The Love Between Us

Chapter 5

Calista glanced at the boardroom table before taking a seat opposite Mrs. Kruger. "Now... We begin." The vice principal, Mr Jones, chipped in. "Mrs. Harper, please explain again to miss Calista what you explained to us." The parent cleared her throat and turned to Calista. "Miss Calista" she called. "I know you do know me, I am Michael Harper's mother, Michael from your class." "I know that" Calista nodded. "And last week, my son told me he saw you smoking in class." Mrs. Harper explained and Calista paused, trying to recall 'whenever' she smoked in class. "I'm sorry what?" was call Calista could say. "I never smoked in clShe suddenly stopped talking when she recalled last week Friday and how she had craved for a cigeratte and then ended up smoking it outside the classroom, so her student wouldn't see her. "Is she wrong?" Mr. Jones cleared his throat. Calista scoffed "Yes, I mean no, I mean yes, I did smoke, but not in the classroom". "So Mrs. Harper and her son are right, you were indeed smoking" Mrs. Kruger added. "But they're also wrong. I didn't smoke in class." Calista shook her head. "in class or not, the fact that you smoked and a student saw you? Do you know what that means? What if words get out, what would people think of our school's system? a grade one teacher under the addiction of smoking cigarettes. Miss Calista, that is beyond us." Mrs. Kruger sighed. "And I honestly cannot let someone who is under the addiction of smoking random stuff teach my son, no mother in their right mind would." Mrs. Harper barked. "What? It's not like I'm doing anything to them?" Calista rolled her eyes. "You are not, but people under the addiction to things like that are likely to have a buzz and one day just snap", Mr. Jones added. "So what are you guys saying?" Calista could feel her blood heating up. "We're saying it's time for you to tell Hillfeld goodbye, this is the best way for the school to flourish." Mr. Jones smiled. "Wait! So I'm getting fired?" Calista suddenly jumped to her feet. "Yes." Mrs. Kruger added. "But please, what if you reconsider? I promise, I won't do it anymore. Please, and I am not an addict." Calista shook her head. The principal and vice-principal glanced at each other. "I'm sorry Miss Calista, it has been decided already, we cannot leave the kids in your hands, you have to go." Mrs. Kruger shook her head. "What the hell his? This is bullshit!" Calista yelled. "Manage your tongue please." Mrs. Kruger corrected. "No, because my language doesn't have any f*cking thing to do with the school system. I get it, Hillfield wants a good reputation because it's one of the richest schools in town, but let me let you on, on something you don't know, you'll never find a teacher like me, explain why I've won best teacher of the year for three good years. And whatever I'm done with this, your tongues are all just p***y heads." "Mind your tongue, miss Calista, for Christ's sake." Mr. Jones barked. "Oh, this has nothing to do with Christ. You are all just dumb and let me tell you something, Mrs. Harper, your son Michael, is going to grow up and become a f*****g-headed d**g addict, he's going to have more than a buzz and then he's going to fu*King choke you to death." Calista, seethe getting a gasp. "And you Mr Jones, I've never liked you, same goes for you Mrs. Kruger, you all and the school system could all go to hell." Calista yelled, leaving the three of them speechless. And with one last glare, she exited the teacher's lounge.

