The next week was especially fun. You can hear the sarcasm dripping from my voice when I say that, right?
I’d received a page over the loudspeaker stating that there was an emergency in Room 1. I should’ve known it was another one of Raegan’s pranks, but I reacted on instinct. I sprinted down the hall and burst through the classroom door to find Raegan and her students sitting calmly at the carpet.
“What’s the emergency?” I asked, out of breath.
“Did Beth page you? Oh, I’m sorry. I meant to call for the custodian. Jayden here had an accident on our floor.”
I looked down and found myself standing in a heaping pile of Jayden’s shit.
Allow me to reiterate that: The kid pulled his pants down in the middle of the classroom and took a dump on the tile floor the way a bear shits in the woods.
And then I stepped in it.
You’re probably wondering what I did after that.
I laughed.
I laughed.
I hear that’s a sign of insanity.
By the end of the month, I was fresh out of ideas. I spent way too much of my time on YouTube watching prank videos. And let me tell you, the things kids come up with are scary. No one is safe. Kids these days are nuts.
Anyway, I snuck into Raegan’s classroom and removed what looked like an important screw from her chair.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to witness her falling flat on her ass when the chair gave out, but I caught her rubbing her back later on. That was enough for me. I’m not greedy.
I have to hand it to her. Raegan’s been winning the little battles. And that’s okay. Honestly, it is.
Because I know I’m going to win the war.
Days Left Until Summer Break: 162
Raegan
“I can’t believe you’re going through with this.”
Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I puff out my chest and clench my fists. “I’m going to make Principal Fuckwad regret signing me up for this game.”
Becca plants her hand on her hip, balancing William on the other. “You remember what happened to Tanya last year, right?”
“Two black eyes and a broken nose. Let’s hope Fuckwad doesn’t have good aim.”
Mia runs around me in circles. “Fuckwad! Fuckwad! Fuckwad!”
Becca covers her face with her hand. “It took me a week to get them to stop shouting sex every time we went to Shoprite.”
“I just gave her a new word to fixate on. You’re welcome.”
She flips me off in the mirror.
I wrap the hair tie one more time around my ponytail and pull to tighten it. I’m wearing a black T-shirt with the school logo on the front and a pair of black running shorts. I bought black knee-high socks and to complete the sporty look, I painted black lines under my eyes.
On the outside, I appear tough and ready for battle.
On the inside, I’m shaking like a leaf on a tree in the middle of winter, barely holding on.
I played soccer when I was a kid, but that’s nothing compared to a contact sport like dodgeball.
Could I have told Jaxon that I wasn’t going to play? Sure. I could get in my car right now and go home. Principals can’t force teachers to volunteer.
But that would make me appear weak. Afraid. I want Jaxon to know that I won’t cower, I won’t be bullied.
Plus, how could I pass up the chance to launch a ball at his stupid, handsome face?
Becca peeks in the back end of William’s diaper. “Again, dude? Seriously? Why don’t you ever poop when Daddy’s around?”
Mia stares up at me, pinching her nose with her tiny fingers. “He smells.”
I kneel in front of her. “When are you going to poop on the potty, little miss?”
She throws her hands in the air and screams, “Never!”
I laugh. “You tell Mommy that she may take your life, but she will never take your diapers!” I take off running down the hallway with Mia right behind me. “Freedom!”
“Not helping, Braveheart,” Becca calls.
Sure, that movie reference she gets.
When we get to the living room, I lift Mia and swing her in a circle before tossing her onto the couch. “Seriously, girl. What’s it gonna take for you to poop on the big girl potty?”
“I want a pony.”
I flop down next to her. “If you think William’s poop smells, wait until you smell the poop from a pony.” I wave my hand in front of my nose for effect.
“Eww.” She scrunches her nose. “I want a kitty instead.”
Now it’s my turn to scrunch my face in disgust. “Kitties are evil little creatures.”
Mia’s eyes are saucers. “Really?”
“It’s true. They’ll eat your body when you die in your apartment, single and alone. What kind of loyalty is that?”
