Mia
SOUTH brONX CLASSICAL
Tuesday
The school was so hot, it was suffocating. It was the kind of heat that made me wish I could walk around naked. I was sweating so much that my hair stuck to my skull in the grossest possible way.
The staffroom didn’t have air conditioning, but at least it blocked out direct sunlight. I walked in and felt a tiny smidge of relief.
Shawn and Lilly were speaking quietly at her desk. If anyone could find a solution to the no-air-conditioning problem, it was those two.
I dumped my papers on my desk and called out a happy little hello, but neither of them budged. Not so much as a peep.
Huh.
I strained my ears and caught a little, “I know I said I’d stop, but I couldn’t help it.”
“Lilly, baby, you’re going to spread yourself too thin. We don’t need new units right now.”
I smothered a smile. Of course she couldn’t help herself. Lilly would spend all her free time overthinking the curriculum and brainstorming ways to improve it. She’d do anything for her students. Her dedication was almost nauseating.
It was a shame that Rutton couldn’t see that.
Well. Now was as good a time as any to pipe up.
“We don’t need new units; we need a new bloody air conditioner. Look at me.” I gestured to the pit stains on my cream-colored blouse. “I could make candles out of my ass sweat.”
Shawn’s face dropped into confusion. “Why candles?”
I shrugged. “It’s a booming industry. No one buys diffusers anymore.”
He laughed, then gestured to Lilly. “I have to go. Do you think you can talk this one into relaxing a little?”
I put a hand to my chest and solemnly said, “It’s a job I was born to do. Of course, my job would be a lot easier if I wasn’t covered in my own personal bacon grease.”
He dared to look at me with pity in his dark eyes. “You do look pretty greasy.”
“Oh, will you shut up? How are you not dying in that suit?” His gorgeous hazelnut skin was completely covered in that atrocious outfit.
“Because he’s so hot, he brings the heat with him,” Lilly said, as was her lame, cutesy, Lilly way. “It’ll cool down once he leaves.”
I groaned, appropriately grossed out as he bent to kiss her, and she straightened her shift dress nervously as she swatted him away. She was holding fast to her no-public-affection-at-school rule.
Shawn wasn’t discouraged. He managed to nip her cheek before softly announcing, “I’ll be back before dinner.”
Then he looked at me and said, “Take care of my wife, Walker.”
My eyes went round, and I was pretty sure my jaw needed to be scraped from the floor. Shawn disappeared into the hallway before I could get a word out. I gripped Lilly’s hand and brought it to my face.
Nothing.
“He just likes to call me that. No proposal yet,” she admitted quietly.
“He gave me a bloody heart attack,” I told her. “I’m not ready for you to walk down that aisle yet.”
Her green eyes searched every inch of my face. “You’re not?”
“Well, no, of course not. A woman needs time to prepare. Think of all the chiffon I’ll have to try on as your maid of honor. I’ll have to cut back on my snacky-snacks first.”
Her laugh stopped abruptly as something snapped together in her lovely chaotic head. “You didn’t tell me about that parent yesterday.”
I let her hand go. “I needed time to process. Rutton told you, didn’t she?”
Lilly folded her arms and propped her hip against her desk. “Yep. Did he sit in?”
“He did. And he was pleasantly surprised by the end of it, like they always are.”
Lilly’s eyes narrowed. “Rutton made it seem like you knew him.”
“Mhm.” She could read the frustration all over me.
“Mia, who is he?”
I put my hands on my hips and paced the small room, bypassing the circular table and faded yellow armchairs as I muttered, “Theo fucking Hudson, that’s who.”
“The guitarist from the fundraiser?”
“The one and only.”
Her laugh was sharp and short, disbelieving. And I couldn’t blame her. It was some kind of karmic injustice that he was the father of my newest student.
“You’re joking.”
“I wish I was.”
“So he showed up yesterday and told our boss that he didn’t think you were fit to teach?”
“That about sums it up.”
A snort left her lips this time. “Now I’m glad you didn’t hook up with him.”
“Yeah, me too,” I grumbled. I hadn’t had sex in over a year, and I wasn’t about to break my dry spell with someone like him.
“He’s a parent, Mia.” Lilly swept her gaze along my frame, assessing me, and I knew where her chronic anxiety brain was going before the words left her mouth. “Did you do damage control?”
“No, I let him think I’m some sex-crazed chair-humper. Of course I did damage control.”
Lilly unfolded her arms and took a step toward me. “It’s just, this is kind of insane.”
