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Beckett
With all thecommotion of the Science Fair, no one stops me when I walk into Darling Elementary.
I’m early. The fair doesn’t start for another fifteen minutes or so, but I have something I need to take care of first.
There’s no map on the wall telling me which teacher is where, and it’s been decades since I’ve stepped foot inside these walls, but I know that the fourth grade classes are in the opposite corner of the building from the front entrance.
The building itself is just a large rectangle. The large cafeteria is just inside the main doors to the left, across the hall from the principal’s office. Straight ahead is one of the two perpendicular hallways making up the rest of the school. With classrooms on the outside, the center of the building is filled with the art rooms, the music room, and custodial storage. With a couple perpendicular hallways connecting the two sides.
Walking past the noisy fair set-up, I cut across to the hallway I need.
My steps echo against the cinder block walls, and I feel an odd tightening in the center of my chest.
I don’t know what drew my eye to the hooded figure slinking out of the restaurant last night, but when my eyes landed on Elouise’s I knew I was in trouble. I knew what it looked like.
Every part of my being wanted to get up and run after her. Chase her down to explain.
But I didn’t.
I didn’t want to make a scene.
I didn’t want to risk running through the crowd only to lose her.
And, evilly, a part of me didn’t want to correct her. A part of me was relishing the look on her face.
Not the pain. No, I feel terrible about that. But the jealousy… Hell, the jealousy in her eyes was beautiful. Reassuring me that I wasn’t alone in this new and sudden obsession I felt between us.
Approaching the first of the two fourth grade classrooms, I see the door is open and the room is empty. A small plate next to the door tells me this room belongs to Mr. Olson.
So, my girl has the room at the end of hall, one down from Mr. Fucking Whistle.
As I get closer, I can see that her door is closed, and I start to worry that maybe I missed her. I figured she’d have stayed to walk through the Science Fair but maybe she didn’t, and she’s already gone.
Then I hear laughter. Her laughter.
It’s distinct. Sweet, light, and perfect.
But she’s not alone. And the other voice filtering through the door belongs to a man.
Keeping my steps light, I peer through the small window and see the back of a man standing just inside the door. I can’t see his face, but I recognize his stupid blond haircut. As if it’s not enough that he works in the room next to Elouise, he has to be here. After hours, chatting her up. Laughing.
My hands tighten into fists.
Feeling the slightly unreasonable need to be violent, I take in a breath and slowly blow it out.
There’s nothing wrong with two friends talking.
Mr. Olson’s voice is muffled against the door, so I lean closer to hear it.
“You really are the best!” he says, shaking his head, but I can hear the annoying-as-fuck smile that’s pasted on his face.
Tilting my head, I catch a glimpse of Elouise at her desk. And she’s smiling.
Okay, enough of this shit.
Mr. Olson raises a water bottle to his mouth, and I take the opening.
In a single movement, smooth enough to make it seem like I hadn’t looked through the glass, I turn the handle and shove the door open. Hard.
The edge of the door collides with Mr. Olson’s shoulder, jolting him forward, and causing his hand to clench around the bottle, sending a torrent of water out the spout, down his throat, up his nose, and all over his face.
I pause beside him, clapping a hand down roughly on his back, “Whoops.”
