Lib Novel Page 25
He suddenly had the instinct to jump to his feet again, go search for the person who had made her feel this way, and punch him in the nose.
“It’s one of my students,” she said softly.
“He can’t stay in his seat?” he guessed.
She looked up at him and her sad expression melted into a smile.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing,” she told him. “No, it’s not that. He’s a wonderful student, so smart, and he always has something interesting to say about the books we’re reading.”
“Wow,” he said. “Sounds like Sylvester.”
“He does remind me a little of Sylvester,” she said, sounding surprised. “Or what he might be like in high school, if he still likes to read.”
“Seems like a great kid,” Jared said, nodding. “So, what’s going on?”
“He’s missing a lot of school,” she said. “Unexcused absences, and when he’s there, he’s got his head down in class and he doesn’t participate anymore.”
“How long has this been going on?” Jared asked.
“A little over a week,” she said, shaking her head.
“You should go to his house,” Jared recommended. “See what’s going on.”
“I can’t,” she said simply. “I went to Principal Vargas. He was very sympathetic, but he said legally we can’t just go over there. If Jimmy has two more unexcused absences he’ll be held back this year. And at that point, we can call a social worker.”
“Jimmy,” Jared said. “Not Jimmy Allen?”
“Yes,” she replied. “How did you know?”
“It’s a small town,” he chuckled. “His dad owns a little dairy farm. They’re good people. I’ll go over there myself tomorrow. Mom wanted me to stop by with a tin of her homemade Christmas cookies this week anyway. She always does a nice tin of cookies for them, since Big Jim is a single dad.”
“Oh, Jared, that would be wonderful,” Cora said, looking at him like he was her hero instead of a regular guy running a quick errand and looking in on a family friend.
“You should come with me,” he said. “It’ll mean the world to him that you cared enough to come by.”
“I can’t,” she told him. “The school isn’t allowed to show up at the house and get involved, remember?”
“You’re not going as a teacher,” he told her, shaking his head. “It’ll be the weekend. You’re going as a neighbor. Neighbors care about each other.”
It was clear from her expression that she was torn. She didn’t want to risk her job, but she was very worried about that boy. She really was one of the good teachers.
“Okay, I’ll go with you,” she told him after a moment. The determined expression on her face touching his heart. “Sylvester is going to the library with Ginny right after lunch. If you’re free, we can go then and at least it will just be two of us.”
“It’s a date,” Jared said without thinking. “I mean, it’s a plan.”
His cheeks were burning as he leapt out of his chair.
“Let me grab that tea,” he said too loudly, pulling three mugs out of her cabinet before he remembered that it was just the two of them tonight.
When he turned back to her, he wasn’t sure, but he thought she might have been trying not to smile.
10
CORA
Cora sat beside Jared in his truck, feeling so nervous she thought she might shiver out of her own skin and disappear.