“I know.” I slapped my hands against my thighs, my mood getting the better of me.
I could feel a rant coming, and sure enough, I had to let it out.
“I did my time at that damn fundraiser, and I shouldn’t have to put up with him for the next year. Parents like him are the worst. I just know he’s–”
I was interrupted by a knock at the door. Kira stood in the entryway, nervously fidgeting in her navy school uniform.
Ah… well, shit on a stick.
Lilly greeted her, cooing out a, “What can we do for you?” as I straightened my collar.
What were the chances that she heard me?
“I wanted to talk to Miss Walker about… my dad.” Her voice was soft and hesitant. “I’m so, so sorry that he said all those things yesterday.”
Poor sweet thing. She was so nervous. “It’s fine, love. We talked after you left.”
She seemed to grapple with herself then. I could almost see her decide on confidence as she straightened her spine and looked me in the eye.
“I know. He said you’d find another book for me.”
Lilly, who was watching us with the keen interest of a sleuth hound, swung her gaze back to me. She’d have questions after this.
“I haven’t had a chance to find a replacement, but I’ll make sure you get what you need before the next class.”
“No, it’s okay. I’ll stick with Misplaced.”
Her voice went oddly quiet on that last word. What was it about this book that had her shrinking like that?
“If it bothers you, I can find something else.”
She shook her head a little too vigorously. “No. It’s fine. Dad just gets worried, you know?”
Lilly and I shared a glance as another person walked in.
“Hi, Miss Gem,” Kira greeted.
“Oh, Kira. Are you here to talk to Miss Walker about the script too?”
Miss Gem, our one and only drama teacher, was a wild vision of swirling primary colors.
I couldn’t tell if she was wearing a dress or a jumpsuit.
It had ruffles all over the top half and flared out at the bottom.
Her sky-high heels were the only thing that reminded me she was tall and athletic under all that fabric.
Her wild, curly hair and thick horn-rimmed glasses screamed I-don’t-give-a-fuck, and I always admired that about her.
“No, uh, I’m leaving,” Kira muttered, “but I’ll see you for rehearsals.”
“Next week, yes. I’ll see you then.”
Kira gave the room a soft goodbye as she hurried out, eyes glued to the ground. Miss Gem tutted after her. “That girl needs a bit more confidence, doesn’t she?”
“She does,” Lilly agreed. “But maybe the play will help her find it. What role did you cast her in?”
“Kat. She’ll make a great shrew if I can bring her out of her shell.”
“She’s playing the lead?” Lilly asked. “Wouldn’t that be a lot for her? It’s her first week.”
Gem waved a hand. “She played lead roles at her last school, and the only other person I had lined up for this was Amber. But Amber wanted to focus on your program, so Kira it is.”
I leaned back against the table, relieved that Kira had left before Gem got into the nitty-gritty of it. Our drama department was grossly understaffed, but every year, the parents expected the kind of theatrical production that took at least ten dedicated people to pull off.
It was lucky that Gem was so passionate about her subject. Most teachers didn’t stick around in underfunded departments. The best our small private school could do was have teachers volunteer their time.
I’d been roped into volunteering this year, but co-directing with Gem was already more fun than I thought it’d be. I was pretty invested.
“Who have we got for Patrick?” I asked.
We chose Ten Things I Hate About You, a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s The Taming Of The Shrew. It was a wholesome enough choice–we didn’t want anyone in the audience clutching their pearls.
“Miles,” Gem confirmed.
“Miles?” Lilly repeated, stunned. “Are you sure he’s the right fit for Patrick?”
Gem nodded. “He has it in him, I can see it. He’ll surprise us.”
I was dubious about that. “He couldn’t have reacted well when you told him.”
Gem hummed thoughtfully. “Actually, once I told him he’d be playing opposite Kira, he was pretty enthusiastic about it. They start rehearsals next week.”
Lilly and I shared a knowing look. Someone had a crush on the new girl. Maybe I should tell him that we cut out all the kissing scenes.
“Great.” I straightened. Rehearsals might not start until next week, but I had a meeting with Gem to go over the set design. “I’ll see you tonight then. I just have to shower first. I smell like someone poured rancid milk on my head.”
Lilly and Gem wrinkled their noses at me. I picked up my tote, now brimming with unit notes, and was almost out the door when Gem called after me.
“Hang on, I need to talk to you about the script.”
I turned back to her. “Can it wait? I’m so gross, Gem.”
She eyed me for a moment, then pursed her lips. “You are, aren’t you? All right. It can wait.”
I skipped out without a backward glance.