Haunt Me

"Mom, I'm at work." Petyon looked back at her class, seeing thirty-two students staring back at her. A couple of them snickered. Laugh it up kids, at least I don't have to wear those uniforms. She worked at a private school where all the kids wore plaid and button-up shirts. Luckily there wasn't much of a dress code for teachers. It was hard getting this job and Petyon wasn't going to do anything to risk it. Even if the kids were snobs and the classrooms stunk of dry erase markers. "No, I promise you I'll call at lunch, but right now I have to go." She hung up and apologized to the class.

Most of the hour was spend reading Romeo and Juliet for the third time that day. She spaced out a couple times, but some students still felt the need to call on her to read along with them. When the bell finally rang it was almost a relief.

It felt strange to her that while she was sitting behind a desk surrounded by white and blue walls, students were taking their cars out to eat for lunch. She herself couldn't afford to go out for lunch, let alone get a car. Every day Peyton took the bus to work. The school was in the city right next to her own town. Ironically enough, she worked for the very school that she would've given anything to go to when she was growing up. Her mother just couldn't afford tuition back then. It wasn't her fault though.
So, once again Peyton was eating a lunch that she'd packed at home and about to call her mother.

"Hey Mom, sorry about that. We're right in the middle of Romeo and Juliet."
"Oh it's no problem, Sweetie! I'm so proud of you, hard at work." The smile on Layla Emmerson's face could always be heard. There was something about her mother that always sounded friendly, even when she was having a tough day like today.
"Thanks, Mom."
"I had to let three more people go today." Her mother sighed. One of the things that her mother hated most about her job was having to fire people. She was always so nice and got to know her empolyees really well, but with the economy going down the tube she'd been having to let people go left and right. Working her own catering company had sounded great at first, but once things started heading south there seemed to be nothing she could do. Layla had even gone so far as to stop sitting in her office and taking calls and going out to the parties she was catering. She was making no more money off of the company she'd started all by herself than any other employee.
"I'm really sorry to hear that Mom..."
The two made plans to have a "mother daughter" night that evening. They said their goodbyes just as the bell rang for students to go back to class.

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She was sad to think that her favorite part of the day so far had been hearing the seventh-hour bell ring. At the same time she was glad because that meant she was heading over to see her mother soon.

Although the two lived nearly in the same neighborhood they didn't get to see each other often. One or the other was working, or Peyton had a date with Kenny, or one of her students would need her to stay after school for a while. Things just piled up. They hadn't even talked since Darien was in town from school last, which was about a month ago. Their family, which used to be so tight knit seemed to be drifting apart little by little.

Payton hopped on the bus and slipped the toll into the drivers hand with a smile. "Hey, Richard." What a sweet old man. He tipped his hat in reply as she chose the seat just behind him. Just like every day.

When she got home she knew something was off before she'd even stepped through the front door. "Hello?" Her voice cracked a little.

"Hey, Sweet Heart." Kenny stuck his head into the living room, a smile on his face, as usual.

"Jesus Christ, Kenny, you gave me a heart attack!" She giggled and kissed him lightly on the lips, sighing with familiarity. "How was work?"

"Work was good. How was school?" He grinned taking a long look at her. He always teased her that she liked school more than work, that's why she'd become a teacher.

"Work was good." She followed him into the kitchen and gasped. "Oh my goodness, Kenny!" On the table was a bouquet of white Walking Irises. Her favorite. They seemed to pull the entire room together. The royal blue walls and granite counter tops made them stick out perfectly. "You are the absolute sweetest!"

"Then say you'll go out with me!" He picked her up in a fireman's carry and spun her around, making her laugh and get a little sick to her stomach.

"Put me down, you big jerk!" But peyton was laughing too hard. He carried her back into the living room, lay her on the couch and began to tickle her. "Stop! Stop!" And he kissed her. Long and warm on the lips.

"I love you Peyton Emmerson." His blond hair framed his face, and the tips of his ears were red from laughing. But oh, did his beautiful blue eyes sparkle.

"And I love you, Kenneth Amblougk." They kissed once more. "But I can't go out tonight, I'm going to see my mother."

Kenny sat up. His lips scrunched to the left side of his face as they always did when he was pouting. "I guess that's a good excuse." He teased. "Rain check?"

"Definitely."