15. Cian
Chapter 15
Cian
“ I could take out the basketball coach. He also teaches math. I could do that.”
“Define take out, ” I tell Henry as I pour cream into my coffee.
He rolls his eyes. “Challenge him to a friendly one-on-one game and sweep his leg. Injure his knee just enough that he needs to be out for a while.”
It’s fortunate that I know Henry as well as I do and I don’t take him completely seriously. But I take him about seventy percent seriously.
“You do not need to be at the school with me the entire time. It’s Emerald, Ohio. No one here wants to kill me.”
“I wanna kill you a little.”
I snort. “That’s because you’re not getting laid, and you spend a lot of time with the only woman you want to get laid by.”
He gives me a look that says f uck you , I can’t believe you just said that , and you’re absolutely right all at the same time. Again, the beauty of knowing a man as long and as well as Henry and I know one another is that we don’t have to actually say all of that.
“The fact that I am spending so much time in close proximity to Ruby is your fault. You’re not helping your don’t kill me case.”
I take a seat at the table in Scarlett and Ruby’s kitchen. “Just leave the basketball coach alone. Besides, they’re not going to ask you to coach basketball and teach math even if he is out of commission. We’ve told the whole town you’re the head of the history department at some college.”
Henry sits back in his chair. Ruby is still in bed, or at least upstairs avoiding us. Scarlett, of course, already left for work. Mariah and Greta blew through the kitchen about ten minutes ago, grabbing food on their way to school.
I’m on my way up to the school too, but I’ve got another thirty minutes or so. I’m supposed to meet with the administration and then sit down with the teacher I will be covering for during his planning period.
“Fine. I’m going to be writing a book. That way I can hang out at various places around town, go for a run past the school, even stop in periodically.”
I take a long draw of my coffee. Henry’s plans are always well thought out, so I don’t really need to ask, but I do anyway. “You’re writing a book?”
He gives me a pissy look. “That’s my cover story. That’s what everyone will believe I’m doing while we’re here. That gives me flexibility with where I am and my schedule. That way if you need me, I can get to you. Good thing this town is so fucking small,” he ends on a mutter.
Ruby is absolutely getting to him. He’s not ever quite as affable as I am, but he’s generally laid back and has a great sense of humor. He goes with the flow, which is why he and I fit together so well. But he’s been a grumpy asshole ever since we got to Ohio. I’m glad I have to go to school.
“But you’re actually going to just be bored and get more and more irritated, is that what I should prepare for?” I ask.
“The less I’m in this house with her, the better I’ll be,” he says scowling. “I slept better last night.”
Henry had gone to check us into the bed and breakfast after I’d agreed to take the teaching job. He’s always thinking ahead. So after Scarlett had come back inside from the patio, I’d headed over there.
As much as I would have loved to stay here in Scarlett’s home, surrounded by her stuff, her family, her life , now that the whole town knows we’re here, Henry and I have to act like travelers on our way through Emerald, laid over only temporarily.
“Oh yeah, clearly. You’re so much sunnier this morning,” I tell Henry.
“This teaching thing just makes me itchy. You don’t do things for eight hours a day without me with you.”
I tip my head. “I’m going to miss you, too.”
“It’s really more about trying to stay alive.”
“You honestly think somebody’s going to try to kill me here?”
“I am talking about me. When Iris finds out about this, she’s going to want to kill me.”
I chuckle. Iris Lee is the head of the royal bodyguards. All of the bodyguards, including Henry, report to her officially. But these guys have been doing these jobs for over a decade. And I’m sure Henry doesn’t report every single move I make.
“She knows we’re here in Ohio and why, right?”
Henry nods.
“Can we just not tell her about the teaching thing?”
He narrows his eyes. “Do you think that you can keep it from becoming some big thing?”
“Define big thing .” I’d hate to make a promise I can’t keep. I feel like most things worth doing are worth really doing .
Henry blows out of breath. “Exactly. It has to do with Scarlett and her kid. Of course it’s going to be a big thing.”
