ALLY:
I was at Starbucks making a customer an iced coffee and I handed them their drink. I felt my one of my coworkers, Terra Miller, accidentally bump into me.
"Sorry, Ally,"
she said to me,
"I didn't see you."
I said,
"Oh it's all good, Terra. Don't worry about it."
Terra said,
"Well, it seems like someone's in a good mood today."
I said,
"Yes, I am. I have a new neighbor, who I really, really like, and today, I guess I kind of got rewarded for the mind numbing episode of grading papers all weekend because someone left me a Victoria's Secret gift card for a hundred bucks and a scented candle."
"Sounds super boyfriend-y if you ask me."
I said,
"I know. I don't know who gave me such nice gifts."
Terra giggled.
"Maybe it was that new neighbor."
"It could be, I don't know. But I wish I knew who it was so I could thank them."
Just then, I heard my boss, Diana, scream in her southern dialect,
"FUCK YEAH! I'M GOING TO BE AN AUNTIE! I'LL BE AUNTIE DIANA BITCHES!"
I walked into her office and asked,
"What's going on, Diana?"
She seemed very happy.
"My baby sister is a-having babies! I can't believe it! IT'S JUST FUCKING PEACHY KEEN!"
"Niece or nephew?"
"Both in one fell swoop. MY SISTER'S HAVING TWINS!"
I said,
"Congrats!"
She said,
"Thanks! You and them other employees, y'all can skidaddle on back home so I can seem my people, my mama, my daddy, then nusses and them doctors at hospital!"
"Are you sure?"
"That, and we haven't had that many customers today."
I said,
"OK then."
I got back home to my apartment and looked through my mailbox to find a gift card to for fifty dollars. Who was leaving me all these gifts? Whoever was doing it must really like me. I put the card in my bag with my Victoria's Secret card and the cotton candy scented candle and I felt a tap on my back- it was Austin. He grinned at me and said to me,
"Hey, gorgeous!"
I said,
"Hi!"
I embraced him tightly and he embraced me back. He gave the warmest hugs I'd ever had. He folded some of my hair, that I had just let down from a ponytail (when I was at Starbucks, I had to wear my hair up to avoid getting food in it), behind my ear and was staring at my face with crystal clear deep infatuation. His hands were as soft as a baby's ass. Just wondering, would a guy who used moisturizer be considered gay?
I had nothing whatsoever against homosexuals in anyway, it was just one thing I was curious about. He asked me,
"So, what happened at work today?"
I said,
"Well, over the weekend, I graded all my papers within three days, even though it was a very mundane ordeal, and I had to make Danny Fonda, the seventh grader who wrote such an egregious paper that admitted that he didn't even give a rat's ass about the book or if he failed my class and said-"
I whispered,
"I had too many tampons stuck in my lady area and I could suck the dicks of drunk maggots for all the shits he gave."
Maggot was a euphemism for what he was really saying. I didn't use the F word, or any racist, sexist, ableist (you know, like the R word. I had actually taught a few kids with Autism, ADHD, Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Dyslexia and even Down's Syndrome. I actually had a dyslexic eighth grader in my second period. And she was on the honor role. Whenever she wrote a paper or did her homework, it was like that scene in A Christmas Story where Ralphie had his fantasy after writing his theme about wanting a red ryder bebe gun for christmas and his teacher Ms. Shields acclaimed his theme) or homophobic slurs. I brought my voice up again.
"I had to make him stay after class. And it was pretty obvious he really didn't care about the paper at all. He's also in eighth grade, so this is unacceptable for him."
"He should know better than to write papers like that. My inmates have followed rules more than him, well most of them."
"With him, things go in one ear and out the other. What happened with you at that juvie center?"
Austin said,
"Well, one of the inmates was smoking pot when he was supposed to be picking up garbage, and our new inmate, she noticed him smoking the joint, and she told him that it was against the rules and he made a rape threat to her."
I gasped.
"That's horrible! Please don't tell me he got away with it!"
Austin said,
"Oh he's not getting away with it. I suspended his privileges for two weeks, and I told him that if he did anything like that again, I'd call his parole officer. We have to do that when the inmates drink, use drugs or bully other inmates."
I asked,
"Do you like your job?"
He giggled.
"Well, at times, the detainees can get a little uncontrolable, but all Doug, who's my boss, and I want to do is not just punish them, but also help them re-establish the difference between right and wrong. Yes, I do like my job."
I said,
"I'm glad you do something you like. Just like I like teaching, despite my students' rudeness and disrespect."
Austin smiled.
"I think that it's important to do something that you love. Hey, are you busy right now?"
I felt that tingly feeling in my gut as he put his baby-soft hand on my hand.
"No. My hours at Starbucks were cut short today because my boss went to go see her sister in the hospital who is having babies."
"Do you want to come over for some wine and dinner?"
At that moment, fireworks went off in me. It was like the scene in the Lizzie McGuire Valentine's Day special where Ronnie, Lizzie's crush, told her that he told some of the kids at his school that she was his girlfriend. Lizzie McGuire was one of my favorite childhood shows. A big smile spread across my face.
"I would love that."
He mocked a british accent which was really attractive.
"Then come along, m'lady."
And then he kissed my hand and it gave me a bubbling feeling. It felt weird to know someone was in love with me…. And I kind of liked it.
Ooh, Austin finally made a move! I think Ally's going to find out who gave her those very sweet and romantic gifts soon *smirks*. I think by the end of the book, they're going to be head over heels in love :) Not even I know what's going to be on the rollercoaster that leads to them being so in love, and I'm writing it, but it will end with some major Auslly!