"...Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now..." the words to the Lady Antebellum song, "Need You Now" played faintly through the speakers of Alexis' car. She was heading off to her first day of work, but she wasn't as excited as she thought she would be. She couldn't get her mind off the conversation she had with Faye a few days ago. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. She wanted to take Faye's advice, but she didn't want to ruin her and her Dad's relationship. She turned off the radio as the song ended, pulling into the parking lot behind the school.
She turned off her car, grabbing a red bag off the seat next to her and walked inside the school, making sure that her car was locked. She walked up to her classroom in the almost empty school, the sound of her heels muffled by the thin rug on the floor.
After hooking her Dell laptop up to her smart board, she checked the clock, noticing that it was not 7:50, and students and their parents would be arriving soon. She sighed, brushing her hair out of her face and adjusting her white button-up shirt.
The first family walked in and Alexis walked over to them.
"Hi, I'm Ms. Castle. What's your name?" She asked the little girl.
"Ashwyn Jones." She told Alexis, looking at the ground.
"Ashlyn, because you're the first one here, you get to pick where you sit. You can sit any where you want." Alexis told the little girl, a friendly smile on her face.
The small blonde girl nodded and walked over to a desk in the front row, not letting go of her mothers hand. The mother helped the girl take her backpack off as she sat in her desk.
"Hey Ash, I'm gonna talk to your teacher for a minute, why don't you read?" the mother asked, handing the little girl a Dr. Seuss book out of her backpack. Ashlyn nodded, and her mother stood up straight, walking over to Alexis' desk with her.
"She's just a little shy. She's got two twin brothers who are five years older then her, so she really doesn't have any one to play with at home, I'm hoping she'll make friends."
"I'm sure she will. There are about twenty kids in our class." Alexis said with a nod.
"Ms. Castle, I don't want to sound rude, but you look very young, are you old enough to be teaching?"
Alexis chuckled.
"I'm fully qualified. I've always been an over achiever, I graduated high-school early and enrolled at Columbia, and well, here I am." she said with a smile as two families walked in the classroom. "Excuse me, she said walking over to them. She introduced herself, and met the three kids, Janice and Julia Kalia twin girls with the prettiest red hair, much like Alexis' was when she was that age and David Hunter, who had jett black hair.
About a half hour later, all the kids had come in, leaving only a few empty desks. A couple of kids had already seemed to form friendships, which made what parents that were standing in the back quiet happy.
The bell rang, causing a few people to jump, but Alexis stood up, walking to the front of the classroom.
"Hi everyone! I'm your teacher, Ms. Castle, and I'd like to welcome you to your first day of kindergarten. Now, I've talked to you all, and I noticed that some of you have talked to each other, but I want all of us to get to know everyone, so, I'd like it if all of you could come and sit in a circle on this red carpet." Alexis said, pointing to the red rug she was standing on.
It took a minute for all of them to walk over and sit down, but when they all sat down looking up at Alexis, she sat down cross-legged, just like them.
"Alright, I'll start, and we can work around the circle." The group nodded, and Alexis smiled. "I'm Ms. Castle, My full name is Alexis Castle, uhm, my Dad is a writer my Mom an actress, growing up my parents were divorced so I lived with my Dad and Grandma. I like to read and I spend a lot of time with my Dad's Fiancee and her friends from work." Alexis said with a nod. She looked to her left and put her hand on the shoulder of a little boy. "Why don't you go next?" she asked him. He looked up at her an nodded.
"I'm Jackson Hutcherson.. I live with my Mom, my Dad dies before I was born in a car accident, and sometimes my Mom cries herself to sleep at night. I like baseball and I counting numbers. Mom says I'm gonna be a mathematician when I get older! I don't know what that is, but it sounds cool!" he said proudly, and Alexis knew that he was not at all shy.
The girl next to him looked at Alexis with a look that seemed to ask if she was supposed to go, Alexis nodded, and the small girl looked at the ground as she talked.
