You Don't Know Us

Chapter Four

Sooner than it would have taken for my landlord to get back to me about something broken in my apartment, I get another phone call from Jared. As I was teaching and not able to take the phone call, he left me a voicemail of possible date options for me to think about for meeting everyone. Then he left the jewel at the end of the voicemail, which is what had me running into Terry's room white faced.

"What?" Terry exclaimed, alarmed. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Voicemail," was all I could croak out, and handed her my phone.

She tapped on Jared's name and put the voicemail on speaker phone.

We each sat and listened to Jared give me the dates and times of possible meetings with everyone and how excited everyone was to get the ball rolling, then it came. "Oh, and before I forget. We got into contact with Ryder Collins. He has already read the proposed script and is set to talk to you about what you would like to see from Ethan. We thought the same weekend you were here for the meeting, you could also meet with him. He made it very clear that he would meet with you anytime that would work with you. I think he is also very excited about this project! Well, you have a good afternoon, and I hope to hear back from you soon."

Terry just sat there staring at the phone. I think it was about two full minutes before either of us spoke.

"So, uh, two birds and one stone, huh?" she says, breaking the silence.

"This is not a bird. This is a pterodactyl. He knows, Terry. He knows that this is about us, about him. And now I get to sit across from him for the first time in God knows how long and try to explain that I put all his darkest secrets into a fucking book! I mean, we didn't leave things on a good note, but now... this is going to be so much worse. I put our worst fights into that thing; I made him sound just terrible! What if people find out?" The register of my voice started climbing higher and higher to the point that I am surprised dogs didn't try to come through the classroom window.

Terry heads over to her minifridge in the corner of the room and pulls out a bottle of water for me. I take the bottle and sit down at the kidney bean table, my chest heaving.

"Okay," Terry says calmly, which is a total role reversal for us, "I think, first, we should ask Mike what he thinks you should ask at this meeting. Then I think we should consult him about the possibility of Ryder retaliating against you."

I gasp, "What?! You think he'd do that?" I put my head in my hands. "Ohmygod," I mumble.

Then, because this is the perfect time for an audience, the entire fourth grade team walks in. Don't get me wrong, I had an amazing group of teachers working with me. Half of us taught English/Language Arts and Social Studies, while the other half -my half- taught Math and Science. No matter what, we always made sure that we were all on the same page and agreed to the smallest point about things happening with our students. I could not be in a better situation. However, now was not the best time to have us all in the same room.

"Hey guys!" greets Mary. "We still having that meeting today?"

Crap. Today was our team meeting day. And I was the team leader.

"What do we need to grab? Planners and what else? Anything?" asks Christine, one of the English teachers.

"Umm, actually," interrupts Terry, "Katie isn't feeling too hot. Think we can do this tomorrow? I really think she needs to go home and get some rest."

And that, ladies and gents, is the reason she is my best friend.

I keep my head down, not really having to feign not feeling well. I hear clucking and four 'get better' sentiments before there is silence again. I lift my head and look at Terry.

"I have to man up. I already said I would do this. I have to just face the music, right?"

"Honestly, yes. I know that sucks, but you said yes. Love you, sweets, but you gotta pull on your big girl panties and face him."

I feel like I'll need big girl pull-ups after this...

The next night, after conducting the meeting I should have conducted the day before, I go to my parents' house for dinner. I haven't really spoken with either one of them about what was going on with the contracts since we talked when I was in L.A. a couple weeks ago.

I walk into my childhood home and feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. While I didn't spend my entire childhood here, in Texas, I've been here long enough to say I grew up in this house. The furniture is a constant change in colors and styles, but it's always under the same theme; reds, browns, greens, yellows, and oranges. It's like fall all the time.

"Hello?" I yell into the house, while shutting the door.

"In the kitchen, baby," I hear my mom yell and I make my way through the foyer and into the kitchen. My childhood home is a beautiful two story brick home. It's open concept with lots of high ceilings and walls in just the right places. While it fit us as a four-person family, it was a little big for just my mom and dad now.

Dad was sitting in his recliner, as is expected of him, since that is where he always sits, and my mom is bustling around the kitchen cooking something that smells amazing.

I walk over to dad and give him a kiss on the cheek, "Hi, Daddy."

"Hey, pumpkin. How's my girl?"

"I'm good. Tired. It's been a long week."

He nods, knowing full well what it's like to work a 60-hour work week.

"Hi, Momma." I greet my mother, walking into the kitchen. My mom always likes to tell the story that I started calling her momma when I was 3 while watching Beauty and the Beast, because that's what Chip calls Mrs. Potts. Every time I say it, I swear she smiles.

"Hi, honey. You hungry? Dinner is almost ready."

"Starved," I tell her, grabbing the plates and silverware to set the table. This has been the routine since I was old enough to understand that if you drop the plates, they'll break and cut your feet. I only needed to learn that lesson once.

When dinner is ready, Daddy shuts off the TV and comes to the table, where we all sit down and fill our plates.

"Have you guys spoken to Jacob, recently?" I say, speaking of my brother who is currently stationed in North Carolina with the Marines. He's only a couple years younger than me, but we were never that close.

"Oh, yeah, we talked earlier today. He's doing just fine. Nothing really new to report there. He's ready to come home and visit, though," Daddy tells me.

"He's coming home soon?" I ask, having no idea that that was in the works. In the military, it takes a lot to get enough days off to go anywhere far enough that you have to stay the night.

"He's working on it," replies my mom. "He's getting a little homesick, I think."

We talk about my brother and the military a little more. Dad and I talk sports, and how we can't wait for football to come back. Then enough is enough.

"Alright, enough small talk. What's going on with this whole book thing?" My mom asks, ever the impatient one.

I take a sip of my wine, take a deep breath and caught them up on everything that had taken place over the past two weeks. One thing that we prided ourselves on in my family, was absolute honesty. And because of that, they knew just about everything that happened with Ryder.

When I'm done filling them in, they sit there quietly for a few moments, just soaking it all in.

"Did I make the right decision?" I ask quietly, so afraid they're going to say no.

"Yes," my dad says confidently. "You did exactly the right thing. Don't think otherwise. In fact, what you did was very brave. I'm proud of you."

"I agree, honey. I think I would have done the exact same thing."

And with those few words, I know everything is going to be fine.