“Um… Is Dad there?” I asked, moving over toward my desk and staring at the blank whiteboard. Somehow, its emptiness made the moment feel even heavier.
“Yeah, I’m here,” my dad said, his deep voice steady as always. “What’s going on, kiddo?”
What’s going on?
Oh, just my life in shambles—a murderous ex on the loose and now the added joy of telling the woman who’d been less than thrilled about my decision to teach that my career derailed, and I’d lost my job.
My mom was vocal about her doubts when I chose this path.
You’re so smart, Noah. Don’t you want to aim higher? she’d said when I told her I wanted to change my major to education. It wasn’t out of malice, but her disappointment lingered in the air like a specter. Even after years of proving myself, I still was trying to convince her I’d made the right choice.
I took a breath, forcing myself to push past the knot forming in my stomach. I swallowed, gripping the edge of the desk.
“Actually, there’s something I need to tell you guys,” I said, hearing the shakiness in my voice. I cleared my throat, glancing at the mess of boxes scattered across the room. “I was… let go.”
“What? You lost your job?” Her voice rose in surprise, but there was no immediate anger, only disbelief. “I mean… I always worried teaching might not be the best idea, but I didn’t think it would end like this. What happened?”
“Budget cuts,” I defended, rubbing my forehead, trying to stave off the headache that had been building over the last week. “The school had to make tough decisions, and I guess being a younger teacher means I’m first on the chopping block.”
“That’s absurd,” my dad cut in. “You’ve worked your butt off.”
“I know, but it’s not personal. It’s just how things work,” I said, even though it felt deeply personal.
I hadn’t realized how much I’d tied my identity to this job, the kids, the classroom. The loss was harsh. There was a brief silence before my mom spoke again.
“So… what are your next steps?” she asked. I let out a sigh, staring out the window at the empty playground, overwhelmed by being asked this twice in one day. “I could talk to my colleagues and try to get you into law school. It’s never too late.” Her voice carried the same matter-of-fact tone I’d heard so many times before.
“I don’t know yet, but I’m not changing careers.”
“You know,” my dad chimed in after a moment, “you could always come back home for a while. Be with family.”
I smiled at his suggestion, while my gaze traced a crack on the wall, letting the thought sit for a beat. Sure, my apartment felt quiet without Dotty, but at least Walker was there to keep me company. Going back home would mean more questions, more of my parents’ well-meaning but incessant probing.
“Thanks, but I don’t think that’s what I need,” I said. “Dotty mentioned a job opening in Woodstone Falls.”
“Woodstone Falls?” my dad repeated. “That’s… a big change from the city. Are you considering it?”
“I think so,” I admitted, my fingers trailing over the desk as I paced. “I just feel like I need a fresh start.”
The faint hum of the line filled the silence. Then my mom spoke again. “We understand. It can be a lot. Have you heard anything about John?”
The mention of his name brought a tightness to my throat. “No,” I said, my fingers stilling. “Have you, Dad?”
The silence that followed was heavier than any words they might have said. Then my dad finally replied. “No, nothing.”
John had gone completely MIA, but I guess being on America’s Most Wanted list would do that.
“I’m sure it’ll all work out, whatever you decide to do.”
“I know. Thanks, Dad.” I blinked back the wetness starting to form in my eyes. “I gotta go. Need to pack up the rest of my classroom,” I said, trying to sound more certain than I was. “Love you guys.”
“Love you too, sweetheart. Take care of yourself,” my dad said.
I gathered the last of my supplies, carefully placing them in a cardboard box. Each item held a memory—the mug from my first year of teaching, the framed photos of each of my classes over the last several years, the books I read aloud to eager young faces.
As I closed the box, I took a moment to look around. The room felt both familiar and distant, like a chapter of my life I was reluctantly closing.