“No coffee this time?” Eva couldn’t resist the barb, not knowing what had possessed Lily to come at her with a peace offering.
“What, after it went so well before?” She’d let her hair down since Eva saw her last, messy blonde curls framing her face. Lily looked tired, and Eva wondered if this job was taking a toll on her already. If it was, it didn’t bode well for her making it to the end of the year. “You have a shit taste in coffee, by the way.”
Eva rolled her eyes, turning her gaze away from Lily. She shoved her laptop into her bag. “Thanks, I really value your opinion.”
“You’re welcome.”
It had been so long since anyone had bantered with her, challenged her instead of backing away, and Eva told herself she didn’t find it to be a refreshing change of pace.
Annoying. It was annoying.
“Was there a point to this social call? Or do you just like irritating me?”
“I’m irritating? Have you met you?”
“Have you met you?”
“At least I’m not—” Lily paused, taking a deep breath and seeming to think better of whatever it was she’d been about to say. “I didn’t come in here to argue. I wanted to talk to you about what happened at lunch.”
“About you offering me unsolicited cups of coffee?” Eva purposefully played dumb, enjoying the flush of anger on Lily’s cheeks. “Yes, I’d like to talk about that too. Never do it again.”
“I think I’ve learned my lesson, thanks. Excuse me for trying to do something nice.”
“Is it nice, if I didn’t ask for it?” Eva leaned back in her chair, lips pursed.
“Anyway. Lunch. I had a conversation with Macie, the girl who was being bullied.”
That explained where Lily had disappeared off to—Eva hadn’t been watching her, but she had noticed she was nowhere to be found when Eva had escorted the sophomores from the room.
“She told me this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. I wanted to make sure the culprits were suitably punished.”
“I see.” Eva studied Lily, wondering why she cared. “And you don’t trust I did that? Because I’ve been doing this for a while, you know. I know how to discipline students.”
A muscle twitched in Lily’s cheek. Eva was getting to her. “I wasn’t implying you didn’t.”
“And yet you came in here to see how I handled it because…”
“Because I wanted to let Macie know what happened to them.”
“Right. Well, you’d be better off asking the principal. I recommended several days of suspension but based on who their parents are I wouldn’t be surprised if they were back in tomorrow morning.” Both girls had been in Eva’s freshman class the year before, and they’d been a nightmare. After speaking to the parents, Eva had begun to understand their behavior.
“That’s not fair.”
“Life rarely is.” If only she were teaching them again this year—they’d be staying behind after school for the slightest infraction. “But I’m afraid there’s nothing else to be done for now.”
“That’s bullshit.”
Eva raised an eyebrow, impressed by the sudden fire in Lily’s blue eyes. “Strangely enough, I agree with you. But there’s not much else we can do other than keep an eye on the situation. Which I will be doing.” She was going to watch them like a hawk the following Monday. “Is she all right? The girl?”
Eva didn’t know why she asked. Perhaps it was a remnant of her own high school days, the whispers she had pretended not to hear.
“Careful, Eva.” Lily’s eyes glinted, a smile playing around the edges of her lips. “You don’t want people to think you care.”
Eva ground her teeth.
“And she’s as okay as she can be, I think.”
“Good. You can go now.” The dismissal lacked bite, and Lily was still smiling when she pulled open the door.
