February 21st 2022
Chapter 52
Our Return to Activities
This wasn't the kind of surprise she was going to be able to maintain all the way to the end of the day. At this point, it was a miracle that only one member of the student body was aware that this was the day when she would return to class, especially for how many of them were either related to her in some shape or form, through family, friends, or colleagues, or otherwise prone to run into her. Ella knew, yes, but she was her daughter. She could have tried to keep it a surprise from her, too, but she would be graduating so soon… Maya needed one more chance to include her on the family side and not to leave her in the dark like every other student.
After dropping Marianne off, Maya's next stop was to pick up Ella from her apartment. Now they were off to school as she recounted the busy morning they'd already had, with the triplets' 'surprise,' and then the drop off at the preschool, the showing of the fort… Ella went on to tell her mother about how Tori had a nightmare and woke everyone up in the middle of the night with her crying. It had taken Khalil's stepping in to tell her a story before she'd finally gone back to sleep. As he'd told Ella and Phoebe, it was a story his mother used to tell him and his sister when they were little. It never failed.
When they arrived, the Grandpa cart was rolled out and loaded with the boxes of diaries, which Ella insisted on leading into the building, 'for Dad's peace of mind.'
"So, about this whole no one else knowing you're coming back thing…" Ella told her as they neared the classroom. Maya looked at her.
"Who did you tell?"
"I didn't tell anyone," Ella promised. "But, well, the quiz team…" she gestured ahead, and Maya gasped. No, she'd forgotten… They had started meeting up to study together most mornings. Rather than meeting in the library, they had been given access to what they highly regarded as Born Curious HQ: the art room.
"Well… They won't say anything," Maya finally shrugged. It wasn't as though she'd get much more than her seniors completely by surprise, but one could hope for a small miracle… for fun.
"Maya!" Lea was the first to see her coming through the door, and she moved so fast that her stool nearly toppled to the ground before Ava caught it and stood it back up. The team's captain was already hurrying up to her cousin and hugging her. "Wait," she suddenly paused, less squeezing and just holding. "Are you Maya right now or Mrs. Friar?"
"The second one," Maya smirked, and Lea sprang back, standing a bit more casually as she faced her teacher but nonetheless very happy.
"You're back? Why didn't you say anything?" she asked, only to answer her own question. "Right, it's a surprise," she nodded, paused, and moved to shut the door, obscuring the windowpane, so it was now just the six of them. Rosemary was the next one up, and she looked like she would have hugged her, too, but then thought better of it.
"Did you hear? A girl is coming to stay with my family in a few weeks. She's staying until the end of the year."
"It's official now?" Maya asked her, and Rosemary nodded. Last she'd heard, they were discussing it, but with Lucas' meeting this morning, it looked like everything was in order. She'd likely be hearing more in the following days, especially if this girl would be taking art with her.
"Good thing I was here now, I won't be in school this afternoon," Nika gave her a small smile as she came up to her.
"Doctor's appointment?" Maya guessed, and the girl nodded, revealing that Theo was coming to pick her up and take her to the clinic. "Still taking the bus otherwise?" She was. "Well, now that I'm back, will you let me pick you up and drive you home until you have the baby? Just in case?"
Nika wasn't going to argue with the offer. She was already trying to figure out how she was going to work things out, if she should stay home from school, the closer she got to her due date. If going in labor on a bus didn't sound appealing, going into labor in the middle of class was no better.
"Hey…" Maya smiled as she turned to see Ava had made her way over to join her teammates.
"Hey," she replied with a tip of the head. Oh, she had mellowed since she'd gone to stay with her uncle. It wasn't a big mellow, she was still on the whole a bit infuriating to most, but she was getting to the point nowadays where it just got to feel that maybe, if you didn't take her at direct face value, you could recognize that she was not holding herself nearly as closed off as she used to… especially around those who mattered to her. And Maya Friar mattered to Ava Nash. She mattered a great deal. "Welcome back, Mrs. Friar."
"Thank you, Miss Nash," Maya squinted at her and smiled.
The surprise return fared a lot better than she'd anticipated, at least so far as the morning went. She'd been mostly certain of managing it with her seniors in first period, and she did, even if by the start of the class two of them knew she was there. She had briefly considered hiding in the supply closet and just sort of leaping out when the bell had rung, but she'd decided against it. Better that she just be right there, at the start of the period, as though she'd never left. The students started to arrive, and as much as most of them had always shown themselves to like her, she really saw it here. Oh, they were so happy that she was back before they were gone… The feeling was mutual.
