Teach Me

Chapter One

In through your nose.

Out through your mouth.

Here I was, a grown woman trying to teach my self how to breathe while on the verge of a panic attack. It was my very first parent-teacher conference and I was not prepared at all.

This was my first year teaching at a high profile school and it was definitely not that same as what I'm used to back home. Don't get me wrong I love the children, it's the parents I'm not fond of. I can't stand people who think they are better than others because of the amount of money they have, but the pay is the only thing that is keeping me here. This job is what keeps food in my baby girl's stomach, and nothing, no person or thing is going to get in the way of that. So I am going to go back into this classroom and do my job. I get up from the corner of the bathroom I was currently hiding in and stared in the mirror. I clicked the home button on my phone to check the time while looking at the picture of my baby girl Paisli.

"Av, get yourself together"

I then pick up my phone and exit the bathroom. Walking down the hall I see my coworker and close friend, Candace standing in the door greeting an early arriving parent. We made eye contact and she gave me a quick smile and a thumbs up as she entered the classroom. Still walking I checked my phone again and saw it was only 5:45. Fifteen more minutes and it was show time. When I finally reached my class I immediately dropped down in the chair behind my desk and let out a deep sigh.

"Hello."

I snapped my head up to see where the voice was coming from. I looked and saw a woman with long,thick, wavy brown hair that cascaded down her back and lightest blue almost grey eyes sitting at the table staring at me. She looked about my age.

"Oh hello, how can I help you?"

"I'm Aleksandrya Nikkola,  the twins Melody and Kareena's mother. You're Mrs. Taylor I take?"

I chucked lightly, " Yes I am Av'ree Taylor no misses yet, just miss."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I just assumed beca-"

"No, no it's fine really, if you don't mind my asking where are the girls?"

"They wanted to show my brother some work they did outside, they will, be back shortly."

" Okay, let's begin then. Over here if you could follow me this is where we do arts and crafts. I have organized some of their work by the students. Melody is quite artistic and has the biggest stack out of all the children. 

"Tell me something I don't know. Melody draws on any and everything. My walls look like an art museum."

"She's good at it though. Here you go Melody's and this one belongs to Kareena. We can sit over here and go talk about any questions you may have"

She joined me at the circular table where we usually do math time. She took her time looking through her children's artwork with a small smile playing on her lips. All of a sudden the door of my classroom swung open and the sound of screaming children filled the classroom and me being the worry wart I am jumped into action and right into a something very hard. As soon as I hit whatever it was I was on the floor. Laughter erupted and if it wasn't for my dark color skin I would look like a tomato. Melody was the first to come to my aid.

"Stop laughing you guys. Ms. Taylor are you okay? I'm sorry they are so mean!"

She glared at her laughing family members. A  low chuckle came from behind me and I whipped my head around. I was meet with the same eyes as the twins mother and I assumed this was her brother. He outstretched his hand to me and spoke.