Her bottom lip trembles. “I don’t want the kitty to eat me.”
“Thank you for the nightmares she’s going to have tonight,” Becca says, sitting on the recliner with a clean-bottomed William.
“She doesn’t want ponies or cats anymore, so I did you a solid.” I turn my attention back to the brown-eyed girl climbing into my lap. “What about toys, Mia? Anything you really want?”
“I want a pink Barbie car!”
“That I can do. If you start going peepee and poopie on the potty, I’ll get you that Barbie car.”
“Yay!” Mia kicks her feet. “I’m getting a Barbie car. I’m getting a Barbie car.”
“She’s gonna hold you to that, you know,” Becca says. “Kid has the memory of an elephant.”
“Let me know how she does in her big girl underwear and I’ll have that car here by next week.” I stand and stretch my arms overhead.
Mia stands on the couch cushion. “Where are you going?”
“Your Auntie Rae Rae is about to lay the smack down on someone.” I flex my bicep and wiggle my eyebrows.
“I want to lay the smack down! Can I go, Mommy?”
“No, babe. We’re going to stay here and wait for Aunt Rae to call us from the hospital.”
I glare at Becca. “You have no faith in me. I will not be going to the hospital.”
At least I hope not.
“Rae, you look badass!”
I grimace at Kerry and Andrea. “I’m starting to get nervous.”
Kerry shakes me by my shoulders. “You’ve got this. You’re the toughest chick I know.”
“I am?”
“No, but you’re tougher than Sammi so that counts for something.”
My shoulders slump. “Is he here yet?”
“Haven’t seen him.” Kerry pulls something out of her purse and hands it to me. “Put this on.”
My eyes widen as I take the plastic mouth guard from her. “You really think I’ll need this?”
“Better safe than sorry. You don’t want to get your teeth knocked out, do you?”
My stomach flops and I groan.
Andrea laughs and shakes her head. “Rae, you’re going to be fine. All you had to do was show up tonight. You don’t have to win the entire game. Just show Principal Fuckwad who he’s messing with.”
“Raegan, come on!” Chris waves me over to the rest of my team.
I nod and take one last look at my friends. “Thanks for coming, guys. I’ll see you after the game.” Hopefully.
Bleachers line the gymnasium. Students and their parents hold up signs they’ve created to represent their favorite teachers. I spot Joshua in the front row. He beams when we make eye contact and waves excitedly.
No sign of Jaxon though. Maybe he isn’t playing. Maybe I’ve been worried for nothing.
Chris wraps his arm around my shoulders. “You ready, Raegan?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
“You got beat up by a mob of angry students. This will be a cake walk for you.”
I force a smile. “If only there was cake involved.”
He squeezes me before dropping his arm and turning to the team.
&n
bsp; My team isn’t that bad. Even though we have Mrs. Gallagher, the oldest teacher in our entire district, we also have Rebecca, our computer teacher. She’s tall, and I’ve seen her crush a beer can on her forehead at one of our holiday parties. Maybe I can hide behind her and use her as a human shield.
“Mrs. Gallagher, you and Mrs. Stevenson can hang in the back,” Chris says. “I want you guys collecting the balls once they hit the floor. Rae and Michelle will stay off to the sides. You ladies are going to distract the other team. Aim low.
“Rebecca and I will be up at the front. They’ll be so focused on trying to take us out, Rae and Michelle should be able to pick them off when they’re not looking.”
The sound of a whistle slices through the room. When I glance up, Jaxon is front and center on his side of the court.
Shit. He’s here.
In a black T-shirt that stretches across his broad chest, sleeves snug around his muscular biceps, he stands tall and proud with a dazzling smile.
His good looks only make me angry. They’re wasted on such an asshole.
“Thank you all for coming,” his deep voice booms over the microphone. “And thank you to the teachers who volunteered to entertain everyone tonight. We’re all here for a great cause. Your donation will go towards feeding the underprivileged families in our town.”
My hands are shaking. Come on, Rae. You’re raising money for the kids who need it. You can do this.
