Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
However, I wasn’t so distracted by the door that I missed seeing Merry’s twins up to something by the teacher’s desk near the stage. On my way to take attendance, I paused to inspect the desk area. The desk itself had three decent legs and one propped up by ancient music books. All those items had been there yesterday, along with stacks of sheet music and a rolling file cart with handouts and lesson plans. I glanced down at the chair parked by the desk. Unlike the day before, it had a cushion. And under the cushion—
Yup. I held my discovery aloft.
“A fart pillow? Really?” I shook it at Ryder and Legend and their group of friends seated near the front. Everyone other than Legend was unable to keep their giggles in as I continued my lecture. “I’m disappointed. These were around when dinosaurs roamed the earth, otherwise known as my childhood.”
“Short notice.” Legend shrugged. “Don’t worry. We’ll try harder.”
“Or how about no pranks?” I gave him a pointed look designed to remind him of his dad’s request, but Legend was already turned around in his seat, talking to a spiky-haired friend. I sighed before turning my attention to the whole group of sixth graders. “Okay, class. Let’s get started. Everyone up.”
“You want us to stand?” Ryder sounded like this was a novel idea, and given Mrs. Crenshaw’s file of ancient musical scale exercises, perhaps it was.
“We’re going to warm up, which means more than our voices.” When I’d first started working as a sub after college to earn money between acting gigs, Craig gave me a piece of advice he’d learned at West Point. When in doubt, wear them out. It applied to dogs, kids, students, and unruly cadets equally. And sixth graders might be middle schoolers, but they were definitely not too old to shake their sillies out.
By lunch, however, I was the exhausted one. And Merry continued to have a swarm of students with questions around him, which meant zero opportunity to show him my sketches and ideas.
“Sorry.” Merry finished with his students and approached the metal table in the courtyard where I was dining alone. Well, as alone as one could be in a courtyard filled with a couple hundred middle schoolers and teachers. I’d taken advantage of the relative quiet to add to my plans.
“I have a bunch—”
He cut me off with a raised hand. Long nimble fingers, wide palms, and I desperately needed to stop noticing small details about the guy. “The bell is about to ring, but I do want to hear your ideas.”
Liar. I forced a smile. “Let’s try and connect after school?”
I shuffled my sketches of dancing surfing Santas, flying fairies, and illuminated palm trees.
“Crap.” He smacked his forehead. “I forgot the boys have dental appointments.”
“Which we can skip.” Legend chose that moment to pop up near my table, lunchbox in hand and an alarming amount of dust in his hair. I had a feeling I didn’t want to know where he’d been or what the next prank was.
“No, we can’t. Not with the current wait times and only a few weeks to use this year’s insurance benefits.” Merry shook his head as he busied himself in dusting off Legend. “Sorry, Mr. Bell. Would tomorrow work? It’s Saturday, so I’m giving a surf lesson in the morning, but then I could meet you at a coffee shop or something.” His all-too-attractive mouth twisted like meeting up with me was a chore only slightly more preferable to trash duty or yard work. “I don’t like to leave the boys alone at home too long though.”
I glanced down at my stack of papers. This might require more than a fifteen-minute meeting. Across the courtyard, Stella’s group of friends were doing some sort of dance where they pantomimed swimming. Perfect.
“I want to be around to help Cara with the kids tomorrow, but why don’t you come over?” Cara and Craig had one of those houses where the doors were never locked, and there were always at least a couple of extra kids over every weekend. “They have a pool, so you can bring the boys, and I can explain my ideas while on uncle duty.”
“That should work.” Merry narrowed his eyes like he was trying to figure out my true motive for the invitation. Which was funny because so was I. I shouldn’t have been searching for ways to spend more time with someone who clearly disliked…
Oh. That was it. I wasn’t used to people disliking me. Merry’s swift judgment had stung. But I was Nolan Bell, king of winning over a room, and surely tomorrow’s meeting would be an excellent chance to make a better second impression.
Four
Happy weekend! We’re all counting down until Thanksgiving break, but remember, homework continues to need to be turned in on our regular schedule. Mr. Bell and Mr. Winters are hard at work on our Lights Festival, and we can’t wait to see what they’re stringing together.