Less than half an hour later at the bus loop, two giant, feminine hands covered my eyes, blocking out the world. “Guuuuess who?”
A long, weary exhale just made me deflate and slump my shoulders. With the exception of Wednesday’s magnificent cry fest, this was how Janet greeted me after school. “Hi…” I mumbled halfheartedly.
Up, around, and over and I was back on her hip. “How was he today?” She sniffed. “Wow, you’re sweaty. Someone’s getting a bath as soon as we get home.”
Beouf clicked her tongue. “He was a handful,” she said. “I think it might be a full moon or something. All the kids were acting up today.”
Ivy moaned and said something in Yamatoan. A tap on the head from her Mommy was enough to silence her.
Janet caught on quickly enough. “Wow. Even Ivy misbehaved?” Ivy hung her head in shame like she was being carted off to the stocks and a mob of angry villagers were tossing rotten fruit at her head.
Stoically, Mrs. Zoge explained. “She did. My daughter is learning the cost of being naughty. No dessert tonight.” I actually craned my neck so that I could properly glare down at her. That was why she’d been so upset? That’s what had her breaking down into tears? Dessert? Really?!
Playground time and dessert. My rebellion had failed due to playground time and dessert.
Beouf and Janet went on without me. “Though he is using his paci more, so that’s good. He’s learning to self-soothe and placate an oral fixation.”
Shit! I let the pacifier drop out of my mouth. All that hiding guilty smirks all day had had an effect on me, and of course the typical Amazon response was to attribute it to something they preferred.
“Awww,” Janet said, picking up on it right away. “You shouldn’t have said anything about it. Now you know he’s going to go out of his way to avoid using it again.” The two teachers shared a knowing laugh at my expense. Sad part was that they were right.
Back in Janet’s arms at the bus loop, I sulked reliving the relatively lax punishment. So close to some kind of victory; moral or otherwise; and yet so far away. Story of my week. Story of my life.
“It might have been his babysitter,” Janet said. “She’s a good friend, but a real softie at heart. I think someone might’ve gotten the wrong idea about what grown-ups will let him get away with.” More knowing tittering at my expense.
Beouf removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes, showing the first signs of wear and tear. “Babysitter?” she yawned. “Why a sitter?”
“I had a meeting to go to.”
Beouf’s yawn came out low and loud. “A meeting? What kind of mee-…” She stopped her yawn. “Oooh!” She placed her glasses back on her face. “You know you don’t have to get a sitter for those. You can bring him along.”
“Yeah,” Janet said. “I know now. Next time.”
“Next time.”
There was that somewhat lazy, somewhat awkward pause that so often happened between good friends who didn’t know how to end a conversation. My frustration and anger settled into a tiny bit of sadness thinking that I should have been a part of that instead of a prop on Janet’s side.
“Whelp.”
“Yep,” Beouf echoed the sentiment. “Gotta do that paperwork and lesson planning so that we can get the weekend started.”
“Same here,” Janet agreed. “Have a good weekend.”
“You too,” Beouf started walking away. She paused long enough to wave at me. “Bye Clark! See you Monday!” Her voice lilted up to a quirky squeak. I openly rolled my eyes. That only made her cackle.
“Let’s go, baby,” Janet murmured to me, shouldering her purse. I cocked my head and stared at her opposite shoulder. That was new. Why would she have her purse if we were just going back to her classroom?
“Where are we going?” I asked. My question went ignored.
Zoge saw something, too. “Ms. Grange?” she asked. “Where are you going? Your classroom is that way.”
“Gotta stop by the front,” Janet tried to say nonchalantly. Tried; but failed. Her voice had acquired a certain nervousness to it that I just couldn’t quite put my finger on.
Janet had answered Zoge’s question loud enough that Beouf stopped and doubled back. “Up front? Now? Are you sure?” Now Beouf sounded concerned. When Beouf sounded worried, it was time to either celebrate or worry too.
Given the circumstances I chose option B.
“Yeah. I’m sure.” Janet said. I was completely lost, and it was becoming unnerving.
Beouf pursed her lips together and squared her shoulders like a soldier psyching themselves up for battle. “Want us to come with?”
“No,” Janet shook her head. “I’ve got this. Thanks.”
“Okay…”
What were they so concerned about? I had no idea. I’d been cut off completely from their communication. Amazons now talked over me when they were unconcerned and hid from me what they were really bothered about. Good thing I didn’t have to wait long.
Like a recurring nightmare, the events of Monday afternoon started repeating themselves. I gripped into Janet’s shoulder, hooking my fingers into her bra strap beneath her shirt while she opened the door to the front office and practically glided in. Raine Forest was directly across from us and talking on the phone. I tightened my grip, making myself false promises that I would be able to hold on instead of being torn off.
Please not again. Please not again. Please not again!
My prayers went unanswered. Janet whisked her way to the side and put me down on my feet despite me trying to sink my claws into her. She held my hand to keep me rooted in place while we waited for Raine to hang up the phone. I could feel my throat tightening up. Not again. Couldn’t someone else watch me while she peed? Anyone? Literally anyone?
“Hell-o” Raine addressed Janet after she’d hung up the phone. “Signing out early again?”
“No,” Janet said. Her tone had become casual as if she were making small-talk. “Once this week was enough. Can’t use up all of my time off at once.”
Forrest faked a chuckle while her gaze drifted down to me. “Need me to watch your Little one for a bathroom break?” I saw that same vicious glint in her eye. “I don’t mind.”
