Before she could answer, a man in chinos and a polo shirt breezed into the office. “Morning, Peggy.” He collected a folder from his mail slot, saluted her with it, and then breezed back out before she could even reply.
Peggy huffed a sigh and briefly looked around as though she was worried someone might overhear. “I don’t know. I mean, jock was never really my type, right? Ollie was so sweet, though. I had to give it a shot. It wasn’t a bad breakup or anything, just awkward when he came in this morning and I thought the volunteer forms were for him.”
Right, of course—Ollie would have to register Theo for school. Apparently he wasn’t wasting any time on that if he’d made it herebefore Ty this morning. Back when Ty attended, this place only hosted grades seven through twelve, but the town had expanded it to include elementary grades. “Maybe give him a little time before you let Coach rope him into extracurricular commitments.”
She laughed. “Oh my God. Henry would be over the moon if he managed to wrangle both of you.”
Not much chance of that, Ty thought, with Ollie having Theo to look after. “So I just fill this out and then…?”
“Then I imagine Henry will pick you up and put you on a leash and parade you around like a prize-winning Dalmatian.” She slid a pen across the counter. “I would love to chat more, but it’s about to be bonkers in here. Catch up this weekend, maybe?” She tapped the paperwork. “I can get your number from the forms if you’re cool with it.”
“That sounds nice. Thanks.” Ty saluted with his folder the same way the teacher who’d come in earlier had, and then got out of the way as Peggy’s prediction came true and the office became a bustle of activity. He retreated to the detention desk outside the office. Cramming himself into it at six foot two was a lot harder than he remembered.
He’d only gotten as far as the third line on the form when a familiar voice said, “Tyler Morris. Now this sight does take me back.”
Ty worked hard to not jump. He raised his head and pasted on a smile. “Principal Gupta.” He hadn’t realized she was still running this place, or he probably wouldn’t have accepted Coach’s invitation to return. At the very least, he’d have picked someplace less conspicuous to fill out the paperwork. “Uh. Hi.”
“I don’t believe the designers of that desk had you in mind when they built it,” she went on, as though it wasn’t awkward at all to run into the adult version of a kid she’d expelled. “Why don’t you come on into my office? I think I have a chair that’ll fit you.”
He couldn’t read her tone, which left him feeling a lot like the sullen teenager he’d been the last time he walked these halls. But she was in charge here, and if he wanted to help Henry out, he had to stay on her good side.
He didn’t like the principal’s office any better as an adult than he had as a kid, but at least she couldn’t kick him out of school this time. Tysettled into a chair and started to cross his arms defensively. Then he caught himself and forced his palms down against his thighs.Somuch better.
“Coffee?” Principal Gupta gestured to a sideboard that hosted a fancy Nespresso machine.
Ty was stunned into answering, “Yes, please,” before his brain could engage.
Principal Gupta wouldn’t poison him just to keep him from corrupting the baseball team, right?
She made him a mug, carried it over to the desk, slid it in front of him, and then took her own seat. “I was sorry to hear about your father.”
I wasn’t, Ty thought, and then felt like an asshole. Fortunately some preprogrammed part of his brain answered out loud instead. “Thank you.”
“Although your father and I had our share of differences.” She sipped her own coffee. “Now I understand you’re volunteering to help our hapless team remember which end of the bat they should be holding?”
Oh boy. Ty moved his mug away from his lips. “Uh, it’s possible Coach Tate didn’t put it in exactly those words.”
“He’s a sneaky one.” She shook her head. “Anyway, we all appreciate it. It’s good to have you back around here.”
Maybe you shouldn’t have sent me away in the first place, Ty thought, but he managed not to say that out loud either. “Thanks.”
“Anyway.” She smiled. “I’ve got to go make the morning rounds, but feel free to use my desk to fill out that paperwork, okay?”
Nothing about coming back to this town was going the way he expected.
He finished the paperwork and left it with Peggy at the desk—she was surrounded by a crowd of four adults and two kids—just in time to run into Coach Tate.
“Ty. You’re here early.” Henry grinned at him. “Paperwork all done? Great. I’ll give you the ten-cent tour.”
“Did they move the ball diamond?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” said Henry serenely, “did you have somewhere to be?”
And no. No, Ty did not. He straightened his shoulders. “Nah. Lead the way, Coach.”
With half an ear, Ty listened as Henry recounted the past sixteen years of the school’s history. Not much had changed apart from a few upgrades here and there and some retirements. Ty only recognized a handful of the teachers.
He got to see the teachers’ lounge, which was honestly not as exciting as it sounded when he was a kid, just a painted cinderblock room with some old couches and a bunch of desks and a kitchenette, then the health and phys ed office, which was smaller and smelled like feet but had a mini fridge stocked with Gatorade.
