Across the Pond

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

When I walked into class in the morning, Mrs. Williams looked up from her work and pushed up her glasses on her nose.  "Good morning" I sighed, dripping my stuff on the table.  "What?" I asked when she didn't say anything. 

"Why didn't you tell me you knew Harry?" she asked. 

"Because I don't.  I know of him" I clarified slowly. 

"Are you sure?" she asked. 

"Pretty sure.  I mean, I took my little sister to two of their concerts and we met them once, like 4 years ago" I said. 

"So you do know him?" Mrs. Williams prompted again. 

"No, not really..." I said, not really sure of where she was going with this. 

"I knew it! He's a great kid-- well, young adult." she nodded and went on getting the lessons prepared for today.  "I think he fancied you, Tori" she said slightly above the dull roar of sleepy sixth graders.

My eyes grew wide but I kept looking down at the table.  I shook my head.  "No, no.  It can't be.  He's... I'm... no" I stuttered, still shaking my head. 

"Suit yourself, dear, but I know Harry" Mrs. Williams said softly.  I pushed what she just told me to the back of my mind and got ready to start the math lesson.

At the end of the day, I decided to treat myself to a sweet dessert and coffee for making it through my first full weak teaching alone.  I looked up directions to the W Mandeville Bakery that my Uncle Jerry told me about and headed out on my way.  It was a fairly short drive so I was still on the phone with my mom when I got there.

I hold the phone between my chin and shoulder as I take out the keys from the ignition, drop them in my hot pink purse, and get out of the car.  I'm still trying to get used to driving on the opposite side of the car.

When I get out of the car I readjust my little black dress and hot pink and blue scarf.  I pull on my dark denim jacket and started to walk to the door.  "It's really great, mom" I say as I weed my way through the parking lot.  "Yea, I love it.  I actually got to teach this past week on my own." I tell her. 

"Really?  That's so great, honey" mom congratulated. 

"Yea.  Oh and tell Uncle Jerry that I'm at the Bakery he told me about" I say as I walked through the heavy glass doors.  I take a few steps inside and look around quickly but pause in the back of the room to finish my conversation. 

There were several red booths and chairs taken.  "Awe, no I miss you more!" I cooed into the phone when I heard Kira scream in the background, "I miss you, sissy!"  Mom transfers the phone to her so she could talk to me for a minute. 

"No, I miss you more" I repeate, giggling. 

"Nope, not possible" she retorts. 

"Pretty possible.  Anyways, how was school this week?" I ask.

"Well I'm on my way there now." 

"Oh, that's right" I say, suddenly remembering the time zone difference.  "Okay well then I'll let you go, princess.  Talk to you soon.  Love you." 

"Love you" she says quietly and I hear mom call the same.  I must be on speaker. 

"Okay bye." 

"Bye, sissy" she says sadly.

I hang up the phone and just stare into space for a second as I hold my phone to my heart.  My only link to my family back home. 

I take a deep breath and start walking to the counter as I drop my phone into my purse and sling it over my shoulder.  When I lift my head up approaching the counter, I freeze.