When news came that the whole royal family, including Toddler Prince William, was coming tomorrow with Amara. Everyone was ecstatic. They would get to see what school life was like for her and for a lot of other kids. This led to a problem for me though, since Amara spent most of her day with me.
I would spend most of my day with Maxon.
Amara, as always, was in my room early the next dsy, her family and cameras in tow. She went to my desk, skipped around it and gave me a hug. In all the time that i've known her, for almost twelve years noe, since she was in eleventh grade now, I had become aware of the fact that Amara had no idea who I was in relation to the Selection. She knew that I had once been famous, but had given that life up to be a teacher. She didn't know I had been in the Selection, let alone how close to being her mother. It was an obviously wish to both her parents and I to keep my relationship with her father a secret to her.
Her parents thought Amara would become even more attached to me, but I thought it would have the opposite effect. To Amara, I was someone unaffected by politics or etiquette. I was her version of normalcy. Normalcy was something that I desperately wanted her to have. That, and, if Amara knew about the Selection, then she might hear the actual reason I was eliminated. Then, I would have lost both Maxon and Amara to the same stupid mistake.
"Hello, my dear," I told her as she let go of me.
She smiled at me, "Notice anything different about today?"
Oh, two could play that game, "Hmmm, are you wearing a skirt instead of a dress?"
"Nope, dress today, like always."
"Did you do something different to your hair?"
"No, you stink at this game."
"OH! I know! You actually did your homework last night?"
"Don't be silly, Mama." I laughed, partially at her joke and partially because she had called me Mama in front of her mother. It was no secret to me the reason she called me Mama. It was because Amara was forced to call Kriss 'Mother' and Kriss was too formal around her. Amara thought thst the name 'Mama' was less formal, and since I had taken on a mother-like role in her life, she called me thst. Kriss might have given birth to her, but I was someone she could come and cry to, or tell stories to, or to ask questions to, while she couldn't to Kriss.
"Mama, this is Dad, Mom, and William."
I stood up and extended my hand, and, by the looks of it, gave a great sense of relief to her parents, "Well, I haven't seen you all in forever. Except the last Report, the one before that, and the one before that. You all are typically there a lot."
Amara seemed pleased that I hadn't bowed to them or anything of that sort, especially when she had come and talked to me yesterday about how she hoped people wouldn't make a fuss about the visit. Her family shook my hand and little Prince William, only five years old, gave me a little wave.
As the time grew closer for school to start, more and more kids came into my room, clearly pleased with the new people. Even the filming, the kids were talking to them, asking them what this dohickey did and what that one did.
"Alright," I said as 8:25, the starting time for school came, "If you all don't leave now you all are going to be late."
Then they left and I went about my day as usual. Until fourth period.
Kriss and Maxon sat in the back, with a sleepy Prince William on Kriss' lap. They smiled at me for the cameras and for all those who knew of our relstionship. Amara took her place in her chair with Damon just as the bell rang.
"Alright, my dears. I want you to look behind you, and say hi to the King and Queen."
They all turned and smiled at Kriss and Maxon, "Hi King and Queen."
"Now turn back around and say hi to them agsin, this time as Mama K and Papa M, also known as Amara's parents."
"Hi Mama K and Papa M, also known as Amara's parents."
"Beautiful. Mow they are people you don't need to be afraid of, and we can continue with today's lesson.
"Damon! Tell me something positive about today!" I said. This had become tradition with us, since by the time I got them they were all tired and ready to go home. This gave them time to look on the bright side every day. It also helped cleanse their mind of anything bad going on and actually enhanced their preformsnce. "We get play today."
"Oh, that's boring. Do it again."
"Ummmm...Amara has not ruined the country."
"Why is it a miracle that I haven't ruined the country. Why can't Crekin ruin the country."
Crekin, the first chair cello was known for his mischievous action, and probably would ruin the country.
I let out a fake gasp, and went to him, "Crekin wouldn't hurt a
fly. Look at this face! He could never get in trouble. He couldn't, you know, light the cafeteria on fire On roll day. Never!"
He actually hsd, which led to him not having to take his math test that day.
"That's right, Ames!" Crekin said to Amara, using the nickname that made both of us turn around.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Maxon frown. 'My dear', 'Ames', 'Mama'. They all tied back to me. To us. He called me Ames, he called me his dear, I wanted to be Amara's mother. He knew it, and it either hurt him, or he wanted all the names to stop.
I wouldn't spare him the pain. Not when it meant my kids suffering for it. They looked forward to this class, for them to be able to talk to me. Most of them had unstable families. This was stable,
and I wouldn't make it unstable because I broke someone's heart more than 16 years ago.
"Alright, my dears. We're going to work on 'Hero's Charge' today,"referring to a piece we were playing, "When we are playing this I want you all to remember..."
I waited, knowing they would finish my thought.
"The guards," someone said in the second violin section.
"The guards," I confirmed, and pointed to the back of the room, "Luckily we have some guards in the back, so it won't be that hard. I wonder," I looked at Maxon, "If I could borrow one of them and they tell us a story about what happens when thry charge the enemy."
"I suppose you could." he replied in a rough voice.
"Jackson, you have the floor." I said hopping off of my podium and giving Jackson the chance to tell any stories he had. Then Aspen came up and told his. The kids asked questions to them, keeping them up there for more time than I thought they would, but I didn't mind. When I finally asked them to play the action-packed piece that highlighted the charge perfectly, they played it energetically and beautifully, and I loved it.
"That's all the time we have today, my dears. I will see all of you after school."
I walked them all to the door after they had packed up their instruments and made then thank Jackson and Aspen.
After a while, it was just the royal family, as they waited for Kriss to calm down Prince William, who didn't want to leave the music. He was just like his sister.
"Just go on, I'll calm him down and catch up."
Maxon, Amara, Aspen, and all the cameras left. That was when I knew she was not here to calm down her child.
"I need to talk to you." Kriss said in a voice that said there was no room to argue, "I'm taking Amara out of orchestra."
