Welcome to Stonebrook

Eighteen

~Clay~

"So you always have spare hoodies in the back of your car for when you take random girls skinny dipping then?" I pulled my hoodie down over Lor's head, tugging the hood up to try and keep as much heat in her body as possible. I can't say skinny dipping in the ocean in March was my best shout ever but I just needed to do something. 

She opened up to me more in the space of that 10 minutes than she ever has and outside of how quickly she managed to push her feelings back down into a box inside her, I know there was so much more waiting to be unpacked. I'd chisel away at it though. Slowly and steadily. We had forever. 

"If by random girls you mean Lib and by skinny dipping you mean throwing up in the car then yes." The colour was starting to come back to her face now we were back in the car, fully dressed with the heater on full. "She gets travel sick sometimes. I always have a few spare changes of clothes in the back, just incase. My hoodies are for when I've covered myself in it whilst helping her." 

"The joys of being around kids eh?" 

"You're the first person to get that it's normal." 

"You would be surprised the things I have to deal with on a daily basis. Vomit, nose bleeds, paper cuts, snotty noses, coughing. I've even had a kid pee on the floor and more- that was a terrible day." 

"What they-" 

"Pooped in the corner of the room when no one was looking. Yep. I mean to be fair it was pre k I was working in so they didn't know any better but still." I laughed as she just shrugged at cleaning up some kids shit from the floor. 

"Wait, so you taught pre k too?" 

"I've taught literally every Elementary grade now." I tipped my head at her slightly. I know she only graduated from College a few years ago. There's no way she could have taught that many classes in that time frame. "My parents are the head of New York's public schools. Like head head. Above super intendants and shit. I've never had my own class like I do now, I was just kind of shipped wherever I was needed that week. Sick leave or teaching assistants or admin work." 

"A lot of change." 

"Yeah, I never really settled anywhere. There was a few classes where I thought I'd love to. You know? Just have one group of kids as my focus rather than an entire state's worth." 

"And then you got sent to Stonebrook?" 

"Actually, I - uh - Wells called me and suggested it. I was having a shit time, had enough of everything. He literally called on Thursday night and I was down here on the Saturday afternoon." 

"Wow." 

"Yeah. My parents weren't happy about me leaving." 

"Well, I'm sure they're better about it now they know you're happy down here. Right?" Lor nods, humming in agreement with the softest, almost non existent smile. 

"Anyway," She turns in her seat, tugging at the sleeves of my hoodie until they cover her knuckles. "I think we should probably draw some - uh- boundaries? I don't know if that's the right word." 

"What do you mean?" 

"I mean that this is new to you and I could get fired if anyone finds out about this and I really don't want to lose this job and have to go back up there so we have to figure out how this is going to work. Make sure we're both very clear on what we can or can't do." 

"Right?" 

"For example, turning up at school and having me on my desk kind of falls into the can't do category."