If I Could Turn Back Time || Larissa Weems

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The week had dragged on. It was torture waiting for the harvest festival. At our second lunch date on Wednesday at the Weathervane, Larissa recapped the past few days, explaining the eventful outing after our first lunch date on Monday.

"She escaped her therapy session?" I laughed. "How the hell did she manage to do that?"

Larissa giggled, picking up a fry and putting it in her mouth. Somehow, she managed to make the single act look elegant and refined. "Apparently she climbed out the bathroom window."

"Where did she go?"

"Here. And then apparently she ended up taking down a few boys–one of them being the mayor's son." Larissa tried to hide her smile of amusement, but she failed. "She told me they were threatening her. As much as it pains me to see Nevermore's reputation tainted a bit, I'd say good for her for sticking up for herself...not many girls can do what she did."

There was an undertone of sadness to her last words. I barely knew this woman, but there's a time and place for everything, and I decided to not prod her for an answer to my theory.

"Still," she continued,  "Eight schools in five years."

"She's doing well in her classes, though," I said.

Larissa rested her hands on the table. "Oh, I have no doubt. She's incredibly bright. Probably one of the smartest students I've come across. I just–I don't know–I–I–"

"Worry?" I finished for her.

"Exactly," she sighed. "Every child deserves a proper education, and I just hope Nevermore works out for her."

I smiled softly as she went on, in awe of how marvelous this woman truly was. When she abruptly stopped talking and looked past my head, I became confused. "What's wrong?"

She groaned quietly and I looked behind me. Two students had snuck off campus for lunch.

"Principal Weems!" One of their faces blanched in an instant while the other's grew as red as cherries. The one who was whiter than a ghost stood still, frozen in fear. "We–uh–well–"

Larissa plastered on a smile that clearly expressed 'I'm annoyed but I won't show it'. "Girls!" she chirped as she turned to face them in her seat. "What are you doing off campus?"

"Why didn't you say Principal Weems was going to be here, Mia?" she hissed, elbowing her friend in the side.

Mia glared at her friend. "How was I supposed to know?"

What proceeded to happen was the longest and most awkward car ride of my life. Two students sat in the back, staring in silence out the window as Larissa focused on the road and I tried to hold in a laugh.

We pulled into the courtyard of Nevermore, the tension thickening immensely. Larissa looked into the rearview mirror, eyeing the two girls. "I want to see you in my office after lunch."

The girls nodded and quickly got out of the car. As they rushed up the steps I finally let out the laugh I had been holding in. Larissa looked at me, confused. "What?"

"I'm sorry," I said, giggling uncontrollably to the point where I was almost crying. "I just–I've never seen students that scared. The kids at Jericho High weren't even that phased when the principal caught them doing something they weren't supposed to be doing. You'd think they were in the back of a police car."

Larissa scoffed before chuckling. "They're not the first students I've caught sneaking off campus. At least they did it during lunch and didn't skip class. I'll let them off with a warning."

__________

On Friday, I could hardly focus on teaching because I was so excited for that night.