Day 24

I don’t really know what to say about Johnny and Claire. The three of us have stayed a bit closer that I would have expected recently, but don’t mistake that for any kind of a relationship. Sure, Clair and I have dated on and off since the storm’s end, but nothing overly serious. I went back to school and her first husband came back to her. I eventually left school and the two of them were still together enjoying their time, but Claire knew it wouldn’t last. About the time I got my job here at the school Claire’s husband left her for the second time. Though it was under the same circumstances that it had been the first time around, she was ready for his departure this time.

While I wasn’t there, for obvious reasons, Claire talked to me about it a few weeks later while Johnny was at a friend’s house. He’d left during the summer so I was on vacation. “He tired to leave in the middle of the night, but I knew. Okay, so I didn’t know know, but I suspected. I’d been waiting on the doorsteps every night for the past month without his knowledge waiting for the day he tried to sneak out without telling any of us.” We sat on the front yard of her apartment complex next to a sidewalk. Though she’d had a lit cigarette in her hand I was aware of the fact that she hadn’t yet taken a drag from it. It simply rested between her fingers slowly burning down as the minutes ticked by. “He’d stepped out with one suitcase he’d never really unpacked. Johnny always asked him why he didn’t unpack the suitcase, I’m sure it was his way of figuring out if his dad was going to stay for good this time. After the third evasion from the question Johnny stopped asking, he stopped trying to get close to his father again. Sure, Ben tried to spend time with Johnny, but it never went anywhere.

“Ben asked me once why Johnny seemed so distant. I told him it was it might have been because Johnny didn’t trust him anymore.” She paused a second to try and keep he eyes dry. “You know what? I’m not going to smoke this.” She turned to me and offered the cigarette. I politely shook my head no and she pushed it into the concrete sidewalk. “I don’t need a crutch to live, I can do it on my own.” Though I wasn’t exactly sure, I suspected she wasn’t referring to the cigarette lying forgotten on the side of the sidewalk. That was the last cigarette she’s had since. “Hey, let’s go get something to eat. I know this awesome Tai place that you’ve got to try. You ever had Tai before?” I shook my head. “It’s great stuff. Hot.” I let her lead me across the city to this ‘awesome’ Tai restaurant. I had to admit, sitting there listening to her talk about whatever was on her mind, that the food was awesome, though I was more interested in the company. “So, guess how Johnny’s doing at the high school.”

I smiled, I came to the district well after Johnny had been through but many people made sure to note their approval of Johnny’s skills. As it turned out Johnny had the makings of a very intelligent individual, but because of the departure if his father hadn’t really cared all that much. “You know I don’t hear anything about anyone unless someone tells me.” While not completely true, I learn a great deal about the teachers and students within the school simply because I’ve got students all over the place. Which, all in all, makes Mrs. Snowburn’s role all that more understandable. “So. How is Johnny doing at the high school?”

I could tell she was barely holding her pride in check. Knowing Claire she wanted to stand on the table and announce to the entire room her news. “Johnny’s the head editor of the school’s newspaper.” Her face held such a huge grin on it I was scared she was going to pull a muscle. “He’s only a sophomore; the last sophomore to have any editor’s job was like seven years ago. That student moved on to become lead editor for one of the Times magazines, though I’m not sure which city. I mean, it’s only high school, it’s got me excited about his future.”

Though my smile never quite got as big as Claire’s, I’m sure someone in the restaurant thought I’d proposed marriage to her and she’d accepted. “That’s fantastic Claire. From the stories I’d heard at the school I’m sure everyone will be pleased to hear the news.” I paused. “I can tell them right?” She nodded as though I didn’t even need to ask. “Just thought I’d make sure.”

“You’re always so cautious, I’d have just told people. If you have to ask if it’s okay to talk about it makes it seem likes it’s supposed to be a secret.” She bit the rim of her drink’s glass. “We wouldn’t want to make it seem like we have secrets.” I laughed at her joke and she started into her next dessert. We continued the night at the restaurant and stayed there for a few hours talking about various things. Claire order at least three meals worth of food and had me at least try everything, though I’d stopped ordering after the first round of deserts. “It’s going to take me weeks to work all this food off, but oh god is it worth it.” She’d say after every new dish.

“Ever wish you and I had done that same thing as Sean and Ms. George?” I asked suddenly, catching her off guard as she talked about a random news article that talked about how the storm had been caused by a volcano eruption that happened centuries ago. “In the school I mean. Do you ever wonder if they had the right idea to keep the stress levels low?”

