Read Online Stay At Home Dead by Jeffrey Allen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jeffrey Allen
Ads: Link
and looked at her.
She wasn’t too worried, apparently.
She was snoring right in my face.
18
The next day, I did what any man accused of a crime he didn’t commit would do.
I went to the park and played in the sand.
Carly didn’t have school, and I didn’t have anywhere I had to be. We spent the morning at the park down the street, Carly running wild on the slides and climbing walls and swings, me watching her out of one eye and catching up on some reading. She helped me clean the house in the afternoon, and then, after her nap, she assisted me in the kitchen, getting chicken tacos and a salad together for dinner, which we had on the table just as Julianne walked in the door. We had a pleasant dinner and did three laps around the block this time before calling it a night. Julianne was asleep by the time I came down from putting Carly to bed, and I crawled into bed next to her, smiling at our uneventful, normal Winters day.
The next day, however, wasn’t so normal.
Sharon Ann and Deborah were waiting for me outside Carly’s classroom. Sally Meadows gave me a look like she was sorry, but there wasn’t anything she could do. I signed Carly in, gave her a kiss good-bye, and walked out into the hallway to face the powerful WORMS.
There were no fake or forced smiles this time. They were both serious, dressed in similar workout outfits. Black Lycra tights, Sharon Ann in a red tank top, Deborah in an aqua one. Serious, aerobics-doing women.
“Have you thought about headbands?” I asked. “Olivia Newton-John made them fashionable.”
They looked at each other, confused, missing the irony of their outfits. As usual.
“Deuce,” Sharon Ann said, getting right to it. “There is a special meeting tomorrow night. You’ll need to be there.”
“I’m busy,” I said. “Stevie Wonder’s coming over to show me his new hairdo.”
“It’s in your best interest to be there,” Deborah added, ignoring me.
“What’s the meeting about?”
They exchanged another glance, this one nervous, their confidence eroding.
“About you,” Sharon Ann said.
“Me?”
“We’ve petitioned the school and parents advisory board to have you removed from your position as Room Dad,” Sharon Ann said.
The anger cut through my gut. “You what?”
Sharon Ann held her ground. “Deuce. Don’t take this personally.”
“How should I take it?” I shut my eyes, gritted my teeth, and waved my hands. “Hold on. Back up. What is your reasoning behind this little male witch hunt?”
“We told you yesterday,” Sharon Ann said calmly. “With the cloud surrounding you, we feel it would be best if someone relieves you of your duties.”
“Temporarily, of course,” Deborah added flatly.
By temporarily I was pretty sure she meant permanently.
“There is no cloud,” I said.
They looked at each other and laughed, like I was one of the kids and I’d said something cute and silly.
“Deuce,” Sharon Ann said. “Really. We know what’s going on. Everyone does. First, Benny’s body ...”
“Nothing is going on,” I said through clenched teeth.
“And now the whole stalker thing with Shayna,” she continued. “Really. We don’t think this is good for the kids.”
“Shayna called me and told me you showed up out of nowhere,” Deborah said in a disapproving voice. “My sister tells me everything.”
I was reaching my boiling point fast, and I needed to cool off. I was certain that screaming at them in the school hallway would not look too good.
“First off, I’m not stalking anyone. Get that through your thick, empty heads. And the kids are finger painting and putting glue in each other’s hair,” I said. “They have no idea what’s going on.”
“But, then, you do admit something is going on, correct?” Deborah said, smirking like she’d solved a riddle.
Sharon Ann nodded her approval. Like they were Batman and Robin. Or Dumb and Dumber.
I could hire a nanny. I could go back to teaching and coaching.
She wasn’t too worried, apparently.
She was snoring right in my face.
18
The next day, I did what any man accused of a crime he didn’t commit would do.
I went to the park and played in the sand.
Carly didn’t have school, and I didn’t have anywhere I had to be. We spent the morning at the park down the street, Carly running wild on the slides and climbing walls and swings, me watching her out of one eye and catching up on some reading. She helped me clean the house in the afternoon, and then, after her nap, she assisted me in the kitchen, getting chicken tacos and a salad together for dinner, which we had on the table just as Julianne walked in the door. We had a pleasant dinner and did three laps around the block this time before calling it a night. Julianne was asleep by the time I came down from putting Carly to bed, and I crawled into bed next to her, smiling at our uneventful, normal Winters day.
The next day, however, wasn’t so normal.
Sharon Ann and Deborah were waiting for me outside Carly’s classroom. Sally Meadows gave me a look like she was sorry, but there wasn’t anything she could do. I signed Carly in, gave her a kiss good-bye, and walked out into the hallway to face the powerful WORMS.
There were no fake or forced smiles this time. They were both serious, dressed in similar workout outfits. Black Lycra tights, Sharon Ann in a red tank top, Deborah in an aqua one. Serious, aerobics-doing women.
“Have you thought about headbands?” I asked. “Olivia Newton-John made them fashionable.”
They looked at each other, confused, missing the irony of their outfits. As usual.
“Deuce,” Sharon Ann said, getting right to it. “There is a special meeting tomorrow night. You’ll need to be there.”
“I’m busy,” I said. “Stevie Wonder’s coming over to show me his new hairdo.”
“It’s in your best interest to be there,” Deborah added, ignoring me.
“What’s the meeting about?”
They exchanged another glance, this one nervous, their confidence eroding.
“About you,” Sharon Ann said.
“Me?”
“We’ve petitioned the school and parents advisory board to have you removed from your position as Room Dad,” Sharon Ann said.
The anger cut through my gut. “You what?”
Sharon Ann held her ground. “Deuce. Don’t take this personally.”
“How should I take it?” I shut my eyes, gritted my teeth, and waved my hands. “Hold on. Back up. What is your reasoning behind this little male witch hunt?”
“We told you yesterday,” Sharon Ann said calmly. “With the cloud surrounding you, we feel it would be best if someone relieves you of your duties.”
“Temporarily, of course,” Deborah added flatly.
By temporarily I was pretty sure she meant permanently.
“There is no cloud,” I said.
They looked at each other and laughed, like I was one of the kids and I’d said something cute and silly.
“Deuce,” Sharon Ann said. “Really. We know what’s going on. Everyone does. First, Benny’s body ...”
“Nothing is going on,” I said through clenched teeth.
“And now the whole stalker thing with Shayna,” she continued. “Really. We don’t think this is good for the kids.”
“Shayna called me and told me you showed up out of nowhere,” Deborah said in a disapproving voice. “My sister tells me everything.”
I was reaching my boiling point fast, and I needed to cool off. I was certain that screaming at them in the school hallway would not look too good.
“First off, I’m not stalking anyone. Get that through your thick, empty heads. And the kids are finger painting and putting glue in each other’s hair,” I said. “They have no idea what’s going on.”
“But, then, you do admit something is going on, correct?” Deborah said, smirking like she’d solved a riddle.
Sharon Ann nodded her approval. Like they were Batman and Robin. Or Dumb and Dumber.
I could hire a nanny. I could go back to teaching and coaching.
Similar Books
