Walk With Me 1

8

Nicki

I flock to the auditorium for the teacher's meeting I'm supposed to be at.

Julius is here eating lemonade and chocolate chip cookies. Right as I open up the packets we were given, I feel hands on my shoulders.

"Hey."

Beyoncé's voice. I just can't confuse it anymore after the almost full semester of working here. I've heard it in the steps she gives, the greets and goodbyes... just about everywhere. I can't miss it.

I turn around with a smile, met by Beyoncé's bigger smile.

"Hey."

"These are a different breed huh?"

I nod and chuckle. The students have been fucking all over the place to the point this meeting had to be called. Can you believe they're basically gonna have to lock down the school like a prison and we have to split the kids up by gender? I have never heard of this happening in a high school before, period.

We sit down next to each other and her sight has barely left me.

Beyoncé's a beautiful woman so I'm obviously not complaining...

I cross my leg over my other one and look at her.

What a beautiful woman, honestly.

The Principal Mrs. Hill scurries onto the auditorium stage with her own folder and big smile. I truly admire the woman a lot.

I give Mrs. Hill my full attention as she clears her throat and briefs us on the purpose of the meeting.

"... I'm just as... clueless as you all are but we as the adults need to take the initiative and guide these kids in the right direction before the police visits, pregnancies, drug usage, and drop out rates increase. This appears to me to be the only solution."

I hear humming around the room and I feel Beyonce's strong eye contact on me. The funny thing is, i don't even know if she's gay, but her body language indicates otherwise... She knows what she's doing, I'm 100% sure. I put my paycheck on it. This is supposed to be a serious meeting, but here I am purely distracted by her. Beyoncé, what a trip.

Over my first few months teaching, it seems there's not a moment she's here after hours dancing in the studio. She dances to just about everything. I've even heard her singing while dancing. (Songs that I suspect might be hers due to the tone of the singing). I know that she is passionate with her teaching but much more strict than I am with my students. She doesn't like slackers, she's a strong woman. She seems to only be able to function with people at her level exactly no lower, no higher.

Yes I like her, but Beyoncé seems straight as they come. I guess this is something I can proceed with from a distance, but not really do much more with it. I mean a best friendship, but even that I'm not fully sure of. I feel like the proximity would kill me.

Beyoncé flips her hair and bats her eyes. It's almost like her hair and my innards are controlled by the same thing because my heart flutters at how beautiful she is. Just breathtaking.

"Are we clear on this? Mind you, we need to remind these kids of what happens when they choose to disregard school and moral regulations." Mrs. Hill establishes towards the end of her speech.

Everyone nods.

We are dismissed right before the morning bell is rung, so we've got some time before the school day actually starts.

I stay sitting down because I'm not a fan of crowds. Beyoncé doesn't move either.

"What do you want, stranger?" I joke a bit in my tone.

"Nothing." She simply smirks. "How you been, Nicki?"

I shrug, "good. You?"

Her face kinda drops a bit and my chest clenches of empathy.

"You can speak to me anytime. I'm reliable not just as a colleague but as a human and friend."

She nods and I can tell her eyes are getting kinda watery.

"Nevermind that. What did you do this weekend? C'mon let's walk."

I follow suit. I can tell she's deflecting there must be a reason for it so I won't pressure her. I'll just let her steer the direction of this conversation as she sees fit.

"Nothing much."

"Really?"

I nod, "Just graded work."

She hums and looks around a bit.

"So... What did you grade? What was the assignment?"

"So me and the teacher of writing club decided that instead of another old ass play, we would have our writer's club write a script. We grade them and make our selection and use it for next semester's spring play."

She smiles wide and me and my chest flutters. I can't say enough how beautiful she is. Honestly. I have never met a woman like her before.

"You a smartie."

I laugh and kinda bend my chest over.

"It ain't that smart, it's called no one wants Romeo and Juliet anymore."

I serious up and notice that Beyoncé and I have just been aimlessly wandering about the campus. Nowhere near our hall.

"Knowles you tryna murder me, I see you." I joke.

She playfully shoves me.

"I can hold a pose but i cant hold a knife, LOL!" Beyoncé jokes.

"Say that a little louder for the security camera and the documentary."

Beyoncé and I chuckle and she takes my hand to take us to the right hall. It's been a while since I've ever had this type of intimate contact with anyone. Not even sex, just a fun exchange and time.

We approach the hall but I don't let her hand go. I keep my hold on her hand and follow her into her studio/classroom.

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Thoughts?