Staccato (Magnum Opus #2) - E.M. Lindsey Page 0,60
that made him feel like he belonged in the world. If he didn’t have love, he could survive it, if he had something else to reach for.
Chapter 14
Attacca
“Yanik?”
There was only one person at the school who called him that, and it was almost never good when Vanessa Barker, the Assistant Principal, tracked him down after lessons. Either a parent had complained, or they wanted to talk to him about changing his schedule, and neither were ideal.
“Vanessa, come on in.” He gestured to where he hoped there was still a chair near the side of his desk, and he heard the click of her heels as she crossed the room.
From the sound of the chair moving, he realized he was wrong, but he hadn’t given a shit about things like that in years. He pushed his own rolling seat back until it bumped the wall, then turned toward her as she sat.
“The district meeting was on Monday,” she said, and he fought back a groan. Budget cuts. He’d also seen that one coming from a mile away. “We’re having to reduce a lot, and right now, nothing’s official…”
“Are they looking to reduce or eliminate programs?” he asked. The only extracurricular programs they had at the school were the PE teacher and him. Of course, PE would never be on the chopping block, and not just because the instructor was the Principal’s daughter—though he had a feeling that had something to do with it.
“We’re not sure. Right now, we’re hoping that they just want a reduction, but it will mean needing to combine classes.”
Nik swallowed back his irritation. “Combining classes. So, you want me to teach both primary and intermediate orchestra at once?”
It would mean more kids than he was comfortable instructing, and more than that, it would mean the classes would be pointless. Throwing them all together like that, the kids who needed extra help would drown, and the kids who were pulling ahead would be lost in the sea of beginners. It would destroy motivation for them to try, and he found himself wondering if this was the sign he was looking for.
Maybe it was time to move on.
“We should know more soon,” Vanessa told him. “I just wanted to give you a head’s up.”
Nik inclined his head just once. “I’ll need to think it over if they want to reduce my hours.”
She was quiet a moment. “Are you saying you might not stay?’
“I don’t want to leave the school in a bind, and I love the kids.” And he meant that—mostly. “But I don’t think they’ll get any benefit to these classes if you cram them all into two hours a week.”
“Yanik…”
“I’m not saying no. I’m saying I just need time to think,” he assured her. He wasn’t a contracted teacher, he was hired year to year without any guarantees for his time. He had no real footing to negotiate, but at the same time, he wasn’t sure he wanted any. New York still loomed in the periphery of his thoughts—just like London, just like Rome, just like any of the cities he might be able to try again.
He was old, not ancient. His recent work hadn’t done him any real favors, but he was composing again. He could feel something again. It wasn’t together yet—it felt incomplete—but there was something there. He felt it, late into the night after he’d woken up alone with the hint of Adam’s cologne clinging to his pillow.
“I suppose we’ll talk soon,” Vanessa said, interrupting his thoughts. He understood the frustration in her tone, but there wasn’t much he could do. His dad wasn’t long for this world, his brother was just biding his time, and there was more out there waiting for him.
Maybe.
Probably.
When Vanessa left the room, he decided to skip his lesson planning since there were only a handful of days until the end of the year. He had one student that evening at eight, which meant he had the entire afternoon ahead of him, and he knew what he wanted. Wednesdays were Adam’s day off, and as much as he missed him, he wanted to be able to spend time with Mitchell and his piano.
Gathering his things, he made his way out the doors, grateful that no one stopped him. He checked the time and knew a bus would be along shortly, so he sat on the edge of the bench and let himself just feel the warmth of the spring sun wash over his face.