Page 83 of Love Takes Home

“I have donuts.” She smiles, lifting up a box I didn’t notice earlier.

“I like donuts.” I smile back.

“I know you do. And they’re glazed with chocolate.”

“Should’ve led with that.” I laugh.

I open up the door to the classroom, and when we walk in I breathe a sigh of relief. It’s empty, no boogeyman here.

“So tell me the plan again,” Quinn requests.

“The plan is I go about my day and you all interrupt my classes and the students lose their shit and if anything happens, I’m supposed to push the button on the side of the watch, which starts recording and sends an alert. Aubrey is supposed to do the same thing if she sees anything, and…”

“And I’m supposed to do the same with mine and Joker will be here in five minutes or less if things go to shit.” Aubrey grins at being included and getting her own spy watch.

“Exactly,” I return the grin.

“The alerts go to my dad, too, to make sure the cameras are in the right place,” Aubrey adds.

“And Ranger, Tiny, and Davis all get them, too. The whole calvary will be alerted.”

“And you’re okay with that?” Quinn asks, a look of doubt on her face.

“I couldn’t turn him down. The look on his face…I just couldn’t say no. I just hope I don’t accidentally push the button while I’m peeing.” I make a face, which causes Aubrey to giggle.

“Could you imagine?” Quinn laughs.

“It would only be worse if she had to poop!” Aubrey doubles over, her giggles unstoppable.

“Teachers don’t poop. We need to run to the office.”

Aubrey’s eyes get huge and her mouth is hanging open. “Oh. My. Gosh. That makes so much sense now. I always wondered why Mr. Birch always had to go to the office after lunch!”

We try, but Quinn and I lose the battle. All of us are laughing when the first bell rings and students start to trickle in. Quinn promises she’ll be back later, and she and Aubrey leave for their own classes.

The class is buzzing this morning, and I try not to listen to the chatter of teenagers. When they bring up Lucas, I give up the fight and push record on the watch.

“Did you hear he threatened all the kids on the team yesterday?”

“Not Lucas. He loves baseball.”

“Yeah, Lucas. It’s why he’s not here today.”

“I heard he’s been kicked out and isn’t coming back.”

“I heard he got kicked out for threatening somebody.”

“Well, I heard that he like humiliated them all, and that’s why he got kicked out.”

“No, it was because he sent them to the hospital.”

“Then why is he the one not here but all of them are? And I didn’t see any bruises.”

“Obviously, the doctors were really good.”

“Bruises don’t work like that, idiot.”

“I’m not an idiot. Maybe all their bruises are under their clothes.”

---