Forced Reconciliation

37.

tw: panic attack
a/n: i wont tolerate andi slander for the next few chapters. my girl is having a hard time

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Andi Rhoades

"Did everyone have a good spring break?" I look out to my classroom full of my students to see heads bobbing. "Anyone do anything fun?"

I get a few answers telling me about trips that some went on while others told me they just spent the week off at home since their parents had to work.

"How was your spring break, Miss Rhoades?" Harper asks me.

I smile, thinking about one of the best weeks of my life. "Really good." I'm catching on that Harper knows where I was for spring break, but I do appreciate that she's not asking further questions regarding who I spent it with and what I did, and where.

The truth is, ever since we got back to California on Saturday night, I've never felt more lonely. I have the kids, and for that, I'm forever thankful because I don't even want to think about how I'd be feeling without them. But at the same time, I feel a sense of longing throughout my entire body, like I'm waiting for the relief to finally kick in now that I'm "home."

It's like I've been going through the motions of doing everything I normally would when it comes to Ellie and Rome, but I'm just not fully in it.

Just as I go to get class started and let them enjoy their free reading period, a knock raps on my closed door before being opened. Mrs. Downing, the school secretary stands at the door with a fake smile on her face. Making my way over to her, her smile falters slightly.

"Is there something I can help you with, Mrs. Downing?"

She glances to the classroom of kids and then back to me. "Principal Shillings would like for you to meet him in his office."

My heart drops.

"I-I'm in the middle of class."

"I'll watch them, dear. It's urgent, he meant to get you before the bell rang."

I hesitantly nod, "Okay. They um... they're just reading today." She gives me a tight-lipped smile, placing her hand on my shoulder with a nod before walking over to my desk.

I glance back at my students, knowing that they just watched the entire interaction, and I think everyone has a feeling about what this is about.

On my way to Principal Shillings office, I can't help but incessantly bite the skin on my lip at the thought of what's about to happen. This feels like I'm a student being called into the principal's office, and I'm internally freaking out.

In my head, I'm going through every possible thing I could have done wrong in order for it to cause a problem with my job. As far as I know, my name has remained out of the articles since the first time he called me in to issue a warning. Even after the Grammys, Jeff did a great job of making sure my name wasn't mentioned.

I was only known as "Harry Styles ex-girlfriend," or the "co-guardian to the Hayes' children." Of course, people, including my students aren't dumb and caught on quickly that it was me, but as far as I was aware, as long as my name wasn't included, I was fine. I could pretend it wasn't me if my name wasn't attached.

Once I reach the brown door with his name tag plastered on the front, I knock a few times on the already cracked open door.

"Come in."

Slowly, I make my way through the door and into his office, keeping my eyes down like a scared little kid. When I finally feel brave enough to move my gaze upwards, I realize just how bad this is when I find out not only am I meeting with Principal Shillings but the superintendent as well.