When Jaxon’s speech ends, the room erupts in applause and cheers. Chris points out where he wants us to stand, and I slip my mouth guard into place. I expect Jaxon to take the spot opposite me, but he hangs back instead. I don’t have time to wonder what his plan is because the whistle blows and we all rush toward the balls in the middle of the room.
Game on, Fuckwad.
Jaxon
Everyone always runs for a ball when a dodgeball game starts.
Everyone but me. I wait. Watch. Look for the weak links.
It’s obvious that Mrs. Gallagher and Mrs. Stevenson are the easiest targets, but Chris put them in the back. Smart strategy. He and Rebecca are going to be tough to beat.
Michelle’s a new teacher. She’s pale with dark hair and thick black-framed glasses. She looks like she belongs in a tech lab rather than a dodgeball game. But when you don’t have tenure, you have to step up and volunteer for everything. Poor thing. She should be easy to pick off.
Then there’s Raegan. I almost laughed when I saw the black streaks under her eyes, but my gaze continued downward to her legs in those tight black shorts. I remember when I tossed those legs over my shoulders and buried my face in her …
Focus, you idiot!
Chris lobs a ball at me, but I step out of the way. As I do, another ball whizzes past my ankle from the left. It misses me, but it was a close one. And who’s smiling at me from the direction that ball came from?
I’ll give you one guess.
The ring thief almost got me. I crouch down and grab a ball. Rebecca fires at me but I use the ball in my hands to deflect it. I could go after Raegan now, but I want to build her confidence a little. Let her think she stands a chance. So I launch the ball at Mrs. Stevenson instead. She attempts to catch it but it bounces off her outstretched fingers. She’s out. One down.
Two minutes seem like an eternity. Rebecca manages to knock two of my teammates out of the game right before the round ends. The whistle blows and the crowd cheers while the players jog to their water bottles.
When the second round starts, I stay on Raegan’s side of the court. She’s good at being sneaky, so I need to keep an eye on her at all times. Two of my teammates gang up on Rebecca and try to knock her out of the game. Another takes out Mrs. Gallagher.
Chris and Raegan try double-teaming me again, but that trick will only work once. I dodge Raegan’s and catch the one Chris threw just as the whistle blows. Chris is out of the game, and Raegan looks like someone kicked her puppy.
In the last round, it’s Raegan and Michelle against me and my VP, Mrs. Wilcox.
Perfect. We’ll take out Michelle first.
At least, that’s what I expect to happen when Mrs. Wilcox and I launch our balls at Michelle. Remember when I said the new teacher looks like she belongs in a tech lab? Yeah, well … I misjudged her. She jumps over my ball and catches Mrs. Wilcox’s ball in mid-air.
My VP is out. Now it’s two against one. I’m the lone ranger. A sitting duck. Michelle, Raegan, and I each have a ball. I know that once I throw mine, they will throw theirs. My reflexes are good, but I need to be prepared.
I wouldn’t be so worried if I wasn’t playing against the jewel thief and the Michael Jordan of dodgeball.
Raegan and Michelle raise their balls in the air, winding up for simultaneous throws. When their arms come down, I throw mine at Raegan. Hard. Harder than I should be throwing at an elementary school charity game.
But the girls fake their throws and hold onto their balls. Raegan uses hers to deflect mine, sending my own ball hurtling back at me. It slams into my face and my body jerks backward.
Raegan
I just knocked out my principal.
Half of me wants to cry and the other half wants to dance around his unconscious body.
It was a total accident. All I did was deflect his ball—the ball he launched like a nuclear missile at my head. I had no control over where it bounced to.
Jaxon won’t see it that way though. Then again, he might not see much if his eye keeps swelling like it is.
I kneel down beside him, my hand involuntarily reaching out to stroke his hair. “Jaxon? Can you hear me?”
Chris and our teammates keep the families calm and in their seats. Mrs. Wilcox and the rest of Jaxon’s team huddle around us.
“Should we call an ambulance?” I ask.
