Page 17 of Apparently, I’m Trouble

What were the chances that she heard me?

“I wanted to talk to Miss Walker about… my dad.” Her voice was soft and hesitant. “I’m so, so sorry that he said all those things yesterday.”

Poor sweet thing. She was so nervous. “It’s fine, love. We talked after you left.”

She seemed to grapple with herself then. I could almost see her decide on confidence as she straightened her spine and looked me in the eye.

“I know. He said you’d find another book for me.”

Lilly, who was watching us with the keen interest of a sleuth hound, swung her gaze back to me. She’d have questions after this.

“I haven’t had a chance to find a replacement, but I’ll make sure you get what you need before the next class.”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll stick with Misplaced.”

Her voice went oddly quiet on that last word. What was it about this book that had her shrinking like that?

“If it bothers you, I can find something else.”

She shook her head a little too vigorously. “No. It’s fine. Dad just gets worried, you know?”

Lilly and I shared a glance as another person walked in.

“Hi, Miss Gem,” Kira greeted.

“Oh, Kira. Are you here to talk to Miss Walker about the script too?”

Miss Gem, our one and only drama teacher, was a wild vision of swirling primary colors. I couldn’t tell if she was wearing a dress or a jumpsuit. It had ruffles all over the top half and flared out at the bottom. Her sky-high heels were the only thing that reminded me she was tall and athletic under all that fabric. Her wild, curly hair and thick horn-rimmed glasses screamed I-don’t-give-a-fuck, and I always admired that about her.

“No, uh, I’m leaving,” Kira muttered, “but I’ll see you for rehearsals.”

“Next week, yes. I’ll see you then.”

Kira gave the room a soft goodbye as she hurried out, eyes glued to the ground. Miss Gem tutted after her. “That girl needs a bit more confidence, doesn’t she?”

“She does,” Lilly agreed. “But maybe the play will help her find it. What role did you cast her in?”

“Kat. She’ll make a great shrew if I can bring her out of her shell.”

“She’s playing the lead?” Lilly asked. “Wouldn’t that be a lot for her? It’s her first week.”

Gem waved a hand. “She played lead roles at her last school, and the only other person I had lined up for this was Amber. But Amber wanted to focus on your program, so Kira it is.”

I leaned back against the table, relieved that Kira had left before Gem got into the nitty-gritty of it. Our drama department was grossly understaffed, but every year, the parents expected the kind of theatrical production that took at least ten dedicated people to pull off.

It was lucky that Gem was so passionate about her subject. Most teachers didn’t stick around in underfunded departments. The best our small private school could do was have teachers volunteer their time.

I’d been roped into volunteering this year, but co-directing with Gem was already more fun than I thought it’d be. I was pretty invested.

“Who have we got for Patrick?” I asked.

We chose Ten Things I Hate About You, a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s The Taming Of The Shrew. It was a wholesome enough choice–we didn’t want anyone in the audience clutching their pearls.

“Miles,” Gem confirmed.

“Miles?” Lilly repeated, stunned. “Are you sure he’s the right fit for Patrick?”

Gem nodded. “He has it in him, I can see it. He’ll surprise us.”