Page 1 of Cocky M.D.
Chapter One
Olivia Steel
I nodded at the builders,as it wasn’t their fault that I had extra work because everything in the inner courtyard was soaking wet. The plants might not mind, but broken balloons were everywhere.
Whoever thought water balloon fights were funny had never had to step in the mud to pick up the remaining bits of plastic. It was the not-fun life of a teacher, but maintenance wouldn’t get all of it, and the principal had sent us out after the students left.
As I stepped toward a ladder, the workers astride called out, then a red powder they were working with drifted down onto me in a thick cloud.
I blocked my nose and mouth. Who knew what that was? The builders screamed at me in a language I didn’t understand. The art teacher, Mrs. Nunes, waved for me at the door.
I tugged at my pants and asked, “What is wrong with my jeans?”
My coworker tugged on my hand and said, “Better go. The principal is looking for you.”
My clothes itched, and my skin was raw. The powder must have had an allergen that affected me, but I rushed down the hall.
When I reached the door of the principal’s office, he said, “Miss Steel, please come in.”
I patted my clothes. They felt stiff. I said, “Sorry about the mess in the courtyard.”
He closed the door behind me and said, “That’s not what this is about.”
I was wet and strangely sticky. I needed a shower. “It’s not?”
He stood beside me and crossed his arms. “No. I’m sorry, Ms. Steel, but you’ve been put on the surplus list.”
I backed up.Does this mean I’m fired?
His head went down, and he said, “With social distancing, our number of students went down, which means our school cannot afford as many teachers, and your seniority is low.”
Damn. How will I afford to live?I wasn’t lucky like my sisters. I’d made do on a teacher’s salary that afforded me a one-bedroom apartment in the working-class part of town. My heart raced, and I asked, “What does this mean?”
He nodded and said, “It means any school in the district who needs a teacher will first hire from the surplus list, but as many families are considering alternative education, numbers might be down at all schools.”
No. No. No.I tugged at my clothes, and it was like I was glued. My skin burned. I couldn’t scream in pain in front of the principal, so I lowered my head and let out a sigh. “Okay.”
He opened the door for me and said, “Well, thanks for coming in. None of us will know more until the fall, but if I could, I’d hire you back.”
“Thank you, Mr. Williams,” I said, as I wasn’t sure what else to say. Then I raced to my classroom to grab my pocketbook with my phone and cards, but it was like I’d been attacked by a swarm of bees, and I was starting to lose it.
As I made it back to the hallway to head to my faithful car, my heart began to race. The burning grew. I tugged at my pants to get them off.
Barbara Nunes came out and asked me, “Are you okay, Olivia?”
My entire body was on fire. I shook my head. “Look, I need to go.”
Her gaze narrowed, but she sped up to walk with me. “Why?”
Adrenaline rushed through me, and I could have sworn my neck started to swell, but I said, “I can’t take my shirt and pants off, and I’m itching and sticky everywhere.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
I jiggled and said, “My skin doesn’t feel right. Maybe soap will work.”
She snapped her fingers and said, “Wait. The builders fixing the walls are using some powder glues, and your pants were wet from the water fight.”
I breathed fast and asked, “That was glue?”
