Desires Book 1 (Sample) ✔

-3-

Posted: 06/02/15

Chapter Three

Justice

"Hey Miss J." One of her students, Makenzie said as she walked through the door.

"Hey Makenzie, how was school?" She asked as she finished setting up the snack table, placing the chocolate chip cookies in the center. Due to her little argument with Big Majik she was behind schedule. She always gave herself an hour to set up for the day, that way once everyone showed up she could get right to business. But she had to make a quick pit stop at Stop Shop and Save to pick up a few more things for their snack during group activity.

She still had to get the supplies out for arts and crafts and get the group assignments together. Luckily she always had them doing their homework for the first thirty minutes.

"It was excellent. I got to read my story today in class and the teacher gave me two checks on it." She said excitedly. "She said that I did a great job and that I was the only one that got to use all of the vocab words."

"That's wonderful, maybe you could read it to the class later today." Justice encouraged. "Do you mind giving me a hand?" She asked moving over to the section that housed the arts and crafts.

Makenzie sat her book bag in her seat and followed Justice. "What can I do?" Makenzie was a sixth grader in middle school, and a very bright person. Most of the kids picked on her for being so smart and actually talking proper. Despite her dark complexion, most of them called her white girl. Many didn't understand how she could speak the way she does if she stay in the projects.

It was girls like Makenzie, which gave Justice Hope that not everyone will fall victim to the streets and be ignorant. Even if she is contradicting herself with both businesses. "Can you set these on the table, set it up any way you'd like, and then get a sheet of paper from the top shelf to start roll." She instructed.

Makenzie nodded her head and began doing her task as more kids filed in and took their seats.

"Is that Miss Tabitha's cookies I smell?" One of her students question as more voices followed in agreement. Justice turned and couldn't help but smile at Randall. He adored Miss Tabitha's cooking. She's known him for three years and was glad to see that he was beginning to make a change for the better. He wanted a better life for himself, and his children when he gets older. So he says.

His parents were both crack heads and alcoholics. It was hard to believe that he turned out so normal since his mother has been doing crack throughout the entire pregnancy. When there wasn't food in the house he'd go to Miss Tabitha—who lived three houses down from him—and she'd make him a nice warm meal and a place to sleep for the night. It was tough on an eight-year-old to live that way.

"Yes Randall, Miss Tabitha baked you all some cookies. But not until it's time for your snack." She gave a stern look to her students knowing they were ready to ransack the table, only for them to groan in protest. She shook her head and Makenzie began to pass the roll sheet around. Justice checked the clock and seen there was only a minute left before she was to start.

Her volunteer work was more of an after school program. Her students would come to the recreational center after school for multiple reasons. And ever since parents complained about their child not doing anything but play around all day—which was the main reason the rec was here—they set up this program for all students, no matter the school. Since Justice was their most loyal volunteer they decided to make her a paid volunteer instead, and she could run her class anyway she wanted. So her class was filled with seventh and sixth graders.