Page 65 of Before We Break

♫ Somebody Else - The 1975

CLIO

I stride into school in a fugue state, my thoughts occupied by the lyrics to “Wonderwall.” I’m not at all focused on what else has happened since then.

Nope. I haven’t been thinking about that kiss, or the way his hands felt roaming over my body, and I definitely haven’t thought about saying yes to his fake engagement-with-benefits proposal. That would be ludicrous. A bridge too far. A wardrobe into fucking Narnia.

“Clio!” The distant sound of my name being called snaps me out of my trance-like state. Jeff Smith, the PE teacher, waves me over. “You’re with me today.”

Why the school chose to host its library fundraiser so soon after the Willow Tree festival is a mystery for the ages, but here I am, volunteering in the name of literacy. The gym is already set up with multiple tables and stations for games, as well as a bake sale and a silent auction with tons of donated items.

Jeff takes the box of supplies out of my arms, and I set my bag down under the long banquet table. “Did Carla drop off the prizes?”

“She did.” He reaches beneath the table and pulls out another box, setting it beside the first. “What exactly is all of this for?”

“You’ll see.”

I rifle through the first box of supplies, pulling out a long roll of carnival tickets and an array of colorful ducks with symbols on the bottom of each one. The preschool water table is already set up nearby, filled up a little more than halfway to the top.

“Do you mind putting the ducks in the pond?”

“Sure, no problem.”

While Jeff does that, I go through the box of prizes, checking off each one on a list of donations from local businesses. Once I’m sure we have everything, I set up the signs and count out the money in the cash box.

With all of our ducks in a row, pun absolutely intended, Jeff takes a seat in the chair beside me.

“Do you want to handle the money, or the prizes?” I ask.

“The kids like you more, so I’ll leave the prizes to you.”

“I don’t think that’s necessarily true.”

He grins, showing off his perfectly straight white teeth and the laugh lines around his eyes. Jeff is a giant of a man, a former football player with a thick but well-groomed beard and salt-and-pepper hair. He’s tall and soft around the middle, like a younger version of Santa Claus and just as jolly. Nobody has a single bad thing to say about him as far as I know.

“It’s true. Can’t say I blame them, though.” He winks. “You’re much prettier to look at.”

Nervous laughter bubbles out of me, and I make myself busy recounting the cash box. It’s not long before the event kicks off and families file in. The scent of baked goods wafts over from the bake sale where Olivia and Rosie Sullivan are set up with their mouthwatering treats. I’ll have to take a break and grab something sweet if I have time later.

The first customer to arrive at my table is Emmy Lou, dragging her dad behind her. “Hey Em! Welcome to my duck pond!”

“Can I play, Daddy? Please!”

Wilder smiles and pulls a wad of cash out of his wallet. “What’s the damage?”

“Tickets are three dollars each or five for ten dollars,” Jeff explains. “Every duck is a winner. Prizes are listed on the board.”

“Great. We’ll take five tickets.”

I hold out my hand, and Emmy takes it. “Ok, Emmy girl. Pick your first duck.”

“I want…” She screws her face up in concentration, eyeing the makeshift pond. “This one!” To no one’s surprise, she picks out a pink one first.

“Ok. Show me the bottom so we can see what you’ve won!”

She flips it over to reveal a red dot on the bottom.

“You get a candy bracelet. Pick your next duck.”