Page 79 of Call Me Mrs. Taylor

“Okaaaaay!” he yells as he runs off.

I don’t bother to tell him to slow down. Kids don’t listen. Boys especially don’t listen, a fact that never changes, sadly. Not even with age.

That’s why they must be trained with actions, not words.

I head outside to check on my class, leaning against the fence, letting the morning sun warm my face. Autumn is approaching, I can tell by the slight chill in the humid air. I breathe deep. Smells make memories, and this is a pretty good time in my life, considering what I’ve been through.

Yes, and of course, as soon as I have one positive thought, there goes Aniya to ruin it.

She just pushed Shane. She must be strong, because his little ass almost fell over.

Ordinarily, I’d stay out of it for the plot, but I’m feeling charitable today.

With a sigh, I push off the fence and make my way over.

“Hey,” I call, and the boy flinches like he’s been caught stealing. “Go find something else to do.”

He scurries off with no argument, which I take to mean he was the aggressor.

Aniya looks up at me, her lips pressed tight. She’s wary, not sure if I’m an enemy or an ally.

That makes two of us.

“What happened?” I ask, crouching beside her.

She shrugs. “I didn’t need help.”

“I didn’t say you did.”

She eyes me, still trying to figure me out.

I glance at Shane, who’s now across the playground, probably plotting on how to annoy somebody else’s daughter.

“They’re all like that. You know that, right?”

Her little eyebrows crinkle in confusion, and I remember how young she is.

“I’m gonna assume you had your reasons for putting hands on him,” I say slowly. “Whatever the reason, I want you to know they’re all like that. They’llalwaysgive you a reason.”

She scoffs. “But I made him leave me alone.”

I shake my head. “That’s not how it works. He stopped, but there’s gonna be another one. Then another one. They test you, over and over, because they wanna see if they can.”

Aniya crosses her arms in front of her. Petulant little thing. It’s like looking in a funhouse mirror.

“Then I’ll fight all of them,” she says, and I have to admit, I like her style.

“It doesn’t matter how much or how hard you fight,” I say. “They always come back. Or, they get smarter. Some won’t touch you at all. They’ll find some other way to get to you. They’ll chip away at you, piece by piece, until you even hurtyourselffor them.”

She looks away, scuffing the toe of her Chucks in the dirt. I think I’ve lost her.

“Just…don’t ever let them break you. Don’t let them think they own any part of you. Don’t ever let them control you. Not your time, your space, your energy, or your body. If you don’t wanna deal with them, that’s the end of it. No discussion. No explanation.”

Aniya looks up, searching my face. “Even grown-ups?”

I nod.“Especiallygrown-ups.”

She’s quiet for a long time. I hope she’s processing what I said. She’s not nearly as sweet and compliant as my baby dolls, but I gave her the same truths I gave them. She can take it or leave it, but it needed to be said.

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