It is the first day of school and I was totally prepared until the right heel of my pink stilettos broke off.
Those shoes were a gift from Frank.
Huh. Maybe it's a sign.
I take uneven steps back to my bedroom before I realize I could just take off the other shoe.
Mornings are not for everybody.
I browse my limited options and opt for another personal favorite, pink velvet. I usually save those for special occasions but they will have to serve as my good luck charm.
I look at my reflection in the mirror one last time and do a little twirl. I do look good.
I grab my peach-colored tote and strut out of my apartment.
"Wow," Ronald says. "Dressed to impress, huh,"
I grin at him.
"You look quite dashing yourself," I tell him.
It's not a lie. He is wearing a navy blue half suit that perfectly brings out his lean physique. That look combined with his glasses…yeah, I can see how I could be attracted to him in another life.
"Ready to go?" He asks, holding his arm out.
My stomach drops. "I'm not ready, but whatever," I say, taking his arm. "Fake it till you make it, right?"
"Right," he says.
We pass Lucy filing her nails at her desk in the lobby. She gives me a blank stare and I make a mental note to keep my distance when she's holding potentially harmful objects. Luckily, the walk is quite short since the school is just across from the teachers' quarters.
"Worry not," Ronald says. "There isn't really going to be much to do today since they'll be hungover from the holidays. It's just going to be a school assembly where we introduce you to the students—"
"I don't have to give a speech, do I?" I ask, suddenly worried.
"Not a long one, that's my job. You can just say hi," he says, his voice soothing. "And then a small gathering at the teachers' lounge, but that's mostly going to be a back-to-school party with drinks and snacks," he continues. When my eyes widen, he adds, "Non-alcoholic, of course,"
I flick my ponytail to the side and begin petting it. It's a calming mechanism for me.
When we're past the gate, there are streamers and flyers all around, advertising a back-to-school dance on Friday.
"Another tradition at Rutherford," Ronald says. I nod.
He doesn't let go of my arm as we stroll to the teachers' lounge, occasionally stopping to say hello to the staff or chit-chatty students. It seems normal enough that I truly believe my first day will be okay.
He drops me off at the Principal's office where I make my formal introduction to a stern man who probably last smiled in the eighties. He is a white man with green eyes and pale spotty skin. I would have thought that he'd be more tan, being in Kenya for so many years.
I pet my ponytail once I'm outside Mr. Gilbert's office.
I survived.
"You're the new blood, right?" A man in a plaid shirt asks.
"Huh?" I ask, confused.
"He means new teacher," a lady with a firm voice says next to him. She is beautiful in an unconventional way, with high cheekbones and hazel eyes. "I'm Anna. This is Cliff," she says, raising her hand for a shake. I happily oblige.
"Let me guess, your favorite color is pink?" Cliff asks, subtly nodding at my outfit.
My cheeks glow. "What gave me away?" I ask slyly.
"I bet you'd love B8, it's got a pink bathroom. Have you been to the Suites?" Anna asks.
Ronald beats me to the answer. "Yeah. She lives there now," he says from behind me.
"Oh. I see, I see," Cliff says. "You sly dog,"
I am fairly sure my complexion would win in a competition against a tomato due to how hard I'm blushing right now.
"Inappropriate," Ronald says, then turns to me. "Ignore him,"
"I'll do my best," I say with a chuckle.
"I'm not that bad," Cliff says defensively. "Anyway, what department are you in?"
"Languages; English Lit," I respond.
"Well, hello, neighbor. I'll save you a seat next to me," Cliff says, winking.
"I bet you're fun at parties," I tell him.
"Yes I am," he says.
I roll my eyes and lean subtly towards Ronald. "He's giving Damon," I whisper.
"You two should get along fine then," he whispers back.
Anna and Cliff are leading the way to the social hall, Ronald and I tailing them. Some students wave at us and we wave back.
"Ready for that speech you've been preparing?" Ronald asks.
"No, I'll wing it," I tell him. "You?"
