First Day was awesome. Made new friends that were mostly pupils. Who knew kids could be this fun? I smiled to myself as I walked the hallway to the principal's office. I was to make a first day report to him and any complaint and questions I had.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Miles," I greeted as I shut the door behind me.
"Good afternoon, Miss Williams," he replied and swiveled his chair.
"I am here to drop my report," I dropped a brown envelope on his desk.
He nodded in acknowledgement, "Good." He extracted the sheet of paper from the envelope and glanced through it. "This is well done."
I smiled, "Thank you, Mr. Miles."
"Any questions?" he asked as he looked at me and dropped the paper.
"Not at all, Sir. Mercy had run me through almost everything I needed to know."
"I see," he mumbled to himself. "I hope you did not murder any kids."
I smiled, choosing not to let it get to me. "I am not a murderer, Sir."
He rolled his eyes and swiveled, "Well, the law said so."
"Maybe if you should look deeper than the surface, you will see the real thing," I countered and he appeared struck.
"You words are as deep as you drive your murder weapon. You can go. See you tomorrow," and he waved me off.
I kept smiling and walked gaily, replying and acknowledging the students who greeted me. I found Nancy waiting outside the school gates and I was shocked. She smiled when she saw me and waved me over.
"How was your first day?" she asked as I approached her.
Still shocked, I replied, "As awesome as awesome can be." And she laughed heartily.
"Let us go," she urged and we walked.
"What are you doing here?" I asked and she shot me a glare. "I mean do you have a business to do around here or you were waiting up for me?"
"It seems you do not appreciate the fact that I waited up for you, so I will just tell you I had a business," she shrugged soberly.
"No. I did not mean it that way. I do appreciate but I am just surprised," I clarified.
"It is okay. Where are you going to now?" she asked chirpy again.
"Ice cream shop. I can't wait to tell Derek about my first day. Maybe you should come over so I can tell you both together. We could do that over ice cream," I said excited, clapping my hands at intervals.
She became sober again, "Nah. I will pass. I will just be at home waiting."
"Nancy, I thought we were over this," I draped an arm over her shoulder, pulling her close.
She snuggled into me, as we walked, "I know. But I just can't get over it. It will pass, just give me time."
I laughed, "You talk like I am your girlfriend. I mean the intimate relationship kind."
She forced a laugh but did not say anything. We were silent the rest of the way. When we got to the ice cream shop, we saw Derek handing a crying child an ice cream and the child smiled. He talked with the child as we stopped and watched from afar.
"Is he not so kind?" I asked and Nancy snorted.
I ignored her. Soon, Derek saw us and waved us over.
"What were you doing standing over there?" he asked and held the door open for me and Nancy. Such a gentleman.
"Thinking of ways to ambush you," Nancy replied dryly.
I laughed, "We were just watching."
"She was the only one watching. I was gagging at your mere sight," Nancy said spitefully.
We walked to a booth to eat ice cream, as there were no customers in the shop to serve.
"I see your feelings towards me have not changed," Derek noted.
Nancy scoffed, "And it never will if you keep up the act."
"Nancy," I scolded her. "We are working on those feelings," I told Derek.
"Just you," she mumbled.
"Well, I guess ice cream should make our grumpy fellow better," Derek said as he placed ice cream plates and spoons in front of each of us.
"Is it poisoned?" she asked warily and we both laughed at her attitude.
While we ate, I gave details on my first day and they both listened intently, never interrupting.
"What was the principal's name again?" Derek asked.
"Walter Miles," I answered and Derek and Nancy exchanged uneasy looks. "Why?"
"Nothing," Nancy answered for him and that threw me off balance.
Nancy and Derek knew something that they were not telling me.
"You both are doing that thing again," I commented.
"What are we doing?" Derek asked.
"Knowing something I should know but not letting me know," I said.
They both laughed. "There are no secrets. He is just popular in town," Nancy said and brushed off the topic.
After working in the ice cream shop, with Nancy and Derek bickering, Derek walked us home. We said our goodbyes at the gate and as we entered, a car drove in. The window was wound down and I saw a man at the wheels. He smiled at Nancy and frowned at me. He was Walter Miles.