Chapter 17 - Students First #2
"So why are you acting like I'm overworking?"
"I'm not."
"Then?"
"You're planning like every empty hour is available inventory."
Silence.
I stopped.
That sentence hit harder than I intended.
For me too.
Celeste asked—
"Isn't it?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because you're a person."
There.
Simple.
Annoyingly difficult.
"You still need rest. Errands. Family. Friends. Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Yes."
"What do you do during nothing?"
I laughed.
"I'm learning."
She laughed too.
"Okay. Fair."
Then—
"Can I just keep Sunday morning for now?"
I thought.
Her life.
Her choice.
I was not her manager.
"Sure."
"Really?"
"You asked advice. I gave it. You're allowed to disagree."
"Oh."
"Track how you feel after a month."
"And if exhausted?"
"Change it."
"If okay?"
"Keep it."
There.
Not prophecy.
Not rules carved into stone.
Data.
Current life.
Current person.
Then Celeste said—
"By the way."
I knew that tone.
"No."
She laughed.
"Jane messaged you today?"
I stopped walking.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Celeste."
"I posted."
Oh, for fuck's sake.
I checked my notifications.
Three unread messages from Jane.
I had been busy.
I opened them.
Photo.
Celeste.
Again.
your consultant posted
Then—
pretty
Then—
excellent nose
I closed my eyes.
Celeste was laughing on the call.
"Did she send it?"
"Yes."
"How do you know she does that?"
"You accidentally told me last time."
"I did not tell you the full thing."
"You said she ruined the words pretty and polished."
Fair.
Unfortunately.
Celeste sounded delighted.
"This is funny."
"No."
"It is."
"You are enabling her."
"How?"
"By posting."
She laughed harder.
"I should stop posting because Jane sends you my pictures?"
"Yes."
"Absolutely not."
"Then you're part of the problem."
"Consistent."
I sighed.
"Goodbye, Celeste."
"Wait."
"What?"
"Very nice legs?"
I ended the call.
Immediately.
No remorse.
My phone rang again.
Celeste.
Declined.
Then message.
HAHAHAHAHAHA
I blocked nothing.
But I considered it.
Jane's chat remained open.
I replied:
celeste knows
Immediate response.
KNOWS WHAT
that you send me her photos
Pause.
Then—
YOU TOLD HER?
accidentally
LIA
she thinks it's funny
Another pause.
Then—
good
I stared.
GOOD???
tell her very pretty
I closed my eyes.
tell her yourself next time
Jane:
NO ??
Coward.
Saturday morning, Celeste sent another update.
8
I stared.
eight students?
yes
Then—
one parent asked if i have another teacher because english daw
There.
First real fork.
I called her.
"Don't say yes yet."
"I didn't."
"Good."
"But I know someone."
"Who?"
"Grace."
Teacher.
English.
Same school.
Good reputation.
Apparently good with younger students.
Celeste had worked with her before.
"Would she want extra work?"
"Maybe."
"Ask."
"Should I hire her?"
"Not yet."
"Why not?"
"One English inquiry is not a business case."
She sighed.
"Of course."
"Ask Grace if she's interested. Then collect demand."
"How?"
"Ask current parents if they need other subjects. Don't sell something you can't deliver. Just ask."
"Like survey?"
"Yes."
"Then?"
"If enough demand appears, trial a schedule."
"Per session?"
"Probably easiest first."
"Not salary?"
"Not with uncertain demand."
She went quiet.
Then—
"You really have answers for everything."
No.
Dangerous thought.
I smiled.
"I have guesses."
"Those are very detailed guesses."
"Still guesses."
Important.
By noon, Grace was apparently interested.
No commitment.
Just interested.
Celeste sent:
she said game if may students
I replied:
good
Then—
don't rent a center
I WASN'T GOING TO
just checking
bwisit
Monday arrived.
New week.
Claire's fourth shift.
She was faster.
Still careful.
Abigail no longer hovered.
Bea had taught her how to prep materials.
At 10:03, Claire encountered a missing variation.
She stopped.
Checked job ticket.
Checked order.
Then called Abigail.
Not me.
Good.
Abigail checked.
They resolved it.
I stayed at my desk.
Nobody asked me anything.
I smiled.
Then immediately stopped because that felt creepy.
At lunch, I opened the staffing forecast.
Abigail.
Bea.
Claire.
Three people.
A few months ago—
just me.
Printer.
Bedroom.
Boxes everywhere.
Now—
workspace.
Equipment.
Systems.
Three-branch recurring account.
Supplier relationships.
Employees training employees.
And outside work—
Sunday plans.
Family dinners.
Jane.
Chloe.
Celeste building something of her own.
Different kinds of growth.
Not all mine.
That mattered.
At 5:47, Abigail approached my desk.
"Ma'am."
"Yes?"
"Claire can handle tomorrow morning packing."
I looked at Claire.
She immediately looked terrified.
"Basic lang po."
Abigail nodded.
"Basic lang."
I looked back at Abigail.
"You trust her?"
"Yes."
Then at Claire.
"You trust yourself?"
She thought.
"Mostly."
Good enough.
"Okay."
Claire smiled.
Small.
Proud.
I remembered old employees.
Names.
Faces.
People erased when I woke up twenty-three again.
For a moment—
there it was.
That familiar ache.
Then Abigail asked—
"Ma'am?"
I blinked.
"Sorry."
"You okay?"
"Yes."
And I was.
Because these weren't replacements.
They weren't recreations.
They were Abigail.
Bea.
Claire.
New people.
New relationships.
Current life.
I smiled.
"Good work."
All three looked suspiciously pleased.
Six PM.
Shutdown.
Lights.
Door.
Outside, my phone buzzed.
Celeste.
9
I laughed.
students?
yes
Then:
grace may have 3 interested already
I stopped.
That was—
actually promising.
good. trial first
yes ma'am
don't call me that
Then:
also
I waited.
Photo.
Celeste.
Selfie.
I stared.
Then another message.
save jane the effort
I laughed so loudly someone across the street looked at me.
I forwarded it.
No caption.
Jane replied in twelve seconds.
HAHAHAHAHAHA
Then—
PRETTY
Chloe appeared in the group chat somehow.
excellent nose
Jane:
very nice legs
I stared at the screen.
Then typed—
YOU ALL NEED JOBS
Celeste:
i have two
Jane:
same
Chloe:
same
I put my phone away.
Nine students.
Three employees.
One possible new tutor.
One recurring client.
And apparently—
an expanding harassment network.
Everything was scaling.
Some things more unfortunately than others.