Work. The only place she’s felt seen. The only place she’s taken seriously.
Courtney Thomas. That shit show I left her in. That garbage curriculum that upset everyone who worked at PS 2.
I do some research. I send a few texts to District 13 friends I’ve made over the years. Make a few phone calls. Send a few emails. I treat it like it’s a real fucking job.
I learn some shit. People disconnected from NYC public education would be very, very surprised at how corrupt it all is. Just another political, bureaucratic system. It’s why I hated working for it. But just like in any other political, bureaucratic system, people are willing to talk. Especially ones that are unhappy with the system. Disgruntled with the leadership in the system.
I do some shit.
Then I go get her.
THIRTY-THREE
Mia
The entiretyof the PS 2 staff trudges into the auditorium for Professional Development Day. I mean, it’s not like anyone ever happily skips to PD Day (maybe Georgia did when Oliver was still principal), but today feels like a slow march to a funeral dirge.
I take a seat in the back with the rest of the third grade team. Normally, I make us all sit towards the front, but I can’t bring myself to do it today.
Principal Thomas and Lina aren’t here yet, so we chat.
“How are you doing?” Tamika asks me, all concerned mother hen. I assume Georgia and Emmanuel have updated her and Chaya on the situation.
I shrug. “Awful.”
“You haven’t heard from him?” Georgia asks.
“No.”
“Not even at home?” Chaya asks.
“I haven’t been home. I’ve been staying with my brother,” I mutter.
Emmanuel squeezes my hand. “Is your Hot Girl Energy battery replenished yet?” I told him all about it at a particularly drunk and sad happy hour.
“I think it’s still on Low-Power Mode.”
“You’ll get it back,” Georgia reassures me.
“I miss him,” I whisper to no one.
Arms wrap around me from both sides.
The low buzz of conversation in the auditorium comes to a halt once Lina walks in. Something is off. She looks a bit shellshocked.
“Hey, everyone,” she finally says, when she stands in front of the room. “Uh…” She scratches underneath her bun. “Well, I don’t know how to say this without being frank about it. Principal Thomas… won’t be returning to PS 2.”
Shocked silence fills the auditorium.
Emmanuel breaks it. “Are we allowed to cheer?” he asks out loud.
The auditorium huffs a collective laugh, teachers breaking into excited murmurs with the surrounding people.
“Holy shit,” I murmur, looking at my team and grinning. “What does that mean?” I yell to Lina over the hum of the staff.
Lina looks at me knowingly, with a sparkle in her eye I haven’t seen all year. She urges the auditorium to quiet down so they can hear what she’s going to say. “Starting tomorrow, you can move back to your previous curriculum, whatever you had been teaching before the Words of Wonder curriculum. We’re done with Words of Wonder.”
There is actually a collective cheer this time.
