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Today is the first day of school after the break.
It amazes me how much information kids can lose on a three-week vacation. Every year, for as long as I’ve been teaching, I’ve given my kids a ‘refresher’ test to see what they’ve retained from the first day school to the winter break. More than not, most of them end up barely passing. When I hear heels clicking, I glance up from the stack of tests to see Priscilla Prescott enter my room.
“Priscilla,” I pull my reading glasses from my face before dropping them to my desk.
“Mrs. James.” She says my name as she leans against a desk in the front row right in front of my desk. Today she’s opted for something different from her usual pencil skirt. She’s now wearing tight pink pants that hit above her ankles paired with a sheer cap sleeved shirt and shiny nude heels. She’s your standard mean girl. I’ve seen it many times since the beginning of the school year. She doesn’t socialize with the other teachers, she never volunteers to help about the campus, and she rarely has anything nice to say about anyone.
“What can I do for you, Priscilla?”
“It seems that my husband,” I roll my eyes at her use of husband when it comes to Liam, “has been throwing your name around my kids and I really don’t appreciate it. Especially with Talia.”
“Liam and I are friends, nothing more. I have no control what he tells his children so I’m afraid I can’t help you.”
“I wonder if Heath is in need of a new friend.” I see the gleam in her eye. She’s so obvious in her intentions it almost make me laugh.
“I’m sure he isn’t, but I have no problem with you asking him, Priscilla. He’s his own man, especially now that he and I are separated. I’ve never had control when it comes to my husband, even when we were actively living together as husband and wife, so I don’t see why you’d think I have a say when he and I are currently separated.”
“Do you get off on multiple men fawning over you?”
“If I remember correctly, I’m not that one who had an affair while married–”
“You expect me to think that you and Liam haven’t crossed the ‘friend’ line? Please. I know my husband.”
“I don’t care what you think. Neither does Liam, from what I understand. You’re wasting your time with me. As a matter of fact, you’re wasting my time, and my time is something that I hold in value, so if you don’t mind, I have work to finish.”
“You’re the reason why my family is still broken. If it wasn’t for you, Liam would have forgiven me and my kids would have their father back under one roof.”
I laugh as I push my seat out and stand, placing my hands on my desk. “You’re so delusional. You’re the only reason why your family is broken, and you have no one else to blame but yourself. You need to take a good hard look in that mirror of yours because your beauty will only last for so long, and once it’s gone you’re going to be left with nothing but that black heart and soulless corpse. Now, get the hell out of my classroom and don’t ever approach me again.”
I sit back at my desk and begin to organize the papers that are currently scattered about. For almost a good minute she’s still rooted in the same spot, but I’m not about to give her the time of day by looking up and acknowledging her.
I don’t even look when I hear the clicking of her heels retreat from my room.
