“I know,” she says again, without judgement. “Want to talk it through?” she asks, the consummate teacher.
I scrub my face with hands. “I have to stop.”
“Stop what, exactly?” I know what she’s doing.
“Fixing things.”
She hums. “I disagree. I think it’s okay to fix some things,” she says. “But it’s the way you go about it that matters. What should you change?”
I’m silent for several moments. “Give people the chance to make their own choices,” I say, remembering what Georgia said.
I find myself reviewing my goals again. My lists. I think about my promotion, the way I completely disregarded Georgia’s feelings in an attempt to smooth my path,herpath forward. I divide my goals into short term and long term. Professional and personal.
Are my professional goals really more important than my personal ones?
I run through every single word Georgia uttered to me on the Porn Couch.
I make a new list.
1. Fix one last thing
FORTY
Oliver
I callSuperintendent Daniels first thing the next morning.
FORTY-ONE
Georgia
It’s Thursday,staff professional development day, so everyone files into the auditorium.
“I’m not in the mood to collaborate today,” I mutter to Emmanuel.
“Girl, same,” he assures me. “Especially not with you.”
I glance at him.
“You’ve been a bit cunty the last few weeks.” He shrugs at me, not sorry at all.
“A real bitch,” Mia agrees to his left.
“Thirded,” Tamika chimes in.
“Sorry,” I mumble. “It’s… I’m working on it.”
“Can you work a little harder, sis?” Emmanuel shoots back.
“Or faster?” Tamika adds.
Oliver walks in front of the room. “Afternoon, everyone,” he says, that voice like gravel I love so much. He looks suited, confident, stiff, gorgeous, but someone more familiar with him would notice other things. His normally tan skin is pale. He looks like he’s lost weight. Haunted. Bags under his eyes. The corners of his mouth white.
“I have an unfortunate announcement to make.”
I grip Emmanuel’s arm.
“Tomorrow will be my last day as your principal here at PS 2.”
