The New Teacher

Chapter 14

"Miss Rivera!" Someone called.

I turned to face Joshua, who was jogging his way to me. I was just about to get in my car when he came my way. He held high a piece of paper in front of me and pointed to it. I squinted to his finger gesturing over his paper, but failed to understand whatever he was trying to convey.

"Yes, what is it Joshua?"

"Ima need you to reconsider this grade! Like damn, AJ got the same answers as me and he got a B but I got a D, how do that make any sense?" He rambled.

"First of all that is no way to talk to anyone." I pointed a finger at him.

"If you want to discuss your grade, then I am going to ask you to come to my office tomorrow in a much more respectful tone."

"Oh, now you're straight up just playing me, ma'am. Ain't nobody waiting til tomorrow to get my grade checked. My aunt's at home waiting on me and I am not trynna get my ass whooped because you been to emotional marking your students."

"You know Joshua, you're really not helping your case. I am trying to be nice with you-"

"Bullshit, aight? You been acting like a lil bitch for the past weeks and now you putting it on us." he shook his head.

"Ayo J...we here ready man!" Omar shouted from behind.

"I'll catch y'all in a minute. Lemme just handle this business real quick—" in that moment he turned his head to see me entering my car and roaring it to life. I could hear him say, "hey, wait up!"

I looked in my rearview mirror and pressed onto the gas pedal even harder.

I wasn't driving anywhere in particular, but I eventually found  my way to Julie's.

"Diana! Hey... You came to the right place at the right time." She winked and invited me to her incense filled condominium combined with marijuana. I instantly felt appeased.

"Come on downstairs..." she said gently.

The basement was where the magic happened. The only thing lit were the candles and I was slightly terrified with what kind of demonic or occult mania I had gotten myself into.

"Relax. The spirits are here to protect us."

"Protect?" I repeated my ghetto accent that I used oh so rarely.

"Shh," she covered my mouth even. "Do you hear that?"

"N-no."

"Come, follow me."

Ugh again? I thought this would be another yoga session followed by her awesome advices, but instead, Julie led me to a dusty desk where sat a crystal ball.

"Sit," she gestured.

I was hesitating, "Um, Julie what's happening?"

"Sit down," she insisted. "It's for your own good."

I grew up in a rather fervent christian-pentecostal family and my parents were never fond of psychic reading and astrology. They always taught me not to play with the spirits and stay away from people like Julie, but she seemed totally harmless to me until now. She was freaking me out.

"It's okay, I mean no harm." She read my mind.

"Julie I..." I was restless.

"Hand over your palms," she asked softly.

"Can you actually predict things?"

"I'm going to need you to focus." She ordered without answering my question.

"The only sound I want to hear is your breathing and mine."

I got myself in this and there was no way out. I did as I was told, lest I suffer the consequences.

"I see a little girl," she started. "A little girl who always puts her peers first before her, a girl who wanted nothing but the best for others. She enjoys seeing people happy  and her smile was contagious. This little girl grew into a young woman now. No matter what good she seems to be doing, people will always pick on her flaws, pick on her weaknesses. She figured that this was the system and decided to continue her good deed anyway." Julie said. "That woman is you."

I swallowed a lump and looked down my lap. Julie was tracing my palms before she manipulated the crystal ball.

"Hmm," she said. I peeked through the bangs of my hair, my head still slightly bowed and saw that she had her eyes closed. "The person who will love you the most will cause you the most pain."

"What?" I scrunched my face. "What are you talking about?"

Would Trevon really cheat on me with Gretchen? No, he wouldn't—he was far too faithful, but who am I kidding, men have needs! Wait, I thought I was over him? I'm over him. No, I am not.. Ugh, this is just so confusing, I couldn't deal with Julie's mumbo jumbo wizardry.

"There's a saying that goes like this, grief is the price we pay for love." she looked far into the distance.

"But why would someone who loves me want to cause me pain?"

I was questioning Trev's faithfulness.

"That is the mystery." She continued. "You need to find that out yourself because you are about to embark on an adventure now."