𝚠𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚋𝚎 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜 (𝚠𝚊𝚒𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎)

𝐢𝐯.

𝐢𝐯.

Rue finished grading her students' homework when Joelle walks in with her mother, Galina. Rue stands up to greet them. "Hello, Galina, Jojo," Rue said as Joelle rushed over to hug her.

Rue smiled warmly and embraced the young girl, feeling a deep affection for her favorite student. Joelle looked up at Rue with bright, enthusiastic eyes and asked, "Guess what, Miss Honey?" Rue pondered for a moment before answering knowingly, "You got an A in music." Joelle nodded excitedly, her curly pigtails bouncing. "Yes, I did, thank you for helping me," Joelle said gratefully.

Rue had spent many lunchtimes patiently teaching Joelle guitar, singing melodies and reviewing music theory. She was delighted to see Joelle's hard work pay off.

Galina smiled softly as she watched the heartwarming interaction between teacher and student. Though she didn't fully understand the complicated dynamic between Rue and her ex-husband Joe, Galina could see how much Joelle cherished her time with Rue.

The thoughtful teacher had clearly made a profound impact on the little girl. "Miss Honey, we're having a family talent show at Joelle's grandmother's house. Maybe you should stop by and support Joelle," Galina suggested warmly.

Rue's smile faded slightly and she immediately said no. As much as she cared for Joelle, she did not want to be around Joe and his pack mentally cousins right now, not while tensions were still high from their recent argument.

Joelle's face fell at Rue's swift refusal. "But I need your help, I need you to sing while I play the guitar," she pleaded, looking up at Rue with big, sad eyes.

Rue sighed, feeling herself cave in. As frustrated as she was with Joe, she could never deny sweet Joelle.

The eager young girl had wrapped her teacher around her little finger. Galina chuckled knowingly, amused by how easily Joelle could sway Rue.

"Great, we'll see you tonight," Galina said with a smile.

Though reluctant, Rue knew she couldn't let Joelle down. She would be there to support her star pupil.

"Okay," Rue said with a smile.

"I'm sure you remember where Patricia lives?" Galina asked Rue.

Rue nodded. She wasn't sure how much Galina knew about her history with Joe and his family but she knew she had to know enough about her to be okay with inviting her to attend an event.

"Great, see you at 6," Joelle said.

Around 6:10 p.m., Rue arrived at Patricia's house with a hint of pettiness, knowing that Galina had already informed them of her impending arrival and wanting them to feel uneasy about her presence.

She pulled into the driveway in her car, stepped out onto the pavement, and strode up to ring the doorbell, looking around the tidy yard and humming a tune to herself as she awaited an answer.

The faint sounds of a minor scuffle could be heard from inside as two people vied to open the door - Joshua and Joseph, Rue deduced with a giggle, recognizing their voices.

The older Joshua prevailed, swinging open the door to reveal a smiling Joseph behind him. "Hey, Miss Honey!" Joseph exclaimed, enveloping Rue in an enthusiastic bear hug.

Rue had taught Joseph during his senior year of high school and he still fondly called her by her nickname.

"Miss Honey, I'm not your favorite anymore - who did you replace me with?" he inquired. "Jojo," Rue responded, right on cue, as Joelle came bounding up to push both brothers aside.