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“Oh, Alpha Valen. And why are you here?” She looks around nervously at the students, like she thinks I’m somehow a danger to them.
“My son,” I tell her, pointing to Valarian, and she giggles. The sound is more like a hyena; damn, she’s a strange lady. She waves me over and I glance at Valarian, who rolls his eyes. I gave him a pointed look at his rudeness, but I now understood why he called her a poodle—I have to fight the urge to straighten her poofy hair. As I walk over to her, I get a whiff of something that smells strangely like weed, the kind you smoke. I sniff the air as I stop next to her.
“Are you high?” I whisper to her.
“You would be too if you had to teach this lot. Want some? Got a bit left.”
I blink at her. She just offered me drugs! I glance around the classroom, wondering if I imagined it. Surely, she didn't? What sort of school is this?
“Uh, no, but I, my son, and Casey will be leaving now,” I tell her, motioning for both kids to come with me. Valarian starts picking his stuff up off his desk when the woman taps my shoulder with her finger, which makes me glance at her.
“I'm sorry, sir, but you are not on either of their contact lists. I cannot allow you to take those children.”
“He is my son, and I brought Casey here,” I tell her.
“Unless you are on the documentation, I cannot allow you to remove them from class. And as far as I know, Valarian has no father. Everly Summers never mentioned you being his father. He is a rogue, sir, and you cannot just come into a school and claim a child as your own. We have rules and regulations.”
Rules. I wonder briefly what their practices are on drugs and teachers offering parents to get high. This woman is getting on my damn nerves; not only is she high as a kite, but she also looks ridiculousandis unfit to be teaching grade school-aged children—or anyone for that matter.
“Valarian, Casey, grab your stuff,” I tell them.
The entire class watches on as Mrs. Whats-her-name frantically steps in the way as they move to the front of the classroom.
“Sir, I am sorry, but I can't allow you to take them!” she screeches.
Ignoring her, I reach over and grab Valarian's hand, tugging him gently over to me. When her hand falls on my arm, the growl that tears out of me makes her quickly step back away from me.
“Touch me again and you will find yourself out there with the forsaken,” I grit out, and she gasps. Casey rushes over to me, stepping beside Valarian and I turn on my heel, leaving the classroom. This is unacceptable, and I can’t believe Everly would allow our son to be taught here by a high woman. What is she thinking?
“Where are we going, Dad?” Valarian asks.
“Anywhere but here,” I tell him, stalking off down the hall. I slow my steps when I see both kids struggling to keep up with my long strides.
“Aw, and today is show and tell; I brought Mr. Scruffy,” Casey whines.
“You show Mr. Scruffy every week, Casey,” Valarian tells her.
“I do not,” she pouts.
“You do too.”
“Na.”
“Uh-huh, you do. Every show and tell.”
She and Valarian bicker all the way to the car.
“You can do a show and tell at home. Marcus will love to hear about Mr. Scruffy,” I tell her, needing them to stop arguing while I think of what to do about this entire schooling situation. When my phone rings, I stop just outside the school's entrance and pull it from my pocket. Everly's name pops up on the screen, so I answer it.
“Why has the school called me to say you have kidnapped Valarian and Casey?”
“I have done no such thing. Technically, I am still on school property,” I tell her.
“Valarian's teacher just called me, Valen. Where is my son?”
“Beside me, with Casey. Do you know his teacher is a stoner?” I whisper the last part through gritted teeth. She falls quiet for a second before I hear her sigh.
“Yes, most are. A lot of the teachers there are from the rogue commune. What do you expect?”
