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The bell rang, which meant recess was over.
“Come on, Nova. We have to go back to class.” Grayson tugged on my sweatshirt.
“She can stay.”
“But I’m supposed to go back.” I looked at my dad, surprised he wanted me to stay.
“Kids, time to go back to class,” one of the teacher’s aides said. “Sir, you shouldn’t be out here.”
“Nova, go back to class, and I’ll see you later.” My dad jogged away.
The lady ran over to Grayson and me. “Who was that man?”
“My dad. He came to see me,” I told her as she pressed her hand on my back so I’d go back to the building.
“Then why didn’t he sign in at the office? I’ve never seen him before.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Maybe he doesn’t know what to do.”
“Hmm.” She opened the door. “Go straight to class, please.”
Grayson and I made our way down the hallway to Mrs. Fuentes’s classroom. Kids were everywhere, so were some teachers.
“Your dad is weird.” Grayson elbowed me as we entered the classroom.
“He is not!”
“Is so. I had that stranger-danger feeling our teacher talks about.” He made his body shake like he was creeped out.
“Stop talking about my dad like that!” I got angry and shoved him harder than I had outside.
“Ouch! That hurt, Nova Brandt!” Grayson rubbed his arm.
“Then don’t say mean things and I won’t hit!”
“Hey, hey, you two. What’s going on here?” Mrs. Fuentes asked. “And there is no hitting under any circumstances.” She looked at me.
“Grayson is being a jerk,” I told her.
“Nova, it’s not nice to call Grayson a jerk.” She guided Grayson and me to her desk. “Tell me what started all this.”
“I don’t like her dad. He’s weird and made my stomach feel funny.” Grayson stuck his tongue out at me. “So I told her the truth.”
Mrs. Fuentes sighed. “What do you know about Nova’s dad, Grayson?”
“He had a missing tooth and was mean to me.”
“Your dad was at school? Where?” Mrs. Fuentes looked at me strangely.
“On the other side of the fence. I saw him when I was playing.” I put my finger in my mouth like I used to do when I got scared.
“That’s strange.” She whirled around toward the windows. I watched her long red hair swing through the air.
“Why? He wants to apologize to my mom, but he doesn’t know where to find her.”
“Because all parents have to check-in at the office first, sweetie. You know how it works when your mom joins you for lunch.” Mrs. Fuentes sat at her desk and picked up her phone. “I want you both to take your seats and work on this week’s spelling words.”
“Yes, Mrs. Fuentes,” Grayson and I said at the same time. I had a feeling she was going to tell my mom that my dad was here. If she did, it would ruin his surprise.
