January 3rd 2023

Chapter 3
We Discover New Possibilities

When the sophomores had gone on their way, Maya found herself with a free period once again before lunch would be upon them. She could have stuck around her classroom again and waited to go meet up with some of the other teachers for what was likely to be a very lively conversation after the morning they'd had. Instead, she decided to wander away from her own room, the better to direct herself toward another where, on that morning, another new hire was making her debut. This one, she was glad to say, had been the last hire out of 'the old guard,' and that was just as well. She had a feeling that, faced with plaster-smile Sandra Davenport, their new French teacher would have forgotten she spoke the language at all.

Instead, just now, she was in the midst of introductions with her class of intermediary freshmen, those who weren't coming in with a blank slate and were thus able to discuss in French to some degree. If any of these kids or the beginners were in any way anxious at the thought of starting high school, of being in a new school, they could have found no one better to sympathize with them than their new French teacher. Even after a decade since the day she'd made her freshman debut, Stella Buckley had not forgotten the feelings she'd felt, sending her fleeing and flying into hiding like a shy bird.

For all that, she was here, a young woman no longer prone to hiding herself away. She had lost those tendencies… most of them… but she had not lost an inch of the kindness that had always been underneath, the kindness and the passion for all she did. She'd taken her first steps as a teacher when she'd replaced Maya in her maternity leave with Mackenzie, in the class where she'd once felt most at ease, and to see her here, now, it truly felt like she'd come along with the singular mission to be that kind of teacher, to give that kind of space, to other kids today and for years to come. Maya had sought to do the same herself, once upon a time, and she strongly believed that if anyone could do it, Stella would.

She wasn't subtle enough in her observations as to remain unseen, and soon Stella not only spotted her and smiled but motioned for her to enter. She wouldn't be sitting with her freshmen until after lunch, so none of these kids – if they were in her class – knew who she was, but Stella took care of introducing her. When she did, she didn't just identify her as the art teacher. Instead, she very openly and warmly identified her as her favorite teacher and the one who'd inspired her choice of career.

"If you were trying to make me cry on the first day, you came really close," Maya smiled as, once the period ended and the kids had hurried off to the cafeteria, she and Stella walked arm in arm out of the French class and toward the art room.

"I meant it though," Stella smiled back, and right there, Maya could hear her little shy bird as clear as day.

"I know," she promised, beaming.

Morgan had already texted with a promise that her husband was on his way with an order out of Ma Maggie's 'for five,' which Maya rightly took to mean a count for the two of them and fellow muse/drama teacher Miranda, along with Dylan and their new colleague Stella. While they waited for the food and the rest of the group, it felt like both Maya and Stella wanted to talk about The Big News of the day but knew to wait for the others. So, they did their best to find other worthy subjects. They did not lack in those.

"Can teachers join the knitting club?" Stella wondered as she slowly walked around the classroom, looking at the artwork on display.

"I'm sure that Michelle would be happy to have you," Maya chuckled. This did seem like something right up her alley. Plus, well… Davenport may not have been the one to hire Stella, but they were both here now, and she had a feeling like it wouldn't take long at all, if they clashed, for Stella to internalize it. Knitting would be as good of an outlet as any.

"I can knit, but I've done more crochet…"

"Well, you could bring that in," Maya suggested with renewed enthusiasm. Stella's smile told her that she kind of liked the sound of that. "Speaking of clubs. Cory and I have been talking about the quiz team." She tried not to smirk, seeing how Stella still looked uneasy at calling one of her former teachers by their first name. "Last year, when I was looking to recruit a new freshman, I went back down the line of trying to recruit out of my class. It's always easier to look in here, but I still hate to think that there's… all these other kids out there who would not only be perfect for it but would benefit from it." Stella knew – as a former member and former captain – how this was all part of what the team had always been about.

"So, what are you going to do?" she asked.

"We want to have two teams, our same Born Curious team, with Rolly, Maia, Lydia, and a freshman, and then another… non-artistic team. Cory and I will continue to advise, but we figured we'll do better with a third advisor," Maya could feel her explanation slow down, as she was getting to the point and hoping that Stella was catching on. She could see it coming together in her head now; she looked stunned. "I realize this is your first year and you're only starting out, but if we're going to bring anyone in then who better than a former captain, right?" she smiled. Stella smiled back. "Look, you've got time to think about it. Rolly's captain now, and he's very much like his sister in a lot of ways…" she explained, now making Stella chuckle. She and Rochelle had been teammates, she knew exactly what Maya was talking about. "But we've got a few weeks to…"

"I'll do it," Stella cut in. Maya gave her a look. Was she sure? "I can find some good candidates, too," she promised. She was sure.

