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Chapter 18
Kennedy
My classroom was quiet.All the kids had gone home and I would too, after I finished entering scores from their tests.With the Fourth of July holiday past, I had one more week of summer school.
Then what?
I had several projects I could do to the house, but limited funds to purchase supplies.School didn’t start again until the end of August, and it was looking like there was a full crew of teachers.No full-time openings.
I guessed I’d be job hunting along with Liam.I didn’t want to leave this school.Aspen was here.Kelsey and Marion.And I was looking forward to chatting with the other teachers and paras that I’d gotten to know on recess and lunchroom duty.Would I still be invited to their girls’ nights out, or would I have to start over at another school?
I’d tapped in the last score when Mr.Gilding called over the intercom.“Kennedy, can you come down to my office?”
The principal hadn’t said much to me since I’d lost my temper.If anything, he’d steered clear.Same with Mrs.Z.No more impromptu drop-ins while I was still in her classroom.Did she cruise by the school to make sure my car wasn’t there before she came inside?Didn’t matter.It had been nice to have a break from her negativity.
I packed up my schoolbag full of papers and my teaching laptop.Mr.Gilding was sitting behind his desk.
“Ah, Kennedy.Have a seat.Shut the door too, please.”
Being called to the principal’s office had lost its fear factor as an adult, but the ominous “shut the door, please” made it come crashing back.The last time he’d told me to shut the door was when he’d asked whether I could keep teaching in the same capacity I had been before Derek died.The day I had quit.
“Liam Barron called me today.”Mr.Gilding tapped the tip of his pen against his desktop.“He wants to switch his kids to Miss Perez.”
“Good.”I wasn’t backtracking on what I had said to Mr.Gilding the day Mrs.Z had pissed me off, yet my heart rate accelerated and my palms grew clammy.His expression didn’t make me think he wholeheartedly agreed.“I think that’s a reasonable request.”
“After the way you spoke to Mrs.Zachmeier, I can’t help but wonder where Liam got the idea she wouldn’t be a good teacher for his kids.”
After the way I spoke to Mrs.Z?Calling her on her bullshit without yelling or throwing a fit was now a bad thing?“Uh, maybe it’s from the way she spoke about his kids?”
Mr.Gilding straightened.Okay, my tone might’ve been too flippant, but come on.He needed to support the kids as much as his staff.
His stern expression solidified, and he tapped the pen to his desk again.“And how exactly did she speak about them?”
“She said it’d be a tough year and she’d have to separate them.”Yeah, when I said it like that it sounded harmless enough.Mr.Gilding knew her tone and her attitude.He had to understand.
“That’s it?”
“She insinuated it’d be a tough year because of them and because of what Liam had been like—twenty-two years ago.”
Mr.Gilding tipped his chin down while keeping his gaze on me, as if I needed to elaborate.Did he not see the problem?“Kennedy, I realize you’ve been through a lot, but Mrs.Z confided in you as a colleague.”
I scoffed and caught myself too late.His gaze sharpened, and I smoothed over my expression.Professional as hell.I still wanted a job here.As a full-fledged teacher with a flawless record, I would’ve had more footing in this disagreement.“She was complaining.About children.Those boys are important to me, and I want them to have the best start to their school year as possible.”
“Right.”Tap, tap, tap.“I realize that you’re more qualified than many of our paras, and that’s why I’m concerned about what you’re telling other parents about the teachers here.”
“It wasn’t other parents.It was a friend, and I gave him a recommendation that would benefit his children.”
Mr.Gilding laid the pen down like it was a fuse ready to detonate.“Mrs.Zachmeier has been a teacher here for thirty-five years.Eli and Owen Barron are in good hands, and I’ve reassured Liam of that.”
I recoiled.How could he pretend this wasn’t an issue?The set of his shoulders and the hard lines around his eyes told me he wasn’t going to change his mind.I could still hold him accountable.“Then I can be assured that should there be problems, you’ll use your best judgment to rectify them in a way that helps them, regardless of how Mrs.Z feels or how defensive she gets?”
Mr.Gilding blinked.“Of-of course.”
My anger continued coalescing until it oozed out of every pore in my body.It was as if my silence in other areas of my life spurred my vocal cords to flap away.“Good, good.And the other parents were understanding when you refused their requests for a preferred teacher?”
He cocked his head.“Excuse me?”
“You rejected Liam’s request, but all the teachers here are good, right?”I didn’t wait for him to answer.“So, I’m assuming that you’ve turned down all other requests and will continue to do so even after school starts.You’ll just assure them their children are in good hands.”
