8. Madelyn
MADELYN
“Okay, guys. Put your books and pens down. Let’s discuss some of the questions I gave you together.”
I’m in class, holding my own copy of Romeo and Juliet, the current read assigned to my ninth graders.
“Let’s start with one question I consider very controversial. And that is whether Romeo and Juliet were doomed from the start, or if their tragic ending is the consequence of their actions.”
I put the book down on my desk and fold my arms over my chest, ready to occupy my thoughts with something other than my own secret book, lying God knows where.
“Callie, your thoughts?” I point at a student in the front.
Callie grabs a streak of her long curly red hair and straightens in her seat, her round glasses sliding slightly down the bridge of her nose.
“In my opinion, Romeo and Juliet’s tragedy was caused by fate.
Even if they had resisted their attraction, something would have tweaked in the narrative, and that’d cause them to end up together.
Their ending would have been the same. Some forces, you can’t play with, no matter how much you try.
And their love was stronger than their willpower.
They would find their way to one another eventually. It was their fate.”
“That’s an interesting thought, Callie.” I nod. Her words make me think of Kayden and I. No matter what we do, we can’t seem to really get away from each other. “Thank you. Yes, Amanda?”
I point at another student, a row after, raising her hand.
Amanda smiles. “I think Romeo and Julie are idiots.”
I raise an eyebrow. “I’d like you to elaborate, please.”
“They obviously could have found someone else to hook up with. There were other people in Italy. And their families were enemies. I can see the appeal of doing something your parents don’t want you to do. But why push it?” She rolls her eyes.
A few other students agree with her, voicing their yeses.
“So you think their tragic ending is the consequence of their actions?”
“Absolutely,” Amanda says. “You don’t jump into the ocean if you know you can’t swim, do you?
Or touch fire and expect it not to burn?
Same with you doing something you know is wrong.
Why do you keep at it when everything around you is screaming at you not to? They totally brought it to themselves.”
I smile, warmth expanding throughout my chest. It’s days like these that I’m proud of being a teacher. Allowing students to have deep and interesting conversations about books, stories, and transport themselves to different worlds. Develop their way of thinking.
Though I can’t help but see myself in those words, too. What she’s saying is hitting close to home.
“Hey, Miss A’gosto?” A boy with short blond hair, sitting in the last row of desks and leaning back on his chair, raises his hand.
“Yes, Chad?”
“I think the important question and the one we’re all dying to know is…” He pauses.
Chad is an attention seeker and usually likes to make trouble, but I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt this time. A smirk lifts the corner of his lips. “Do Romeo and Juliet have sex?”
“Dude.” The curly-haired boy from the desk next to him slaps his shoulder.
“What? I’m just curious.” Chad shrugs. “Would kinda suck to have died without getting any action.”
I compose myself. The question is a bit rough around the edges, and the delivery is poor. But I don’t want my students to think asking such a question will get to me. Or that we can’t discuss things like this civilly.
“That is a valid question, Chad.” I clear my throat. “There are some mentions of Romeo and Juliet consummating their marriage before the tragic events, yes. Do you want me to look up the passage for you?”
Chad is taken aback by my seriousness about the subject.
He straightens in his seat. “Umm…yes?”
“Good. I’ll write that down for you, and I’ll also ask you to write a report about the consequences of disrupting a class for tomorrow. Since you’re so interested in contributing to that, too. Does that sound okay to you?”
The frown on his face gives me all the reaction I need. Kill them with kindness—and with homework—I’m an expert at it.
***
“Miss A’gosto, please present yourself to the teachers’ lounge immediately.”
The voice over the megaphone is clear and loud, sending chills down my spine.
Oh, God. What’s happening?
Okay, so it’s better than being called to the principal’s office, but I’m definitely getting fired.
They never, and I mean, never, call a teacher over the megaphone unless they’re in trouble.
The bell just rang, announcing our lunch time, and my heels click as I hurry to the teachers’ lounge.
Sweat forms at the back of my neck.
My hands are fidgety, so I keep them in the pockets of the white knit cardigan I’m wearing today.
Compose yourself, act normal. Pretend you have no idea what they’re talking about.