"I'm Vanessa Jayde Jackson. I live with my Mommy and Daddy, my older sisters Ella, Viviann, and Sam. I want to be just like them, 'cuz they all dance, and uh, my aunt owns a dance school, and she- she told me I could join when I start school, so I get to go there every Monday and... The fourth day." She said, forgetting what day that was. Alexis chuckled as the next girl started talking.
"I'm Julia Kalia! I live with my Mom, Dad, my sister Janice, and my cousin David. He has to live with us because his mommy and daddy are in the, uh, Air Forks! Me and my sister Janice look EXACTLY the same, and we have the same birthday! Mommy says that's because we are twins, which I think is super awesome." she said with a nod.
"I'm Janice Kawia, I live with Momma, Dad, Julia and David. This is my sister Julia.." she nudged her twin, who was sitting next to her. I like to play hopscotch with her, even though I can't count. David has to do it for me."
It continued on, through 15 little kids, a lot of them really shy, but some were really out going. Just as the third to last girl was about to go, Alexis' classroom door opened, and the school's special education director, Mr. Dans, walked in with a little blonde girl in a red skirt and white shirt, and what Alexis assumed was her Dad. Alexis stood up, and told the group to keep introducing themselves. She walked away from her students.
"Mr. Dans." she said with a nod.
"Alexis, this is Alianna Demming, she's one of your students, but she's autistic and on an iep plan, so she will be working with me for a little bit each day." Alexis nodded.
"This is her Father, Tom Demming, we will need to meet with him or her mother every once in a while to discuss the iep plan." Alexis nodded, wondering why his name sounded so familiar. "Mr. Demming, this is Alexis Castle, as I explained she is your daughters teacher. Don't be fooled by how young she is, she is fully qualified for the job." Mr. Dans said with a chuckle.
"I'll let you get back to your class, I think they've finished what ever they were doing." he told her, walking out of the room. Alexis looked over her shoulder at the group of kids who were now either talking or staring at her.
"Miss Castle, I'm hoping that she can make friends. She's my first and only kid and I'd hate for her to be alone throughout school just because of her disability." Demming to her.
"I'm sure she will make friends, I can take her over now to introduce herself just like I had the other kids do, if you'd like, you can stay here. Some parents did, but I think most of them have left now." Alexis told him. He nodded, bending down ti Alianna and telling her something. She hesitantly walked over to Alexis and followed her over to the group of students.
"Alianna, why don't you sit right here by Jackson and Abi, okay?" Alianna nodded and sat down.
"Everyone, this is Alianna. Alianna, why don't you tell us about yourself?" she nodded.
"I'm Awi, and I have my Mommy and Daddy and, they- they catch bad guys ewery day so I spend a wot of time with my Gran and we- we pway games." she didn't take her eyes off the floor the whole time she was talking.
"Thank you, Ali." Alexis said with a smile and she looked up at the clock, seeing that it was almost 9, and time for morning recess. "Okay everyone, it's almost time to go out for morning recess. I'm going to give you all a "special task" to complete, think you can do that for me?" Most of the kids nodded, some of them looked unsure, though.
"I'm going to give you all a "buddy" and they are going to be your recess buddy for today. I want you guys to play with each other. Be friends!" Alexis said with a smile.
She paired the group up, and they started talking to each other, mostly about what they were going to do.
"Hey, Abigale.." Alexis said as she walked over to her friend's daughter, who she had paired up with Alianna.
"Yes, Lexis?"
"First, Abi, you can't call me Lexis here, this is school, okay?" the little girl nodded, looking a little sad. "You know how I paired you up with Alianna, well, I was hoping that I could put her in the desk next to you? She might have a hard time making friends, and I know that you'll be nice to her?" Abigale nodded, and skipped back over to Alianna. Alexis smiled as she heard the little girl introduce herself.
"Hi! I'm Abigale, but my Mommy calls me Gale, and sometimes her friend calls me Abi. Do you want to be my best friend?" Alexis didn't here the girls response because the bell rang just then, and it was quiet loud.
