The Right Time For Love

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

So I could teach extra zumba classes... and what else? I tap my pen on my desk, trying to figure out ways I could get anywhere close to 18,000 dollars in eight months. Maybe I could get another job? I'm pretty good at history and english. Maybe I could tutor or work in the writing center? Or work in the library... Ms. Johnson likes me.

I blow a frustrated breath and try to plaster back on a polite smile.

"Are you sure there's no way I could learn on the job, like without taking the course?" I ask the girl behind the counter. She gives me a sympathetic smile.

"I'm sorry but you have to take the Teaching Writing course in the spring." she repeats. I mumble a dejected, "thanks anyway," mentally crossing writing center off my list. I walk to the tutoring center, going through the same process as before, this time turned away because I don't have the "desired major" and they're really only looking for a science and math tutor at the moment. I pray a quick prayer for favor and patience as I make my way to the library. I find Ms. Johnson and explain my situation and practically beg her for a job. She nicely explains that they just filled all their positions but that she'd be praying for me. I walk to the food court, determined to eat my feelings and regroup.

I guess I'm gonna have to win the lottery. I think as I suck down the last of my Sprite and push away my empty dipping sauce containers. I'd scoured through all of the openings on campus throughout lunch and there was nothing left. Well, at least I can still take on extra shifts at the gym.

* * * *

"Here we go! 5,6,7,8!" I count anticipating the beat drop. Taki taki... rumba! The class moves through the dance, hitting it hard for their last set of the class. They finish with four poses that slowly travel to the ground. We all clap, celebrating the end of a successful class. "Thanks for dancing with me, even though I'm not your usual teacher, Samantha should be back next week." I yell over the music. Everyone takes their time gathering their things and shuffling out the door. I follow behind them, signing my time sheet on the way out. I'm locking up the studio when my supervisor calls my name and beckons me to the front desk.

"Great job today. They were all showering praises about you as they left." she says.

"Yay! That's great, I'm glad, it's always hard winning over a group that's used to another teacher."

"Yea, I've noticed you've been stepping up and filling all these last minute cancellations these past couple of weeks. I really appreciate it. One of our managers is quitting soon to start their study abroad program and I think you might be a good fit for it." She says, reaching over and swiping a lingering girl's card.

"Thanks for thinking of me for that position. Well, I'll leave you to it." I say, waving. I'd calculated that picking up at least two extra shifts a week for the next eight months could get me 100 more dollars a month. It wasn't a lot but it was better than nothing. But I still had $17,200 more to go.

A few hours later, I walk into our BOB meeting feeling optimistic. A chorus of "heys" echo in the library as I walk in. I take a seat next to Paige, one of our new freshmen, and we talk about her freshman anthropology class until it's time to start. Isaiah and I walk to the front and present the agenda for the meeting. Just as we start passing out the title and author quiz, Ms. Johnson shuffles over with an announcement.

"Hello everyone! I see you all are getting started quite nicely. I'm very excited for this upcoming year of BOB. Not that you all need any motivation to win this year, but I just got an email from the director of the Collegiate Level of Battle of the Books. He said they will be giving out $100,000 in tuition money and a spread in the New York Times for the winning team at Nationals. They received an anonymous donation from someone who wants to reward people for reading in an increasingly technological world. They also mentioned, for those of you lucky enough to have a full scholarship, you have the option to reallocate the money in support of a local charity or small business." The team chatters in excitement for a bit, all of us reeling from the news. My mind was racing, even after splitting between the team members, this could be enough to help the store. This could change everything.