Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 87766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“Hi,” I sigh. “I’m sorry I’m always apologizing.”
“You have a lot to apologize for.”
“I know.”
“But it’s okay,” she sighs. “I mean, I’m obviously still mad, but I said we could try and be friends.”
“Obviously,” I laugh at her wording.
“So… how’s your day?” She asks, and even her voice is adorable. This was 100% the right phone call for me to make.
“Immensely brighter now,” I smile, propping back in my chair. “What about you? I didn’t wake you, did I?”
“Ugh,” she sighs. “No, I’m up stressing, of course,” she laughs. “I have this super short time to basically find a job. I don’t know why I didn’t start earlier,” she stammers. “I mean I knew it was coming. I should have been more prepared, you know?”
“A job?” I sit up, concerned. “Do you need money for something?”
“No, no,” she corrects. “It’s nothing like that. It’s student teaching. For my last class, and it’s important to find a good position, because the school can then hire you and maybe even pay for the rest of schooling-”
“Luci,” I interrupt. “I’m a teacher, remember? I know how it works.”
“Right,” she laughs. “Sorry, I’m just stressed.”
“You mentioned that,” I sigh. “So you didn’t find a position yet?”
“No,” She groans.
“Well,” I hesitate, not sure I should even go down this path, but I’m too eager not too. “I could put in a good word for you here?”
“No thanks,” she immediately turns me down.
“Why not?” My mind is churning.
“Just… a lot of different reasons,” she hesitates.
“The first being…” I coax.
“Ugh,” she moans. “One, I don’t want to ask this of you. I’m sure you have a lot of other stuff going on, and two-”
“One,” I interrupt. “I’d be happy to help.”
“Two,” she accentuates. “I don’t think you can really help in securing me a position. I need a math job, not science.”
“Ouch!” I laugh out my hurt. “Do you want to insult me some more?”
“No,” she laughs. “I’m waiting for you to shut down my number two first.”
“So two, believe it or not, I have a ton of pull around here.”
“Right,” she laughs. “The promotion you told me about.”
“I’ll have you know I’m not only the head my department, but I’m the head of all the department heads.”
“Head of the all department heads?” She chuckles, and if the sound wasn’t so enticing I’d be insulted over the fact that she really has lost all faith in me.
“Is that a thing? Like the official title?” She teases.
“It’s a thing,” I tell her. “Also, that science award I won is not to be taken lightly with the amount of pull I have around here.”
“Right.”
“Don’t sound so shocked,” I jab. “Have a little faith in me.”
“I have so much faith in you,” she whispers, her voice growing serious.
“Thank you,” I clear my throat.
“Gosh, I still can’t believe reading all those geeky science magazines paid off that much for you.”
“I didn’t read them just for the fair,” I defend. “I always-”
“I know,” she laughs. “I know. I’m just teasing you…. I - I’m really proud of you.”
“Eh,” I casually brush it off. “You’re just saying that because you want my money,” I joke back, enjoying our banter. “Like every department here.”
“Yes,” she laughs. “Exactly. I’ve always been secretly after you for your money.”
“Damn it, I knew there was something,” I laugh. “Anyway, is there a number three?”
“What?” She breathes softly.
“For why I can’t help you get a student teaching job here?”
She clears her throat again. “You giving me a job wouldn’t really be me getting the position fairly.”
“I wouldn’t be recommending you if I didn’t feel you deserve it, and the head of the math department still has final say. He won’t hire you if you’re not right, but you’re also alum. You’re probably a shoe in just because of that.”
“How do you know I deserve it? For all you know I could suck.”
I want to tell her I know she can suck, but our banter isn’t quite back there just yet.
“Then your grades and resume will prove otherwise,” I sigh.
“It’s pretty far from Boston,” she hesitates.
“Well, maybe you can come back for the semester?” I casually suggest, because I want nothing more than for her to come back, period.
She hesitates.
“Look Luci, if it would be too weird being in school - working here with me around I get it.” Fuck, here I am, pushing her. “The bell’s about to ring, I gotta go.”
“Wait!” She shouts, and I don’t hang up.
“Text me your email and I’ll send you what I have,” she sighs, defeated. “Just in case I get desperate and can’t find any place else.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” I joke. “Second best.”
“You’ve never been second best to me.” Her words catch me off guard. “That was the difference between us.”
Crumpled and full of shame, I don’t even know if I get out a goodbye before we hang up. Maybe I did make the wrong phone call after all. She’s past the point of reconciling. I waited too long. I hurt her too much.