"I'm sure you can. Cory can help you," Maya nodded. Stella gave another little flinch. "Say it," Maya whispered conspiratorially. "Cory…"

Stella was rescued from rebranding 'Mr. Matthews' in her head by the ping of a message on her former teacher and new colleague's phone. Maya reflexively took it out and looked, figuring it might have been Lucas or Melinda or one of the kids' schools…

"Portia…" she smiled to herself. Off Stella's clueless look, she quickly caught her up on her connection with Portia Keller, granddaughter to Broadway megastar Porter McNeeley. Stella had heard bits and pieces of the story in the time since she'd met the man in New York, but she'd never heard of the fifteen-year-old Colorado songwriter or of the work she and Maya had been doing together, from a distance and then together, once, over the summer.

The project was still barely in its infancy, but the more time they'd had to think about it and talk about it… Maya had put forth this idea with the girl who would just now be starting her own freshman year in high school. She was a songwriter, didn't want to be a singer, and that was fine. So, what if Maya sang her songs? They would do an album together, songs by Portia, performed by Maya, and from there she was sure that the girl's dreams would be given traction to soar. She hadn't made up her mind yet, but Maya had insisted she take her time, as long as it took. If she decided she wanted to do it, take the plunge, all she had to do was say 'go.' And that day, in a very short text message, she did.

"She reminds me a lot of you when you first walked into this room, you know?" Maya told Stella with a smirk, which made the French teacher beam with pride and affection. She'd be pleased to meet the girl when she'd get the chance. For now, they had a project to plan… At least, not now now…

"I heard a very interesting rumor earlier," Maya grinned when Dylan came along, Miranda right behind him. The two of them had been friends for more than half of their lives, plenty long enough for Dylan to meet Maya's tone with amused apprehension, waiting for the friendly dig she was clearly about to take at him.

"And what was that?" he asked, showing that he was game.

"Something about you breaking out your dancing feet with the sophomores?" Maya inquired, grinning. "Gym teacher, basketball coach, cheerleading choreographer?" she listed off as both Stella and Miranda quietly chuckled.

"Hey, it was either that or lose them for the whole period," Dylan shrugged, and Maya graciously accepted this.

"How about a demonstration?" Miranda asked, much to Maya's approval.

Dylan, as ever, was more than game, and so when Morgan arrived with the food, she came upon him sharing his 'routine' to his captive audience of three, Maya recording the whole thing on her phone.

"What..." Morgan blinked, with a smirk unable to keep from rising; it was Dylan dancing after all.

"Oh, hey, food," he went and helped to take the load from her, as much for hunger as for an out.

They all sat down and got hold of their lunches. They'd barely dug in that the conversation started with the only subject they were bound to turn to. Davenport, Song, and the cheerleaders. They usually kept the class door open at a time like this, even if they were eating. Maya wanted the students to know that they were always welcome to come and see her but just now, with the subject at hand, they felt like a bit of privacy couldn't hurt.

The opinions were roughly the same all around. As far as their new vice-principal was concerned, they lamented his predecessor, yes, but they were open to his joining the team. As to the principal, on the other hand...

"I tried to look into her background, before she took this job," Morgan revealed.

"Dare I ask?" Maya's eyebrow curved. Miranda looked like part of her wasn't sure this was the way to go, but at the same time, she couldn't help but wonder, too. Dylan and Stella were attentively turned to Morgan.

"Career reads stellar," Morgan shrugged. "It's enough to wonder why she applied here with the places she's worked before." This was by no means a sleight on their school, and they knew it, especially as Morgan listed off some of Sandra Davenport's previous schools, three of them across her career.

"Poached?" Dylan shrugged.

"How long has it been since there were cheerleaders?" Stella wondered aloud.

"Twenty-eight years," Maya, Morgan, and Dylan replied at once. They exchanged a look, amused. So, the mystery of the cheer squad was buzzing strong all over the school, wasn't it?

"Wow..." Stella blinked. "How come..."

"No idea," Maya shook her head.

The rest of the lunch was spent with the five teachers speaking of their concerns over Davenport without being so open about it. Somehow, a mood had settled in like they needed to be quiet about their feelings here, like they might be heard and reprimanded. It was not the best of feelings, heading into a brand new year. They would have to find their joy where they could... and walk with care.

TO BE CONTINUED

See you tomorrow! - mooners