Page 67 of In Her Own Way
little_peanut: 1. We’re, like, never on at the same time. 2. Mistress says, ‘hi!’ 3. The haunted house at Miss Rowena and Minjung’s house was amazing. So scary. Things jumped out at you, and I got to have candy! Yay. 4. Jessica is really nice. She’s a friend of Miss Marta’s or something. She let all of uslittleshang around and harass her. That’s how Mistress phrased it later: HARASS. We didn’t harass her. She’s nice. And she said she’s a teacher, so she’s used to people like us or whatever.
little_peanut:5. Come home, please. There’s always something missing. Like at the parties. And the coffee shop. And all the time. Can you visit? Mistress says we can’t visit you because you’re homeless. Don’t be homeless. Your home is here.
Victoria’s face scrunched as tears started. “C’mon, kid,” she pleaded to the universe.
Daddy Vic:I’m not homeless, Squirt. I’m staying with my cousin for a while until I figure some stuff out. I made a new friend, too. His name is Brian. He’s nice. You’d like him, I think.
Daddy Vic:Tell me about the bird bash. The counting thing.
And then the messages rolled in, unnumbered, as Madison described the process of doing an official bird count. Apparently,the birds didn’t line up and take a number like at the deli. The bird-counting leader set a timer for ten minutes, and everyone wrote down the birds they saw and heard, then compared notes. Madison loved it and wanted to sign Victoria up to do the Christmas bird count in December with her.
As Madison’s messages rambled on, Victoria had the thought that she should just call and talk to her, but she didn’t trust herself. Without a doubt, she’d get choked up the second she heard Madison’s voice.
Daddy Vic:So was Miss Jaleesa over the moon about finally seeing her bucket list bird? What was it again, some kind of woodpecker?
little_peanut:Yes, it was a pileated woodpecker. They’re so big. She said she could die a happy woman now. But I told her she wasn’t going to die any time soon.
Daddy Vic:Good call, Squirt.
Madison excused herself, saying that a certain mistress whose name was Miss Shasti was tapping her foot about being up so late. Apparently, Madison had a Physics test first thing in the morning. They said their goodbyes, and Victoria got choked up again. Maybe she should go back to Denton Heights, just for a short visit. She could get some more of her stuff from Rowena’s. Of course, she had no idea where she’d end up now that Erin had announced she’d be moving to Colorado with Robby. Maybe the three of them could move out there together. Victoria let her phone fall to her chest. No. She didn’t want to be a third wheel in Erin and Robby’s relationship, and honestly had no clue what her next steps were going to be.
She decided that she didn’t have to decide anything right then and picked her phone back up. She sent a quick text toRowena asking about the date of the December masquerade ball. She powered off her phone quickly; she didn’t have the strength to take on Rowena at the moment.
Exhaustion finally overtook her, and sleep came quickly.
Chapter 18
Jessica
Tuesday at school was jam-packed. Jessica didn’t have time to think aboutKinksor Daddy Vic or Yes_Ma’am. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. She’d definitely thought about Daddy Vic, but every other spare moment had been taken up reading the substitute’s report and looking over the worksheets she had assigned while away at her one-day workshop the day before. Just because she wasn’t at school, it didn’t mean her students could misbehave, act out, or goof off in her absence, and so far, it looked like things had run smoothly.
She was currently sitting on the hard wooden bleachers next to KC in the loud gymnasium, watching the fifth game of the volleyball match. Each team had won two games apiece, and now this fifth and final set was underway to determine who would represent the Southwest district in the State volleyball tournament in Dayton next weekend. She wasn’t sure if she was expected to travel there and chaperone. She’d have to ask the athletic director. KC couldn’t go if the team won this match because she had an art show at a local arts center.
It was an exciting match, and Jessica was learning the various rules, new words, and lingo. Her new vocabulary included libero, pancake dive, ace, kill, and shank. Her favoritenew word, dink, made her laugh anytime someone in the stands said it.
PUA led 14-13 and needed only one more point. “Oh, oh, oh,” Jessica cried to herself. One of her own students was at the end line getting ready to serve. KC told her it was rare for a ninth grader to be on varsity, but Josalyn Baker was tall and seemed more than capable of holding her own. Jessica held her breath as the powerful serve went over the net.
“Ace,” someone yelled, and then the entire gym erupted in cheers and screams of victory.
“They did it,” KC yelled in Jessica’s face, and then they hugged. Jessica cheered along with the crowd. “I’ll go,” she said to KC as a group of high school boys started stomping the bleachers and pushing each other.
“This ain’t no mosh pit, guys,” Jessica called up to the group. She couldn’t say they stopped immediately, but eventually they did, and she thanked them. She remained close by, however, just to make sure the shenanigans didn’t start up again.
The athletic director walked by and said, “You’ll be going to states with the team this weekend?” His face had an expectant look.
“How can I not?” Jessica said watching the PUA high school girls’ volleyball team pick themselves up off the floor where they had piled onto Josalyn.
“Excellent,” he said. “Pays double.” He chuckled and headed to another side of the gym.
“Miss Bennett?” someone next to her said.
“Yes,” Jessica said to the middle-aged, tall woman. “Some game, huh?”
“My heart,” the woman said. She was probably one of the players’ moms. “Josalyn loves your class.”
“Oh, oh,” Jessica said, now realizing. “Sorry, I met so many new faces on parents’ night, that—”
“No worries,” the woman interrupted. Her expression changed to one of concern. “Do you think I can make an appointment with you to discuss some things?” She pointed toward Josalyn.
