Lessons In Butterflies

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"What? Oh, no. No, no, no. We are not playing family," I stammered, glancing quickly at Mr. Caldwell, who was staring wide-eyed at Theo and Leo.

Leo, never one to miss an opportunity, immediately started bouncing. "Yeah! You can be our dad! And Shella can be our mum!"

I could feel my face heating up, and I shot Mr. Caldwell a panicked look, hoping he'd jump in with some kind of teacherly shutdown, but he just stared at the twins, looking almost as horrified as I felt.

"Theo, Leo," I started firmly, "I think maybe you should ask someone else to be-"

"But we want you!" Theo whined, putting on his best puppy-dog eyes. Leo followed suit, each of them pulling out every ounce of childlike desperation. "Pleeease? Just for pretend!"

I glanced at Mr. Caldwell, silently begging for backup.

"Uh, guys, there's a lot of people here who could be... your pretend parents. How about... Ms. Findle from the front desk?"

"No!" Leo insisted, shaking his head. "It has to be you two!"

"Boys, sometimes... "

Leo tugged at my sleeve, pouting, "But... you and Mr. Caldwell look like a real mum and dad. Right, Mr. Caldwell?"

Mr. Caldwell turned to me, his face growing redder by the second. "I... um..." he started, his voice almost cracking.

He looked back down at Theo and Leo, obviously scrambling for a way out. "Maybe we could... I don't know, play a game where we're superheroes instead?"

"Oh, so you don't like Shella?" Theo suddenly asked, tilting his head with a look of pure curiosity that only children could get away with.

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Shella is a smart, sarcastic, and somewhat self-conscious girl just trying to navigate the demands o her complicated family life.

While she excels in most classes, Mr. Caldwell's subject is her biggest struggle.

He's strict, intimidating, and doesn't cut anyone slack.
Mr. Caldwell pushes her in ways no one else dares, noticing things others overlook-like the insecurities she tries to hide.
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