Chapter 26

"This coffee tastes like shit." Lucy groans when I enter the kitchen.

I open the refrigerator and take out the fruit I cut up for breakfast but I put it in my bag instead considering how late already am.

"I thought you were taking the coffee machine back." I say.

"Well I was rudely woken up this morning so I decided to put it to good use." She smirks deviously.

"I'm sorry." I grimace in embarrassment , "I can't believe that you-"

"I can't believe that you're getting it in on a school night!" She laughs and sips her coffee with an expression of disgust, "What's even more unbelievable is that you didn't tell me he plucked your cherry." Lucy's eyebrows wiggle along with her shimmying shoulders.

"Tell me! How was it? Is he still in your bedroom?"

"He left." I shake my head and nervously play with my necklace, "We didn't- he just... I couldn't." I sigh looking away from her.

"Sunsun, it's okay." I hear her place her mug on the counter and her slippers drag on the floor,

"He left?" She asks softly, placing her arm around me.

I shake my head slowly composing myself.

Get it together, Sunniva.

"Yeah, we had an argument I think." I explain, "Weell I'm not exactly sure but I-"

"He got mad because you wouldn't put out!" Lucy exclaims, holding me at arms length.

"Lucy no-"

"That fucking asshole! I'll murder him Sunny. I swear it!" She begins pacing.

"Lucy no." I hold her arm to stop her movements and her crazed eyes look into mine, "It wasn't about that. I just... I said something I shouldn't have and now he's mad at me and I don't exactly know what to do now." I confess.

"Well you only have to apologize if he's your boyfriend so..." she shrugs.

"Wait.. what are you guys even?" She asks the million dollar question.

"I'm not exactly sure but we're just us for now." I say confusing myself.

"And that means what exactly? Because I know you guys are hooking up." She folds her arms, getting worked up.

"Yeah... we are... it-"

"So what? You guys are just fuck buddies without the fuck? I'm betting this was all his idea wasn't it?" She shoots at me.

"Yes but we both-"

"Of course it was!" She laughs, shaking her head, "Typical. He gets all the benefits of a girlfriend without committing and still gets to fuck other gir-" I'm guessing she stopped her rant on account of my sulking face.

"Girls." I finish for her but it's too soft I'm unsure she heard it.

"Sunsun..." Lucy pouts, moving to hug me again but I grab her hand in mine and squeeze it instead.

"I'm gonna be late." I try to paste a smile on my face but it must look as uncomfortable as it feels.

Lucy doesn't say anything as I depart.

Luckily for me the radio host is excited that it's Friday and is playing upbeat pop all the way until I get to school. I turn down the dial as I enter the school.

I check the clock on my dash and luckily I have a few moments to spare before class starts. I usually spend this time in the teachers lounge with everyone else but I don't think I'd be much fun to hang around this morning.

I thought about calling Leo a few times throughout the morning but I have to remind myself that I'm no longer seventeen and I can't pine after Leo with a bleeding heart like I did back then. I'm a grown woman with a job and responsibilities even though I still have the same massive crush on him.

"Hey!" A knock at my window startles me and I turn to see Ella's apologetic face.

"I'm sorry I called out but I guess you didn't hear me." She yells through the rolled up window.

She steps back to let me open my door.

"I'm sorry I-"

"Overslept as well? You're not the only one, I didn't think I'd make it here on time." She rambles and smooths her hands over her green satin blouse.

I flick the frilly ends of her blouse, "You look great." I comment and her bright smile lifts me out of my mood a little.

"Really? I honestly just threw this on. I didn't get a chance to press it or anything."

The day goes by really fast and I spend almost no time thinking about the issues that plague me outside of Dolton Elementary.

"Miss Wallace would you please be a dear and take this report file to Vice Principal Rossi?" Mrs. Porter asks me handing me a red file.

I'm a bit hesitant but I accept it anyway. I hate to think ill of people and maybe he was just having a bad day but I don't consider Mr. Rossi to be among my favorite people at the school. He often considers Ella and I to be his personal assistants and once in the teachers lounge he critiqued the coffee he suggest I make for him, so harshly I thought I'd die of humiliation. I never thought a cup of coffee determines the outcome of ones life but apparently that's Mr. Rossi's theory.

"Nova, I need you to run by my cleaners and collect my things, my wife's haggling me about a dress she needs me to drop off when I get home but I can't get up from my desk today." He announces without looking up at me and reaches for the file.

"It's Sunniva, Vice Principal Rossi."

"Huh?" He begins writing something down on a sticky note.

"My name is Sunniva." I state.

The man waves me off with the piece of paper between his fingers, "Sure sure, this is the address and we're under Rossi."

He gestures for me to take the paper and the challenging look in his eyes is what makes me take it.

"Mr Rossi... I'm not really sure I'm the one who should..." I stumble trying to find my voice .

"It's okay dear I'll put in a good word for the permanent position with Principal Khator." He dismisses me and begins clicking away on his computer.

"You look lost." Derek says, making his way to me.

"A little." I giggle, flinging my bag on my shoulder, "If anyone asks I'm not lunching today."

"Skipping out early?"

"No, I have to run down to some dry cleaners for Vice Principal Rossi." I hold up the note between my fingers.

