John nodded at the barista that handed him is cup of coffee. He surveyed the shop before choosing his seat. He made his way to a table near the back corner that faced the door. This seat gave him the best view of everyone in the shop and everyone entering the shop. No matter what, he'd always have the cop mentality. Stay alert. Stay aware. Always be mindful of your surroundings.
He shook his head. "Not a cop anymore," he mumbled to himself. Despite that, he still took note of the few people in the shop. Near the front door, there were two separate groups of giggling girls that were getting their afternoon fix of caffeine. He imagined they were talking about boys they liked or some other silly thing that made teenage girls that giddy.
Off to the side, at another table, there was a group of teenage boys that were checking out the tables of girls. He didn't have to guess what they were thinking. He knew from experience that they were weighing their options and deciding on which group of girls should be approached first.
Then there was the couple sitting on opposite sides of a booth. They both had laptops out and were typing away. They may have been together, but they seemed to be in entirely different worlds. Every few minutes they'd stop and snap a photo of their food or the shop and then start typing again. John pegged them as food bloggers or social media influencers; a world he had no interest in at all.
Then there was the mother at a table with her two rowdy young children. She was busy going back and forth between both children that couldn't sit still. Between the shouting and the banging on table, John was surprised that she'd kept her cool the whole time. She just kept smiling and singing, oblivious to the other patrons who gave her the occasional dirty look. The children eventually settled down after several long minutes.
John seemed out of place in his dark corner. He as if he was frozen in time with the world moving all around him. Loneliness had never bothered before, but maybe that was always because he'd had work to drown himself in. There was stuff to do at the bar, but it was just busy work. It was a sad realization that he really wasn't needed anywhere, at least not anymore.
Just as he started to go to the dark place in his mind that made him question what he was even living for, he saw the familiar smile of a woman approaching. He waved at Jill so she'd know where he was. She stopped at the counter to order a drink. John took that opportunity to get a grip.
While he was cleaning up his trashed apartment, John had time to think. He'd thought about his father, the ghost of the man he was always chasing. There was his family. He loved them, but he needed to keep his distance. They'd all moved on, but he hadn't. Then there was Caitlyn, the love he'd found and lost all too soon. He thought of Natalie, Blair, Marty, and all the other women he'd gone out on a limb to save. They all claimed to be "strong, independent women", but they'd all been damsels in distress, preferring to have a knight in shining armor come to the rescue than saving themselves.
Then there was Evangeline. She was never the type to sit around and wait to be rescued. Knowing the limits of her abilities, she would always wait until it was appropriate to call in for backup. John had always admired her strength and determination. She was a force to be reckoned with. Even though she'd chosen him as a romantic partner, John never felt good enough. He let his own insecurities get in the way of them truly being happy. None of that matter now. Evangeline was gone, and Eva had taken her place.
Eva was the outward display of all of Evangeline's internal frustrations. All the times that Evangeline was forced to turn the other cheek, take the high road, or grin and bear a difficult situation had never truly been resolved. Those negative thoughts had lingered and festered in her subconscious and now they'd taken on a life of their own.
For Evangeline's sake, John wanted to save her from herself. Eva was pushing away all of her family and friends; choosing instead to live in isolation. Many years ago, John had done the same. He felt the full weight of his decision as he lamented the life he'd lived until now.
In a moment of clarity, John decided that he would help Evangeline and Eva as much as he could, but first he needed to help himself. He couldn't help Eva resolve her anger if he couldn't resolve his own. She would be the first to call him on the hypocrisy. So, for now, John would stay away. He wouldn't try to force a friendship with Eva, as if he even could. He hoped his own healing journey would give him insight on how to help Eva. Of course, he understood that he shouldn't be looking to heal just so he could help someone else, but Evangeline needed him. And if John was honest, he needed her too. He only hoped that it wouldn't be too late for Evangeline by the time he got his act together.
"Hey John. How are you?" Jill spoke excitedly as she sat down across from him.
"I'm good. How about you?" John spoke as she pulled him away from his thoughts. He looked over at her and smiled. A week had already passed since their last encounter. He was frustrated with Eva, and Jill had taken the brunt of his anger. Today was about making amends. With no other way to reach her, John left a note on her car with the help of the school security guard that he befriended.
I was less than a gentleman. Let me make it up to you. Brewhouse Coffee today at 4? – John.
