“Don’t make me ask you to stay, James.” She leaned back in her chair and rested her forehead in her hands before whispering down to the table, “I’ve been okay on my own. Don’t make me hope for more.”
She peered up, the truth within her glassy eyes all the response I needed.
We stared at each other for a long moment. Even the dogs stayed quiet as the silence picked apart all the secrets between us. But I had my answer.Throw all the grenades you want, Marley. I’m dodging them this time, not retreating.
“How about we get started frosting those cookies?” I transitioned awkwardly.
“I’d like that.” She smiled. “To be honest, it’s four days until Christmas. I’d love to just enjoy being together until then. Decisions can wait until…after.”
I let that predictable comment slide. She could keep pretending I hadn’t already decided. Normally, I loved how controlled and calm she was in her approach to everything. Unless she was about to control us both right into unhappiness.
There was a lot more riding on the next day than I’d imagined even an hour ago.
And if I really wanted to make it count, I needed to get a hold of a few more people. Including Kasen.
The day of thetalent show dawned brightly. I hadn’t slept at Marley’s the night before. After we’d frosted the cookies, I’d left to put the finishing touches on my performance. I’d worked into the early morning hours and, fingers crossed, it was ready.
But before the show that night, I’d have to get through the gauntlet of the school day. Which meant the good intentions of both my colleagues and the students.
By now, everyone possessed the two most pertinent facts—Marley and I were together, and I wouldn’t have a job at Coleman Creek High come June. While preparing for the talent show, I’d interacted with a lot of people, and they all seemed to have an opinion about what I should do next.
Unsurprisingly, no one advocated I leave Marley.
No one except Marley, of course.
Mr. Bailey dropped by my classroom in between first and second periods. He hmphed at the Christmas tree scrunchie—from Marley’s collection—holding my hair in place, then stood across from my desk, arms folded.
“Everything okay, Fred?” I asked.
“I didn’t tell you about Ellen just to hear myself talk, young man. It was my way of reminding you to do the right thing.”
Jeez. Sir, yes sir, I thought. But before I could reply, he turned on his heel and walked out of my classroom. “Good talk,” I whispered into the empty air.
Diane Montoya and Nan Tourman sat next to each other in my second period class.
“I really hope you figure it out with Ms. Davis,” Diane offered, twirling her pencil like a baton. “It’s, like, tragic how you just got together and then this happened.”
“Yeah,” Nan agreed. “You guys are so cute. Plus, Ms. Davis is the best. She’s been my favorite teacher since ninth.”
I sighed. “First, it is completely inappropriate for you two to speculate about the personal lives of teachers. Full stop. But also, yes, Ms. Davis is the best.” I walked over to the whiteboard in an attempt to shut down the conversation. “Let’s finish up our discussion on The Reformation. Since you’re about to go on break for two weeks.”
They weren’t having it.
“Seriously,” Diane said. “We all know you won’t be back at school next year. We’re super bummed about that. Nan got the student council to write a protest letter, but that probably won’t do much.” She switched from twirling her pencil to chewing on the eraser. “What are you going to do? It’s hard to picture you working at the plant up the highway like my dad and brother. Pretty sure they’d make you take your nose ring out.”
“He’s going to let Ms. Davis be his sugar mama!” Gary Spinner piped up from the back row, causing his classmates to chuckle.
I turned around to glare at him. “Children—and I say that with emphasis because you all are certainly acting your age right now—you need to back off. Ms. Davis and I will figure things out on our own. Right now, I’m staying focused on not embarrassing myself at the talent show tonight, and you all need to be focusing on Martin Luther.”
They groaned but relented. And even though I made them talk about the politics of sixteenth century Europe for a few minutes, I eventually put onSpartacus, because it was the last day before break, and I wasn’t a total monster.
Travis came in during my passing period with coffee. I hadn’t dared go into the teachers’ lounge. By necessity, several of my colleagues were aware of my plan for the talent show. And while I appreciated their discretion in not spilling the beans to Marley, they seemed to have interpreted this as an open invitation to comment on the situation.
“Nervous about tonight?” Travis asked.
“Hell, yes. Marley is not making it easy on me.” He nodded thoughtfully as I relayed some of the conversation Marley and I had had the previous evening. “Thanks for giving me Kasen’s number, too.”
“No problem. But I’ve gotta be honest. I’m super curious what you needed it for.”