Page 104 of Crossing the Brooklyn Briggs
I look up as Cheng applauds along with the half of the school who are actually paying attention. She hands the history teacher a plaque when he arrives on the stage, and they take a picture before he returns to his seat.
“Does anyone else find it weird that they are doing this two months into the school year?” Jaydin says as she claps politely.
“Very weird,” I agree, though I’m not going to question it. If it means I can work the fellowship at the university next summer, I’ll take it.
“For Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics,” Cheng says, and my heart skips a beat while all of my senses go into overdrive. Mark looks like he’s holding his breath. This is it. “We present the Teacher of the Year award to Mrs. Kim!”
What? A buzzing fills my ears as Sonya Kim hobbles up to the stage with her cane. She teaches Physics, but I had no idea she was even a candidate.
“Did you know she home-tutored, like, six different kids last year?” Jaydin says to me as she claps. “Andshe helped that Meyer kid set up a fundraiser so he could pay for college. I want to be Sonya when I grow up.”
Mark glances over at me, his brow furrowed, and I’m probably matching his expression. I can’t even be mad about Sonya winning because she’s an incredible teacher and an even better human being.
That doesn’t mean I’m not disappointed.
The assembly continues until all of the awards have been given out, and then Cheng drones on about something. I don’t even know what. I’m too numb to care.
This was my one chance. My one chance to move back into research where my passion lies. And now I don’t know what to do. Will I have to move out of state? I don’t think I would be brave enough to leave my family. Everything I’ve ever known is here. My brothers and sister, my mom’s grave, even my dad, though it’s been a few years since I last visited him in prison. He’s due to be released any day now, and weirdly I want to see him. I want to tell him that I turned out okay despite his inability to be a father.
What I don’t want to tell him is that I’ve failed in the one promise I made to my mom. It was years after she died, but I promised her that I would find a way to save others from the heartbreak of terminal cancer.
That’s never going to happen now.
Jaydin still has my phone, and I am vaguely aware of her typing out a text and glancing at me every couple of seconds. When she hands it back, I look down and read what she sent.
Me: Hey Hot Landscaper Man, this is Jay, Brooklyn’s friend. She just found out she didn’t get teacher of the year and she needs you.
Jordan texts back immediately.
Jordan: Tell me where to be and I’m there.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Jordan
I generally like to drivefast, but I hit new records as I make my way to the Sun City Cemetery, even though I know Brooklyn still has to finish out the school day. I got that text from her friend and immediately panicked, knowing how much Brooklyn wanted that award. She didn’t even talk about it that much, but I saw it in her eyes.
To my surprise, Brooklyn’s car is already parked at the cemetery when I pull up, even though it’s only been twenty minutes since I got the text telling me to meet her here. I don’t know who sent it, Brooklyn or Jay, but I wasn’t about to ignore it.
She’s not in her car, so I start making my way into the span of graves, toward the field of sunflowers that rests behind the cemetery. Houston has mentioned that field before, so I have to guess that their mom is back in that direction. Though there aren’t many flowers left, it’s enough to guide me.
To my relief, I find her quickly, sitting in the grass and hugging her knees as she stares at her mother’s headstone. I pick up my pace, and when she turns at the sound of my footsteps, my heart breaks. She looks completely miserable.
“Brooklyn,” I say and drop to my knees at her side.
She immediately falls into my arms. She isn’t crying, but I can feel it ready to break loose as she trembles against me. “You came,” she whispers.
I hate that she wasn’t sure if I would. “I will always come when you need me. And when you don’t. I may come even when you don’t want me to.”
She lets out a single, miserable laugh. “I don’t know why I’m so disappointed. It’s not like I thought I had a chance.”
“You had every chance, Brooklyn. And you would have deserved it.”
“I don’t know what to do now. I’m never going to get a job in research.”
I wonder if she really tried every lab in Sun City. We’re a decently sized city, but I have no idea how many research facilities there are, particularly centered around cancer treatments. With how hard Brooklyn took this loss, I would imagine she really has tried every avenue.
If her stupid ex-boyfriend hadn’t gotten jealous and blacklisted her, maybe she wouldn’t be in this mess. There has to be someone who can take another look at her resume. Someone who might be willing to overlook the questionable circumstances from when she got fired. If I could get in touch with the right person…
