The Best Days

Chapter 14 Part 2

"Jenny?"

"Yes, Penelope."

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No, I do not have a boyfriend, Penelope."

"Why not?"

"I've decided to focus on my school work instead."

No reply. She turned away from me and rocked back onto the heels of her super cool light up sneakers.

A few moments passed and I thought that conversation was over with.

"Is it because you want to focus on school work or is it because you can't get a boyfriend?" Nine year old Penelope asked without a hint of shame.

Professor Levy, who was standing not too far away, let out a snicker he failed to hide with a cough.

"I can get a boyfriend I just choose not to."

"Oh, okay. I just thought dressing the way you do that you might have some trouble."

Wait. Did she just diss me on the low?

"Oh, look there's my mom. Bye, Mr. Levy, bye Jenny." She skipped away and over to the white Cadillac that I'd learned over the past couple of weeks belonged to her mother. Not a glance back.

I wondered if Mommy Penelope knew what a charmer her daughter was. I glanced down at the floral sundress I had on. I didn't look that bad did I?

"So that was the last kid." Levy said coming over to stand beside me as he waved the car off. Penelope's mom honked twice as she sped past.

"Maybe just maybe one day these parents will be on time to pick up their children. It's not like we don't have things to do." I grumbled to myself, slightly upset over what a nine year old had said. Her words held truth and they were hitting close to home...

His eyes crinkled as he smiled at me. "I don't have much else I'd rather be doing."

"Great, now I sound like a bad person. Don't you have papers to grade? You really liked assigning them last semester."

He laughed at that. I felt my cheeks warm up. I really liked making him laugh.

"Grading papers is the last thing I'm in the mood to do. I'm trying to not think about anything for the next couple of days I've been so stressed since this New Year started."

I really had nothing to complain about, he did look a little tired now that I got a good look at him. "I'm going to try to stop complaining about everything."

"New Year's resolution?" He offered.

I squinted a bit. "Yeah, something like that."

"Well, on one hand you could see it as complaining or..."

"Or?"

"You're just not afraid of saying what needs to be said." He said it like he believed it. There were more than enough times when I didn't speak up when I needed to.

We walked back inside to close down everything and to gather our belongings.

"Trust me when I say I am far from being unafraid" I said as I packed some loose papers into my backpack. "I'm low key just a nag. But thank you for thinking so highly of me."

He held the front door open for me when I was done and followed close behind as we headed back to the front of the building. "You're way too hard on yourself, Miss Jameson."

Kendra and Gavin had gone back to campus. They had papers to turn in before midnight and couldn't wait on me. It was okay. I was used to it.

It seemed as though the parents of the kids in my group weren't too fond of their children. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday they had me and Professor Levy out there waiting on them way past the pick-up time.