I motioned to the empty cafeteria tray still laying on my desk; scraped clean. “Tarnia snuck me something from the cafeteria during nap time. She’s good like that.”
“Ah,” Mrs Grange said. “Well I loved having you in my classroom today.” She looked back over to the tray. “You’re lucky to have Tarnia. I’m jealous.”
I bit down on my most caustic reply- something-something-kick-around-something, and instead said. “Assistants are nice. Definitely helps with my caseload. They can be a handful.”
“Yeah,” Grange agreed. “I bet they are. Mine are too, but they’re old enough to understand threats and I’m allowed to kick them out of my room for a couple of minutes.” She laughed at her own joke. “Must be nice to have another adult to talk to though. Gets lonely going six to seven hours with nothing but kids. Being in here with Tarnia, with another adult, was a nice change of pace.”
Quietly, I sucked in my breath a bit, genuinely taken aback. Did this Amazon just casually label both me, a Little; and Tarnia, a Tweener as ‘Adults’. “It’s one of the few perks,” I allowed. I was still weary of a trap of some kind, but I couldn’t see any sign of a bait or tripwire. Better to verbally high step it. “Doesn’t mean this job is easy though.” I instantly regretted that and backpedaled. “Nothing I can’t handle, of course.”
“Of course,” Mrs Grange said. “I couldn’t handle your students all the time. They’re still babies, but you’re expected to turn them into tiny adults!” I felt myself nodding in earnest. Amazons did have some weird double standards regarding their parenting. They both spoiled their kids and expected them to grow up awfully quick. One tended to hinder the other. “Some days I feel like I can barely keep my guys in line, and they’re supposed to know better.” She put her hand on my shoulder and I almost flinched. Almost. “I’m really sorry about their behavior today. That was uncalled for and disrespectful.”
I tried not to look at her hand. It could slide off my shoulder and down to my wrist at any moment. “They’re a good bunch,” I said. Then I dared to add, “After they get the giggles out of their systems.”
She released my shoulder and stood up to her full height. “The way you talked to Jeremy Merriwether was hilarious.”
“Yeah,” I blushed a bit. “I’m sorry about that, Mrs Grange.”
“Pffft,” she waved my apology off. “Jeremy’s an asshole who needed to be taken down a peg. I’m sure I’ll get an angry phone call from his mother. I’ve dealt with her before.”
I groaned. Mrs Merriwether was no picnic either. “Me too.”
Grange turned to let herself out. “Thank you again.”
“No problem,” I said out of habit. “Have a good evening Mrs Grange.”
She smiled, her hand frozen on the handle. “There aren’t any kids around. Call me ‘Janet’.”
Wow. Okay. Hadn’t seen that one coming. “I’m just old fashioned,” I said. “I was taught to call teachers by their proper titles.”
“Me too. And I was taught to refer to co-workers by their first names after hours.” Wow. I didn’t even call Beouf by her first name most of the time.
“Alright…Janet.” The name tasted funny on my tongue. Funny. But not bad. “I’m Clark.”
Mrs Grange…Janet… opened the door, and stuck a foot out. “Thanks again…Clark.”