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Yvonne examined her nails. “Oh, I just wasn’t sure you were going to be back in time. The way you just disappeared with Colt McCade. Then with you blowing off an important PTA meeting to take off and do God knows what. Makes one question just what kind of person would do that.”
Jenna’s stomach fell to her toes. She was obviously being snotty on purpose but—
“PTA meeting? There was nothing scheduled.”
Yvonne gave a snarky smile. “I scheduled one last week to discuss the disbursement of field trip money and the schedule for next year.” She gave an exaggerated pout. “But you weren’t here to know that, were you?”
Jenna’s heart stuck to her rib cage. There had been no such meeting. Yvonne was fighting dirty and likely figured out a way to fudge this detail ever since she found out about Colt and Jenna. But it didn’t stop Jenna from feeling like she suddenly couldn’t get enough air. Everything was falling apart. She had been set up to fail and, what was worse, she had lost Colt in the process.
“Quiet down everyone,” Flo Taylor screeched into the microphone. Jenna looked over her shoulder. Lily, Penny, Huck, and Sebastian all sat together. Huck gave her a thumbs-up, while Lily hooted and clapped and Penny gave a little wave. She wished Colt were there. No matter what happened, she wanted him. Forever. And she may never get the opportunity to tell him.
“First order of business is determining who will oversee the after-school program starting September of this year.” Flo Taylor’s voice was so self-assured it made Jenna’s heart sink a little. “Yvonne Taylor and Jenna-Jayne Justice, will you please come to the front.”
Jenna walked with as much confidence as she could, trying hard not to fiddle with her glasses or slide her palm over the bun on the back of her head. Everything Yvonne had said, had done, was bouncing around on the inside of her skull, and she couldn’t make sense of it. But when she stood before the audience, there was one face she wasn’t expecting to see.
Mom?
Her mother sat in the middle of the bleachers, surrounded by people on all sides. An ache so deep, so long ago buried, rose up. Her mother didn’t look at her like she usually did. Not with want for something or drunken disgust. Miranda Justice looked proud of her.
She also looked so tired. A kind of weathering came to a person with a life like Miranda led. While she may appear exhausted, Jenna felt it right along with her. She stood there as her own personal nightmare drifted around her like a storm cloud waiting to shoot lightning.
So many times, Jenna had repeated to herself that she wasn’t her mother. But this time, she actually believed it. She also knew she’d never give up hope for Miranda, either. She was letting it go. Sure, she was nervous and about ready to burst into a panic attack, but she loved her mother. And she always would. The battle to get her sober wouldn’t end. Jenna would keep fighting, but in the meantime, she had to make peace with herself. Mirada showed up and was sitting quietly. That was a start.
Jenna looked at Yvonne and knew she was seeing the same thing. It was no secret that Jenna didn’t particularly do well with her mother in the same room. But while Jenna felt like throwing up, Yvonne looked like she was about to throw a party. There would be no graceful way out of this.
“I’m so sorry, everyone.” Yvonne picked up Flo’s microphone and spoke to the crowd. “Before the school board votes, I just thought that you should know the kind of people who are running for this job.”
Oh, God…
Jenna’s throat closed. She tried to brace herself for what was coming next. But a part of her wanted to run, hide, or maybe just burst into tears. Too much was being thrown at once. Like watching a slow-moving train carrying a whole heap of manure barreling straight for you. She needed to gain her control. She would handle what was coming, but first she needed to find her center and breathe.
Jenna frantically looked around, trying to focus on something, anything to cool her nerves. Her eyes landed on the exit and she saw Colt. He walked through the double doors and leaned against the back wall, next to a crowd of people.
He came.
So much hope and happiness surged through her chest that Jenna thought her lungs might burst. He didn’t look angry. Instead, he simply smiled and winked at her. Offering his support. Despite everything that had happened, all the things she wished she could have said, done differently, he was still there. For her.
Instantly, Jenna felt an ounce of strength. Penny and Lily were right. The only people who had power over her were those she allowed to. And Colt was that person. Not Yvonne, not her mother, not even her own negativity. Not anymore.
Jenna was done hiding. Done running. She wouldn’t let Yvonne, or anyone else, make what she and Colt shared into something shameful.
“The person who runs this program is going to be overseeing children of all ages after school.” Yvonne looked right at Jenna. “That person should, in my opinion, be an upstanding citizen. So I just wouldn’t feel right proceeding with this without revealing exactly what kind of ‘teacher’ Miss Justice is.”
Jenna forced her knees to remain locked and waited for Yvonne to finish.
“Miss Justice not only misses important meetings regarding students, but when school was still in session, Mr. Colt McCade came into Miss Justice’s classroom during school hours, and while the children were at recess, they engaged in fornication.”
Voices instantly broke out. Jenna’s chest constricted. Everyone was talking over each other.
“Quiet!” Flo Taylor yelled. “In light of this information we have no choice—”
“No.” Jenna blurted out. She looked at Colt. His face was pale and he looked as bad as Jenna felt. “You will not pass judgment on me without hearing what I have to say.”
…
Colt pushed past the crowd surrounding him, trying to get to JJ. “That’s not—”
JJ held up a hand to him and shook her head, cutting him off mid-sentence. He would yell, lie, even wage war to keep JJ from losing this. Heading up the after-school program was her dream, and he would not stand there while it crumbled—because of him.
