Monday is the longest day ever. The kids seem to sense that I'm nervous about my meeting later that day, so they act out, making we wish I wasn't such an open book. When there are only fifteen more minutes left until the bell will set me free, I decide to just give up. I put on some music and tell the kids to get up and dance. Rose is used to me doing things like this at home, so she joins in without hesitation, dragging Gracie along with her. The other kids take a bit longer to truly let go, but once they do, we've got ourselves a dance party.
"Hey!" Tiffany sticks her head into the classroom, laughing when she sees what we're doing. "You're too loud, Miss Collins. Turn it down! Unless you're planning on inviting my class, of course."
"Yes!" the kids cheer. "Invite them!"
Tiffany runs back to her classroom next door and returns with all her kids in tow. That means the room is now filled with about fifty kids jumping around and doing the steps to the popular pop song they've been practicing during lunch breaks. I know the steps as well – courtesy of Rose – so I join in and teach the steps to Tiffany.
"Miss Green is much better at dancing than you are," Manny Thompson informs me, grinning.
"Yes, much better," his brother Tommy agrees.
I smile and ruffle their hair. "I'm still better than the two of you."
"No, you're not," Rose says, deciding the dispute between the four of us. "You're the worst dancer ever."
"Hey!" I say, not able to stop myself from grinning. This is the most fun I've had all day.
When she bell sounds, Tiffany and a few kids do the dance one more time while I walk some of the more quiet and sky kids like Will Fillon to the playground, making sure they're alright while Tiffany watches the loud ones that jump around even when I don't want them to.
"Hey!" I spot Nathan waiting for Rose, chatting to Mrs. Fillon and Therera's father. "Rose and Theresa are still inside. We had a little impromptu dance off with Miss Green's class," I explain. Will is right next to me, smiling up at us. "Will here as some moves, Mrs. Fillon. He's a talented dancer." As Will beams with pride, I throw Nathan a nervous smile. He knows my meeting with the headmaster is this afternoon, deciding my faith at the school.
"Let's go see what our girls are up to," Nathan tells Theresa's father. "If we don't go get them, they may never come out. Not when there's dancing involved."
I give him a grateful smile. We can't touch or kiss or even have a conversation longer than five minutes at school, since that wouldn't be professional, but it's nice to just be around him for a little while, even if it's with other parents around. It makes me feel calmer.
"Holy shit," he breathes when he sees the insanity going on in my classroom.
"Language, Mr. Storm," I chastise him. "This is still a school."
"Yeah," Theresa's dad agrees, grinning at us. "Save that talk for the safety of your home." He's one of the parents that if openly supportive of my relationship with Nathan. He even told Nathan a few days ago that he thinks we're good for each other.
"Daddy!" Rose exclaims when she spots us. "Can I stay a little longer?"
Nathan shakes his head, ignoring his daughter's sullen face. I know that he needs to get her to the dance class he signed her up for a few weeks ago, but she isn't happy about it. She loves the class, but right now she wants to stay and dance with her friends instead.
"How about we do this again the last five minutes of class tomorrow?" I propose.
"Yes!" she cheers. "Can I pick the song?"
"No," I decide, still working hard to make sure others don't think I'm favoring her. "I get to pick. You did tell me I'm the worst dancer ever, after all. Why should I reward you?"
"Rose!" Nathan tells his daughter, grinning. "That's not nice to say!"
"It's true, though," she mutters, waving goodbye to her friends before following Nathan into the hallway. Nathan winks and mouths 'good luck' to me, making me feel anxious about the meeting all over again.
"That man is mad about you," Theresa's father says from beside me.
"The feeling is mutual," I respond, turning around to smile at him.
He nods at my hand where the ring is gleaming up at us. "When is the big day?"
"Three weeks from now." I'm so excited. The dress is picked out, the cake ordered, the invites are sent and Nathan and I are more than ready to be husband and wife. Next year, I'll be Mrs. Storm instead of Miss Collins. Hopefully, it will be at this school...
