Page 9 of The Friend Game

Both of them loved their careers, but I still remember the time we were at a family reunion and my aunt brought her new boyfriend. He was a huge fan of my dad’s work. When he found out my mom taught English, he laughed and clapped my dad on the back. “You know what they say, Gabe, 'Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.'” Nobody else laughed, and my aunt ended things with him not long after, but those words stuck with me, hauntingme as I delved deeper into the art world. A world full of critics and people telling you you’ll never make it. A world full of people telling you you’re not good enough. A world where I started to think maybe Icouldn’tdo it.

To hear that my sister has always thought I’d be a great teacher elicits a strange mixture of emotions in me. Failure, because maybe she also thinks I can’t cut it as an artist, but also something louder than the failure: pride. I could be a great art teacher. Heck, today Iwasa great art teacher.

“I’m not sure why you find that surprising,” Jill remarks. “Just the other day you taught Ellie how to shade when she colors, and her coloring pages have never looked better. And last month Liam told me you taught him how to draw a dinosaur.”

“Yeah, but that’s just fun stuff to do with my niece and nephew. I don’t even have a teaching degree.”

“So,” she shrugs dismissively, “not like you need one to be a substitute.” She frowns. “And that is the new job you were talking about, right? Substitute teaching?”

“Uh.” I stare at her, my mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

“Hannah.” Jill narrows her eyes at me, and I wish for another phone call to get me out of this conversation. But since I’m not Aladdin andtherefore have no genie, my phone stays silent. “Han-nah,” Jill repeats, stretching out the syllables in my name, her gaze locked on mine. Does the CIA know about my sister? Because I’m pretty sure this woman could crack a terrorist or two.

“They want me to apply for a full-time teaching position that I absolutely don’t have the certification for,” I blurt, before burying my face in my hands to avoid her cobra-like eyes.

“Hannah,” Jill grabs my wrists and tugs my hands down, forcing me to look at her, “do you know who I am?”

“Um. Jill Bernard, née Garza.”

“No, Jill Bernard, public relations expert and spin master extraordinaire. Née Garza,” she adds, because bless her media-consultant heart, Jill can’t resist the chance to name drop, even when it’s just the two of us. It’s like a reflex.Yes, she tells people,I’m married to Senator Bernard.And also yes, my dad is Gabriel Garza, author of the Parker and Penny crime series.

“How does that have anything to do with this?”

“It has everything to do with this!” she exclaims, then puts her arm around my shoulders. “You see, sure, public schools require teachers to have licenses, but private schools do not.”

“Wait, what?” I gape at her. “Then why did Principal Novak say he’d need to look into my certification?”

“Because it may not be required by the state, but the parents at Grace Canyon expect it,” Jill explains matter-of-factly. “It’s in the school bylaws.”

“So why is that better?”

“Because,” Jill sing-songs, “I can be your campaign manager. I can prove to Lexie Stone and her entourage that not all of our teachers have to have a teaching certificate.”

“Who is Lexie Stone?”

“She’s the president of the PTA and our board of trustees. She’s also room mom for both her kids and their family donated the money for the new science wing. Not to mention her dad is dean of admissions at the University of Arizona. Everybody is terrified of her.”

“So basically she’s the Lana Marie Bell of Grace Canyon.” Even though Jill is more than eight years older than me, she heard me talk about Lana Marie Bell enough when I was in high school that I know she’ll get my reference. Sure enough—

“Yeah, essentially.” Jill shrugs like this shouldn’t bother me.

“So we have to convince this Lexie Stone person that they should hire me even though I’m not certified?“ I confirm.

“Yes.” Jill nods.

“And Lexie is Grace Canyon’s Lana Marie Bell?” I confirm again.

“Yes.” Jill gives me a look like I’m being weird. “We can do it. I’m sure.”

I stare at her incredulously. “You do know Lana Marie Bell hated me, right?”

Jill laughs. “Hannah, Hannah, Hannah,” she says with a shake of her head and hands to her hips, “that’s just because back then you didn’t have me as your campaign manager.”

Chapter 5

THE NEXT MORNING feels a bit like I’m in the movieGroundhog’s Day. Once again I busy myself getting ready for a job interview. I read the same Bible verses I did yesterday, the ones about doing whatever you do for the glory of God. And also the fourth chapter of Esther, because at some point one of my many jobs will surely make me say, I’ve “come to the kingdom for such a time as this.” (The kingdom in this scenario being a suburb of Tucson, not Persia.) Then I do the same kickboxing routine I did yesterday, the one that always leaves me feeling strong and capable. After a shower, I play my self-titled “You Got This” playlist while I do my hair and makeup, this time being sure to apply makeup to both eyes, because listen, that part of my day will not be happening again. When I’m finally ready to go, I set my pep alarm and head out the door, rehearsing the speech Jill helped me come up with last night as I go.

“Principal Novak,” I mutter to myself, “I appreciate the opportunity to interview for the position of art teacher here at Grace Canyon. However, before we begin I need to be upfront with you about something. While I do hold a Bachelor’s degree in art, I do not have a teaching certificate. Although state law does not require private school teachers to hold a teaching certificate, I understand that your specific school does require it. I am hoping that you and I can discuss whether or not we can work around that. I feel that even without a teaching certificate I’m more than qualified to teach art to the students here at Grace Canyon. To illustrate the veracity of my statement, I’ve put together some bullet points outlining what my teaching goals would be for the students here at Grace Canyon.”

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