"Okay everyone, I'm going to have you line up in two lines next to your partner and I'll walk you out to the playground. Remember; when the bell rings I want you all to come and find me. I'll be outside. "
She lead the group to the play ground and watched them run off with their partners to the playground, but she watched as Ali and Abigale walked over to the bucket of jump ropes sitting on the black top.
Fifteen minutes later, the bell rang, and all the older kids ran inside, but the kindergarteners all ran and found their teachers who were talking to each other.
She lead her class back inside, and started them on their first lesson, which was writing. She handed them all pencils and papers and asked them to try and write the letters she had projected on the smart board.
[ - - - ]
At lunch, she walked the kids to the cafeteria, and showed those who brought their lunch with them where to sit, and then walked over to the students who would need help getting the school food. She helped each of them type in their personal numbers, and told them to get their tray, milk and a piece of fruit, then wait by the wall for her to show them where to sit. After all the students had their lunch, she walked over to the table and told them that they could go through the double doors by the trash cans to go outside to play until the bell rang, and she would be outside waiting for them.
Most of them nodded, and she smiled, walking back to her class room to eat her lunch. When she got there she took her phone out of her bag, along with a bag of celery sticks and sliced apples, and say down at her chair, turning her phone on.
When it turned on fully, she saw that she had four new text messages.
To Alexis: From Fayabella – Hey girly, so, I just saw you, but couldn't really TALK to you because everyone was trying to talk to you and all that jazz, just wanted to say good luck, and give abigale a hard time. (:
To Alexis: From Kate – Have fun at work today Lex, would've you know, told you this this morning, but got a case pretty early!
To Alexis: From Kevin. – (1 /2) Alexis, I'm sitting at work running financial records on our vic, and I decided that I should wish you luck today, even though I know you aren't going to need it. You'll do great and everyone will love you.
To Alexis: From Kevin. – (2 /2) If we close this case, maybe we can get something to eat tonight? Call me when you get the chance and I'll let you know how it's coming along..?
Alexis smiled as she leaned back in her chair, hitting the call back number on her phone and putting her phone to her ear.
"Oh, hello." she heard from the other end
"So.. I just read your message." Alexis said into her phone, taking a bite of an apple slice.
"Yeah, this case was super boring and super easy."
"You finished it?"
"Yeah, second guy we brought in did it. Turns out he didn't mean to kill her."
"I see."
"So hows work?"
"It's really great. There is the sweetest autistic girl, says her Mom and Dad 'catch bad guys every day', I thought of you guys."
"Really? That's adorable."
"Yeah, and she has the prettiest name, but her last name sounds so familiar, I don't know from where though."
"What is it?"
"Alianna, Alianna Demming."
"Her Dad Tom Demming?"
"Yeah.."
"He's a robbery detective, Espo's friend, went out with Beckett for a little bit."
"Oh. I don't know him, first time I saw him was today. Maybe I heard my Dad talk about him or something." Alexis looked at her clock, seeing that the half-hour lunch was almost over.
"Hey, so, I'm gonna have to go make sure that all my students are outside and bring them in in a minute." She said, throwing away the empty ziplock bag.
"So, tonight, we can grab some dinner?
"Sounds good. Want me to pick you up? I'm off at four." Alexis asked, standing up.
"Sure, that works."
"Alright, at your place, or the precinct?"
"Hum, the Precinct? 4:30? Captain isn't in today, so I can slip out a little early."
"Okay, I'll see you then. I really have to go now, the bell is literally about to ring, and I have to meet the kids outside."
"Kay, see you later, Lex."
Alexis hung up her phone sliding it in her desk drawer and walking to the cafeteria to make sure that no one was in there, and then she walked outside, right as the bell rang.
[ - - - ]
Alexis shut off her computer, unplugging it from the outlet behind her desk and wrapping the cord up and placing it in her bag, and putting her bag on her shoulder. She picked her black laptop up and put it in the case before putting that over her shoulder and walking out of the class room, pulling her phone out of her back pocket. She checked the time, seeing that it was 4:05.
She got in her car, but before starting it, she sent a text message to Ryan.
