Entanglement

11. beating around the bush

we arrived at the school pretty early.

2:55

i grabbed my phone to shoot my sister a text

"picking up apollo, don't wait up"

essie- "gotcha"

i brace myself before stepping out of the car knowing my tiny self is gonna struggle to get in and out of this suv.

i unbuckle my seatbelt as christina watches my every move, i ignored her watching me. i open the door and slide out the seat as my feet land on the stoop carefully trying not to slip off and embarrass myself. once my right foot hit the ground i sigh in relief as my other foot met the first one. i shut the heavy door and walk into the elementary school.

"apollo thomas," i say at the front desk. (he has his fathers last name)

i waited 4 minutes, until i see a tiny kid running to the door to open it and hug my legs.

"i'm so happy to see you here," he says still gripping on my legs

"i'm happier," i respond to him as i grab his hand to walk out the school.

i looked up when we got closer to the suv to see christina next to the passenger side door holding it open for me with the back door next to it already opened.

"hi," apollo waves to christina walking up to her car. "who are you?" he asks after he greets her

"i'm christina a good friend of mommy's," she says to him bending down slightly to get a good look at him

good friend? why didn't she just mention she was my boss, or that we worked together. i would've.

"i'm glad, my mommy doesn't have many friends," he responds to her

my eyes widen, then my eyebrows frown at his statement to her

she chuckles at his response, and helps him get his backpack off so he can climb in the back seat.

i take his bag from her, and i help him get inside and put on his seatbelt. "i got it mommy," he says as he takes the seatbelt from me to buckle himself in.

"ok little man," i laugh and hand him his backpack and close his door

christina was still standing at the passenger side door, waiting for me to get in

i walk 2 steps forward and step on the stoop and she pushes my lower back up to help me get on the seat. she closes my door and walks around the other side.

she slid in the driver side like butter, barely taking a second to hop in and strap her seatbelt on.

"you didn't have to help me in," i say to her

"yes i did," she chuckles

i roll my eyes to the thought of her making fun of me.

she looks at me then at the seatbelt then back at me

"my bad," i say after realizing she's insinuating me to put my seatbelt on with her eyes.

"i can tell you don't wear your seatbelt often," she says as she shifts the gears to drive off

"i just forget to sometimes," i respond