After them, following a free period she did spend mostly in the supply closet (to confirm what she had and what she needed, she'd say, but mostly to keep herself from checking on the girls every five minutes now that she had no one around her), the sophomores started to arrive. She had no concerns as to whether or not Ava would tell anyone that she was back. The girl had one of the best poker-faces around. As such, when her classmates started to arrive, they were just as thrilled. Olivia Zhu was surprised, but only halfway, as she proclaimed that she 'totally knew it' while allowing herself to hug her bandmate/friend/teacher. Kelsey Farrell had the look of one who was stuck between being completely and genuinely thrilled to see one teacher back while also lamenting the departure of another. She had loved Barton Day, too. He wasn't the only Day around here she was fond of. She was also part of the knitting club, with Michelle Day.
It had been running since fall, since the start of this year, and it had been a very appreciated addition to the roster of clubs and other activities at their school. They had a solid group of students, with boys and girls alike though a majority of girls, getting together on their lunch break. Some of them already knew how to knit, at varying levels of skill, but most were only beginners, never having picked up a single needle in their lives. Michelle had shown herself a very efficient instructor, enough that by the time Christmas rolled around, they'd been able to have their first project. Already by now, two months later, Maya would see how they'd significantly surpassed the capacities they'd had back then. And just this morning, she'd seen a handful of those club members either in her class or out in the halls, pulling out whatever they were working on at the moment. They were only allowed plastic needles while they were at school, after someone had complained about the potential use of the others. Most everyone had found the notion silly, but for the sake of the club, they'd gone along with the demand.
She didn't have to go looking for the club. They'd been using her classroom the entire time, Mr. and Mrs. Day sharing the space for the last several months and also the club, to some degree, seeing as he was also a knitter. They both showed up that day, if only for the lunch period, seeing as he didn't have another substitute post just yet. It was a wonder that Anton had shown up this morning, looking just as surprised to see her there instead of his father as his classmates. He'd been really glad for it. He loved his father, of course, but he much preferred having him only in that role and not as his teacher. It was just weird. When Maya pointed out to him that, for all they knew, she might need his services again before he graduated, he looked like he hadn't considered it, and he was exasperated. Maya had barely resisted chuckling.
"Welcome back," Michelle Day greeted her with a good hug when she and her husband arrived, lugging a bag of materials each. The way she looked at her when they pulled back, oh… She understood exactly where her head was at today, no explanation needed. "If you need us to relocate to another room now that you're back…"
"It's fine," Maya assured her. "If I need the room at any time, I will let you know ahead of time, I promise. Obviously, there's the quiz team, but other than that, it should be fine."
The arrival of the knitting club meant that Maya's 'surprise return' was sprung on a few more of her students and possibly guaranteed that the word would spread by the time the freshmen or juniors came around. That was fine. They'd still be as excited as the ones she saw now. Nika would have been here, if not for the fact that Theo had already picked her up for her appointment. But Cody Marshall was here, to her surprise. The boy had continued to be somewhere in the lower tier, as far as she'd gotten to interact with him, in his diary. In his pages, he did the assignments, and it wasn't as though he didn't put any effort into his work, but he gave the bare minimum, regardless of the assignment. He wasn't really using his imagination, or trying anything new… He was one of those she was looking to pay more attention to now that she was back. Barton had tried his hand with him, but now it was her turn.
"How's it been? Being here?" Maya asked the Days. She hadn't let herself ask the question, not until she was back, but it was hard not to wonder. Even after two years, Lambert's ghost still felt present to her sometimes, being here, so she could imagine, when it came to his parents… She could see his drawing up on the wall if she just lifted her eyes beyond their heads.
"Harder in the beginning, better now," Michelle admitted with a nod she shared with her husband. "Oh, but, you know, being with the kids in here all these months has helped… more than I can begin to explain," she told her. Maya could see so much gratitude in both of their eyes for that, and it made her smile and nod. They could not have asked for more, and Maya was really glad for them. They had been through something no parent would ever wish on another, something that would resonate right back on to them when they hadn't even gone through it themselves. To see them thriving like this…
"You're staying with us, right?" she asked, turning to Barton, referring to the knitting club. He swore he would, as long as he could, but she had to join them, too. She smiled, promising to be there.
TO BE CONTINUED
See you tomorrow! - mooners
