Externalizing [mxm]

Chapter 11

Marc had to help Ariel find her hat, buried in at the bottom with her socks as well. They ran out the door and Marc nearly slipped on the un-shoveled side walk. He’d have to start paying some local kid to do all of the shoveling for him again.

He got her to school right on time and eyed the empty bike rack. Brendan usually rode his bike, and Marc was wondering how he was getting there. He didn’t have time to stick around though. He got back in his car and sent a quick text message to Brendan to check how he had fared that morning.

Marc had really not been ready for snow. It had been so nice the past few days… and maybe a little chilly the day before, but that was just late fall. And late fall eventually became winter, but he preferred to ignore that little fact.

He got to work and saw he had a reply from Brendan, saying that he had walked because he hadn’t been expecting the snow either. Marc felt guilty and apologized for not being able to give a ride.

Marc sat through work while occasionally looking out at the snow with dismay. Ariel would want to play in it later and he didn’t want to face the cold yet. Alice texted just to make sure that they were still on for the playdate later, though maybe pushed back a half hour.

He agreed to it and was counting down the hours until he went to pick Ariel up from school. He got there a little early and ventured back to Brendan’s class to stop in. Most of the class was either sitting closer to or farther from the windows than usual. Brendan was at his desk with all of his winter gear hung over his desk, and a pair of boots tucked next to his desk.

“How are you getting home?” Marc asked.

“I was going to figure it out,” Brendan answered dubiously. “Why?”

“I can drive you with Ariel,” Marc offered. “If I’d known the weather would be bad this morning I would have found the time to swing by and get you, but…”

“It couldn’t be helped. I think we were all surprised by it,” Brendan laughed. “I was almost late because I had to find my boots.”

“And I was almost late because I couldn’t find the other glove, and Ariel couldn’t find her hat,” Marc chuckled. “But really, let me give you a ride home.”

“It’s fine. I was planning to procrastinate on some grading anyways, so the longer it takes me to get home the better,” Brendan protested.

“You could come procrastinate or do your grading at my house,” it was out of Marc’s mouth before he remembered he had plans with Alice and Eric, but for him it was more of a work-date with Alice anyways. Brendan could join in on the working and talk teacher talk with Alice. “I have a playdate set up with a boy for Ariel and his mom, and we just do work while the kids watch a movie. You can ‘not’ do your grading then.”

“Well, shit,” Brendan sighed and did a quick check around the classroom to make sure he hadn’t been heard. “I might as well join in on the party then. Come see me again after you get Ariel.”

Marc nodded and ducked out of the class to go see Ariel just before the bell rang. He met her there and they went back down to Brendan’s classroom. He was making sure that everyone was properly cleaned up before they could actually leave the class.