by Laura Ann
CHRISTIAN WATCHED HER go with a heavy heart. The night had been lovely, but once again, they had been interrupted before he show her how he felt. Sighing, he headed back towards his father, who stood with his hands on his hips and a scowl on his face.
Let the lecture begin.
CHAPTER 13
Christian arrived at school bright and early Monday morning. After parking, he looked in the rearview mirror, straightened his bow tie and proceeded into the building. He purposefully entered the school through the door closest to Charlotte’s wing. In their hurried goodbye on Friday, Christian had forgotten to get Charlotte’s cell number and he was anxious to speak to her again. Keeping his eyes peeled, he tried to act nonchalant, in case he actually ran into her.
Mayday! Mayday! Retreat! Retreat! After a disappointing walk through Charlotte’s hall, he had rounded the corner to his own hallway, when he spied Mrs. Tremain.
His eyes darted around as he tried to find a line of escape.
“Christian! Oh Christian!”
He groaned as her shrill voice echoed down the hallway, realizing there was no way out. Straightening his shoulders he prepared to face her head on.
“What can I do for you Mrs. Tremain?”
“Oh Christian,” she tittered, as she got closer. “You don’t have to be so formal. You can call me Druzilla.” She batted her eyes at him, like a flirty debutante.
Cringing internally, he pushed his glasses up his nose to give himself a moment before he responded. “Well, that is kind of you, but I would prefer to stay the gentleman my parents raised me to be.”
“My dear Christian,” She put her hand on his forearm. “Nobody would ever accuse you of being anything other than a perfect gentleman.”
Before he could pull away from her grip, her eyes shot over his shoulder and suddenly turned cold.
Turning around to see what caught her attention, he saw Charlotte walk by with Lucy. As she walked, she was looking his way and her eyes were filled with disbelief.
He reached out his hand and started to go after Charlotte, but discovered he couldn’t move.
Charlotte disappeared around the corner and Christian glanced at his arm, which had held him back. Mrs. Tremain had a vice grip on him, hugging his arm and stroking it with a smug look on her face.
Jerking his arm out of her hands, she nearly fell over from the pull. “Please control yourself Mrs. Tremain.” He tried to remain calm, but inside he was seething. “I don’t know what you were trying to accomplish with that little display, but it had better not happen again.”
Her eyes opened wide and began to fill with tears. “Why Christian, I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately. Why would you say such a thing to me?”
Is she delusional? Unsure of how to deal with the crying woman, and determined not to get caught in another embarrassing embrace, he turned and began walking towards his classroom. “Please excuse me, I have a class to teach.”
“You’ll come to your senses soon enough.” Her voice had dropped, and held an underlying threat.
“Excuse me?” He spun on his heel, shocked by her quick turn around.
Marching toward him with a determined stride. “That little hussy who has caught your attention won’t be around forever. One of these days I will get her fired and that will be the end. But me? I’ll still be here.” She stopped only a couple of inches from him. “Just waiting to take care of you, as only I can.” Stepping back, she reached into her satchel and pulled out a plastic container.
“I’m sure you have finished off the other casserole by now. Enjoy this one and know that I look forward to taking care of you permanently.” Setting the dish in his hands, she patted his cheek and strode through the hallway.
Christian stood stock still. Unable to comprehend what had just happened. She’s not just delusional, she is certifiably insane. Perhaps I should consider getting a restraining order...
The bell rang, and he tossed the casserole in the garbage and hurried to his classroom. I will have to catch Charlotte later and tell her of the misunderstanding. He shook his head at the insanity of it all. Lunchtime couldn’t come fast enough.
CHARLOTTE’S HEART FELT like shattered glass. She blinked hard to keep the tears at bay. I can’t fall apart now. Her students were filing into her classroom, but all she could see was Mrs. Tremain holding onto Christian with that smirk on her face. And Christian not pulling away.
After all we shared on Friday night, and he has the nerve to stand there with her right in front of me! I really thought he returned my feelings. Of course, he never did ask for my cell. ARGH! That should have been a major red flag.
“Ms. Cinders? Ms. Cinders?” One of the young boys in her room called to get her attention.
Shaking her head, she snapped herself out of her reverie. “Yes Charlie?”
“How long ‘til Christmas break?”
Charlotte smiled. All of the children were so excited for the upcoming holiday. They only had a few days of school left and she knew it would be difficult to keep them on task until that time.
“Only four and a half days of school Charlie.”
A cheer went through the classroom.
Charlotte put her hands up to try and calm the rising tide. “But we still have work to do! We have to finish the gifts we were making for your parents and write those essays about what we’re going to do over break.”
Two loud groans went through the classroom, prompting giggles from the rest of the children.
“Andrew and Jackson, no complaining please. We will have plenty of fun. And! If you all work very hard this week, on Friday we will have a little party before you go home. Sound alright?”
Another cheer went up.
“Great! Let’s get started.” Charlotte busied herself around the classroom, determined to think about Christmas gifts and crayons rather than a certain, fickle history teacher.
AFTER GETTING HER STUDENTS sent off to the cafeteria, Charlotte plopped into her seat, tired of acting happy when all she wanted to do was cry.
