be an angry parent—they’re always
impatient and honking—but don’t see anything. When I look to the
right of the school, several people are corralling kids and looking
farther up the line.
Seeing kids being protected from something
has me immediately popping the door handle and stepping out of the
car to search for Bridgette and Hannah. Four cars down, on the
other side of the main entrance, there is a group of people,
several adults and two very small, brown, curly heads.
“HEY!” I explode. My heart, my head, every
part of me goes fucking ballistic. I know those little brunettes
trying to hide behind a teacher. I hit the latch for the trunk
without taking my eyes from the group and slam my door, running to
the trunk for the baseball bat I always keep in whatever car I’m
driving.
Rounding the other side of the car, I have
tunnel vision. I don’t see moms running for their kids or teachers
slipping children back into the building. I see my girls cowering,
when I dropped them off all smiles and giggling.
I rotate my wrist, making the bat circle at
my side. The movement catches the eye of one of the aggressors, and
when I see his face, I see red.
“Bridgette, Hannah, get in the car now,” I
order in my best, no nonsense voice.
“Aunt Sadie!” they cry in unison and run to
me. I touch each of their shaking shoulders and push them behind
me.
“Get in the car and lock the doors. I’ll be
there in two minutes. Go now.” They leave me, reluctantly, and the
teacher that was holding off the two people I hate most in the
world backs away as well. “What the fuck are you doing here?” I
growl.
Brian nods to the bat clutched tightly in my
fist. “You gonna use that on us in front of all of these witnesses,
bitch?”
“If I have to, you bet your ass. Now answer
my question.” Patricia straightens her shoulders and sticks her
nose in the air so that she can try and look down at me. I still
have half a foot on her, even barefoot.
“We just want to talk to you.”
“If you have anything to say, you contact my
lawyers. You don’t come to a school full of little kids, you stupid
bitch, and you sure as fuck don’t talk to my kids.” Brian’s
eyebrows go up.
“Oh, are they yours now? Shacking up with the
owner of the record label, I have to admit that was a ballsey move,
even for you, Popper.” I step up to him and immediately smell the
cloying cologne mixed with sweat, but don’t step away.
“If you have a problem with me, you deal with
me. All of these kids and people have nothing to do with it, and if
you ever so much as look at those girls again, I will take you
down. Do you understand me, little man?” Brian’s face goes red, but
Patricia puts a hand on his arm. “I don’t know how you found me, or
this school, but you best forget this address. Now, if you’re not
gone by the time I get back to my car, I’m pressing charges.
Attempted kidnapping, for starters.”
I lock eyes with both of them before taking a
step back, then another. Patricia pulls Brian off the sidewalk and
between cars, but he shrugs her off and takes aggressive steps
toward me. I raise the bat without thought, prepared to knock his
head all over these parents’ vans if I have to.
He chickens out, smirks, and turns toward the
parking lot. I watch his shiny bald head, having lost Patricia when
they separated, and jog back to the car, count the kids in the back
and scan the vicinity for Patricia, just in case.
I don’t see her. What I do see are parents
stepping out of their cars. At first, I’m thinking lynch mob,
they’re definitely coming to put me down for endangering their
kids, but then they start to clap. I blink, stunned. I can hear the
sirens over the crowd now.
Opening the passenger door, I toss the bat in
there then look to the back. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you at
all?”
“No,” they say together. Hannah leans
forward.
“You’re like, for real Robin. So cool, Aunt
Sadie.” I have to take a
impatient and honking—but don’t see anything. When I look to the
right of the school, several people are corralling kids and looking
farther up the line.
Seeing kids being protected from something
has me immediately popping the door handle and stepping out of the
car to search for Bridgette and Hannah. Four cars down, on the
other side of the main entrance, there is a group of people,
several adults and two very small, brown, curly heads.
“HEY!” I explode. My heart, my head, every
part of me goes fucking ballistic. I know those little brunettes
trying to hide behind a teacher. I hit the latch for the trunk
without taking my eyes from the group and slam my door, running to
the trunk for the baseball bat I always keep in whatever car I’m
driving.
Rounding the other side of the car, I have
tunnel vision. I don’t see moms running for their kids or teachers
slipping children back into the building. I see my girls cowering,
when I dropped them off all smiles and giggling.
I rotate my wrist, making the bat circle at
my side. The movement catches the eye of one of the aggressors, and
when I see his face, I see red.
“Bridgette, Hannah, get in the car now,” I
order in my best, no nonsense voice.
“Aunt Sadie!” they cry in unison and run to
me. I touch each of their shaking shoulders and push them behind
me.
“Get in the car and lock the doors. I’ll be
there in two minutes. Go now.” They leave me, reluctantly, and the
teacher that was holding off the two people I hate most in the
world backs away as well. “What the fuck are you doing here?” I
growl.
Brian nods to the bat clutched tightly in my
fist. “You gonna use that on us in front of all of these witnesses,
bitch?”
“If I have to, you bet your ass. Now answer
my question.” Patricia straightens her shoulders and sticks her
nose in the air so that she can try and look down at me. I still
have half a foot on her, even barefoot.
“We just want to talk to you.”
“If you have anything to say, you contact my
lawyers. You don’t come to a school full of little kids, you stupid
bitch, and you sure as fuck don’t talk to my kids.” Brian’s
eyebrows go up.
“Oh, are they yours now? Shacking up with the
owner of the record label, I have to admit that was a ballsey move,
even for you, Popper.” I step up to him and immediately smell the
cloying cologne mixed with sweat, but don’t step away.
“If you have a problem with me, you deal with
me. All of these kids and people have nothing to do with it, and if
you ever so much as look at those girls again, I will take you
down. Do you understand me, little man?” Brian’s face goes red, but
Patricia puts a hand on his arm. “I don’t know how you found me, or
this school, but you best forget this address. Now, if you’re not
gone by the time I get back to my car, I’m pressing charges.
Attempted kidnapping, for starters.”
I lock eyes with both of them before taking a
step back, then another. Patricia pulls Brian off the sidewalk and
between cars, but he shrugs her off and takes aggressive steps
toward me. I raise the bat without thought, prepared to knock his
head all over these parents’ vans if I have to.
He chickens out, smirks, and turns toward the
parking lot. I watch his shiny bald head, having lost Patricia when
they separated, and jog back to the car, count the kids in the back
and scan the vicinity for Patricia, just in case.
I don’t see her. What I do see are parents
stepping out of their cars. At first, I’m thinking lynch mob,
they’re definitely coming to put me down for endangering their
kids, but then they start to clap. I blink, stunned. I can hear the
sirens over the crowd now.
Opening the passenger door, I toss the bat in
there then look to the back. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you at
all?”
“No,” they say together. Hannah leans
forward.
“You’re like, for real Robin. So cool, Aunt
Sadie.” I have to take a
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