“Me either,” Emmanuel says. “Nick is making me hold ‘boundaries’,” he says in finger quotes. “My workday is over at 4 p.m., no matter what.”
“Sorry, I can’t do it either,” Mia announces.
Tamika agrees.
“What is this for?” I whisper-ask her.
“As I’ve already explained to the team, Ms. Baker, although I’m not surprised you weren’t listening,” Mr. Flores cuts in, “I am recruiting staff members to help plan the fall fundraiser. I will pay overtime, of course, for the time put in after school, and on Saturdays?—”
“I’ll do it,” I tell him.
He cuts his eyes to me, surprised. I find myself feeling disappointed that shock would be his immediate response tomy offering of help. More determined now to change his attitude towards me, I say more firmly, “I want to help. Whatever it entails. Whatever you need.”
He narrows his eyes at me, as if he doesn’t believe I’ll make it. Or maybe he knows I won’t be making it because he’ll be firing me before then. He turns to the team. “Our first planning meeting is next Wednesday, after school in the staff lounge. I hope to see some of you there.”
With that, he nods to the rest of the third grade team and walks out the door, Lina following behind him and waving.
“Bye, Lina. Bye, Ollie,” Emmanuel tells their retreating backs, fluttering his eyelashes.
Mr. Flores shakes his head, and the door shuts behind them.
The team all turns to look at me.
“Girl,” Tamika says.
“I KNOW,” I moan, chastened. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I swear I’m not normally like this. I feel like I turn into a different person whenever he’s around.”
“While it is hot when I get into a back and forth with him, it took me, like, four years to get to that point,” Emmanuel tells me, polishing off the last of his Takis. “You’ve known him for exactly two seconds.”
Mia agrees. “You two are weird together. It’s like watching a powder keg. I saw you two arguing in the hallway the other day. He’s normally so cool with the other staff here.”
“And the whole Mr. Flores, Ms. Baker thing?” Chaya adds on.
Emmanuel fans himself.
“But really, what’s with the formal titles? He calls everyone by their first name except for you,” Tamika says.
“And no one calls him Mr. Flores,” Emmanuel tacks on. “But I may start,” he says, shivering.
“I don’t know what’s going on with me. I really don’t. Buthe drives me insane. He’s so condescending towards me. It’s like a weird, subconscious part of me wants to… unbutton all of his buttoned-up buttons.” I manage.
“It seems like he wants to unbutton you, too,” Emmanuel says.
“Are we still talking about teaching here?” Tamika asks, the consummate leader. She turns to me. “One piece of advice, Georgia, and it’s remember your place. He is your boss. He is all our bosses. This is not the person you should play these games with. There are rules around these things. Keep it professional.” She’s right. Especially considering those fucking letters burning a hole in my file.
“Don’t listen to her,” Emmanuel winks at me.
“Sorry, Georgia, but I agree with Tamika,” Mia says. “You’re his subordinate. It’s weird. I think you should take it down a notch. I’m sure Lina is telling him the same thing.”
If I’m not fired by this weekend, I’ll mull this over.
ELEVEN
Oliver
Back in my office,I stand in front of my coffee maker, running my hands through my hair.
Lina sits in the chair across from my desk. “So…” she begins.
