ANGELA
I didn't realize it had been a full month until Alfre said it.
"One month," she told me in the hallway that morning, looking me up and down. "And look at you. Already walking around here like you belong."
"I do belong," I laughed.
"Mmhmm," she said, lowering her voice. "And somebody else thinks so too."
I didn't ask who she meant.
I already knew.
Phylicia was standing outside her classroom when I turned the corner.
She wasn't leaning against the door like she usually did.
She was pretending to read a stack of papers.
I slowed my walk.
"You waiting for someone?" I asked.
She didn't look up.
"I'm waiting for the bell."
I stepped closer.
"The bell rang thirty seconds ago."
Now she looked up.
Calm. Unbothered.
"You're late."
"I'm on time."
Her eyes moved over my face for a second — quick, quiet, like she was checking something.
Then she handed me a folded paper.
"What's this?"
"Your attendance forms from yesterday. You left them in my box."
"You came to my room?"
"Yes."
I smiled.
"You could've just walked them over."
"I did."
A beat.
"You weren't there."
"Oh," I said, grinning. "You came looking for me."
Her mouth twitched.
"Go to class, Angela."
"I feel you starting at my butt Ms.Allen" I say with a sly grin before turning around.
Her face when stiff. before a smiled appeared
"I hate to see you leave but I love to watch you walk away."
I laugh.
PHYLICIA
I don't remember exactly when it started.
The teasing.
The back and forth.
The little game we both pretended we weren't playing.
But somewhere between her first week and her first month, Angela stopped being the new teacher...
...and became the part of my day I paid attention to.
So I did what I always do when something starts to matter.
I kept it light.
I kept it sharp.
I kept her guessing.
By the second week of the month, it had become routine.
If one of us had a free period, we'd stop by the other's room.