***
By the time it's finally 5 pm and it's time for my meeting, I'm a nervous wreck. To my surprise, I find Hillary and Tiffany in the office along with headmaster Jeff.
"Hey..." I greet them hesitantly. "Did I get the time wrong?"
Jeff motions for me sit down in the only chair that is left. "Not at all, Caroline. I figured I might as well talk to all three of you at the same time."
Oh God. Is he going to do a triple firing? Then again, Hillary doesn't even work here, so that doesn't make sense. She's living in my old apartment now, but she's having trouble paying rent since she hasn't been able to find a job just yet.
"Don't look so scared," he tells me with a grin. "I've got a proposal for all of you. I want to offer all three of you a fulltime job teaching here next year."
"What?" Hillary asks loudly, frowning. "Me? After everything that happened? You want me back?"
"And I thought Gracie's mother filed five complaints about me?" I ask, shocked at well. I was hoping I might be able to stay on for a few days a week, but fulltime is more than I could have ever hoped for.
"Yes," Jeff says, nodding. "Good teachers are hard to come by. You are an excellent teacher, Hillary. The circumstances were just... complicated. I would like for you to teach fourth grade. Gregory is not in that grade, so you won't have to deal with his mothers. Do you want to come back?"
"Yes!" she says, grabbing Tiffany's hand. "Yes, definitely. And it's not a problem that I'm dating Tiffany?"
"I wouldn't see why." Jeff frowns. "There is one small detail... I would prefer it if you wouldn't wear all of your piercings when you teach. Ears and maybe eyebrow or something is okay, but you've got over ten in your face alone and... well the parents... I don't think..."
"Not a problem," she assures him. "Just the ears is fine with me."
"Very well." He moves his attention to Tiffany. "You're already working here three days a week, so I'm basically just asking you if you'd like to work two more days. Second grade, just like this year."
Tiffany accepts as well, which just leaves me.
"Yes," I say before Jeff can say anything. "Yes, yes, yes."
He laughs. "Okay. Great. I want you teaching second grade again. No Rose, as previously discussed. Gracie's mother did file eight complaints, to be exact, but they are all rubbish. The other parents seem to be perfectly happy with you, so I don't see why you can't stay. The fact that you and Nathanial are engaged makes matters even easier, since the mothers are no longer afraid that you will try to get with their husband when you're done with him."
"What?" I ask, surprised to hear that. "Was that why they were so mean?"
He shrugs. "That's what Mrs. Fillon told me last week. I honestly don't know. I'm not going to pretend to understand women. I take it you are fine with teaching second grade with Tiffany again?"
"Of course." Suddenly, I realize something. "What about John?" Surely he didn't get fired? He's not old enough to retire yet, after all.
"He'll be teaching fifth grade next year," Jeff explains. "He's agreed to work fulltime as well. There are two teachers retiring and one is moving. With all of you agreeing to work fulltime next year, I don't have to hunt down new teachers and I know for a fact that I'll have great ones teaching next year." He gets up, offering his hand to each of us. "Thank you for agreeing to stay." He smiles at Hillary. "And to come back."
We all walk out of the office in a daze. Hillary is the first to recover. She cheers and hugs Tiffany, jumping up and down.
"Drinks on me tonight!" she exclaims. "I don't care that it's Monday!"
I laugh. "Sounds great, but I really need to go over tomorrow's lesson plan. Also, Nathan's sister is in town for a few days and she's staying with us, so I can't."
"You're not even married yet and you're already boring," Tiffany complains. "Come out for a drink, Car. Just one!"
"How about you join me, Nate and Jennifer at our place for as many drinks as you want?" I propose.
"Fine," Hillary agrees with a sigh. "But you better make sure there's a lot of scotch."
"Oh trust me." I roll my eyes. "That's one of Nathan's favorite drinks too, so you're good."
Tiffany smiles at me, shaking her head. "Who would have thought we'd all be teaching here next year, five days a week?"
Hillary and I can't do anything but agree. Nothing that has happened this year was what I expected, but it's all worked out so much better than I could ever have hoped for.