The Ray Family

21

 We got in the car. Chucky and Carley got in the back, once Carley was buckled up, I made my way to the school. It was quiet during the drive, but I pulled into the school. I parked the car, and we got out, Carley carried Chucky while I held her hand. We headed to the door where Meredith met us.

"Hey, you must be Maya," Meredith said, shaking my hand.

"Hey, I am, and this is my daughter Carley," I said with a smile.

"Hello," Carley said.

"Well come inside, I can call while she's in her classroom," Meredith said and we went inside. She brought us right to Carley's classroom, Carley went inside and looked around while Meredith took out her phone.

"Remember to say Lea is at Hackensack elementary for the day and then hang up, ignore any calls from her for an hour," I said.

She nodded and called Rachel, when she picked up she said "hey Rachel, Lea is at Hackensack elementary for the day" then she hung up putting her phone in her pocket.

"Thank you, remember it wasn't us telling you to call if she asks," I said and gave her $1500.

"Okay," Meredith said, "would you like to see the rest of the school?" Meredith asked, I nodded.

"Carley, we need to continue looking at the school," I said, and she came over.

"Mommy, Charlotte is in this class," Carley said.

"That's great munchkin," I said as we left the classroom.

"You know Charlotte?" Meredith asked.

"Yes, her mother invited us to her party, and they hit it off," I said, "her mother was happy because apparently, she has trouble making friends."

"Yes, she does, she doesn't enjoy talking to people," Meredith said. She showed us where the bathroom was, the library, and the cafeteria. "Now obviously they never leave the classroom alone; they always have a friend to walk with so I'll see if I can have her and Charlotte paired up," Meredith said.

"Okay that sounds good," I said with a smile as she led us to the front door. "If anyone wonders where you got $1500 just say it was for a private tour of the school," I said.

"Okay," Meredith said as we went outside.

"It was nice meeting you," I said.

"You too, I hope you enjoy the school," Meredith said.

"I hope she does as well, do you mind if we play on the playground?" I asked.

"Of course," Meredith said.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you," I said and shook her hand.

"You too," Meredith said and then headed back inside.

"Can I go play on the slide now?" Carley asked.

"Okay, I'll take Chucky, remember if someone comes up and asks if you know about Chucky say yes and that you just got him, we need you to befriend them so to do that you need to seem like you are on their side," I said.

"Okay," Carley said as we walked to the play area. I walked over to the benches and sat to watch her.

"You care about her more than the other kids," Chucky said.

"I mean yea, she's the youngest and really hasn't known anything else, her mother got her Chucky when she was 2, obviously she never really played with him as her mother kept him out of her reach until she turned 3 to 4 but he still talked to her. She's the one kid that told her parents that have lived to tell the tale because she was 3 when she said it her mother chalked it up to overactive imagination and then that's when she started playing with him, well as much as a small child can" I said.