Page 17 of Wanting You

Principal Kincaid stood at the head of the long table—which was really just several tables pushed together—and welcomed them all to the new school year. After that, he launched into introductions where everyone had to say a little something about themselves and share a fun fact about them.

Tanner sipped his coffee and listened to everyone talk about their families, their kids, their hobbies…it was a lot of the same old, same old. Then it was Chloe’s turn, and he figured it would be more of what he’d already heard.

“Hey, I’m Chloe Donovan, and this is my fourth year teaching kindergarten,” she began. “I have lived in Sweetbriar Ridge my whole life, and other than visiting family along the East Coast, I’ve never seen the middle of the U.S. or the West Coast!” She laughed softly. “I always thought I’d see it eventually, but I’m getting ready to buy my first home, so…traveling will have to wait.” Then she paused before adding, “Another random fun fact about me other than my lack of seeing the country is that I have zero baking skills, unlike the rest of my family, but I love to cook. I make some killer Mexican dishes, so if you’re ever in the mood for homemade guacamole or enchiladas, I’m your girl!”

Everyone clapped and several were already asking when they could have a potluck, and Tanner was readily on board with it. He was the last one to speak, and he smiled at the group as he shifted slightly in his chair.

“Hi, I’m Tanner Westyn. This is my first year of teaching and I’m new to Sweetbriar Ridge. I’ve always wanted to teach, but my goal was for it to be a fourth or fifth grade class.” Pausing, he took a sip of his coffee. “I’m starting a bit late because I was a professional Alpine skier and was trying to figure out just how long I could keep doing it.” Another pause and he suddenly felt the need to be completely transparent. “The thing is, I could have kept going, but there were a lot of younger athletes who were just starting to make names for themselves and even though I’m far from old, I was starting to feel my age.” Staring down at his coffee, he continued. “So rather than keeping at it and risking an injury because I was trying to compete with guys who were younger and more skilled, I thought it was best to go out on top.”

It was almost uncomfortably silent for a moment, and he knew he needed to end on a high note.

“So, I thought what better place to be than a town with a brand-new ski resort so I can still embrace my passion while starting the career in my other passion?” Smiling at everyone, he concluded with, “And I’m looking forward to getting to know all of you better and making some lifelong friends.” Holding up his coffee in a toast, he said, “Here’s to a great year!”

Everyone repeated the sentiment and that’s when Principal Kincaid stood back up and went over his plan for the school year, including holidays, vacations, student activities, festivals, and musical programs. After that, the art, music, and PE teachers each took their turns talking about what they had planned for the year for the students. It was a lot of information, but Tanner felt energized. Hell, he couldn’t wait to go back to his classroom and do a little more work on it. This weekend, he needed to finish looking over the curriculum, but he needed the room to be done by the end of the day tomorrow.

And he didn’t want anyone to see it before then.

“I think we’re going to have an amazing year,” the principal said when he was back at the head of the table again. “We’re excited about our new staff and all the new students joining us. My door is always open, so if there’s anything you need, please don’t ever hesitate to stop by and see me.” He looked around the table before going on. “We do still have a lot of supplies in storage, so if any of the new teachers need anything, please help yourself. And if you can’t find it there, either Susan or myself can help you or point you in the right direction. As you can tell, we’re a small school district and our budget is even smaller. If you’re still in need of a lot of items, the best ways to go are sending home a wish list with your students or even creating one online through one of the big retailers so you can just share a link to it.”

Tanner took a moment to do some inventory in his head and realized that he’d already seen everything that was in storage and none of it fit his needs. He had an order being shipped to him for some last-minute stuff, but the rest he could definitely put on a wish list.

“I’d like to thank Chloe for providing us with all the baked goods this morning,” Principal Kincaid said. “And thank you to Tanner, too, for the frittata and cookies. This was a great way to start our day! Everyone, take your time and finish eating, and if you have work to do in your rooms, the building will be open until five today. I appreciate you all coming in. If there’s anything else we need to discuss…”

Tanner raised his hand.

“I was just curious if there’s a specific time we should be here on the first day and then the mornings afterwards, and what time is typical for us to leave.”

“Excellent questions,” Vice Principal Pam Russell replied, who’d been very quiet for the entire meeting until now. “The school day goes from 8:55 a.m. until 3:55 p.m.—that is the bell schedule. I would suggest getting here on the first day no later than 8:00. In the afternoons, by the time carpool is done and all the busses are gone, plan on being here until 4:30. Of course, those times are going to vary from day to day. Your arrival time should be based on what you may need to do before your students show up. With departure, you need to stay until all of your students are picked up, whether by bus or parent, and you should straighten your classroom each day before you go.”

He nodded. “Thank you.”

“Any other questions?” she asked.

But no one had any, and for another hour, it was all just a very casual time to get to know the rest of the faculty. Everyone stood and refreshed their drinks or stood in small clusters talking, and Tanner gravitated toward the fourth and fifth grade teachers to sort of scope out if any of them weren’t planning on staying beyond this year.

Keith Holly was in his fifties and had been teaching the fourth grade here in Sweetbriar for over twenty years. He mentioned how he’d like to retire soon multiple times during their brief conversation.

Good to know…

Trina Allen was one of the fifth-grade teachers and had also been here for a while. Ric Carlson was the new teacher in that grade; he was around Tanner’s age and seemed thrilled about his position.

So he’s not going anywhere, he thought.

The next thing he knew, everyone was cleaning up and making their way out of the building. Tanner collected his plates and was pleased to see the frittata was completely gone and there was only a handful of cookies left. He packed everything up and placed them out in his car before heading back into the school. Opening the door at the rear of the building, he stepped inside and found Chloe standing right there. Her blue eyes went wide when she saw him.

“Oh, um…hey,” he murmured. “Sorry. I didn’t realize anyone was standing right here.

Nodding, she motioned to the first classroom. “Jenna just went in to work on her room and the lights flickered and then went out. It seems like the entire school has gone dark. She ran down to the office to see who we need to call.”

“And you’re watching her classroom…why?”

She shrugged. “I wasn’t really watching it. I guess I was just lost in thought; that’s all.” Another shrug, and she turned and walked away.

Knowing she was more than likely heading to her own classroom—which was right beside his—he decided to walk with her. “Has this sort of thing ever happened before?”

“No. Not even when they were setting up the mobile rooms. I hope they’ll get it worked out today. My room’s ready and I was really just planning on making copies and doing some busywork, but I know everyone’s not ready for the first day.”

She might not have been directly talking about him, but it sort of felt that way.

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