“The job doesn’t have to do with Scarlett and her kid. It’s just something they offered me while I was here, and it helps cover up that a rich and handsome charming prince is madly in love with Scarlett. No one but the family needs to know that. I guess.” I’d rather shout it to the world, but I can respect her wishes to keep it quiet. I suppose. For now.
“So instead, the new guy, the handsome and charming college professor is going to be in love with Scarlett,” Henry says. “Or are you going to pretend that’s not the case? Are you and Scarlett going to sneak around?”
“The whole point of being here is to get to know her, spend time with her, get to know her on her own turf,” I remind him. “I definitely don’t want to sneak around. I want to take her out, date her. See if this can be something real.” I shake my head. “Or rather, prove to her that it can be real.”
“You’ve already decided that you know her well enough and that you want her to be the princess?” Henry asks. He doesn’t seem surprised.
“She might think she lied to me about who she is, but she was completely real with me. I think real in a way she isn’t usually, but in a way she wants to be.”
Henry sighs but he doesn’t argue. “Have you and Scarlett talked about that? Is she cool with publicly dating the new teacher?”
I frown. See? When Henry is grumpy and annoyed, he makes me grumpy and annoyed. “We haven’t talked about it specifically. But she’s agreed that we are going to spend time together. What else would this be? I don’t think she’s going to be surprised when I say I want to go out in public with her.”
I think I’ve been pretty clear even if I hadn’t fucked her on her patio last night that I want her. That I want to give this every chance it has to turn into something real.
“Great, so I’m going to need to be over here at this house more often.” Henry does not seem excited about that.
“There is definitely no one at this house that wants to kill me. Although I do think Ruby is blaming me, like you are, for her current frustration.”
Henry glares at me. “We’re not going to talk about Ruby. I’m also not coming over here every night for dinner. I can’t just be around her and not…” He shoves a hand through his hair.
I sympathize. There’s no way that I could be in that close proximity to Scarlett and not want to talk to her, tell her how I feel, touch her. “I’m sorry, man,” I say. “Seriously. Maybe it will?—”
“It will be fine,” he cuts me off. “I’ll just be bored off my ass for the next two weeks. Maybe I really will start a book.”
“Seventeen days,” I correct. “I have three days more than two weeks.”
“Right,” Henry says without humor. “Let’s just both work on getting out of Emerald, Ohio, alive and well, okay?”
Alive and well.
I nod and finish off my coffee. And bite my tongue on the urge to say anything about how we might be alive when we leave Ohio, but well? I don’t know about that one. There’s a very good chance that one or both of us leaves with a broken heart.
Everyone in the administration office at Emerald Public School is very nice. And very enthusiastic about me being here. Especially Amanda Brown, the principal. She tells me, “We’re just so grateful to you for doing this,” three times in ten minutes.
It seems Henry was right when he said that they would be so happy to have a qualified substitute that they wouldn’t dig very deep into my background or story. And since I offered to donate my pay back into the fine arts fund—I don’t feel right about taking money from the school—they are even less likely to care about anything other than me showing up and keeping the kids engaged for the class periods I’m assigned to.
The few teachers I’m introduced to in the teachers’ lounge on my tour are also very nice. And eager to meet me.
Like Lily Singer, the cute, very young Spanish teacher. And Rachel Garrett, the science teacher, who looks familiar and I realize it’s because she was at the table with Hannah Lawton in the diner the day Hannah and Scarlett had their confrontation.
I notice I’m not introduced to any of the male teachers. Or any married female teachers. What a coincidence.
I’m very happy to get to Bill Emerson’s room.
Bill is a tall, husky man in his mid-fifties. He greets me with a wide smile and a firm handshake. He’s apparently been at this school for twenty-four years and loves his job.
I like the guy. He admits to liking world history best but is also an expert in US history. We chat easily about some current events in the United Kingdom and Egypt, and share our thoughts about Christian Waite, a US Senator who is apparently being groomed for a Presidential run. I refrain from telling him that my grandfather and brother both like Waite a lot and that he’s been to Cara at least once to discuss a partnership in green energy efforts. But Bill likes him and that makes me like Bill even more.
It’s clear that Bill knows his stuff and pays attention to world events and that he likes seeing I’m the same. He also seems like someone who really cares about the kids learning something and enjoying the material as much as possible.