"Me? I'm good. Maybe a little surprised to hear from you, though. I totally didn't think you were feeling me after that whole Eva situation." Jill flipped her hair over her shoulder and sipped her coffee. She was in the middle of a dry spell and any male attention was welcome.
John sipped his coffee to hide his expression. He wasn't "feeling her" as she put it. He just wanted to apologize for the way he'd treated her. Suddenly, he realized that maybe he hadn't thought this through enough. Maybe he should have said something about being friends in his note. This was just another example of John's social ineptitude on display.
"I am so glad you reached out though. Eva and I aren't exactly talking, so I didn't have anyway to reach out to you myself. You've got amazing timing. It just so happens that I got a free pair of tickets to the Jones Haunted Farm attraction. I'm definitely looking forward to having a strong and very handsome man at my side. The tickets are for Saturday, so we can hang out all day. During the day it's just a pumpkin patch and spooky attraction for the younger kids. At night, they transition to the horror stuff geared towards the older crowd." Jill was already planning their first, second, and third dates.
John hoped the surprise didn't show on his face. He paused for too long to think about an appropriate response and now things were going to be even more awkward. She was a very beautiful woman, but he wasn't interested. The thought had crossed his mind. It had been a long while for him. John thought better of it. The last thing he wanted to do was to string someone along. "Sounds like a good time." John saw the excitement on her face and felt like an ass. "I'm flattered. I am, but maybe I'm not the best person to keep you company right now. I'm working on myself right now, so it wouldn't be fair to put you through that." He let her down gently, but he could see the blush rising in her cheeks.
"Oh wow…wow…I just made a total idiot of myself." Jill laughed bitterly. "Figures, right? I mean, a couple weeks ago when you came to the school you were there for Eva. She's your," Jill stopped as John interrupted.
"We're old friends, acquaintances," John corrected himself quickly. Acquaintances was much more casual and that was the most appropriate label for his connection to Eva. "Kind of like when you run into some one you knew from high school. You're still hanging on to the good old memories from the past, but they've distanced themself from that time and you're nothing more than a relic from the past." He tried to share in her embarrassment and that seemed to put her at ease.
"Yeah, sure. I get that." Jill was mildly annoyed. Why would he bother reaching out to her if he wasn't interested in a relationship with her?
"I'm still pretty new to town, so I wouldn't mind making a friend. If you're interested in beer or football, then we'll get along just fine." John made the offer that he wasn't sure she was interested in. She was single and obviously lonely. Hanging around a man that wasn't attracted to her might interfere with the type of relationship she was looking for.
"Well, you can never have too many friends. I'd love to hang out anytime." Jill would keep him close because she didn't have anyone else. Besides, there was always hope for a drunken hookup and that would suit her just fine.
John was pleased with himself that he'd handled the situation well. He was serious about the friendship offer, so he stayed and talked with Jill. One he got her started, he couldn't get her to stop. He sat with her for hours as she shared every little detail of her life with him. He was willing to open up with her some, but he couldn't get an edge in word wise. From being with her, he knew there was a happy medium that existed between his reserved nature and her loquacious nature, and he needed to find it fast.
He had listened to her intently, but he still noted the comings and goings of the other patrons. A table of women that arrived an hour ago had taken a special interest in him and Jill. He figured they were teachers, so they probably knew Jill. "Don't look now, but we have some admirers." John spoke when there was a break in her dialogue.
Jill sucked in a sharp breath. "Yeah, I was hoping they'd have gotten bored by now." She turned and smiled at them. "I sort of bragged about you. I think they just wanted to see what I was so excited about. My bad."
John ran his hand through the back of his head nervously. Jill wasn't quite like any other woman that he'd met. Normally, that was a turn on for him, but from Jill's own admission she was a mess. He couldn't afford another messy entanglement. "S'okay." He sipped the remnants of his last cup of coffee. It was after six now and he was ready for a beer.
"It's not like it's the first time they've seen me crash and burn." Jills sounded dejected. She was going to have to learn to stop bringing her personal life to work. The women seemed friendly, but they were the type to gossip about you behind your back. Jill gave them more than enough ammunition with her embarrassing stories. "The teasing never lasts too long. The students antics will distract them before too long."
John looked over at the table of ladies and then back to Jill. He thought for a moment and then pursed his lips together. "Friends? They're supposed to help each other out, right?"
"Good friends, at least." She looked at him confused. His mischievous smile had her weak in the knees. "What did you have in mind?"
