Page 17 of Twenty-Three Years of Longing

“You looked...so tired when you Facetimed Joey earlier. And it’s not just lack of sleep. There is something else going on. I want to know what it is,” she demanded.

I love having a best friend who could just look at me and know something wasn’t right. My own parents never knew me this well. That’s one reason why I was looking for a place not too close to them. I love them, but we work better from a distance. Not like me and Kathy. No amount of distance could break our bond. She and Joey were all the family I needed. Because of that, I owed her an answer. An honest one.

“Yesterday didn’t go the way I planned,” I said, leaning back in my chair and spinning it around so I could look out the window while talking to her.

“What happened?”

“My first day was perfect. I met with the former administrator, and he went over everything I needed to know. I felt prepared. At least until some boys decided to fight during lunch,” I said.

She chuckled. “And here I thought that only happened in the US. Good to know that they are normal kids.”

“For the record, most kids don’t fight,” I clarified.

“Oh. I guess you got lucky, and they did on your watch. No big deal.”

Kathy didn’t stress over anything. Of course, why would she? The only person she was responsible for was herself. I not only had me but Joey and now, every student who attended school.

“You might be right, and it was just timing.” I didn’t believe that. The boys didn’t do it while Orion was in charge, because they respected him. It was a test to see how I would handle it. Would I reach out to their parents or expel them from school? I did neither. Instead, I had brought them all into my office, given them a stern lecture, and explained what I expected of them in the future. None had shown any signs of even listening to me while I had spoken. Had they changed their minds? They had a night to ponder over it. I could hope but the doubt lingered.

“I have a feeling there is still more going on. Even though we are best friends, you never talk about home. How does it feel being back after all these years?” she asked.

“Not like I’m home,” I answered honestly. “So much has changed, and I’m not sure how I fit in here. And when Joey comes, he’s definitely going to stand out. And Orion, the man who I am replacing, obviously doesn’t have any faith in me. I can tell, just by the way he looks at me,” I said.

“If that were true, you wouldn’t be here,” I heard his deep voice from the doorway.

Shit!

I spun around to find him standing there with his arms crossed.

“I...I have to let you go. My...my boss just walked in.” I ended the call without hesitation as I knew Kathy would keep asking questions. “Sorry, I didn’t know you had arrived.” If I had, I wouldn’t have been talking about you.

He closed my office door before walking over and taking the seat across from me. The last time we were here, this was still considered his office.

Orion paused, looking at me for a moment, then finally said, “I meant what I said. If I doubted your ability, you wouldn’t be here.”

Should I remind him that it was Reesa who hired me? Probably not. The best thing I could do was accept his vote of confidence and let it go. Even if I didn’t totally believe it.

“I’m glad to hear that.” I looked at my phone to make sure it was in silence mode, then slipped it into my desk drawer. When I looked up at him, I found it difficult to meet his gaze. Thankfully I wasn’t telling Kathy about Orion’s unexpected visit last night. If he heard me speaking about that, this would be even more awkward than it is. “You wanted to talk to me today?”

“More of a touch base. It’s only day three for you, but I wanted to know how things are going. Have you had any issues?” he asked.

As if you don’t know.

Everyone loved Orion. And even though they are pleasant and kind to me, I’ve heard the whispers in Tabiqian. I might not have spoken the language in ten years, but I still understand every word. Some believe that I had something to do with his leaving the position.

“I am settling in. No issues that I couldn’t handle myself. No matter what, there is an adjustment when someone new comes in. Also, there is a lot of speculation as to why you are no longer in your position. Have you considered addressing the school?” I questioned.

“That will be happening soon.”

Not soon enough.

“Good. I think it will help ease the transition for everyone involved,” I stated. “Is there anything else you wanted?”

He nodded. “Regarding yesterday, I wanted to apologize. It was not my intention to intrude or embarrass you. I was just...”

“Worried. I know. You told me last night. But if you wouldn’t mind, I’d rather not talk about it.” More like I’d love to pretend that it never happened.

But what I wanted and what too place was obviously out of my control. Orion continued, “I just don’t want you feel uncomfortable coming to me with any issues before of that.”

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