Page 116 of Our Bender

“Uh, yeah, you can say that again,” he said with a chuckle.

I rolled my eyes. “You didn’t have to agree,” I grumbled, then I continued helping him with the correct question.

When the lunch bell finally rang, I bolted from my seat and exited my room before my kids, which was a first for me. I usually waited patiently until everyone was on their merry way.

But today, I dodged kids in the hall as I power-walked to the lower elementary grade’s wing of the school. I didn’t break my pace until I pushed open their recess doors.

Turns out, I didn’t have anything to worry about– I didn’t think…

Garcia, Tyler, and Hassik were standing out on the soccer field in front of all the kids and Stevie’s teacher. The three of them were juggling a pink soccer ball on their knees, passing it between them, playing sewey.

“Y’all wanna play?!” Garcia announced, to which all the kids cheered.

“We’re only playing with you guys so long aseveryoneis allowed to play,” Tyler announced, crossing his muscular strong arms over his chest.

Almost all the kids cheered again.

Hassik wandered over to the little crew of boys that looked sullen. That was good. His delivery would be more gentle than Tyler’s.

Tyler caught my eye then. I could see his lopsided grin all the way from where I stood. He waved his arm to usher me over, but I just shook my head and waved him off with a smile. As much as I wanted to join them, my precious lunch time minutes would be over in what felt like five minutes.

________

Tyler picked Stevie up from school, so as soon as I returned home, I ran up the steps to the loft to get the details on how recess ended.

I could hear music blasting from their floor as soon as I entered the stairwell.

When I knocked on their door, Stevie answered with a bright, “Hey! Soccer was a success! Everyone can play now! Even Ryan! Dance party! Woo!” She ran back to the living room where the boys were busting goofy moves to Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the USA”, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

As soon as Tyler saw me, his eyes flashed. He slid on the hardwood floor over to me and grabbed my hand to pull me into their little dance party.

“So, Miss Josie,” he whispered in my ear, making me shiver.

“Yes?” I asked, trying to look unaffected.

“Did you think I was going to bully a second grader today?” he asked, an amused smile on his face.

“I don’t know what I thought.”

“Oh jeez.” He let his head fall back. “I’m not stupid, you do know that, right?” he said with a quirk of his lip.

“What?” I stopped dancing and looked at him strangely. His face was turning red, like he was embarrassed he just said that aloud. “Where’d you get that idea?” I reached up and grabbed his chin. “I have never once thought you were stupid, you hear me? I’ll say it as many times as you need me to. What youareis protective, andthatsometimes gets you in trouble. Tell me, who just got ejected out of their last game?” I asked, still holding his chin.

“Oooh!” his teammates chorused.

He rocked back on his heels, and he struggled not to grin. “Got it, Miss Josie.” Then he grabbed my hand and spun me around again.

44. Tyler

That night, it was storming pretty badly outside, to the point that thunder woke me up. I turned over and tried to sleep again, but then was slammed with a thought.

Josie…

I tiptoed over to my room and shook Stevie’s shoulder. She grumbled and tried to turn back over, but I said, “We have a little mission, do you accept the challenge, yes or no?”

Her eyes flashed open. She popped up. “I accept.”

“That’s my girl,” I said with a grin.

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