"Anna!!" Lou who was in Jay's arms shouted.
The little girl who had been called turned around. Her curly brown hair was tied in two pony tails, she had freckles and clear brown eyes. She was very cute.
Upon seeing her friend, Anna's eyes widened. What was Lou doing in the arms of a boy who wasn't her daddy?! She had repeatedly warned Lou against boys because boys were mean! Only daddies were nice. Before she could think more about it, the two people approached her.
"Hi, are you Lou's friend?" Jay squatted down and softly asked.
Anna stared in a daze for a bit before blurting out "Your eyes are so pretty!" then felt her cheeks heat up. Stupid why had she said that?!
Jay softly smiled, and Lou nodded "Hm, Jay's eyes are even more beautiful than mommy's."
"Jay?..." Anna asked, the realization now hitting her as her eyes widened for a second time. "You're Lou's brother! You came back!"
"I did, and you must be Anna, Lou told me a lot about you. Thank you for warning Lou against boys." he said.
"You're not... mad?" Anna anxiously held the helm of her shirt.
"Nope, why would I be mad? Just keep staying away from boys, you help Lou do the same alright? Pinky swear."
Anna nodded and held out her finger, Jay grinned and crossed hers with his before putting Lou down.
Still in a squatting position, he hugged her and said, "You stay with Anna, and you listen to the teacher... If the teacher says you have to hold a boy's hand... Haaa, just do it, I'll let it slide."
Lou nodded and looked like she was about to cry, "Jay, you're leaving?"
He kissed her cheek and smiled "It won't be like last time, I'll see you when school is over." he said and got up when he heard his mom call him over.
She was with two other women; one was in her mid-thirties and the second in her mid-twenties. The first one had the same curly brown hair than the little girl in front of him and Jay instantly made the connection. The second woman had dark black hair tied in a messy bun with a fringe that hung loosely on her forehead and hazel eyes. She was wearing comfy jeans and a t-shirt.
"That woman is your mommy, right? Do you want to come?" he squatted down and asked Anna. The little girl looked over and nodded.
He smiled and picked up Lou before asking again, "Do you want me to carry you too?"
Anna looked at Lou who seemed to be drowning in bliss after getting back in her brother arms and hesitated before shyly nodding.
Jay picked her up too and walked towards the women.
***
Helen had been talking to Angela, Anna's mother when Ms. Ritz had joined them.
"Mrs. Aslan, Mrs. Turner." the young woman greeted.
"Ms. Ritz, I'm glad my daughter ended up in your care." Helen smiled and Angela nodded in approval.
They chatted a little but were soon interrupted by rowdy conversations coming from the side.
"Is he new here?"
"He doesn't have a ring, do you think he's a single father?"
"No way, right? His face doesn't look too old..."
Helen got a foreboding feeling and looked at the direction they were pointing. When she confirmed her guesses, her expression darkened and she snorted.
Those hussies were eyeing her son!
"Jay! Come here baby." she yelled.
She saw her son come to an agreement with the two little girls and bringing them over, to the disbelief of her friend.
Angela pinched herself, her daughter had actually let another man than her daddy carry her?
Mia Ritz hadn't been paying attention until Jay had come near, at which point she found herself unable to get her eyes off of him.
"Mom," he smiled and asked "This is..."
"This is Mrs. Tucker, she's Anna's mother. And this is Ms. Ritz, she's Lou and Anna's teacher." Helen smiled and said.
Jay nodded to them both before looking at his watch. "We better go or we're going to be late to the meeting." he helpfully supplied to his mom.
Helen realized it would be time soon and kissed her daughter before prying her off
Jay's arms, while Angela did the same with Anna.
The mother and son bade their farewell and hopped back into the car. Jay had barely buckled up that Helen stated, "Next time you go out, put sunglasses and a cap on." then started the car.
Jay was left speechless.
***
Needham High School was about 10 minutes away by car from his house.
When they arrived it was almost 9am, the time of the meeting.
They bumped into the Vice-Principal, Mr. Connors, and he was the one who ended up showing them the way. Everyone was in class already so they got to the principal's office unhindered by the mass of students who had trod the hallways a few minutes prior.