This has to be about my missing journal. They probably found it somewhere in the school premises, read it, and I’m about to have an intervention of some sort, where they’re going to push me to leave.
Flashbacks of college and that presentation turned hell by Kayden busy my head, and my heart rate quickens.
I thought I was over it.
I—Can I do this? Can I stand my ground for this?
Crap. No. I—
I pause, cement my feet to the threshold of the room, and take a deep breath.
This is fine. It’s nothing like that. This isn’t college. This is a workplace. We’re mature adults.
They wouldn’t do such a thing, right?
Inhale, exhale. It’s okay. It’s fine.
“Here you are,” Principal Schultz announces my entrance into the teachers’ lounge.
Regina, the receptionist, who’s standing vigilantly by the door, closes it behind me.
I clear my throat. “Y-yes.”
As I expected, my coworkers are in the room as well.
Principal Schultz is holding a marker and approaches the big whiteboard behind us, in the center of the room.
“Good. Sorry about the loud call,” Principal Schultz continues. “You were the only one absent, so we had to get you here fast. I don’t want to take up too much of anyone’s lunch time.”
“Right.” I smile awkwardly.
I have no idea what this is about, and I could still be getting fired. But it seems…I’m not?
My suspicions are confirmed once Principal Schultz presses the marker against the board and writes in big capital letters—ANNUAL CHARITY EVENT.
“That’s right, fellas.” Principal Schultz adjusts the tie on his maroon suit. “We’re two weeks away, and you know, here at St. Ambrose High, we like to go big or go home, so I’m going to be needing ideas for this year. What are we doing?”
My pose relaxes, my breathing regulates. This had nothing to do with me.
This is how every teachers’ meeting goes when we have a big event coming. We indeed like to go big. We celebrate every freaking holiday with an event of some sort.
“We had a costume party and contest a year ago,” Mr. Broadsmith, history creep, reminds us.
“But not all of us have been here that long.” He smiles, proud of himself, running a hand over his shiny head.
“We could do it again and add a bunch of new games for the kids. There’s nothing wrong with recycling content. ”
Principal Schultz rubs his chin, his eyes scanning the rest of us across the room. We’re sitting at a round table close to the desks Hannah and I usually enjoy our lunch at.
Kayden’s next to me, unfortunately.
“We could do a treasure hunt. Like a scavenger hunt,” Hannah suggests from her place in front of me.
“We did that two years ago,” Berta, one of the two senior Kayden certified fangirls, says. “What about a bake sale? I make some killer chocolate chip cookies.”
“I’ve got a better idea.”
We all direct our gaze to Kayden. Except me. I’m too close to him to want to meet his eyes.
“Love the confidence. I’m all ears, Mr. A’gosto.”
Kayden smirks, something sinister passing through his dark blue eyes. “How about we go spooky this year? Let’s do a haunted house.”
“That’s not very different from holding another costume party,” Mr. Broadsmith argues. “We may as well go with my idea then.”
“I’m loving the ‘Halloween before Halloween’ vibes. A haunted house is pretty much my jam,” Ethan says. He is the science teacher, even though he looks like he’s the lead singer of a punk-rock band. “I could even come up with some spooky background music. I love composing in my free time.”
Kayden smiles, bumping a fist with him from across the table. “Sounds awesome, man.”
“I agree with the kids. I personally find interactive activities more engaging for students.” It’s Martha, Kayden’s second fangirl, and our other senior teacher who corroborates.
“Yeah. Some youngsters are embarrassed to dress up, but they sure love to get scared! I vote for a haunted house, too,” Berta agrees.
Mr. Broadsmith clears his throat. “Ladies. You can’t possibly be serious? Imagine the risks of heart attacks from sudden jump scares! You two, more than anyone else, should agree with me.” He points at Martha and Berta.
The two older women gasp, pressing their hands to their chests.
“Excuse you?” Martha groans. “Are you implying we’re old?”
“Yeah,” Berta says. “You’re not fresh out of college yourself, Broadsmith. How dare you!”
“Teachers, this isn’t the best time to—” Principal Schultz attempts to stop the bickering.
