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“How’s it going over here?” he asks the students, and they enthusiastically answer with unintelligible cheers.
He’s standing in front of the cluster of the kids, but his eyes are narrowed on Adam.
Weird.
Using the distraction as an opportunity, I take a few more steps over, putting half the kids between me and Adam. And I purposely ignore the fact that it brings me closer to Beckett.
“Mr. Beckett, have you ever eaten something bad when you were in the woods?” a girl asks, and the whole group falls silent.
Beckett smirks as his eyes move over to meet mine, “I have not, but Lou- I mean, Miss Hall has.” He waits one beat, “It is Miss Hall, correct? Not Mrs.”
Oh. My. God.
Ohmygod!
He remembers me.
Heat fills my body, from the tip of my freezing toes to the tip of my blushing nose.
I bite my lip, not sure if I’m about to grin like a fool or puke up my coffee.
“It’s Miss,” one of the kids calls out helpfully.
“Good.” Beckett replies.
Wait. What? Good? What does that mean?!
I feel several pairs of eyes on me, “What’d you eat?” someone asks.
“Um,” my brain gives itself a mental jump start, and I force myself to look back up at Beckett. “I, uh, don’t actually know what he’s talking about.”
With his eyes locked on mine, Beckett’s mouth forms that adorable, crooked smile, the one I fell in love with decades ago. “Mushrooms, Miss Hall. I’m talking about the time you ate the mushrooms you found in your yard.”
My eyes widen, “Wow… I forgot all about that.”
“What happened?” someone asks.
“Um…” Trying to recall the memory, I bite the tip of my finger. I glance at Beckett, since he clearly remembers it, but find his attention focused on my mouth.
I drop my hand. My blush deepening.
“I remember my mom freaking out,” I admit, still not sure of the details, “and I remember going to the hospital…” I trail off, really having forgotten all about the event.
“After eating a handful of bad mushrooms,” Beckett starts, “Miss Hall started throwing up.” Every kid makes a sound at that revelation. “Her brother was with her, so he ran and got their mom. And then her mom had to call Poison Control. Since Miss Hall couldn’t remember what the mushrooms looked like, her mom brought her to the hospital so they could make sure she was okay.”
“And were you?” one of my students asks.
“Duh,” a girl replies, “if she died, she wouldn’t be here.”
“How do you know all of that?” the only other adult asks. His voice sounding way too tense for the conversation.
We all turn to look at Adam, who’s standing with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.
I swear Beckett stands up straighter, “Miss Hall and I go way back.”
Adam’s jaw clenches, but all I can do is focus on Beckett.
What is going on?