"I've got to head to the bar. I'm going to make a pass at you before I leave, so that you can reject me. Nothing to gossip or tease about if you're not into me." This probably wasn't the best option, but John was in the mood for a little fun. Jill might not have been his type, but she was a very attractive woman.
"W,what?" Jill stammered over her words. "You don't have to do that."
"I know." John stood suddenly and was standing by her side in an instant. She looked up at him instinctively as he leaned in close to her. He stroked the side of her face tenderly moving the few loose strands of hair away from her face. "You are a very beautiful woman. Any man would be lucky to have you." He leaned in closer and felt her breath on his lips. He'd expected her to pull away, but she hadn't. Fully committed, he tilted her head back and kissed her sensuously. She tasted the like mint and the hazelnut coffee she'd been drinking. It hadn't been hard to sell the kiss because he'd actually enjoyed it. Before he got carried away, he broke the kiss and whispered into her ear. "You probably want to hit me if you really want to sell this."
Jill could barely hear him over the sound of her pounding heart. Her body was on fire from one simple kiss. She finally processed his words and swatted him away. "You jerk!" She shoved him back for effect.
"Fine!" John spoke loud enough for their observers to hear. Then he winked at her and left her to her thoughts. He figured she'd turn up at the bar sooner or later.
Eva sat back at her desk and sighed. School had just ended, so she watched as her students filed out of the classroom. For most of them, the day was over, but she had other obligations. She was scheduled for detention duty this month. That would tack on another two hours to the end of her day. She had fifteen minutes of alone time before she needed to head to another classroom.
"Excuse me, Ms. Williamson?" A shy student waited until the classroom had cleared out before she approached her.
"Beth, what can I do for you?" Eva looked up at one of her more promising students. Most students wouldn't have a career in music, but Beth was talented. Eva noted that she needed more confidence if she were to even think about a career in an industry that was known for wearing down even the most confident people.
"I'm applying to a couple of colleges for an early decision. I mean, I know it's really presumptuous, so I'd like to get the rejections out of the way as early as possible. Once I stop dreaming about the top schools, I can focus my efforts on the schools I'm more likely to get into." She saw the blank look on Eva's face and kept fumbling over her words. "Anyway, I was hoping you could write me a letter of recommendation. I know I'm not the best student, but if you could think of some kind words it might help a little."
Eva shook her head. "Beth, how in the world can you ask me to write a letter singing your praises? You come in here putting yourself down, but you think I can lift you up. You need to start believing in yourself. Until you do that, I can't…no, I won't write a letter of recommendation for you."
Beth's lip started to quiver as if she were ready to cry. "Yeah, no, you're totally right. I'm sorry I wasted your time." She was applying to school's with great music programs, so it would only hurt her chances if she didn't get a letter from her own music teacher. She didn't want to embarrass herself further, so she started to rush out of the classroom.
"Ms. Smith," Eva called after her, "we're not done yet." Eva held out her hand for the paper she'd wanted Eva to fill out. She smiled as she took it from Beth's shaky hand. "I'm supervising detention this afternoon in room 220. I want you to come and write a thousand-word essay on what your dreams are for the future and what's so special about you to help you achieve those goals. I want you to toot your own horn. I'm sure that will be all the inspiration I'll need to write a glowing recommendation for you."
"Oh my gosh, thank you! Thank you!" She was gushing with excitement even though she had no idea how she would get the essay finished in just ninety minutes.
"Check with your mom to make sure it's okay for you to stay late." Eva smiled to dismiss her. "I'll be there shortly, so wait outside the classroom for me."
Beth hurried off and Eva finally alone. She didn't have much time to left to herself, so she started to look over the form Beth had given her. She noticed Jill's name listed on the paper as her homeroom teacher.
Jill had been true to her word, mostly. She hadn't tried to reach out to Eva in any way, but she'd been less than professional at work. Eva knew she gossiped about her with some other teachers, but it didn't phase her. Those same women she gossiped with came to Eva and tried to gossip about Jill. Eva never played their game, but it hadn't stopped them from trying to engage her. She'd heard through the grapevine about a steamy kiss that Jill had shared with John. Eva guessed it was an attempt to make her jealous. John was still considered an enemy. If Jill was occupying his time, she was actually doing Eva a favor.
