The Teacher

1: WREN

I clap my hands twice and hear two claps back.

My 1st graders have been on an adrenalin kick after recess, and it's definitely doing a number on me. Usually, my class is mellow and worn out after recess—making my life as their favorite teacher easier. Either something was put in their juice boxes during lunch, or these children were just really excited to have a three-day weekend. Not that they know the real meaning of enjoying that extra day off.

But I sure do, and I can't wait. It's not like there is anything for me to do in Austin solo. After my father passed away, I moved back to Austin, Texas, and decided to take care of the family home. It's the only home I've ever known. The only thing I have left of him. My father was and still is my world. He raised me on his own since my mother walked out of our lives when I was six years old.

Growing up, knowing my mother wanted nothing to do with me affected my mental health. However, my father was there every step of the way, ensuring I knew I was loved and felt it too.

"Ms. Dunningham?"

I look down to see wild, curly ginger hair.

"Everything okay, Grace?" I ask, and she looks up at me with unshed tears. I scan the classroom for who I can already think are the culprits. My eyes land on the Styrke twins.

"Gabby and Bella are being mean to me." She sniffles. "They won't let me play with them. Bella said it because my mommy keeps trying to playhouse with their daddy."

Sweet fucking heavens. What is happening?

"Sweetie, I'm sure Bella didn't say your mommy. Were you girls playing house during recess?"

Grace shakes her head. "My mommy always says she likes the way their daddy looks."

"Okay. How about you sit at your desk and color while I talk to Gabby and Bella? I'm sure they will want to play with you tomorrow."

Grace nods her little head and scurries off to her seat. I give her one last assuring smile before making a beeline to the Styrke sisters. These two little girls can be very nice and adorable, and then they can be little Rhoda Penmarks' when they wanna be. I pity the two girls. They have a similar upbringing as me. The only difference is who their father is. Skyler Styrke is the tech billionaire CEO of Styrke Technologies.

They have nannies who watch them. They want for nothing, and I think the only time these two hear the word no is from me during school hours. At the beginning of the year, it took a lot of patience with these two, but eventually, they learned that in my classroom, it's my rules.

Gabby's eyes widen, and she moves slightly behind Bella. That's all the sign I needed to know that what Grace said was true. Yet, I still have to hear both sides of the story.

"Gabby, Bella. Whatcha doing?" I squat down to their eye level, smiling.

Bella watches me suspiciously before her eyes move over my shoulder. Probably looking at Grace. A smile is now on her face when she looks back at me.

"Ms. D, did Grace tell you we were being mean to her? If so, that's not entirely true." Bella was well-spoken for her age. Sometimes, I would be taken aback by it. "Gabby wasn't mean to her. Gabby wanted to play with her...we both did. I just told Grace we would play with her when her mommy stopped trying to play house with our daddy. Was that wrong?"

What the hell am I supposed to say to that? Stay out of grown folks' business?

"Sweetie, that's not appropriate. What her mommy and your daddy do is not..." I don't know how to proceed with this conversation. "I'm going to have a meeting with your daddy, hopefully today. Is he picking you up?" I know the answer already: he isn't. One of the three nannies always comes to pick them up. Mr. Styrke is a busy man, too busy for his daughters, I suppose.