Growing Pains

Chapter 35 - I thought she was a force of nature

E T H A N

A week after we started helping out with the kids at the daycare, Miss Johnson told us she needed us to come in on Saturday. I tried to tell her I couldn't. My mom had a double shift, and I had to study, and run errands, and take care of Ronny. Miss Johnson insisted. The kids had a trip to the Aquarium. It had been booked for months. The parents had paid for it already and the school had rented a bus for the day. The kids had gotten excited about it too. Canceling it wasn't an option. Not really. I said I would be there, somehow. Caitlyn shrugged, which I found out on Saturday, meant she would be there too.

I had to bring Ronny with me. When Miss Johnson saw him, she bent down to smile at him, and said, in her suburban voice, "Now, who is this pretty boy?"

Ronny hid behind my leg. I said, "He's my little brother Ron. I couldn't get anyone to look after him for me. He can come with us to the Aquarium, right? He won't be any trouble. I promise."

Miss Johnson was still crouching, trying to get Ronny's attention, and failing, but she looked up at me to smile.

"Well, I don't see why not. You'll have to pay for his ticket though. It's $35,95. It's not much. Except, of course, if he's two or under, then it's free," she explained, turning to Ronny again, "How old are you, sweetie?"

Ronny pressed his face against my jeans, so I answered for him, "He's three."

"$35,95 it is then."

I obviously didn't have $35,95 with me, and I didn't have time to go home either. The bus was already parked outside. I reached for my wallet and took out what I had. Miss Johnson stood up straight.

"I only have $15," I said.

She still had her suburban smile on when she said, "There's an ATM across the road."

"I don't have a credit card, I'm sorry." At this point, my face was on fire.

"It also takes debit," she said, still smiling.

"I don't have that either."

"What is happening right now?" someone else said. I turned around. Caitlyn was standing by the door, a frown on her face, sunglasses still on, a man-sized plaid shirt, hand looking for something inside her wallet. She walked closer as she did it, and when she found it, she handed it over to me, "Here you go, loser."

Suddenly I had $40 in my hand. I looked up at her. She was looking at Ronny, who was still hiding his face against my jeans, arms wrapped around my leg.

"Thank you so much," I managed. "I'll pay you back. I promise."

She looked at me, and said, "You better, cause I was gonna get an eighth with that."

I didn't know what she meant. Miss Johnson didn't do either because she just smiled, took the money from my hand, and added it to a thick envelope she had on top of her desk. She took a few coins out of it and handed it to Caitlyn.

"Your change."

"Right," Caitlyn said. "Is everyone going on this thing?"

Miss Johnson shook her head, "No, Freddy and Sade aren't coming."

Freddy was sick with a cold. I knew that because he had spent recess on Friday sniffling. Sade had seemed fine though. I had no idea why she wasn't coming.

"Is Sade the one with the cornrows?" Caitlyn asked.

"Yes, that's her," Miss Johnson said, frowning right after, "Her dad didn't pay for the ticket."

"But she's here," Caitlyn said. "I just saw her on the hallway."

"Yeah, she comes in on weekends because she doesn't have anyone home to look after her. Usually we're only open during the week, but because there are a few other kids without anyone home with them –"