Growing Pains

Chapter 14 - This is a waste of my time

E T H A N

Caitlyn Murphy didn't seem to care about anything, not people's opinions of her, not school, not the red lights when she was crossing the road, or lung cancer when she finished a pack and started another one right away.

I had been bored out of my mind, waiting to be called into Miss Johnson's office, and then she'd showed up with all her tattoos, her braids barely up, bags under her eyes, and a cigarette burning between her fingers. She was wearing a very long, very big leather jacket that matched her leather boots, a small white t-shirt, and jeans. I was wearing sweatpants.

"Hi," I said when she sat in the chairs across from me.

She ignored me.

"What are you doing here?"

She ignored me some more.

"Mr. Colton grounded you too?"

She looked at me this time, piercing eyes that looked so much like the ones she had tattooed on the back of her ankles. The look on her face didn't change. She didn't want to be here. That much was obvious. She also didn't want me talking to her. It didn't surprise me. Didn't offend me either.

The door of Miss Johnson's office opened then, and she gestured for us to go in. Caitlyn finished her cigarette in one drag and then threw it in the bin by the door. We both went in.

"I know I'm late," she finally said. Caitlyn was exactly half an hour late. Miss Johnson had kept me waiting outside so she could at least get some work done. She was the daycare teacher I would have to help as part of my disciplinary action.

"Did something happen?" Miss Johnson asked, seemingly concerned.

Caitlyn just shrugged, "I didn't want to come."

There was something about her voice too. Isaac called it a sore throat. This was a particularly long sore throat though. I had known her for years and never heard any other voice come from her. Isaac said cigarettes could do that to a person.

"Then you should have thought twice before you did what you did," Miss Johnson said, not so concerned anymore.

"What did she do?" I asked. They both looked at me and decided together to ignore me.

"So," Miss Johnson said instead, looking at the paper in front of her. "Mr. Colton said both your disciplinary actions should last for at least three months, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. One of our educators is on maternity leave, so that's actually very convenient for us here at the daycare. We need someone to watch the kids during recess and you need some discipline. I see it as a win-win situation."

"I don't," Caitlyn said, sitting straight on her chair. "This is a waste of my time. I didn't do anything. I've been falsely accused."

"Mr. Colton said you would say that. I honestly don't need to hear it. This is not the court of law."

"It would be a kangaroo court, if it was," Caitlyn said under her breath.

"Right, let's move on," Miss Johnson said. "Basically I want you here every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It's not hard work. You might even like it. Any questions?"

I said no. Caitlyn said nothing.

I had thought this whole thing would be a waste of my time, time that I could spend surfing or skating or just hanging out with Isaac, but I had been wrong.

This wasn't a waste of time. This was months and months that I got to spend around none other than Caitlyn fucking Murphy.