Derek takes the note and shakes his head, "I hate that he treats you and Ella like his fucking servants." He groans reading the note, "This is downtown I'll help you find it." He says, pocketing the note.

"Oh Derek it's okay. I don't want to disrupt your day."

"It's just lunch plus Miss Laney's looking to talk to me about taking over Health today and I'd rather not have her corner me." He looks over his shoulder and begins walking, patting my shoulder as a gesture to follow.

"Oh she's leaving early?" I ask.

"Yeah, and I'd very much like to not teach her majority girls class about the menstrual cycle." He shivers in thought and opens the door for me.

Derek tells me a little bit about his life and how he transferred from another school out of town five years ago to teach at Dolton Elementary. He's entire family stays out of town and he's all alone here besides the friends he's made so far. I can't imagine how lonely that must be, I've only been away from home for three years but I visit my family every chance I get.

"Yeah, my youngest brother is graduating this year. I have no idea how that happened. I don't think I've aged at all but everyone else seems to be getting older and I feel like I'm missing out on their lives." He shakes his head as he confesses.

"I'm so sorry to hear that Derek but I'm sure he'll remember you being there for the big moments. Kids remember those kind of things." I say, hoping my words are a comfort.

"I guess." He sighs, running his hand over his shaved head.

"Over there." He points to where the dryers logo pops out behind a few buildings and I make a right at the light.

I know Leo is skeptical about me being in this side of town but I truly loved when Miss Yolanda had her first beauty shop here before the move. After having our hair done Neoma and I would beg her to take us to get ice cream across the street. She's much older now and no longer works at the beauty shop but her daughter took over after their move closer to central Dolton a few years ago.

"Why in the world would Rossi do his dry cleaning so far away from Dolton?" Derek asks as we exit my car.

"I think it's his wife's dry cleaning actually."

I walk through the door he holds open and am greeted by a young man. In fact all the workers look younger than you'd expect to see at a dry cleaners.

"Oh I get it now." Derek smiles mischievously.

I shake my head at him an approach the good looking man awaiting me.

"Hi, how may I help you today?"

"Hi, I'm here to pick up for Rossi."

He looks down at a book on the desk and flips through a few pages.

"Yes, I'll be right with you." He smiles and walks into the room behind the counter.

"Rossi?" Another man exits with green eyes and a smirk which stretches as he looks at me.

"Oh even better." He rubs his hands together when approaching me and licks his lips.

"Shut it down, Casanova." Derek drawls beside me and the green eyed man swiftly returns to the where he came. The look on his face has me scrunching up mine from second-hand embarrassment.

I look up to see Derek slowly shaking his head.

"Here you go, Miss." The previous man speaks exiting the room with a plastic covered dress hanging over his shoulder.

He hands it to me and instructs me to sign in the book.

I wave him off as we leave and I place the dress on my backseat when we get in.

"We should get food at this burger joint a few blocks down." Derek suggests and I nod in agreement.

"A few of the guys from the gym and I come here once in a while after training."

"Isn't that sort of redundant?"

"I guess b- SUNNY!" Derek's arm shoots out in front of me as I press down on the breaks.

Oh my god! He came from nowhere!

My heart is racing and my hands shake as I turn the key shutting down the engine.

"Are you okay?" My shaky voice asks Derek who he groans beside me.

"Oh no!" I open my door and jump out of my car avoiding the cars that past me by as I look to see the man standing beside his obviously damaged motorcycle.

"I am so sorry." My voice is shaking as I approach the tall man in a black leather jacket with green patches on the arms,

"I didn't see you coming and the light was green I think..."

"So you knock into me and it's my fault bitch!" His silver eyes pierce into me.

"You fucking ran a light asshole!" I hear Derek's voice as he approaches.

"Excuse me?" The man grunts, walking towards us.

A few cars stop to watch things unfold.

"I said-"

"Shit." He whispers looking at me closely, "I'm sorry... I..." He mumbles looking much younger than before. He could be my age or even much younger.

"You should probably get the fuck outta here before you get yourself killed." A familiar voice speaks from behind me.

I turn to see Edwardo with a deadly scowl on his face.

"I..." the silver eyed boy starts.

"Did I fucking stutter, kid?" Edwardo quickly approaches the boy who flinches back.

I step between Edwardo before he can reach for the boy, "Do you mind giving me your contact details so I can help pay for the damages?" I ask the shaking figure.

"N-no, it's okay I'm sorry to bother you." He mutters and quickly gets back onto his bike.

"What?" I ask but he takes off.

I'm disoriented for a few moments before a hand wraps around my arm, "You okay, Sunny?"

"Yeah, I'm just... What just happened?" I ask the two men.

"I have no idea." Derek replies and Edwardo shrugs avoiding my gaze.

"Where's your car?" I ask Edwardo when I realize I don't see any other cars on the side of the road.

"At home. I was across the street at a friends when I saw your car through the window." He explains, pointing to an apartment block behind him.

"Oh." Is all I can say.

"You need a ride?" Derek offers.

"No, I'm cool man." He shakes his head, "You sure you're good, Sunny?" He questions again.

"Yes, I'm sure."

He sighs, nodding his head and gives Derek a fist bump, "Alright." He says and walks away.

Derek pulls me into his arms and pats my shoulder lightly, "How bout I take us back?"

I nod in response my gaze still following Edwardo's retreating form.