"Honey, in my position, you don't wing it," he says.
Once we're all in the hall, I'm reminded of how low I am in the positional hierarchy when Ronald whispers, "You can sit with Cliff and Anna," and he takes the seat next to Principal Gilbert.
I take a different look at him now. He can't be much older than me, but he is still a Deputy Principal. You couldn't tell when we're bingeing on Vampire Diaries or he's complaining about his sister's incessant infatuation with Indrek, but here, he has the air of a man in charge. In his navy blue half suit, glasses and well-trimmed beard, he looks like he could end me with a look or decide my fate with a flick of his hand. I'm unsure of why this new perception of him thrills me so much.
Cliff and Anna introduce me to other teachers and staff members on the platform. I could swear I feel Ronald's eyes on me but when I turn to look at him, he is engaged in conversation with Principal Gilbert.
I force myself to ignore the feeling of being watched, and while I make polite conversation with the people I'll be working with for the year, I try to ignore the excitement of feeling like Ronald is watching my every move. Because I'm not in the right mind space to think of him like that. Because it's not right. Because we're just friends.
The sworn-in school prefects give their first speeches, the head of the decorating committee says that they need more volunteers to help out with preparations for the dance and all are welcome to volunteer. The head of my department introduces me to the school, I give my speech (a total of three sentences). A different Deputy Principal speaks. I'm glad she's a woman, at least one third of the main administration isn't male-dominated. Ronald speaks after her and I try to reign in the school girl in me who is struggling to find out whether she likes him as just a friend. Finally, Principal Gilbert gives his speech and we're all dismissed.
Anna, Cliff and the other teachers excitedly lead the way to the teachers' lounge.
Ronald falls in step with me, taking my arm in his, and I'm simultaneously glad for the familiar company yet jumpy at his close proximity. The subtle presence of his woodsy cologne fills my nostrils only halfway and I'm embarrassed to want more.
"So," I say. "We're going to party?"
Ronald chuckles. "No. It's a small gathering with good food and drinks while we discuss the school timetable," he says. "You'll sit with me, right?" He asks as an after thought.
"Of course," I say casually.
Bradley, a teacher from the Physics department starts up a conversation with Ronald about the water skiing trip they went on to Mombasa during the holiday. I offer polite commentary every now and then while my inner school girl freaks out over the fact that Ronald has shown no interest whatsoever in letting go of my arm.
Seriously. Get it together.
The teachers' lounge is a large room with five couches and seven coffee tables heaped with all sorts of delicious foods. I could smell the food the moment I walked into the room. There is a hot dish with chicken biryani, another with pilau, another with beef stew…
"The cooks do not disappoint," Ronald says after a low whistle.
"I sort of want one of everything," I tell him, half-joking.
"Now that's my type. Let's grab plates before the chicken biryani runs out," he says.
As promised, Ronald heaps his plate with portions of everything. He's got chicken biryani, beef stew, pilau, three-quarters of chapati, pea stew and plain rice all on the same plate. He scoops three spoons of guacamole onto his rice.
"Are you sure you're going to finish that?" I ask.
"Of course. Hey could you watch our food while I fetch us some drinks?" He asks.
I tell him to get me a bottle of mango juice while I analyze the contents of my plate. I've basically picked out everything Ronald picked, save for the plain rice, just in smaller portions.
Ronald comes back with our drinks and we dig in.
After half an hour, my stomach is so full that I'm sure I won't be having dinner. I watch Ronald dig in to his second helping of food. A different meal this time. There's fish, a slice of ugali and stewed kale. I am fairly sure he's not human.
I'm given five classes to teach; two freshman, two sophomore and one junior, which I don't think will be too much of a hassle.
Ronald gets only three senior classes but judging from my experience as a senior, I know it won't be easy.
I sign up to help out the decorating committee with the Back-to-school dance. Ronald gravely wishes me good luck but I try not to take that as a bad sign.
At around two in the afternoon, once Ronald has licked his third plate clean (seriously, he's got to be part alien) we head home.