Softly, Janet let go of my hand and reached over to her purse. “Actually I wanted to talk to you about that.” She flipped open her bag and dug inside.
“Oh, I didn’t mind,” Raine repeated. “No trouble at all. He was an absolute angel. For a Little, anyways.” Bitch had the gall to wink at me, as if we shared some precious secret together.
By the time Raine had finished winking, Janet’s hand had stilled itself. She had found what she was looking for. “Oh, I know. Clark can be a handful. Mrs. Beouf was just telling me how his entire class was acting up today.”
Raine put on a face of mock surprise. “Clark!” she said to me. “Really? You too?” She shook her head and clicked her tongue. “Littles,” she switched her attention to Janet. “What are you gonna do?”
“Just love them the best we can,” Janet smiled. “It’s all we can do.”
Raine was so relaxed she was leaning back in her chair. “Couldn’t agree more,” she said. “Couldn’t agree more.”
“I’m glad we agree,” Janet said. “It’s why I wanted to share one of these with you. As a gift. As a way to say thank you.” Janet showed Raine what was in her purse.
Out came a very familiar looking box. One containing cream filled chocolate bon-bons. Janet lifted the lid and Raine’s eyes got wider and wider all while her mouth puckered up smaller and smaller. “A…gift?”
“Yes,” Janet said. “As a gift. To say thank you. Between co-workers. Maybe even friends…?” Slowly, deliberately, Janet reached in, into the middle of the box where the safe chocolate lay. “They’re good. See?” Slowly, deliberately, she offered the box over to the school receptionist.
Still sitting in her chair, Raine scooted back, appearing smaller than Janet. “No, that’s fine.” Her voice was wavering. “Thank you for the offer. I’ll be happy to watch your baby anytime. For free. No payment necessary.”
Janet pressed forward. “Please. I insist. As a friend. You don’t want to be rude, do you?”
A new type of deja vu was setting in. This time with a queer kind of role reversal. I took the chance and inched closer next to Janet. I saw Raine close her eyes and gulp. “I’m on a diet.” Her voice had acquired a nervous crackle.
“Are you?” Janet said. Said. Not asked. It’s very possible to ask a question without really asking a question. “So if I open that desk drawer of yours I won’t find a box just? Like? This?”
“Ha-ha…” Forrest’s smile and her eyes were miles apart. “You got me, Ms. Grange. You got me.”
Yes. Yes she did. “Please,” Janet said. “Call me Janet. We’re friends. Aren’t we?”
Raine was starting to quiver. She had to reach up and dab the droplets of cold sweat off of her forehead. “Yyyyeeeeah….?”
I heard Janet’s fake smile fade from her voice. “Then take one, Raine. Take a chocolate. I’ve already had one. Why won’t you?”
Forrest’s eyes darted to the lower right of her computer, then up to Janet. She was calculating on whether she could eat one of the training chocolates and make it safely to a toilet …or to a doctor. This late in the afternoon, Raine was in no real danger of messing herself at work; but her dinner plans might suddenly be altered.
“Eat. A. Chocolate. Raine.”
“Okay!” Raine’s voice came out as a pitiful, almost Little squeak. She reached in, grabbed a chocolate and stuffed it into her mouth. Her eyes slammed shut and remained. Her mouth worked and scrunched up, knowing that not only was she eating poison, but not even one that her spice loving palette liked the taste of.
She swallowed and her eyes fluttered open in…pleasant surprise? “Chili flakes?” She licked her teeth. A surprise bark of a laugh tumbled out of her. “Not a training chocolate?”
“Not a training chocolate,” Janet echoed, simply. Then she leaned over and in a soft, monotone whisper she said. “This time.” The color from Raine’s face started to drain. “If you ever give food to my baby boy ever again, if you so much as talk to him without my permission, that will be a real training chocolate you eat.” If I hadn’t inched in previously, I wouldn’t have heard the threat.
Raine was now rearing back in her chair with nowhere to go. “I…I…I…”
“I don’t care if you’re Brollish’s pet,” Janet hissed. “You mess with him, you mess with me and I’m crazier than you’ll ever be. Do you understand?”
“I…I…I…”
Janet stood high and spoke up. “Do? You? Understand?”
“I…I…I…I’m sorry!” Raine blurted out. She put her hands up like she was afraid she was going to be physically assaulted. Her voice was loud and rang out, implicitly calling for help. No one came. The health clinic had already been shut down, no parents or coworkers were present, and Brollish’s office was too far away. Janet had either been lucky or had chosen her moment perfectly.
Janet calmly backed up and put me back on her hip. The lids to her eyes lowered halfway, like a lioness contemptuously viewing a mouse. “I don’t care.” Then we left.
“Where are the other chocolates?” I asked once Janet whisked me out of the front office back towards her classroom.
“Down the garbage disposal.” Janet told me, her voice shaking from adrenaline and rage. “You’ve got nothing to worry about there, hun.”
I asked the only question I had left. “Why?”
“Because I don’t want you getting into them and thinking they’re regular candies. Those are for toilet training big kids by making them have to go potty more often. Those are why you’ve been having more poopy diapers than usual.”
I brushed aside the fact that I had no ‘usual’. “No.” I said, pulling back and twisting so I could look her in the eye. “Not that. Why?” She knew what I was really talking about. She had to have known me better than that.
Janet came to a stop just outside the door to her classroom and looked me directly in the eye.
“Because sometimes me saying I’m sorry just isn’t enough.”
Wow…
Didn’t see that coming. Neither the action before it nor the answer.
Atypical?