Eva checked her watch and realized she'd been lost in thought for longer than she'd intended. She methodically packed her bags before locking her classroom and heading out. She looked at all the student made advertisements for the upcoming winter dance as she made her way through the hallways. Thanksgiving break was a week away, so she would get a much-welcomed break from the onslaught of teenage drama. The students were mostly tame, but then against she just taught music. She tried to keep things fun and entertaining while educating them about music theory and music history. Even though she was tough, the students responded well because she focused on mainstream music as opposed to the classics.
As she rounded a corner, she heard students yelling. It was still early enough that another teacher should have been around to hear them and diffuse the situation. She wouldn't disagree that teachers were underpaid for the work they were expected to do, but a lot of her coworkers only did the minimal amount of work. They were sending a message to the parents, but it was the kids that suffered.
She walked briskly down the hall and turned another corner. There were two boys yelling back and forth at each other with a third trying to intervene. She recognized Cal Jacobs as the peacemaker. He started out the year giving her trouble and neglecting his assignments, but she worked with him to get him caught up in her class and a few others. He saw that she was actually committed to his success, and he'd been a much better student since then.
"Gentlemen," she called out to them to announce her presence. "This is a school building and not a school yard. We need to use our inside voices." She noted a foul smell as she approached them.
One of the boys turned to walk away, but the other grabbed him by his backpack. "That's enough. Let's keep our hands to ourselves." She was finally close enough that she could speak in a normal voice. She tried to place the faces of the other two boys, but she didn't recognize them. She made it a point to learn names and faces. If they'd been in the arts wing for any classes, she would have known them.
"What seems to be the problem here?" The fouls smell she detected before was even stronger. It had to have been coming from one of the boys. Cal had changed into his football practice gear but didn't look like he'd worked up a sweat. The kid who she took to be the aggressor was clean cut and dressed a little preppy. The kid she took to be the victim was dressed in dark clothes that looked dingy and dirty. His hair was oily and at a quick glace she could see gunk caked under his fingernails. His back was turned to her, so he couldn't see the distressed look she had on her face.
"Can't you smell? I was trying to take this garbage out of here." The kid still hadn't loosened his hold. This kid was either a special kind of jerk or one of his parents was someone important. Most students at least tried to not be villainous while the teachers were around.
"Bryce, dude." Cal only had simple words that were hardly helpful.
"Take your hands off of him right now." Eva looked at him sternly as she spoke in an unwavering tone. The poor kid did smell terrible.
"I just want to go home." The bullied kid pulled away from his tormenter, but he was still holding tight enough so that his backpack flew open. Books, papers, and pens fell to the ground with a familiar sound. It was the harsh sound of metal on a tiled floor that silenced them all.
Eva saw the gun and reacted instantly. She pulled Bryce behind her putting herself between him and the student he'd been bullying. The kid had reached for the gun as his first reaction and now had it aimed at her. She put her hands up to show compliance, but his finger was already on the trigger. One wrong move and it would be over.
"Whoa, whoa. Okay. Let's talk about this. I'm Ms. Williamson, Eva." Eva's voice softened, but she spoke a little louder than normal. There were still people around, so she hoped someone would safely happen upon them and then go for help. She saw the panic, fear, and anger in his eyes. Maybe he was on to her. She was no counselor, but she'd do her best. She just needed to hold out for now.
"Shut up! Shut up!" He backed away from her to keep his distance. If anyone lunged at him, he wanted to be far enough away to react.
Eva just nodded. She didn't speak again until she saw the tears spill down his cheeks. "Could you at least tell me your name? I hope it's not my time, but if it is I'd like to know the name of the man who gets to make that decision." He was clearly just a boy, but she didn't want to do anything that would bruise his ego.
"I just wanted to go home." His voice creaked as he spoke. He tried not to sob but couldn't help himself. "I just wanted to go home." He kept repeating over and over.
"Cain," She couldn't tell who'd whispered it, but one of the boys spoke from behind her.
"Cain, I need you to listen to me. I need you to calm down. I need you to give me the gun." Eva reached out her arm slowly.
"Why?! It doesn't matter anymore. Nothing matters anymore." He'd snapped back to reality and was shouting again.
"That's not true. You matter. Your life matters." Eva put her arm back down slowly. She shouldn't have expected it to end so easily.
"You're full of crap." He put both hands on the gun to steady his aim. "I'm going to go to jail, and I didn't even do anything. I just wanted to go home, but HE wouldn't let me." He refocused his aim on Bryce.
