Page 73 of Stay Toxic

I shrugged. “I grew up with parents that were gone more than they were home. A gang of brothers that were much the same, and two sisters that didn’t want anything to do with their older sister because she was ‘lame.’ I don’t react because I’ve had to live on my own pretty much my entire life. I’ve quit wondering about what people think a long time ago, and the least of my worries right now is staying away from you.”

His eyes narrowed. “What worries?”

“The kind where I have to work between two of the people I hate the most,” I admitted. “I’m considering quitting.”

His eyes went a little squirrelly. “I could handle that for you.”

I smiled. “I might let you.”

He tilted his head, and I could see that I’d clearly intrigued him. “What’s the temperature like in the school regarding them?”

“No one really knows what to do about it,” I said. “The teacher’s lounge is incredibly awkward. All of the students know now what happened, and ten students have already transferred out of their classrooms. They have like a fifth of the students that the rest of us teachers have. And the teachers that are having to take up slack for them aren’t happy, because their class sizes have increased by a third.”

“They should be fired,” he said. “There’s no reason that they should get to stay if that many issues are arising from having them there.”

“I agree,” I said. “But if they get fired, they’re gonna sue the school board again, and the school board is more worried about that than the mental health of their students and teachers.”

The door behind Shasha burst open and a kid with a basket of rolls and drinks came hurrying out.

“Papa sent out a snackatizer,” the kid said. “He wants your honest opinion on them. Also, we brought sweet tea.”

“Thanks, kid,” Shasha said as he picked the basket up and held it out to me.

“What is it?” I asked as I reached for a roll looking thing.

“It’s a beef pirozhki,” Shasha answered for the kid. “Pretty much what y’all would call a kolache.”

“Gotcha.” I said as I took a healthy bite.

The food melted in my mouth, and I groaned. “Oh, man. This is fantastic.”

Cheese gushed into my mouth, along with some flavorful juices.

It was one of the best things I’d ever had in my life.

Shasha took a roll himself and ate it in two bites.

“Tell him this one is perfect,” I said.

“Pops told me you would say that, and he told me to tell you to tell him truthfully. Not tell him it’s perfect, because you know it’s not,” the kid continued.

“Okay, well tell him the juices are a little too much, and the bread’s a bit soggy, but they complement each other well, and it’s still fantastic,” Shasha answered truthfully.

My lips twitched at his honesty.

I took another bite and moaned. “I think they’re perfect. Then again, I’ve never had anything like it, so I have nothing to compare it to.”

I took the last bite and savored it.

My eyes snagged on the third one in the basket, but Shasha beat me to it.

He looked at me unapologetically as he ate it in two bites.

I narrowed my eyes at him as the kid said, “I’ll tell Pops.”

Then he was gone, leaving us alone once again.

“You could’ve shared,” I pointed out.

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