“Let’s go,” he said to Sadie, who was buried in her jacket and faux fur hood, her glasses fogging with every breath. “I’ll need all the coffee I can get.”
They trudged across the icy parking lot. Cars with music blaring cut too close to buses as they skidded around corners. No matter how many warning letters the PTO sent out, therewas always a nanny or older sibling driving like the staff were expendable obstacles.
“That’s Connor’s dad’s new fling,” Sadie huffed. “Met her last week at the conference. She bragged that her sugar daddy bought her that dark blue Mercedes with all the extras. He made sure the seats go all the way back.”
Hunter nearly choked on laughter but masked it as a cough. When he recovered, he smirked at her.
“There’s my guy,” she said, winking as Hunter held the door for her. Their wet boots made new puddles for the janitor to mop once the bell rang. The taupe linoleum floors and dark blue lockers all reeked of bleach. Someone must have thrown up here after school yesterday.
They sauntered down the hall and into the mustard-colored teacher’s lounge. It was buzzing, staff laughing around a big table of small gifts glinting under harsh fluorescent lights.
Sadie shrugged off her coat and stuffed it in her cubby next to his. Hunter did the same, doing his best to look normal.
You are fine. Nothing has happened to you.
But he couldn’t shake the feeling that something had. He’d woken up in his car as if he’d never left, watch back on his wrist.
He tried to push it down as Sadie grabbed an oddly shaped gift wrapped in red paper with gold polka dots.
“Shit,” he muttered.
Sadie’s face fell. “Are you kidding me? You forgot? It’s going to ruin the game.”
Hunter hadn’t forgotten the teacher gift exchange. It was sitting at home on his desk, wrapped and ready.
“I’ll run and grab it at lunch. It’s at home.”
“You better. This is the only day all year I hang around this place when I don’t have to, and you know it.”
Hunter did know it. He looked around the lounge: five small circular tables, a counter with a sink, and the fresh smell ofbrewing coffee drifting over him. The warmth grounded him. He let his shoulders drop as Darius Reed, the special projects teacher, strolled over and held up a hand for a high-five, then pulled Hunter in for a hug.
“You have no idea how relieved I am that you’re taking my kids part of today,” Hunter said. His students spent ninety minutes each week in art and then went to Darius for science and STEM projects.
“Rough night?” Darius asked.
“I couldn’t tell you,” Hunter laughed.
“Damn, man. I know it’s the holidays, but maybe save the eggnog until after today.”
“Good advice,” Hunter said.
“I knew it!” Sadie shouted over her shoulder, dropping her gift on the table.
“Don’t listen to her. She’s nuts,” Hunter said.
“We’re all a little nuts,” Darius said before launching into a passionate explanation about the compost worms they’d be using today.
Celia and Elaine were sipping coffee in the corner. Celia, one of the sixth-grade teachers, wore bold eyeliner. Her chin-length platinum hair bounced perfectly even on the rainiest days. Elaine, the music teacher, had sharp gray eyes and dark auburn hair. She was the one who forced every class to participate in the dreaded holiday pageant.
Hunter had just survived that last weekend.
“I’m so tired of big dick energy,” Celia said.
“I’m with you. Let’s make it big vagina energy. The patriarchy doesn’t get to say smaller is better,” Elaine replied.
“I love this. The bigger the vagina, the more tongues I can fit inside,” Celia said.
“Now that should be the goal,” Elaine agreed.