“Yeah, you aren’t looking your best, Broadsmith,” Martha spits out, standing up from her seat. “At least my skin is glowing.” She presses a hand to her stretched-out face, and another to her white bob.
“Yeah. We’re hot for our age,” Berta says, standing up too. “Right, Kayden, darling?”
The two women stare, with big eyes, at Kayden.
Are they—flirting with him?
The look on Kayden’s face is gold. He’s being put in the spotlight by his two biggest fangirls. If he fucks up, he won’t be any better than Mr. Creep himself.
“You’re both gorgeous. If only I were a few years older, I’d be all over you ladies,” he says without a problem. “Chill, Broadsmith.”
I gasp. The women swoon, giggling to one another.
So he’s only a horrible human being to me, not to others.
Okay, I can appreciate that.
“But, what about the parents?” Mr. Broadsmith asks now, trying to take the heat off himself while the rest of us watch, entertained. He got into this one all by himself. “They can’t possibly go into a haunted house. They—”
“A haunted house it is!” Principal Schultz announces.
All of us nod, while some let out sounds of approval. Everyone except Mr. Broadsmith, who groans.
“It’s decided, then. We don’t have much time left, though. So we’ll have to work hard to make it happen. Starting with the items we’ll need to decorate the place.”
“Such as?” Regina takes out a small notepad and a pen, ready to write everything down.
Principal Schultz stares at Kayden. “Mr. A’gosto?”
Kayden’s mouth opens and closes. “B-Black…stuff?”
I hold back from bursting into laughter. He did not think that one through.
“What kind of black stuff?” I ask. “There are so many black things.”
Hannah eyes me, a smile painted on her red lips. A big black dildo, she mouths, and I almost die.
Composing myself, I continue. “Fabric, maybe? We could use it to cover the walls and halls, make it a bit dark and macabre.”
Kayden grits his teeth. “Yep. That’s obviously what I meant. And…” He pauses. “Other Halloween-like prompts, to decorate the halls. Some costumes for the teachers to dress up and scare the students. We can pop up from our respective classrooms.”
“Perfect,” Principal Schultz says. “I’m thinking we can utilize both levels of the school for the haunted house. I’m visualizing a sort of dark maze.”
“We could keep the reception family-friendly,” Regina suggests. “We’ll add some snacks to the front desk and have the ticket box there as well.”
“Sounds good.” The principal agrees while Regina jots everything down. “So, I’m taking both you, Miss, and Mr. A’gosto will take care of the decorations for this haunted house?” He turns to us again.
I open my mouth to complain. I never agreed to take on that role, let alone with Kayden.
“You can both pick a day this week and leave before your last period so you can get to the shops on time. We’ll cover your classes. I’m guessing it won’t be hard to find fabric, but I’m not sure what your idea is for Halloween prompts this time of year.”
“I know a place,” Kayden interjects. “Can we use that early leaving pass today?”
Principal Schultz purses his lips. “Oh. Sure.”
“We’ll do it.” Kayden doesn’t allow me time to refuse.
“Great. It’s settled then.”
“Okay, so there’s that. Now we need to assign everyone else roles,” Regina says, scribbling down unknown things in her notepad. “We’re going to have a long week.”
“We’ll volunteer to fill up the snacks table,” Martha and Berta say in unison.
“I’ll draw some flyers to put up and share on social media,” Hannah, who is our art teacher, suggests.
“Perfect.” Regina smiles.
“I’ve got such an efficient team.” Principal Schultz folds his arms in pride. “What else is left?”
“The costumes for the teachers,” Hannah volunteers. “I can do that, too. We can go simple and get masks and black gowns.”
“Works for me,” Kayden says.
“And someone will have to chaperone the students,” Mr. Broadsmith adds, wanting to feel relevant. “I can do it. And Regina, darling, you could, too.”
“Sounds right,” Regina says. She doesn’t quite smile at him.
“Yeah, we don’t want them to get a heart attack from us being too scary,” Ethan jokes.
Mr. Broadsmith glares at him.
“Wonderful. Alright, people.” Principal Schultz turns toward the door. “If you don’t have a role assigned, we’ll pick one for you and let you know by the end of the day. Everything counts. Let’s get back to work. Enjoy the rest of your lunch break and have a good day.”