I don’t think I can act like everything is alright if I see him today. She shook her head, knowing the wound was too fresh.
Charlotte glanced over at Gus, reigning over the classroom from his usual spot on the side table. As usual, he was busy burrowing in his sawdust. “I’ll have to face him Friday, since it’s the staff party and I’m his Secret Santa, but I can avoid him until then, can’t I? Does that make me a coward?”
Gus squeaked and settled into his pile.
She sighed, “I don’t know what else to do. I’m just not ready to see him.” Her path decided, she opened her drawer to grab her lunch bag. With a small giggle and smile, she pulled out a small bag of chocolate kisses that had been stashed in the corner of the drawer.
At least I’m getting kisses from somewhere...
CHAPTER 14
“Why can’t you just give me her number?” Christian asked for what seemed like the hundredth time. He had cornered Rory in the teacher’s lounge when Charlotte had once again not shown up to eat.
“Because she’s hurting and you need to fix this with her in person, Christian. A text just won’t cut it.” Rory explained as she ate her sandwich.
“But she’s avoiding me and won’t give me the chance to make it right. Everytime I try to track her down, she disappears. I’m not sure how she does it!” He pushed his hands through his hair, tugging on the strands and leaving them a mess.
“Just like someone else I know, huh?” Rory chuckled.
“What do you mean?” Christian narrowed his eyes, even as his cheeks started to turn red.
“You are the master of disappearing, dude. I’ve seen you slink under that table and make it out into the hallway a dozen times. I gotta give you credit though, it’s fantastic and Miranda never notices.”
He shuffled his feet, shoving his hands in his pockets. “It’s not like she’s really after me anyways.”
“True. She just likes embarrassing you. But m
y point is, you know how to disappear, so you should have some insight on how to capture someone who is disappearing.”
Christian thought for a moment. It had been three days since Charlotte had stopped coming to lunch, and every time he went by her classroom it was empty.
I’m going to have to catch her when she least expects it. But where? And how?
A sharp slap on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts. “Sorry Christian. But you do need to do this on your own. She needs to know you’re sincere. I understand the situation that happened really isn’t your fault, but you still need to fix it.” Rory’s tone was sympathetic, but firm.
“You’re right. I’ll do what I can.”
“Good! Charlotte is the best person I know and if anyone deserves to be happy, it’s her.”
Christian nodded and headed out of the staff lounge. The staff party is in two days. Maybe I should just wait and when I get to tell her I am her Secret Santa I can take advantage of the moment. He adjusted his bow tie straightened his shirt. She won’t be able to hide forever.
“I’M JUST SAYING MAYBE you should give him a chance to say something.” Rory shrugged as she sat at their dining table that evening.
“I don’t think I can talk to him without crying.” Charlotte said quietly. “I can still see the smug look on Mrs. Tremain’s face as she held onto his arm. The arm which he made no attempt to remove. If he wasn’t interested in her, why didn’t he pull away?”
“You know as well as I do that that woman is trouble. I mean, just look at the twins! How many times have they made you look like an incompetent teacher?”
Charlotte gasped at the remark. Why would she say something like that? Her vision began to swim.
“Hear me out Char, I’m trying to make a point.” Rory stood, pulling Charlotte into a hug. “We both know you are a fantastic teacher, but if someone were to simply stand on the outside and look in, it would be easy to assume the worst of you. It isn’t until you know the whole story about those boys that you can understand what is going on.” Rory pulled back and held Charlotte by the shoulders. “Ya know?”
Wiping a couple of stray tears, Charlotte had to agree. “You’re right. I’ll-I’ll think about talking to him.”
Rory hugged her again. “That’s all I ask. Give him a chance. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.” Grinning, she sat back down at the table. “So...what smells so good?”
Charlotte hiccupped a laugh and turned back to the stove. “Nothing fancy. Honey mustard salmon and cous cous.”
“You, my friend, are awesome!”
Charlotte laughed, letting the light hearted feeling sweep over her as she considered her options. “I guess I could speak to him at the staff party. After all, I will have to tell him I was his Secret Santa.”
“That would be perfect. How has that been going by the way?” Rory stood and started to set the table with plates and silverware.
“Fine. I cleaned his room again last Friday. I plan to come in before school and give it one more thorough cleaning before the staff part. I’m going to have to head in early so he doesn’t catch me.”
“Sounds like a plan, Stan.” Rory said with a wink.
CHAPTER 15
The sun was barely peeking over the horizon as Charlotte drove to school Friday morning. She yawned as she drove, wishing she could have slept in just a little longer. Hopefully my makeup holds throughout the day. She peeked in the rearview mirror and dabbed at the foundation under her eyes.
After parking, she grabbed her cleaning supplies and headed straight for Christian’s classroom. She wasted no time in getting to work. Scrubbing, polishing and filing papers.
Time sped by while she worked and she failed to notice the brightening sky. Just as she was finishing writing the master list, she heard voices and footsteps in the hallway.
Freezing in place, she listened. Oh dear! Why didn’t I pay attention to the time? Please don’t be Christian. Please don’t be Christian!