“Well, I promise they’ll be a little smarter when you return.”
He chuckles. “I’m not worried about that, Professor. I expect that you can handle the lessons with no problem,” Emerson says. “But if you have any problems with any of the kids, I’m just a phone call away. I might not be up for hiking or line dancing for a while, but I can get on the phone. Or even meet you for a meal or coffee. Mrs. Brown will have your back too,” he says of the principal.
“What kind of issues might I have?”
“There’re just some big personalities in the sophomore class,” Bill says. “I assume at your level you haven’t dealt with high school kids much.”
I didn’t deal with high school kids much even when I was a high school kid. I went to high school in Cara, but while my grandfather felt strongly about us attending the public schools, nothing could take away the fact that we were royalty. Henry wasn’t a part of my life then, but there was extra security at the school, and eyes were on me all the time. I wouldn’t have had any issues with anyone in my class. Or rather, none of them would’ve had any issues with me. They wouldn’t have dared.
“Why don’t you give me a rundown on the kids?” I ask.
Bill hands over a list of sixty names. “Yeah, I think that might be a good idea. Give you an idea for what you’re getting into.”
I scan the list and see both Mariah and Greta’s names on it. I also note Leah Lawton's name.
After pointing out the “quiet but brilliant” girl, the boy with dyslexia, a couple of kids for whom English is their second language, a couple boys who simply struggle overall and compensate for it by being “little shits”, Bill points to Mariah’s name then Leah’s. “You’ll also want to watch these two.”
I try not to look more interested in those names than any of the others. “Okay.” I’ve been jotting down notes so I lean in to do so for these girls as well.
“They simply don’t like each other. It’s really as plain as that.”
“Has anything happened between the girls in class?”
Bill sighs. “Leah tries to get under Mariah's skin. She goes to the big church here in town. Mariah’s grandfather is the pastor, but her family doesn’t go to church. Leah always seems to have something to say about that.”
“In class?”
“Everywhere, it seems. Sometimes in class.”
“Is discussion about religion encouraged?” I ask. “I assume it comes up from time to time since religion has played such an important role in so many huge historical events.”
Bill nods. “Exactly. It does come up in here. And I try to encourage open conversation. Sometimes it just gets a little out of hand.”
“I appreciate the heads up.”
Bill studies me for a moment. “As an educator, and a student of history, I’m sure you can appreciate that I think these discussions can be healthy. I think it’s good to discuss differences of opinion, and different beliefs. Societies are built—and torn down—based on a variety of ideas. Our beliefs about where we belong in the world, and what should guide and motivate us, are the basis for conflicts of all kinds, from small ones in the lunchroom at school to global ones that span continents.”
I nod. “The things we believe in, and the things that motivate us to live our lives in certain ways, are the most intimate parts of us. They are the things that make people the most passionate.”
Bill smiles. “Exactly. So, I don’t shut the conversation down. Even when it gets contentious, I try to redirect them into expressing what they’re feeling and thinking in more constructive ways. It doesn’t always work. But let’s face it, being a part of this world means you’re going to run into people who think differently than you do and believe things that you don’t. Listening to them, trying to understand them, and learning to express yourself in a way that they can understand, is really valuable. And if they can practice that at age sixteen, even if it’s clunky and ineffective, I think something good can come from that.”
I like Bill Emerson. “That’s why school and teachers are so important,” I tell him sincerely. I realize it sounds like I’m building myself up as well, but the truth is, I admire the hell out of what he does. “This is maybe the safest space these kids will have to learn these concepts and, as you said, practice for these conflicts. If they can have someone they like and trust and respect there as a referee, they can learn a lot from that.”
Bill leans across the desk with his hand outstretched. “I think this is going to go very well. I really appreciate you coming in for these two weeks, Professor.”
I feel a twinge in my chest at the title. It’s a harmless lie. These kids will be fine. I will actually teach them something. No harm is being done here with this little white fib.
But what Bill does is important. I respect him. He’s doing good work every day and dammit, I kind of wish I wasn’t misleading him so that his respect for me felt legitimate.