Claire’s eyes followed her into the living room.
“You should answer him.
He’s probably worried.”
Ruby rolled her eyes but answered the phone.
“Hello?”
“Ruby, where have you been?” Ryan asked.
“I called you a few times.”
“I know.
I’m sorry.
Today got really busy,” Ruby said, glancing at Claire.
“I barely had a chance to check my phone.”
“I figured you were busy with the new job,” Ryan said.
“I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.
You were really excited about today, and then I couldn’t reach you.”
Ruby smiled.
“Everything’s fine.
That school is just a lot.”
There was a short pause before Ryan asked, “So, how was it?
Did you meet anyone interesting?”
Ruby raised an eyebrow.
“Interesting?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Ryan,” she said, laughing softly.
“It’s a school.
I spent the day with teachers and six-year-olds.
I didn’t exactly have time to look for a new boyfriend.”
“I wasn’t saying you were looking for one,” Ryan replied.
“I’m just asking.”
Claire smiled to herself.
Ryan really did care about Ruby, which was unusual for her roommate’s relationships.
Most of Ruby’s previous boyfriends had been older, wealthy men who treated her like an accessory.
Ryan was their age, had a stable job, and genuinely seemed to love Ruby.
They had met at a mutual friend’s birthday party and had somehow ended up getting along.
Three months later, they were still together, which was already a record for Ruby.
“Anyway,” Ryan continued, “I was thinking we could have dinner tomorrow.
We should celebrate your first day.”
Ruby’s face brightened.
“I’d like that.”
“And I’d like you to meet someone important to me.”
Ruby paused.
“Someone important?”
“Yes.
I’ll tell you more tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Ruby said, smiling.
“Now I’m curious.”
“Good.
I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“Seven works.”
After she hung up, Ruby moved closer to Claire and grabbed her hands.
“What do I wear?
This is serious, Claire.
He wants me to meet someone important.”
Claire gave a short scoff.
“It’s just dinner, Ruby, not a royal wedding.”
“But it could be!” Ruby insisted.
“This is the longest relationship I’ve had, Claire.
I don’t want to ruin it.”
Claire’s thoughts drifted to her own relationships.
She had dated a few men back in university, but they never lasted long.
Her boyfriends eventually complained that she never had enough time for them – she was always studying, working part-time jobs, or trying to build a better future.
One ex had broken up with her because she wasn’t ready to be intimate, another because she prioritized her studies over their date nights.
It was completely different from Ruby’s situation.
For Ruby, relationships ended when the money stopped flowing or when her boyfriends realized how quickly she could spend it.
Claire had watched several of Ruby’s relationships come and go over the years.
Ruby’s boyfriends usually started out happily spending money on her, only to become shocked when they realized how much she could go through.
Ryan was different though – he was responsible with his money, paid his bills on time, and genuinely cared for Ruby.
“He really likes you,” Claire said to Ruby, who was now pacing around the living room, planning her outfit.
“I know,” Ruby nodded.
“That’s what makes it so scary.”
Claire smiled again but as she listened to Ruby talk about what to wear, she couldn’t shake the image of that silver car from her mind…
***
The first few days at the school had been harder than Claire had expected when she first got the job.
Most of the children were slowly getting used to her, and they had started listening when she spoke.
It wasn’t perfect, but she could see the difference.
There was only one child who seemed determined to make things more difficult.
Her name was Sophie Valerius.
She was a beautiful little girl with long dark hair and unusual gray eyes.
She always looked perfectly put together, but there was something about the way she carried herself that made Claire forget she was the youngest in the class.
On the second day, Sophie had arrived late, walking into the classroom without a word.
When Claire asked her to take her seat, the girl had simply looked at her with those cold eyes and said, “I’ll sit when I’m ready.”
Claire had been so surprised by the blunt response that she couldn’t even form a proper reply.
By the third day, Sophie had started testing Claire more openly.
She would talk while Claire was teaching, take things from other students’ desks, and refuse to follow simple instructions.
When Claire told her to return a crayon she’d taken from another girl, Sophie had looked her dead in the eye and said, “You can’t tell me what to do.
You’re just a teacher.”
Claire had finally had enough and went to the principal’s office at the end of that day.
“I understand she’s a challenging student,” she had said, trying to keep her voice professional.
“But Sophie Valerius is making it difficult to teach the class.”
The principal folded her hands on the desk, her expression unreadable.
“Miss Anderson, I’m aware of the situation.
But I need you to be careful about how you handle Sophie.”
Claire frowned.
“Careful?”
“Yes.
If she refuses to listen, don’t turn it into a bigger issue.
Give her time, and if you have to correct her, do it privately.
I don’t want complaints from her family.”
Claire had stared at her for a moment.
“So what am I supposed to do when she disrupts the class?”
The principal’s expression remained calm.
“Do what you can to keep the class running.
Just don’t make Sophie feel as though she’s being singled out.”
The warning was clear enough.
Claire was expected to handle Sophie, but she wasn’t supposed to push too hard…
Now it was Monday of the second week.
Claire stood at the front of the classroom trying to ignore the small knot in her stomach.
She had decided to take the principal’s advice and try a different approach with the children today.
“Alright, class,” she said, forcing a smile.
“Can anyone tell me a word that starts with the letter B?”
Several hands went up including Sophie’s.
Claire deliberately chose another student.
“Yes, Tommy?”
“Butterfly!” the boy answered.
“Very good.” Claire smiled.
“Now I’d like someone to come up and write it on the board for us.”
A boy named Michael raised his hand.
Claire nodded at him.
“Please come forward, Michael.”
As Michael walked between the desks toward the front of the room, he accidentally bumped against Sophie’s desk.
Her pencil case tipped over and spilled colorful pens and pencils onto the floor.
Sophie’s face immediately darkened.
She stood up slowly, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Michael who was now frozen in place…