Her blood was rushing so loud in her ears she couldn’t make out what was being said by the two voices. In desperation she looked around the room. Where do I hide? When the doorknob started to turn, she panicked and dashed behind his desk.
“As much as I would like to help, I’m afraid I’m not available right now Mrs. Tremain.” Christian’s voice sounded exasperated and became louder as the door opened fully.
“But Christian, I can’t reach the top of the cupboard. I need a tall man to grab those supplies for me. Someone just like you.” Mrs. Tremain’s voice dripped with false honey.
Feet shuffled too close for comfort. But she could barely hear them over the sound of her heart shattering all over again.
“Mrs. Tremain, please!” Christian shouted, but she could barely hear them over the sound of her heart shattering all over again. Rapid footsteps that came towards the desk. “I would ask you to refrain from touching me. I believe I have made myself very clear. I am not interested in furthering any acquaintance between us. Now please, ask the janitor for help. I’m sure he is available.”
A huffing sound followed his declaration. Oh my goodness! Rory was right!
“Fine. If you won’t help me, I’ll just go see what Principal Grimm is up to. I’m sure he will have something to say about this.” The classroom door slammed and there was momentary quiet.
Oh no, now he’s going to discover me! Her breathing sped up and her heart sounded loud in her ears.
Once again, the classroom door opened.
“Hey Christian?” A male voice called from the doorway.
Charlotte recognized the deep, sultry sound of Stephen Phillips’ voice, Rory’s arch-nemesis. Can this day get any worse? She groaned silently.
“Yes?”
“I thought I would let you know, that there are twin boys running through the hallways letting streamers loose behind them. I heard they’re in Charlotte’s classroom, but I don’t think she’s here yet. One of my zero hour kids said you would know who they are and how to deal with them.”
Charlotte gasped. Then she quickly covered her mouth, hoping no one noticed. Those two boys will be the death of me.
A loud sigh proceeded Christian’s response. “Yes. Those are Mrs. Tremain’s boys. I happen to know she is headed to the office right now. Here, I’ll come help corral them.”
Their voices became muffled as the door closed on them. Charlotte counted to twenty and then darted out from under the desk. Quickly she made her way across the room, but lost her footing on the linoleum floor. One of her slip on shoes skidded across the floor and under a desk. After righting herself, she started toward the shoe but stiffened when she heard voices coming closer in the hallway again. They can’t be back so soon, can they? Fear pushed her to run for the door instead of grabbing the shoe, seeking the shelter and safety of her classroom. Please don’t let Christian see the shoe, or at least not know who it belongs to...
CHARLOTTE WAS GRATEFUL all of the staff was in good spirits with the upcoming holiday break and were too busy getting everything ready for their class parties today to pay any attention to a one-shoed woman with an arm full of cleaning supplies.
“Whew!” She exclaimed as she closed her classroom door behind her. “That was way too close.” Looking up, she gasped at the sight that met her. Her entire desk was covered in chocolate kisses, giving it a Christmassy glow as the red tinfoil glinted in the yellow lighting of the room. Sitting in the center was a giant kiss, dwarfing its companions.
“Good grief!” She exclaimed. Reaching her desk, she noticed that a card sat under the large kiss. She flipped it open.
Merry Christmas! See you at the Staff Party.
A grin tugged at her lips at the sweet gesture. At least something is good this morning.
Her classroom door burst open and Principal Grimm appeared, holding onto the arms of Jackson and Andrew.
“Oh good, you’re here. I’d been told you hadn’t arrived yet.”
“Just walked in,” Charlotte sa
id, her cheerfulness fading at the sight of the troublesome twins.
“Yes, well...I’m afraid these two need a bit of supervision, if you don’t mind. Their mother is putting together the staff party and these two can’t be left alone.” Releasing their arms, Principal Grimm straightened his tie before walking to the door. “Thank you, Ms. Cinders. I shall see you soon.”
Sighing, she grabbed the boys’ shoulders before they could attack the chocolate on her desk and led them to their own desks, putting them to work while they waited for the bell to ring.
CHRISTIAN BREATHED a sigh of relief after passing the boys off to Principal Grimm. That’ll teach me to come in early again. Although, I won’t always be trying to decorate someone’s desk with chocolate. He chuckled as he thought of her candy covered desk. All those kisses were sure to catch her attention.
Inside his classroom his eyes widened as he took in the room. I hadn’t noticed it had been cleaned again! I guess I was too busy trying to get rid of Mrs. Tremain. The room almost sparkled from the hard work of his Secret Santa.
Walking to his desk, he noticed another master list of where all his files and supplies were located. He chuckled. “Whoever this is could give me tips on staying organized. I think this is the best thing I’ve ever received.” His heart wrenched when he thought about what he would really like for Christmas. “Maybe I can turn one of those chocolate kisses into reality,” he muttered to himself.
Setting his briefcase down, he began to unload it when a spark of green caught his eye. Leaning around the lid of the briefcase, he looked closer. Is that a shoe?
A bright green, sequined woman’s shoe was tucked under one of the student desks. It lay on its side and when he picked it up, he noticed it had holly berries embroidered on the toe. There is only one woman who wears shoes like this- “Charlotte!” He exclaimed.
