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“Do you need anything else while we’re here? Advil? Chocolate?” Caroline stops in front of an end cap and grabs a little stuffed bear holding a chalkboard on which is writtenBEST TEACHER EVER.“A token to remember this school year by.”
The little red bear stares up at me with its cheap beady eyes. “You don’t need to remind me…”
“I’m not trying to rub it in! But how exciting that this is your first school year in how many years you’re not actually going to school? No little monsters to keep track of and no meddling parents to deal with. ”
There is some relief in knowing I don’t have to go back into a school this year. All the dread and planning leading up to that first week, cutting my summer short. I’ll admit there’s been some amount of schadenfreude watching all my teacher friends stressing out about getting their classrooms ready and being bummed about having to be waking up at six am again while I still have all this free time.
However, once you get into that building, see all your coworkers and friends, ready to make the year a good one… It’s all worth it. Especially once the kids come, even though some of themarelittle monsters.
Caroline returns the bear to the shelf and links her arm with mine. “Come on. I’m hungry.”
We end up at a drive-through fried chicken place that I know is just going to make me feel worse, but it’s the only thing I can imagine eating right now. Some fried chicken and mac and cheese isn’t just what the doctor ordered, it’s what my inner gremlin demands.
Caroline is hilarious eating her fried chicken, long, perfect lilac nails digging into the crunchy batter. Though she has all the money in the world, she doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty. All that stands between the chicken and her Dior skirt are some thin fast-food restaurant napkins.
“So what’s the rest of your day look like?” she asks between bites.
“Let’s see, once I get home… I have to wallow for about an hour followed by a half hour of dissociating in the shower. And then I’m going to have to nurse my disappointment in front of the television, not sure how long that will last, but –”
“Juuuude.” Caroline gives me an annoyed look.
I half-smile, holding back tears that are always a possibility these days. “What?”
“You have to stop with the pity parties.”
“I thought you liked my pity parties.”
She licks the grease off her thumb. “I do, but there comes a time when you just have to get over him. He’s not worth it.”
We can’t even say Chase’s name without him clouding the room. And yet even referencing him just like that has me halfway to dissociating. “He’s your brother.”
“Yeah, and he’s a jerk and a half. You deserve someone emotionally intelligent. Who isn’t going to flip-flop on you. Or let you enter a marriage of convenience. If you ever get into some contractual relationship ever again, I swear to God Jude, I’ll come hunt you down and –”
“Trust me. No more contracts. Promise.” From what I understand, my contract with Chase is dissolved, completely and utterly. There was probably a clause about that somewhere in that wretched document. I didn’t pay much attention to it, because I was confident I wouldn’t back out. “In fact, no more dating, for a while.”
Caroline takes a long sip of her fountain drink. The straw putts, signifying she’s run out of her diet cola. “Dagnabbit.”
I don’t know how I’ve managed to grow up in the South just like her and not have inherited the same sort of mannerisms. Even I’m charmed by the slang and heavy accent sometimes. ‘
She shakes the drink, ice clattering around the sides. “Jude, Chase might not be the one but I guarantee you there’s a man out there who’s going to love you for all of you. No contracts involved. Unless it’s a prenup.”
I roll my eyes.
“Don’t give me that look.Everyoneneeds a prenup.”
Just then, my phone starts to buzz. I check the screen and immediately pale.
“Oh, I know that face,” Caroline says. “It’s Chase, isn’t it?”
“No, it’s –” I hold up the screen and show her. “It’s Glenda. The principal from –”
Caroline’s eyes bulge. “Take it, take it! I’ll be quiet.”
I answer the phone quickly, quickly resetting internally so as not to sound panicked. “Hello?”
“Jude! It’s me. Glenda.”
“Glenda! Hi!” I’m acting as if I didn’t just see her name come up on my screen. What is this weird behavior we’ve all accepted around phones even though we know everyone has caller ID? “How are you doing?”
