Page 31 of Pretty Relentless

“I know, but I’m never giving up breadsticks,” she replies, opening up her book. “Have you read this one, Miss Rutledge?”

“I have not. Is it good?”

She nods eagerly and starts to tell me all about what she’s reading. Listening to her retell the story with excitement makes me smile. I know she was a big reader before my class, but I like to think I’ve help nurture that passion for reading over the last few months with constant encouragement.

We pause long enough to order a large sausage and pepperoni pizza, with a family salad and breadsticks, and the moment our server walks away to place our order with the kitchen, Annabelle dives right back into her story. I can feel Gavin’s eyes on me, but I don’t look his way. I’m afraid if I do, I won’t be able to return my attention to his daughter, which is the reason I’m sitting here anyway.

Sure, Jan,said in my best Marcia Brady voice.

I refuse to think about theotherreason I’m here. Yes, a big part of it is simply because I enjoy Annabelle and talking books with her, but there’s another reason, and he’s sitting directly across from me, and I will not dissect that particular thought at this moment. Especially when his eyes make my stomach flutter and my breathing catch in my throat.

Breadsticks and salad are delivered, and we all dive in. I even decide to have a breadstick with marinara sauce at Annabelle’s insistence, and yes, she’s correct. They are life.

“Oh! Did you hear about the northern lights?” she asks, her eager eyes wide with anticipation.

“I haven’t heard about them,” I reply between bites.

“They’re called aurora borealis, and it’s predicted we’ll be able to see them this Friday night,” she informs me, dipping her breadstick in sauce and taking a big bite. “I asked Mom to take me to see them.”

“They’re supposed to be visible any time after ten o’clock Friday through early morning on Saturday,” Gavin adds. “They were talking about it on the news earlier today.”

“Yes! And Mom says we can go to the Bluff Preserves to see them,” Annabelle adds.

“That sounds amazing,” I reply. “Maybe we should do a classroom activity around them,” I add, my mind already spinning.

“That would be so fun. We can do an art project too, drawing and coloring the sky.”

“I like the way you think,” I inform the eleven-year-old beside me. “I’ll do some checking and see what kind of information I can find on it. We’ll dedicate Thursday and Friday to learning all about the northern lights.”

Our pizza is delivered, and even though I’m already a little full on bread and salad, I take a small slice of the cheesy goodness.

“Are you going to watch them?” Annabelle asks.

I give her a shrug. “I’ll have to see if I can stay awake long enough,” I answer with a chuckle.

“You sound like my dad,” she replies. “He goes to bed early too.”

“I get up early for work,” Gavin defends.

She rolls her eyes. “Not on the weeks I’m living with you.”

He shakes his head and smiles, clearly enjoying letting her monopolize the conversation. “I still get up early. I just don’t leave until you’re off to school.”

Considering his statement, she replies, “I guess that’s accurate.”

He snorts and finishes off his first slice of pizza.

“If you go to watch them, you should go to the Bluff Preserves too. I’m going to tell all my friends to come out and see them with me.”

“I don’t think my students want to hang out with me on a Friday night,” I quip.

Annabelle shrugs. “I like spending time with you. You talk books with me.”

I lean over and gently bump her shoulder with my own. “Us book lovers have to stick together.”

Something crosses her face as she smiles up at me. “Yes, we do.”

I don’t have time to consider what she was thinking about because one of my students from last year comes up to our table. “Hi, Miss Rutledge.”

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