Chad left the room, and Grace knew in a few minutes, they’d all hear his music booming. Hopefully her parents would get her a car when she turned sixteen. She hated Chad’s obnoxious rap songs. He was so juvenile. He thought it was cool to drive up to the school with that stupid music blaring, but it was embarrassing.
Grace was ready for school to end for the summer, but there was another six weeks left. She hadn’t made any real friends since they’d moved. Acquaintances only—a group of girls she ate lunch with. Everyone was nice enough, but Grace just didn’t fit in. That was fine by her anyhow. She didn’t expect it would be any different at the “meet and greet” youth group party tonight.
She’d begged her parents not to drag the family here, but when Tristan broke up with her, she’d just given in. Chad and Ansley weren’t for the move in the beginning, but they seemed to be adjusting better than Grace was. Whatever.
She put her napkin on her plate and waited for Ansley to finish her breakfast, which always consisted of two biscuits stuffed with peanut butter and pickles. Ansley’s eating habits were as weird as Ansley was, but Grace didn’t think anyone loved Ansley as much as Grace did. Not always the sharpest tool in the shed, her younger sister was the sweetest person on the planet. She’d never intentionally hurt anyone, and her bubbly spirit was the only thing that kept Grace going some days.
“Grace! Grace! Your arm is bleeding all through your shirt! Look, Mom!”
Grace grabbed her arm and jumped from the table as her mother drew near.
Mom grimaced as she held out her hand. “Grace, let me see your arm.”
Chapter Three
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Darlene yelled as Grace went upstairs to change her shirt.
“Yes, Mom!” Grace shouted back from the stairs. “I told you, I cut it on the fence yesterday. Quit making a big deal about it!”
Darlene waited until Grace came back down the stairs wearing another long-sleeved shirt. “It’s so hot, Grace. Don’t you want to wear something cooler?”
“Mom, please! Don’t you hear Chad honking? We’re gonna be late.” She brushed by Darlene, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, then turned to Ansley. “Come on. We have to go.”
Darlene watched her children pile into Chad’s truck faster than what seemed humanly possible. “Have a good day!” she yelled from the front porch.
Still sipping coffee, she moseyed back into the house, mentally planning out her day. She wanted to get Layla’s expensive dress back to her as soon as possible, but first she wanted to reread that ad in the newspaper, the one she’d circled earlier that morning. She sat down at the kitchen table and spread out the classifieds.
Teacher’s aide, special needs school. Experience working with children.
Darlene knew her two years of college, taking mostly core classes, didn’t qualify her to work with children, but didn’t life experience count? Ansley hardly qualified as a special needs child, but Darlene had spent years tutoring Ansley and searching for resources to help her. Maybe working at the school would give Darlene some insight into how to help Ansley better.
The Evans School was between Round Top and Fayetteville, less than ten miles from her house. She’d passed the small brick building plenty of times. There were always a few cars in the newly paved parking lot, and she wondered what areas the school served. Round Top had a population of only eighty-nine, but nearby towns, with populations from three hundred to three thousand, surely could benefit from the school too.
She decided to go by The Evans School in person. After showering and dressing, she cleaned the kitchen, put Grace’s sheets in the dryer, and ran the sweeper across the floors. At ten o’clock, she arrived at the school.
The small waiting room was empty except for four chairs and a coffee table. She noticed a bell on her side of a fogged glass window. Gently, she gave it a tap. A few moments later, the window slid open.
“Can I help you?” A girl who didn’t look much older than Grace peeked out.
“I’m here about the job in the newspaper for a teacher’s aide.”
“Oh, sure. Hang on.” The window closed, and within a few minutes an elderly woman with gray hair and kind, hazel eyes stepped from behind the closed door.
“Hello, honey. Come on back.” The woman motioned with her hand for Darlene to follow her. She turned and looked at