She thought about it they smiled in such a way that I felt like I shouldn’t have asked the question. “Do I think we should have done it in the school? No, not really. For one, I had to keep an eye on Johnny. I wasn’t going to let Johnny get sick simply because I couldn’t control my libido. If you’re asking should we go ahead and do it now? Sure, why not?” She grabbed my hand, paid for the meal, and pulled me back across town. I resisted a little, but for the most part was glad we were going to rekindle the relationship we had directly after the snowstorm.

Little did we know that Johnny had been taken back home. We walked up to the house wondering why all the lights were on. At the doorway we walked into the house to a blast of sound as Johnny, we found out, Johnny had turned on the television as high as he could so he could hear whatever program he was watching from in the kitchen where he was making some sort of snack. “Johnny! What-? Why are you back home so early.”

“Freddy fell out of the tree at the park and had to be taken to the hospital. He had a compound fracture in his leg. It was really cool, though I hope I never have one myself. He said it hurt a lot.” Despite the sad news about Freddy, someone I didn’t know, Claire had a hard time keeping her face neutral. “What mom?” As he walked past the front door with a bowl of microwaved macaroni and cheese he nodded hello to me. “Hey Justin, what’s up?”

“Nothin’ much.” As he walked into the other room and turned down the volume I kissed Claire on the forehead. “I guess not tonight?” She nodded into me chest and we hugged once more before I left. I can’t say I wasn’t disappointed; I would have liked to do stuff with her besides watch her eat. But we’ve had opportunities since then, though that’s about as far as I think either of us wants to take it at this point. I’m not sure she’s ready for someone who might walk out of her like her first husband did twice which I can’t really blame her for.

That mostly rounds out the people who were stuck in the school while I was there. But, there is one person that I’ve attempted to find since the storm. Officer Kyle has managed to elude any kind of lead I’ve ever had to find him. There are Officer Kyle’s all over the place it seems, and I’ve tried my best to find the one who saved my life that day. So far I haven’t had any luck. Maybe Mrs. Snowburn was onto something when she suggested a higher power, or maybe I just haven’t looked in the right places. For all I know he wasn’t even a real officer, but someone who wanted to believe that he was. Anyway, I’m grateful for his influence. He’s the one that saved my life and for that I’d at least like to thank him, though it’s become clearer that I may never be able to.

***

Everyone was in a state of high tensions during the last few hours in the school. Even the kids seemed to know that things were going to change soon. “Mrs. Snowburn!” Jessica seemed most effected by Mrs. Snowburn’s turn for the worst. “You’ll be all right right?” The moment someone whispered the news to Coach Z it was as though she knew. She immediately got off the make-shift rink and ran straight for the nurse’s room and hugged Mrs. Snwoburn as hard as she could. “Right?”

Mrs. Snowburn nodded and gently removed Jessica from her grasp. “I promise nothing is going to happen to me.”

Jessica nodded her little head and backed onto the bed next to Mrs. Snowburn’s. “And just so you know, if you don’t keep the promise I won’t think it’s a white lie. It’ll be a regular one, and it’ll be the worst kind of regular one I can think of.” Mrs. Snowburn couldn’t help but smile at Jessica’s words.

From that point forward everyone mostly stayed in one room waiting and holding their breath, everyone except Harold and Diana of course. Coach Z, Sean, Tim, Claire, and even Ms. George to some extent did their best at keeping the children occupied. They taught card games and showed card tricks. Tim seemed to be the only one who left during that period, and only to se if he could scrounge up any more activities and to make sure the front door was as clear as he could make it. “The snow’s stopped comin’ down which means that it’ll simply be a matter of time before they begin the clean up.” We both knew that time wasn’t on our side unfortunately. “I’ll see what I can do ‘bout ensurin’ someone knows we’re in here is someone passes by.” I watched as he walked over to Jessica and suggested they make a sign to put out in front. She happily agreed.

As I watched the two of them sit and draw on the paper I noticed that one of the pages they’d chosen was the one she’d originally drawn her family on. “I see you have everything taken care of.” I slowly turned back to Mrs. Snowburn. She slowly raised her hand to grab the glass of water; I quickly reached for it myself and gave it to her making sure it was supported in case she couldn’t hold onto it herself. “I’ve meant to ask you something ever since I learned you’d gone to school to be a teacher.” She took a long sip of the water then attempted to place it back down. I took it from her completely and placed it next to the heater to make sure it didn’t freeze. “Why do you want to teach?”