They knocked on the door and Mrs. Higgins received them. She was wearing a suit and had her grey hair tied up in a bun, her glasses perched on her nose and a no-nonsense attitude. When everybody sat down (Mr. Connors included), she begun.
"Could I take a look at the school transcript Helen?" she smiled at Jay's mother.
Helen nodded and gave it to her and Principal Higgins started leafing through it.
When she was done, she stared directly at Jay.
"You've been in a coma for 6 years, but your mother said that you got tutored in Switzerland and that you claim having managed to close the gap. I for one, have my doubts." she said, still holding eye contact. She didn't show it but she was surprised at how calm he appeared to be.
"That's correct." Jay said, "I believe actions speak louder than words. I'll take English, Algebra I, Geometry, Biology, Introductory course on social studies, and French as a foreign language. I'll test out of each subjects, right here, right now."
Principal Higgins said nothing for a while but kept staring at him.
Helen was taken aback by her son's statement, "What do you..."
"He's not here to start as a freshman. He wants to be let in as a sophomore." Principal Higgins let out.
"What?! Jay, what is this about?"
Jay didn't respond, he kept eye contact with the woman behind the desk.
"What about electives?" Principal Higgins asked.
"I'll join the music club." he responded.
"We do not have one anymore, not enough people so their funding got cut off."
"I'll create a new one." Jay asserted.
"You still won't get any funding."
"I'll fund myself."
"Physical Education-"
"Will not be a problem." he cut her off.
Principal Higgins let out a chuckle, "I don't know if you're confident or just plain cocky but... I'll allow it."
She faced Vice-Principal Connors and said "Alfred, please get him into the adjacent room and bring him the test papers."
Turning back towards Jay, she continued "You will not be able to leave until the tests have all been turned in. You will have a pause every 2 hours and if you want to go to the bathroom, I suggest you go now first because you'll have to be accompanied by others if you want to go during the allotted testing time." she said and added, "You also won't be able to go to the cafeteria for lunch, but there is a vending machine in the hallway that offers both sandwiches and beverages. Any questions?"
Jay smiled, "When can I start?"
***
Once they were outside the office, Helen dragged Jay in a corner and glared at him. "Tell me what's going on, right now." she demanded.
"You're treating me like a 9 year old kid mom, that's what's going on." he said, indicating she should lower her voice.
"You are a 9 year old kid!" she hissed.
"Is that what you want? For me to be the comatose kid for the rest of my life?" he calmly asked.
"What? No, that's not what I meant. You..."
"Do I act like a 9 year old to you? Mom even before the accident you knew I was different. I only had Leah and Em as friends, while they had many times more. I read books when others went outside to play ball, I studied instead of watching TV... Even back then I was more mature than 50% of the teenagers in this school."
He paused before continuing, "Besides, my brain and body are as developed as any other teenager, the only thing I technically lacked was experience but then I also spent 6 months abroad with Larry and Dr. Sanders as my only friends, and they're at least 10 years older than I am." Jay knew it would be stretching it, and it'd probably pull at her suspension of disbelief but Em and Leah treating him like a kid was enough, and he also wasn't willing to pretend to be the 9 year old he knew he wasn't.
Helen stayed silent for a while, then asked "Why sophomore?"
"Is that really weird? Leah and Em are Juniors this year, if it wasn't because I was born in January, I would be in their grade." he replied.
"And if you can't pass their tests?"
"Like I said to you this morning, I won't say anything about the tutor you want to get me. But if I do, please stop treating me like I'm 9."
Helen let that simmer in for a while and Jay could literally see her proverbial wheels turning. Then she sighed and hugged him. "Alright, I don't like it but, alright. I think I now get why your father said you should make sure they treat you like a 15 year old."
"He's very insightful." Jay said.
"Reading people is part of his job..." Helen wistfully smiled. "Anyways, here's 10$ for your lunch, text me when you're done, okay?"
"Sure mom." he said and she kissed his cheek before leaving.
Vice-Principal Connors came up to him and smiled, "We can start whenever you're ready."
Jay nodded at him and let out the breath he'd been holding, "Let's do this."