27

Kyrin

Walking into the school, Carmen was right behind me. Things at this charter school were about to change up. All the way up. We walked into the office and John, our receptionist sat there.

"Morning bosses!" He greeted happily.

"Morning." We greeted back with smiles.

My purse was in my hand as we walked. My hair was pulled up and into a bun which took forever to accomplish. The hallway provided many rooms on the right and left of it and even one at the end, but our stop was the first two. Mines to the right and Carmen's to the left.

Looking at the door, I still couldn't help but do a double take. Principal Broussard and Vice Principal Jones.

"We really did it." Carmen commented as she followed my gaze.

I nodded. "Yeah. Not the way we envisioned or imagined but we did it."

"Nevertheless, we are still in the position we prayed to be in. We get to change the world now Kyrin. We have a better hand in the future. We get to decide what we produce. We were the only African American teachers at this school and the only ones who taught kids that being black was not only a honor but something that shouldn't be presented as a burden. You better pick your head up."

"My head isn't down."

"Coulda fooled me cause you're surely acting like it is." She mumbled bitterly as she walked into her office and shut the door behind her.

I rolled my eyes as I walked into mines, shutting it behind me as well. I didn't have time to argue, especially with it being the first day of school for the kids. The stick would just have to stay up her ass for right now. Sitting at my desk, I logged in and almost as soon as I did a knock at my door caused me to yell out. "Come in!"

My eyes widened when my younger sister stepped in.

"Hola sista." She sung lightly.

"Gray? I like." I complimented as I made a face of approval.

Phoebe smiled. "Why thank you sis, I do try."

"What are you doing here? It's a little early for you, huh?"

"It is but Tiff said I couldn't dye my hair and if I did then I would be on punishment. So I'm now on punishment." she frowned.

My face furrowed. "What's punishment exactly?"

"The guest bedroom. And the fact that I'm being ignored is punishment. She hasn't seen it yet though, so I'm thinking maybe once she sees it she'll forgive me." My sister mumbled.

I chuckled. "Oh so you're here because you know she's bringing Eissa and you also know that she'll stop in here and speak to me. I am a pawn in your game of chess aren't I?"

Phoebe nodded. "Exactly."

Shaking my head, I pointed at a seat. "Sit down child, let's see if this'll work."

She sat down and began asking. "Where's Janet?"

I checked the time. "Should be getting up and about to head to her practice."

"Oh okay. When's her tour starting again?"

"In 7 months." I replied as I pulled up my email. "You know J, a perfectionist at heart. She's been in that studio getting things straight for a while now."

"Ou, I can't wait til she starts touring the world and—."

"Principal Broussard? I got some more files and—" My secretary, Joy, called out to me. When she saw Phoebe she quickly seemed to dismiss whatever she was about to say. "Oh I didn't know you had someone in. I'll come back at a later time."

"Oh no. This is my sister Phoebe, Phoebe this is my secretary Joy Foxwell." I introduced the two. 

They shook hands and Phoebe told her.  "You look young Joy, how old are you?"

"Oh I'm 24." She replied back timidly as she sat the files on my desk.

Joy was 24, and fresh out of college. When I was a senior in college she was a sophomore and we ended up taking some electives together. We became friends and as I got to know her I knew that someway, somehow, I had to help her out. So I called and asked had she gotten her teachers certification. She told me no, and that she was working on it and I offered her my secretary position until she did get it. Joy said yes, and she's been amazing at keeping things organized and in tact. Still, as soon as she gets certified I promised her a classroom and I planned on keeping my promise.

Phoebe sent a look my way as Joy spoke to me. "We still on for lunch today?"

I agreed. "Yeah, make sure Carmen's still on board to go. She seems a little out of it today."

Joy nodded. "Alright I'll go do that. It was nice meeting you Phoebe, excuse me."

She left the room and Phoebe shut the door behind her. "Oh bitch."

"What?" I asked.

"She likes you."

I made a face. "Bye. No she doesn't. We've been friends since college. That girl does not like me. She would have been made a move."

"Girl boo, I'm telling you she does. I can tell and I'm going to tell Janet."

My eyes narrowed. "You tell my girlfriend anything and I'll bop the hell out of you. That girl doesn't like me and even if she does I'm not interested at all."

"Janet would bop the shit out of you if you do something stupid." Phoebe mumbled.

"Girl, only dumbasses cheat on Janet Jackson. What the hell do I look like? I wish I would. I'd bop the shit out of myself. All the stuff she's done for me. If I cheat on her then y'all go ahead and send me to the mental hospital, because apparently something in my brain is just not clicking."

P chuckled. "True. True. I'm just making sure you not taking after ya big sister in being a dumbass."

"Hm. So I'm guessing you two still aren't communicating." I sent her a look.

"You know we aren't." My sister rolled her eyes. "I don't have time for that bitch. She's being extra about our father. You know she wants to bury that man in white? What type of saint was that man to be buried in white? Tuh. I told momma to bury that nigga in blue."

"Blue? Daddy hated blue."

"The nigga dead. He don't get no wants from the casket." She replied as she tilted her head.

