Hot Cocoa

8

When Monday arrived, Daryl's words warning you that speaking up for him was going to be trouble for you seemed to become true when, during the break at school, you were summoned to the principal's office.

"There's something wrong?" You asked as you sat down in front of her desk, a feeling of dread filling you. You knew she couldn't just go and fire you, that wasn't what worried you, but you wondered what might she want from you now, or what had you done wrong to her eyes...you didn't want to argue anymore...

"Mrs. Clark told me that you were rude to her on Friday when she came to pick up her kid from your art activity," the principal said, and you had to stop yourself from rolling your eyes. Damn woman.

"I'm sorry she feels like that, but I believe I was as polite as I could while explaining to her why some rude remarks that she'd actually made were not appropriate for the classroom," you said, doing your best to sound professional. "She was saying some hurtful comments about one of my students and their guardian, with them hearing it."

"Yes, Daryl and Sam Dixon, right?" The principal said and you nodded. "I understand that it seems you and Daryl have gotten close..."

"So? It's not like I'm not allowed to have friends," you said, sounding more defensive than you'd have liked. "There are other teachers here who are friends with kid's parents, a couple of them even have their own kids in the classroom." After all, everyone seemed to know each other in that damn town.

"I'm just saying, maybe your relationship with Dixon is making you not see things clearly..." The principal said and you almost scoffed.

"This is not about Daryl being my friend. I'd have done the same if it was anyone else, those things Mrs. Clark was saying were really hurtful and the kid shouldn't have heard them."

"Mrs. Clark says she was just trying to be helpful," the principal pointed and you took a deep breath, knowing that it was best to just play along, but you hated it.

"Well...if that's the case I'm sorry she thinks I was rude, but I don't believe I was...I was just trying to be helpful too." You shrugged.

"She was concerned about what Dixon was doing here..." The principal said.

"He was picking up his nephew, Sam, he's been in my art activity since the first day," you said, feeling more than done with this conversation, the principal had to know all that by now.

"And picking you up too, I guess, since you said that you two were...friends?"

You didn't fail to notice the principal's tone...great, that's what you needed, gossip even from the principal.

"No, he was not, and again, as far as I'm concerned, I'm not the only teacher who's friends with a kid's parent or family member," you said, trying not to sound as done as you were. "And it's that kid who I was trying to stop from hearing hurtful things about his family."

"The kid...Sam Dixon." The principal nodded. "Don't you worry that your closeness to Daryl Dixon might make you favor Sam Dixon here?"

Now you were offended. "Does the other teachers who are friends with kid's parents favor those kids or even their own?" You didn't know neither cared. "I won't, I can assure that." You didn't treat little Dixon any different in the classroom, when he was with your other students.

"That kid, I'm sure we briefed you about his situation..." The principal began and you nodded. "Father in jail for dealing drugs, an addict. The mother, another addict, left the kid as soon she was allowed to leave the hospital, word is that she didn't even get to see the baby because she forbid the nurses from showing him to her." You hadn't known that much about Sam's mother, it picked your interest but you weren't about to ask the principal for it, and you wondered if half of it wasn't just gossip anyway... "Quite a problematic kid, as you can see."