Nurse Or Nanny?

Chapter Eighteen

Ashley/Laura's POV

I'm at the school and I parked where David told me to and now I can see why. It's about a block away from the school but it's a zoo up there.  There are cars littering the street, double parked and no one can get through. There is a women in a safety vest trying to direct traffic, but really is just standing at the crosswalk and telling cars to stop so kids and parents can cross.  There are people all over the place. I am a little intimidated to walk in there.  I'm new, no one knows my face and I can just tell I am going to get a lot of weird looks from people. I take a few deep breaths, grab my backpack from the back with the snacks in it and start heading to the school.  The closer I get I can point out Joe on the playground. Good, he can stay there while I go and get Lauren, I'll just tell him I'm here. I walk over to the edge just as he's running and laughing with one of his friends,
"Hey Joe!" He looks up at me and his smile fades. I keep mine on my face,
"I'm just going in to grab your sister, you can stay out here. Do you have your bag with you?" He kind of perks up a bit, like maybe David or whoever is normally picking him up doesn't let him stay out here.
"Yeah, it's over there with the other ones." He says.
"Okay, great. I'll be back in a bit with your sister and we'll figure out the rest of the day. Okay?" I say softly with a gently smile on my face.  I really want him to like me, being a ten year old kid and mad all the time is no fun. 
"Okay." Is all he says and he starts chasing after his friend again. I look over and the smile is back on his face and he is laughing. Well, I can't be all bad if it only takes a few second to get in back to laughing. I walk into the school and it's just as busy in here. Mom's everywhere, and a few dad's.  As suspected I get a few odd looks.  I'm just in my normal attire of leggings, a loosely fitted tank top that's a bit longer in the back and shorter in the front, with a light rain jacket and running shoes. I opted for the rain coat today instead of the denim for an even more comfortable fit.  But seeing what everyone else wears I can sort of see why they might be staring. No one here is in leggings, its all jeans, fitted tops, fancy hair, fancy nails and makeup. They are all so put together I feel like a slob. But what I am wearing is what everyone worse back home.  Maybe it's a west coast thing? I try my best to ignore them when the principal comes up behind me,
"Hi. Ashley, right?" She says so sweetly. I relax a little and turn to her,
"Yes, how are you?" I ask.
"Good, good. And yourself. Have you found Lauren yet?" She asks me and looks me right in the eyes, like she can feel I am overwhelmed and her attention is calming me down. She still has her arm on mine.
"Not yet, she's just down this hallway right? It's such a zoo in here, I had no idea it would be so busy." She kind of laughs at me.
"Yes, it's like this for about ten minutes then all the kids have cleared out to the playground or are trying to get out of the parking lot." She tells me, and I can see in her look she finds it humorous. 
"Yeah, David told me to park down the street and now I know why." I laugh and she laughs with me. At the mention of David's name I see a few heads turn around and eye me suspiciously.  Weird. 
"Just down that hall and Lauren's classroom is on the right." She smiles at me and starts to leave.
"Thank you Grace." She nods and walk down the hall I assume back to her office to escape the mad house. When I find Lauren's classroom there are still a few kids in there.  I see her colouring with her back towards me at a table with another little boy. 
"Hi Lauren." I say and she turns around then stands up and runs over to me and hugs my legs.
"Oh hi!" I say again and I am surprised by the excitement and affection she is showing.
"Hi Ashley. I am almost done my colouring, can I finish before we go." I look over at her teacher who is watching the exchange and she nods her head. I wanted to make sure it was okay in case the teacher needed to get going.
"Of course, go on, I'll just be waiting over there." I nod to the front where the teacher.  I walk over there and her teacher is an older man, I'd say sixties, and he looks like the sweetest man in the world. He gets up from his desk and introduces himself.
"Hi, I'm Henry Allen, Grace is my wife. She told me you'd be here today to pick up Lauren."  Ah, that makes sense, both these people have the most infectious calming energy.
"I just saw her in the hallway." I say and I smile. "Oh, I'm Ashley by the way." I say totally forgetting to introduce myself. He laughs at me and sits down and motions for me to take a seat next to him.