"And I got fired." Calista breathed out before taking a sip out of her coffee and raising her head up to look at Ray. "I can't believe that." Ray scoffed. "So that little flamingo ratted you out?" "He sure did, and I told his mother that he is going to become the town's finest d**g addict, gosh I'm so tired, and I actually wore my finest suit today not knowing I'd get fired, this is bullshit" Calista sighed. "Don't worry it's going to be okay!" Ray said, assuring. "Okay? When? Where? How does it get okay? I loved my job and the fact that the pay is more than any normal job could earn. I am going to lose my s**t. Where will I even see a better job? Even if I do become a teacher again at another school, I'm still not going to ever get satisfied, because Hillfield has proved to me what money actually is." "Okay now slow down Cal, I do not know how to make you feel better, but don't you think it's high time you quit smoking? Considering how it got you into trouble, try to quit." Ray sighed. "Do you think it's that easy?" Calista huffed. "I know it's not, I mean we both started off smoking at the same time, but look at me, look at Mika, I quit a year ago, she did when she met Adrian. Just give it a try." Ray explained, his curly hair bouncing as he explained. "I don't know, maybe I should just k.ill myself then" Calista sighed, grabbing Ray's coffee after seeing how she had emptied her own. Ray smiled. "Now don't say that." "I'm devastated, I should go home." Calista frowned, getting on her feet. "But you just got here." "I know..." She added. "So you just called me out to talk about how you got fired, you didn't really want to hang out.?" Ray asked. "Did I sound like I wanted to hang out?" Calista retorted. "Yeah, you called me and clearly said 'Hey Ray do you think maybe we can hang out" "Oh. I didn't know I sounded like that." Calista shrugged. "Well you did." Ray threw his hands up. Calista looked around her surroundings before looking back at Ray. "Well maybe I sounded like that earlier, but now I just want to go home and maybe cry myself to sleep." "Okay, this is unfair." Ray scoffed. "Unfair? I don't understand..." Calista shook her head. "You called earlier saying you wanted to hang out, and now after ranting to me about how you got fired today, you want to leave. And think about how I came running to you when you called, but when I call to 'Hang out' you tell me you're either busy or your usual, I'm nr able to make it" Ray sighed. "I'm sorry rant? All I've been saying, I have been ranting to you?" Calista scoffed. "No... Look, I didn't mean it that way." Ray spoke up. "No you did" Calista hit the table with her fist. "Okay I didn't. I am just trying to say that you never have time for me when I need you, but I always come running to you when you need me. That isn't fair," Ray yelled. "That's because I'm always busy." Calista scoffed. "And you think I'm not busy? Fu*k this Calista." Ray cussed. "I don't see any reason for you to get angry you know." Calista rolled her eyes, getting on her feet. "Oh you don't see why? And are you leaving?" Ray scoffed. "Of course I am." Calista added. "No..." Ray got on his feet. "Of course you can't see why I'm angry right now, but you can't stay and I'll leave. I mean I was the i***t who left his job to come attend to you." Ray spat and immediately walked out of the coffee shop, grabbing his hat. "Ray..." Calista tried to call back, but he was already far away to hear, or maybe he did hear her but decided not to reply. With one heavy sigh, Calista grabbed her purse before walking out of the coffee shop and heading home. : : Boris walked into Noah's office that evening with his iPad in his right hand as usual, and after greeting a good evening, he noticed Janice at the corner with a phone in her hand. "Boris..." Noah sighed seeing him. "Sir. Your daughter's here", Boris added in a way that explained that Janice shouldn't be, and she was also in her school uniform. "Yeah, after school she cried all day saying she wanted to see me. And well, my mother brought her here, and then left. Sometimes I have no say in things like that." Noah let's out a pained smile. "She's just a girl who loves her father so much. No harm in that." Boris laughed. "Yes, but I can't let her cling to me like this every second of the day." "Well aside that, I have gotten everything under control, hired models for the new brand. Mr Gasby seemed thrilled to work with us on this new project and, well, the company is strictly under control". Boris flashed a smile. "And how about new employees? We're falling on that." Noah raised his brows. "Well, a month ago if you hadn't let out your raging anger and then fired almost half of your employees, we wouldn't be in this position, but aside from that, I have that under control and who wouldn't want to work here, if Julia should upload the 'we're hiring' banner on our website, you'll see the exit door filled with all ages wanting to work for the company, so there's nothing to worry." Boris said assuring, with his whimsical smile. "I trust you Boris, I trust you maybe a little too much" Noah laughed. "I know you do. By next week, the company will be filled with new employees that will hopefully cope with your anger issues". Noah threw his eyebrows up. "I don't have anger issues. "Well the doer never sees, but anyways, I need your phone to copy the email Mr Gasby said he sent to you personally." Boris added, taking a step towards Noah's desk. "My phone." Noah repeated, searching for it with his eyes, "It was here some where." "Daddy, I have it." Janice's voice suddenly spoke up, waving the phone in the air. "What? When did you take it?" Noah asked, getting on his feet and gently taking the phone from Janice. "I took it when you weren't looking." Janice giggled. "Well don't do that", Noah warned, his thick voice never always fazed Janice, though it could do real harm to some people. Noah handed the phone to Boris, and as Boris took a seat to ask what he had come to Noah's office for. The office went silent and Janice began to speak. "Daddy," she called, resting her elbows on his desk. "Yes Janice." Noah sighed. "You never came for me to bring your parents to school". "We already talked about this and I'm sorry, I'll be there next time." Noah sighed. How if her daughter never let things slide ever "if you don't show up, Miss Calista is going to scold you again." Janice warned. "Miss who?" "Miss Calista", little Janice repeated. "And who is that?" Noah asked. "My class teacher." Janice replied. Noah shut his eyes and silently scolded himself for the fact that he did not know his own daughter's class teacher. Well, because of the fact that his mother knows, there's nothing to worry about. "And why would she scold me.?" Noah scoffed. "Because you promised to show up and you didn't, she scolded you today and she will do it again." Janice never stopped talking. "she scolded me today?" Noah seemed more than confused. "And done." Boris breathed out, interrupting the father and daughter conversation. Handing Noah his phone, Boris wished him a good night before leaving his office to round up for the day. Noah turned back to his daughter to continue listening to her never-ending rant and stories that never made much sense. Noah watched as his daughter spoke and how she looked so much like her mother. People always mention how she looked more like him, but they were wrong about him, because she looked more like her mother. If only she didn't leave. . . Calista did almost cry herself to sleep that evening when she recalled being fired after waking up from a siesta, but stopped herself after her eyes landed on a packet of cigarettes close to her bed. With a sigh, she grabbed the cigarette, wore a pair of shorts, grabbed her pink lighter and walked out of her small apartment.