Cattie Get Your Gun

Chapter 4

            I sat slouched down in my seat while Mr. Smithers continued to explain the homework essay assignment that was honestly self-explanatory. I looked at Anya next to me and rolled my eyes but carefully avoided looking at Naomi, who was scribbling down every single word Mr. Smithers said. I looked over the shoulder of the girl in front of me to see she was writing her first name with the last name “Smithers” all over her notebook page. People actually do that in real life? And of all people to choose, Mr. Smithers? I had referred to him just as Luke until I started school, and soon it just became habit to use a formal name no matter how many times outside of school he or Nora told me to call him Luke.

            When the bell finally rang I let out a small sigh, realizing that I had to face the decision I had been avoiding all day: should I join Nolan and Jack for lunch or should I act as if nothing had happened the night before? I told Naomi and Anya to go without me, pretending I was having difficulty with the strap of my backpack until they were both out of the room. When I was the only one left, I walked up to where Mr. Smithers was sitting at his desk, his head bent over an essay with red marks all over it. I had to clear my throat a few times before Mr. Smithers finally looked up, surprised to see me still standing there.

“Shouldn’t you be at lunch?” he asked me, hastily putting the essay into a folder on the side of his desk, probably hoping I had not seen whose name was on it. I had. “Do you need money?”

“No, I just…I need to ask you something,” I said, deciding to take a huge leap here. “I mean, obviously you were really close to my family.”

Mr. Smithers smiled bitterly, his eyes suddenly tinted with some sadness. “Yeah, I mean, your mom was like a big sister to me and your dad is a huge reason I went to college. He helped me with my essay and everything.”

“Okay, I know that, but why specifically were you chosen as my co-guardian? Why not just Aunt Nora?”

“Well, I think that, had they gotten the chance, once both you and Nor were older, they would have changed it so the guardianship went to her and not both of us. We’re your godparents, they felt it should be us.”

“You two were twenty-four when you had to become my guardians. I don’t see why they did not choose someone older to take care of me.”

Mr. Smithers shrugged. “I know your mom would never have trusted you with anyone else but Nora. Those two were extremely close. My parents pushed for guardianship to go to them, but your parents wanted it to go to the only blood relative still alive in their families. Even at the time your parents made that decision, Nora was still the only one. I was only chosen because-”

“Everyone knew you and Nora would get married,” I jutted in, never missing out on the opportunity to tease Nora or Mr. Smithers about their clear attraction to each other.

Mr. Smithers frowned at me. “Because everyone knew we were very good friends. Why are you even asking me this? You never questioned it before. Do you want to move or something? Did you and Nora get in a fight?”

I shook my head, trying to choose my words cautiously. “No, I just…I’m trying to figure some stuff out. How much do you know about how my parents died?”

“There was something wrong with the stove, something sparked, and soon the entire kitchen was blown away. It’s terrible. That’s why I don’t want some random professional taking care of our, I mean, your kitchen.”

“Dude, relax, I know you spend more time at our house than your own apartment. You have your own shelf in the fridge and the bathroom.”

“Nora and I are not like that!”