To Kevin: From Alexis. – Hey, I'm just leaving the school. Takes about twenty minutes to drive there in traffic, so I'll be there soon. (:
she hit send and put her phone in the cup-holder and started her car, pulling out of the parking lot.
When she pulled up in front of the precinct, she picked up her phone checking her messages, seeing a new one from Kevin.
To Alexis: From Kevin – Okay, Beckett left early, and Espo's going down to see Laine(which means he'll be down there for a while) she when you get here just come up.
She pulled around to the guest parking, putting her car in park before turning it off. She made her way up to the homicide department. When she got out of the elevator, she walked over to Detective Ryan's desk, her heels clicking on the hard floor.
"Workin' hard?" she asked him and he looked up.
"Of course." he chuckled.
"Ready to go?"
"Yeah, just a sec." he said, clicking his mouse. Alexis assumed that it was him closing the windows and shutting his computer down. He stood up, grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair and putting it on.
"Shall we go?" Alexis nodded, and they started walking towards the elevator.
They got down to Alexis' car, and she pulled out of the parking lot.
"So what are you thinking to eat?
"Food sounds delicious."
Alexis chuckled and shook her head.
"Pizza or burgers?"
"Burgers."
Alexis nodded and made a left towards Remy's.
After they ordered their food, they walked over to a table and sat down to eat.
They ate their food in silence, but when they finished the detective looked up at Alexis and tilted his head to the left.
"Hey Alexis, I have a question for you."
"Ask away." Alexis said, crossing her arms over the table.
"I saw what your friend Faye did to your facebook..."
"Oh.." Alexis looked down at her lap.
"Don't shoot me or anything... but I was wondering what you saw... us as?"
Alexis looked up at him, a confused expression on her face.
"Firstly, YOU are the one with the gun here, not me. And second, I really like you, Kevin. Like, a lot. Maybe even more then I liked Ashley." She told him. She looked at his eyes, biting her bottom lip.
"And I really like you, 'Lexis."
"Then.. do we go there?" Alexis asked hesitantly.
"Do you want to?" He asked her, obviously slightly nervous. Alexis nodded, looking in her lap again.
"Er, yeah, I think so." she whispered, looking up.
"Me too." He said with a smile. Alexis smiled at him, and took a drink from the near empty cup by her.
"Now, we have a problem." She said, setting the cup down.
"And that would be?" he asked her as he stood up, gathering their trash.
"Who gets to tell my Dad?" she asked, standing up. They walked over to the trash, throwing their stuff in the trash can.
Alexis walked out to her car, Ryan right beside her. She hit the button on her remote to unlock the door and reached down to open her door, but before she could open it, Detective Ryan bent down and kissed her softly.
Authors Note: Hey everyone, how's your Tuesday going? Mine's pretty boring, actually. I spent the last hour and a half typing this up!
How you guys feeling about this chapter, it's by far the longest one yet, almost 8 pages on open office, and 3,439 words!
I kind of go carried away at the beginning having the students introducing themselves. What do you think about the little Demming? (Note: Here we use iep plans for students with learning disabilities, I don't know if that's just a state thing or if it's national, or even you know, world wide.) I have a story plan to come for that one, so I'm hoping that none of you just over looked that, because it will be awesome, trust me!
I realized that I'm going to have to start outlining more chapters, I only have up to 7 figured out right now, and that's just around the corner!
Anyway, I decided that I would type up a list of all Alexis' students for future reference, and if any of you want to see who they were, I will post them below.
1. Ashlyn Jones
2. Julia Kalia
3. Janice Kalia
4. Jackson Hutcherson
5. Vanessa Jackson
7. David Hunter
6. Chandler Steven
8. Jenyssa Green
9. Austin Binter
10. Rosa Lopez
11. Emily Crazen
12. Destiny Holt
13. Jay Munks
14. Jeff Charmical
15. Thomas Dean
16. Nicholas James
17. Daze Fillup
18. Finn Chance
19. Rebekah Hanson
20. Envy Simms
21. Abigale Sevilla
22. Alianna Demming
Now this document is almost at nine pages, but still, I just decided you know.. to throw that in.
Leave a review, let me know what you think! (: