The Teacher by Danielle Stewart

Author:Danielle Stewart [Stewart, Danielle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781837903153
Published: 2023-10-19T16:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-FOUR

DAISY

There is a wild kind of look in her eyes as Mrs. Meadow catches my arm in the hallway and asks me to step into her classroom. The day is over. I’m supposed to be getting the bus right now, but I can tell she’s not going to take no for an answer. I’ve been avoiding her as much as possible the last couple of days, but she snatched me up this time.

“Are you okay?” I ask, licking my dry lips as she closes her classroom door behind me.

“I’ve been thinking a lot today.” Her voice is quick and breathless. “I’ve been feeling so torn about what the right thing to do is. Then I realized, that’s not true. My gut tells me exactly what to do, it’s everyone else’s voice in my head that’s confusing me. So I wanted to tell you, I’m going to help you. I’m going to be here for you whatever you need.”

I blink slowly as she paces the room. “You’ve helped me a lot already. We got the water turned back on. I got some groceries. You’ve done plenty.”

“I can help more. There is something you need to know about me. We’ve talked a little. I’ve alluded to things we have in common. But, Daisy, my childhood was awful and I just constantly prayed someone would come help me. I fought and suffered and sacrificed. No one showed up for me when I was your age. I can be that for you.”

“I— Well, can you do that?” My mind races toward every aspect of my life that has been teetering on the edge. About to fall off. Always hungry. Never enough money for anything. Fighting to make the kids here think I’m normal. I’m tired.

My hesitation sends her further into a fit. “I can do whatever I want. Because there is right and wrong and it’s not always what the rule book says. They say you should be the person you needed when you were younger. That’s where the healing starts to happen. So that’s what I’m doing. I’m going to be that for you. I’m shutting out everyone else who is trying to convince me that some complicated bureaucratic messy path is the right way. I have the resources and experience you need and I’m going to make sure you can benefit from that. It’s simple.”

“I don’t know what I need,” I stutter out, taking a step back from her. “I think I’ll be okay. But right now I’m going to get the bus.”

“I’ll give you a ride home. You don’t have to know what you need. I know. I know because I was there.”

“The bus is fine. I think I should just take the bus.”

Two more steps back from her have me at the door. “I really do appreciate what you’re doing but I think I’ve asked too much of you already. I know that you feel bad about—”

“No.” She blinks so fast I wonder if she’s on drugs. “That’s not what this is about and it’s not too much.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.