“Let’s give him a minute and see if he wakes up,” Mrs. Wilcox says. “We don’t want to alarm the children.”
Kerry and Andrea bring over a bottle of water and a few paper towels. I use them to dab cool water on Jaxon’s neck and head.
“Come on, Jaxon. Wake up,” I whisper.
My fingers are still in his hair when his eyelids flutter. Just before they open, he leans into my touch. A low groan rumbles in his throat.
Shit. He must’ve hit his head harder than I thought. “Are … are you okay, Jaxon? Do you know where you are?”
His eyes open and fixate on me. His lips curve into a smirk. “First you steal my ring, then you poison my coffee. Now you try to decapitate me. I’m starting to think you’re an assassin, Raegan.”
“I was just hoping you’d wake up with amnesia.”
He chuckles. “Forget you? Not a chance.”
The crowd cheers as Mrs. Wilcox and I help Jaxon to his feet. Joshua bolts off the bench and wraps his arms around Jaxon’s leg. Jaxon lifts him up in a bear hug. “I’m okay, buddy. See? Nothing to worry about.”
The crowd oohs and aahs over the two of them.
Jaxon takes the microphone. “Well, folks. Let’s hear it for the winners of this charity game. And to all the boys out there who just witnessed their principal get beat by two girls: Don’t ever underestimate a girl just because she’s a girl.”
Everyone cheers while Jaxon and Joshua pose for pictures.
“I have to give it to him,” Kerry says. “The man is charming.”
“That he is.” And of course the black eye only makes him hotter.
While the gymnasium clears out, I turn around to Michelle. “Where did you learn to play like that?”
“I have three older brothers.” She shrugs. “You get good at dodging and throwing things.”
I laugh. “Is this your first year teaching?”
“It is. Hopefully I made a good impression on our principal by volunteering for this game.”
“You’re not the one who rendered him unconscious, so I’d say you’re safe.” I wink and nudge her with my elbow. “If you ever need anything, I’m in Room 1. Don’t hesitate to come ask for help.�
�
“Thanks so much. I might take you up on that. I could use a friend around here.”
“Then consider us friends.”
Once the building is empty, Kerry, Andrea, Michelle and I make our way toward the exit. The light streaming out of Jaxon’s office catches my eye.
Maybe the adrenaline’s wearing off after the game, or maybe this feud is draining me. Maybe I’m just a glutton for punishment.
“Oh, crap. I forgot my car keys in my classroom,” I lie. “You guys go ahead. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The girls wave, and I wait until they’re out of sight before turning into the main office.
Jaxon is sifting through paperwork while holding an icepack on his right eye.
“Planning on sleeping here?” I ask, stepping slowly into his office.
He doesn’t look up at me. “I was thinking about putting a cot next to the filing cabinet.”
I stop at the corner of his desk. “Is your eye okay?”
“Why do you care?”
“Contrary to your belief, I’m actually a compassionate person.”
“That so?”
“Plus, my mom’s a nurse. Let me take a look.”
I edge closer until I’m standing over him. He doesn’t protest as I remove the ice pack, and he lets me tilt his chin upward so I can assess the damage in the light. His dark eyes peer up at me. It’s like looking into deep, turbulent water, unsure of what’s lurking beneath the surface.
“Just some bruising and swelling.” I move my index finger back and forth. I have no clue what nurses are looking for when they do this, but it makes me look legit. “How’s your vision?”
“I can see you perfectly.” His gaze drops to my lips and his Adam’s apple bobs.
The scent of his cologne surrounds me, a mixture of vanilla and mint. With his face so close to mine, I’m brought back to the night we met. Back when he was nothing more than a beautiful stranger. Before this whole mess began.
What I wouldn’t give to be able to do it all over again.
“What would you do differently?” he asks.
My eyes widen. Shit, I said that out loud. I have to get out of here. I take a step back, followed by another, until I can no longer feel the pull between us. “Keep icing it. Take some ibuprofen when you get home. If you experience any vomiting, you should go to the hospital. That’s a sign of a concussion.”
Hating the Boss Page 7
