Office Hours

32 | the s t a r t l e d

| Z O Y A |

     THE FOLLOWING DAY, Zoya barely found the energy to drag herself out of bed and to class.

Life passed her in a blur for the past hour, and the ring of the bell snapped her back to her burden-filled reality.

ShaunaKaye ran out of class, a hand covering her mouth and an arm wrapped around her belly.

That's how I feel, Zoya thought, gathering her books to leave.

Why are we even at school?

She was on high alert. Everyone was.

"Miss Brown," came Alexi's voice when she was at the door. "Please stay back."

Shoulders sagging, she walked to Alexi's desk and waited for him to usher his other students out.

Now alone, he walked over to her and laced a finger beneath her chin. He lifted her head and made her look at him. Zoya was sure there were bags beneath her eyes and a permanent frown on her lips, but she didn't care about her appearance around this man. Not because of what she recently found out about him, but because all her care was reserved for Caden.

She wiped beneath her eyes when she felt a tear slip and took a step back. "What do you want, Professor?"

"You."

Zoya's brows furrowed and her anger soared. "I said it's over! Stop pest mi."

"I thought you were just angry."

"I am angry!" she hissed. "A school was shot up yesterday and I had to come to school today. There are officers roaming everywhere and a mi pussy yu waa look? Listen to mi, Alexi, mi seh it's over! Done! Finished! Do you need me to spell it out for you?!"

His eyes narrowed into slits and she was sure hers were the same. The threatening aura radiating off of him didn't make her stop her angry rant though. Anger was a better emotion than the depressive state she was falling into headfirst.

"Mi nuh want yu big fi nun hood nor your free A! I'm getting it myself. Stay away from me," she warned then left the class.

She made her way to the other side of the school to Alyssa's class. Alyssa had art and would be out in about fifteen minutes. Zoya sat on the floor and found the strength to return her parents' calls. She didn't have the energy to talk to anyone but she didn't want her parents worrying more than they already were.

"Mommy?" she said, placing in her earbuds and resting her head on the wall as she closed her eyes.

"So a so much time me afi call you before mi get yu, Zoya?" Peter-Ann asked.

"Sorry, Mommy. I just have a lot on my mind."

"It's fine, baby. I can only imagine how you feel right now. Wait, your father wants to speak to you."

"Zoya?" said Issac.

Zoya sighed. "Yes, Daddy?"

"Are you hurt?"

"Daddy, remember the shooting wasn't at my school."

"Oh, right. Yu have friends there?"

Her mind drifted to Caden and she loudly sobbed.

"Zoya," said Peter-Ann. "Stop crying, please. I wish we could be there for you. Do you want to come down?"

"No," the word slipped from her mouth before she even thought of saying it. She didn't want to go anywhere until she knew Caden was okay. And Ryder too.