Co-Workers With Benefits

V E N I C E

When Dion and I arrive at the school, we see all the teachers gathered up in front of the huge security doors.

We join the group and manage to catch the last few sentences of Severn's instructions to the rest of the staff.

I wave bye to Dion before following Michelle over to our area at the back end of the school grounds.

"They already set everything up for us. The food stands, the slip and slides, allat good stuff. So we ain't really doing nothing until the parents and they children start coming in." She tells me.

"That's great."

We scan our ID's out of the building and start on the footpath in the grass.

"Damn!" I exclaim, seeing how big our plans are for the first time. "I ain't know you wanted it to literally fit ten kids at once. It's huge!"

"I know right, I was shocked too. I woulda bought my babies here if they didn't have school today. Kamari woulda absolutely loved the soccer court."

"My brothers' grown and they would love it too." I laugh.

I walk around the blown up soccer court and tiptoe to look inside.

"So we gone have to throw in a little water. How we gon do that?" I look over at her from the opposite side.

"Oh, don't worry bout that. I told Hector we'll need him to do it for us. He should be here any minute."

"Cool." I move over to the food stalls. "The people managing these stalls told me they gon be here by 9:00 to start getting the food ready by the children's lunch time. We got a halal, a vegan and vegetarian option in all three stalls."

"Good, so everybody can eat at least something."

I tap the counter with my nails, running my finger along it before taking a seat beside Michelle.

"Damn, today finna be hot." She fans herself with her hand, looking over at me with her eyes narrowed. "Girl, are you pregnant?"

I immediately turn my head to face her, shocked at the randomness of the question, then I look down at my clothes. "Why do you ask?"

"I didn't wanna say nothing, just in case you aren't. But I noticed your belly yesterday afternoon when you came by my room. You stretched when we finished talking and it looked like you'd gotten bigger."

"Yeah." I nod, biting my lip. "I am."

"Wait, really? Thank gosh! Now I don't feel like an idiot." She laughs to herself. "Congrats."

"Thank you."

"This your first baby right? How far along are you?"

"Yeah it's my first child. I'm 9 weeks."

"Ooh. You got a boyfriend or something?"

"Yeah."

"He the father?"

I nod, rubbing my nails.

"Damn, I remember when I was pregnant with Micheal. He my oldest. He got me craving all kinds a shit. I used to eat white rice with Cheetos and pickle juice."