Eva moved again to put herself between them. The boy who'd started this whole mess had been a statue. She was glad that Bryce and Cal were smart enough to just stay still.
"Just move! If I'm going down, I'm at least going to take him with me." He tried to aim at Bryce, but Eva was completely obstructing his view.
"Holy shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean any of that stuff. I was just messing around." Bryce spoke in a weepy voice from behind Eva.
"It's too late for I'm sorry. I begged you to leave me alone, but you never would. Every day. Every day you have made my life a living hell. Now, I'm going to send you there." He took a menacing step forward.
"Cain, Cain, don't do this. Don't throw your life away. I know it hurts now, but it won't always hurt forever. You are stronger than this." Eva took a step backwards. She really didn't have anywhere to go. Bryce and Cal were behind her and there were lockers behind them.
"What do you know about pain? About getting picked on?" He looked her up and down. He hadn't recognized her at first, but he did now. She was the "hot teacher" that all the boys were talking about wanting to sleep with. He knew her type, and he hated her on principle.
"I know a lot, actually. Sure, I was the prom queen, student council president, voted most likely to succeed. That didn't mean that I never got picked on. I used to get picked on a quite a bit too...for being the only black kid in an all white school. It was hard to fit in. I was different in a way that I couldn't change." Eva pulled from memories that weren't her own. She'd never suffered, but Evangeline had. "I had to learn to be comfortable being me. When I wouldn't let their taunting get to me, when I learned to stand up for myself, people stopped laughing. Note everyone. Some people were still jerks. Sometimes kids are jerks. I'd like to say that bullies like Bryce go away, but they don't. They will always be there."
"Thanks, you're just giving me more of a reason to do this." He was pushed to urgency as he heard an alarm. The only other time they sounded that alert was during an active shooter training event. It was only a matter of time now.
"Then let me clarify. If you pull that trigger, he wins. I know he wasn't expecting it to turn out like this, but this is what he wanted. He wanted to see you cry…he wanted to break you." Eva spoke honestly. It wouldn't do any good to sugarcoat the facts. She also recognized the alarm, but she couldn't relax yet. If the cops came in with guns blazing, someone would surely die. "This has to be over now, so please let me help you."
He laughed and took a step to the side. He was still searching for a clean shot on Bryce. He didn't want to shoot Eva, but he would if it came to it. "No one ever helped me! You think I haven't told anyone about him bullying me? No one cares! Hell, even now you're protecting him."
"I'm protecting all of you! That's my job. I'm sorry that you reached out for help and it wasn't given to you. I wish you would have known to come to me. I would have put a stop to it. I'm here now, though. I saw what was going on, and I didn't just walk away." Eva's back was pressed against Bryce's body. She could feel him quivering. If he hadn't learned a lesson before, he might have learned one now. "How about we let Bryce and Cal go? We can keep on talking. Just the two of us."
"He stays. He can go." He motioned between Bryce and Cal.
"Okay. That's a good start. Cal, you put your hands up and you walk out of here, slowly." Eva hoped that he wouldn't try to stay and play hero. When she glanced over her shoulder, he was already complying. She moved with Bryce behind her to shield Cal just in case Cain changed his mind.
"You can go to Ms. Williamson. This is just between us."
She smiled at him patiently. "I can't do that, Cain. If you shoot him, they'll shoot you. I want us all to walk out of here." She glanced over her shoulder again and Cal was out of sight. 'One down,' she thought.
"You keep saying that like I'm ever going to be free again. I'm fucked. I already know it."
"Life has consequences. You brought a gun to school, but you haven't used it. That's going to count for something. You give me the gun and it's going to count for a whole lot more." Eva knew the squat teams were moving in to place now. If she couldn't get him to give her the gun, they would shoot him on the spot. "Or we can just let Bryce go?"
He paused and waited for a minute. "Get out of here, Bryce. For the rest of your life, you'd better remember that I spared you."
"Hands up, Bryce. Walk out of here slowly." Eva let go of the grip she had on him. She'd shielded him the same way that she had Cal. She could hear fast footsteps and knew he was running. She couldn't blame him. "Cain, you did the right thing. I'm so proud of you." Eva's heart was pounding so loud that she could barely hear her own thoughts. "I just need you to do one more thing. I need you to give me the gun." Eva stepped in closer to him and he allowed it. "It's going to be okay. I'm going to help you through this."
She was almost close enough to take the gun. She was just a step away. Her brain barely had time to register the sound of the shot.