I laughed. "Oh you going to hell with gasoline draws." She shrugged and before she could reply the door to my office opened. Tiffany came in and my Bubba was right behind her. He was red, which caused me to frown. "Come here Bubba." He walked over slowly and climbed in my lap. "What's wrong big guy?"

"Mom—." He sniffed. "Mommy be mean!"

"Tiffany what happened to my baby?" I questioned as I looked up at her.

She was busy looking at Phoebe's hair but finally looked at me. "Girl, Janet whooped him today."

"Whooped?" Phoebe questioned her as my face wore one of shock. "Like with a actual belt?"

Tiff nodded. "Yep. He got to hollering about not wanting to come to school, hit the floor, started having a kicking fit and next thing I know she snapped. Grabbed that belt and went to town. He been sad ever since."

I frowned as I hugged Eissa tighter. "Aw. My poor baby. Eissa, you can't be throwing fits like that. You know better, don't you?" He merely nodded. "Words Eissa."

"Yes ma'am." He replied softly. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry Bubba, just don't do it again. It's your first day of third grade, you gotta make better decisions." I softly corrected. "You said Janet snapped?"

Tiffany answered me. "Yeah. I don't know what's wrong with her here lately—."

"Nothings wrong with me. It's time for him to grow up." My girlfriends voice caused everyone in the room to divert our attention towards my door.

Eissa sniffled harder as I sighed. "Can you all give Janet and I the room?" They nodded and began leaving as I called out louder. "Joy!"

A few moments later she appeared. "Ma'am?"

"Do you mind bringing Eissa to Miss Marlins room?" I asked as Eissa crawled off my lap.

She nodded. "Come on EE."

He walked over to Joy cautiously, keeping his eyes on Janet and trying to stay as far away as he could. When he reached Joy he quickly grabbed her hand.

"Have a good day at school today Bubba." I called after him as the door to my office shut. Looking up at my girlfriend who was looking over my office, I asked. "Really? On the first day of school?"

Janet put her hand out towards me as she snapped on me. "Kyrin I really don't want to hear it. I'm his mother and I don't need advice on how to discipline my child."

My head immediately flashed back to Janet and I's first encounters. She was giving me that vibe again and I didn't have time for it right now.

I scoffed as I stood. "Your child? Oh so now he's—." I kissed my teeth as I stopped myself. "So.... let me tell you what I'm not about to do. I'm not about to play tennis with you today. We aren't about to go back and forth this morning because one, it's the first day of school and I have shit to do and two, because we are both going to end up pissed off way more than we are right now. So, you can leave, and we don't have to communicate today because it seems like you forgot that I can be an even bigger asshole than you are on your worst damn day."

She sighed as she sat down in my seat. "I'm sorry baby. I just— I don't know. I'm stressed out trying to get this stuff together for the tour and the appearances. Dances haven't been right and we had to scratch a whole number yesterday. Plus you've been busy and haven't been at the house. I guess it's just getting to me. My bad."

I lifted a eyebrow, I can't even lie, I was still agitated that she had snapped on me. "Mhm." Picking the files up that Joy had left for me, I headed to my file cabinet and began looking at the labels so I could alphabetize them.

Janet's arms snaked around me as she mumbled into my neck. "Baby, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I'm just a little grouchy today."

"A little?" I asked sarcastically as I placed one of the three files away and began the journey of placement for the other.

"Okay, maybe a lot. I'm sorry, Princess. I didn't mean it. You know you are Eissa's mom just as much as I am." I didn't reply to her attempts of trying causing her to pout. "Baby I'm sorry. Really."

"I'm stressed." I commented as I broke out of her embrace and sat the last file on top of my file cabinet. "Parents last minute enrolling. Meetings with so many damn board members it's ridiculous. Scheduling fire drills. Tornado drills. Intruder drills. I'm up to my neck in fucking files yet I'm not snapping. I'm holding it together and I know we haven't been together in a while but it's not like I can stop this J. I'm sorry we haven't been spending as much time together. We will make time. Like on weekends or maybe lunches. We will figure it out but you cannot snap every time something of little inconvenience happens. Cause one day we just gone have to fight it out Janet Damita."

"So? You forgive me?" Janet asked softly as she made her begging face evident. She came over to me and linked both our hands together.

Rolling my eyes, I replied. "You lucky I love you. Yes, I forgive you." She smirked slightly as our lips met shortly. "Now go to practice, I have children to attend to."

"I'm proud of you baby. Even though I've said it a thousand times. I'm really proud of you. We're still on for tonight?"

My eyes wandered as I broke away from her embrace and walked over to my calendar. Slowly, I shook my head. "I can't, I have a staff meeting after school today. What about Thursday?"

"I can't do Thursday. My practice is running unhealthily late that night."

We both looked at each other and sighed. "Okay, this weekend. I'll get everything done before this weekend and then it'll just be us. I promise."

Jan nodded. "I'll cancel practice so then I'll be free as well." Her phone went off, and after glancing at it she came and kissed me again before beginning to leave. "I have to go baby. I love you."

"I love you more Superstar. Have a good practice."

She left the room leaving me in silence but I knew it would be short lived when I looked at the clock and saw that it was going on 8 am. This principal shit was a hassle already— but it's what I had signed up for so I can't really complain. At least not yet.