Friends For Now ON HOLD

Chapter 1

"Hey Aunt Lanie." Ariana weakly said as she walked into the nurses office.
  "What did you do?" Lanie asked as she got her phone to text the five year old's mother.
"I fell in gym and hurt my elbow and my head hurts so uncle Kevin sent me." Ariana answered as she went into the back room and sat on the bed.
  "Aw my poor baby. Let me text your mom then I'll get you ice." Lanie smiled sympathetically. "Hey. Ari is with me. She got hurt." After sending the text, Lanie went to the freezer and wrapped up the ice in a towel. "Your mom will be here in a few seconds."

Kate was deciding what to do after her class got back from gym when her phone dinged. It was Lanie telling her that her daughter was in the nurses office and hurt. Worried, Kate began running to the nurses office until she heard her name. "Ms. Beckett." She stopped and turned around to see the assistant principal yelling at her.
    "Mrs. Gates?" She was glaring at Kate. "Why were you running in the halls?" She asked sternly.
    "Ariana got hurt and I was going to see her." She mumbled something and went back into her office. Once she was far enough down the hall, Kate rolled her eyes and started running again. "Where is she?" Kate asked Lanie when she opened the door.
    "In the back." Lanie pointed to the beds. Kate walked back and saw her five year old holding ice to her elbow. She sat next to Ariana and hugged her tightly.
   "You okay baby girl?" Kate asked concerned.
   "I don't know, my head hurts." She kissed Ari's head.
   "I have headache medicine and apple sauce." Kate took the little girl's hand and together they walked back to her classroom. Ariana glared at the medicine but agreed to take it. Kate looked at the time. "Let's go get the rest of the class." Together, the mother and daughter walked down the ramp and to the gym.
    "Hey Beckett. Hey Ari, you feeling better?" Kevin Ryan asked.
   "A little." Ariana answered quietly. The class followed behind Kate as she walked back to the classroom.
    "Nap time!" She shouted and everyone grabbed their pillows and blankets. Ariana ended up staring at the ceiling as everyone slept. As her mother, Kate knew she didn't sleep on her back so she picked up the five year old and sat down at her desk. "What's wrong baby?" Kate asked worried.
   "It's hard to sleep when my head hurts." Ariana whispered, barely audible. Kate then began rocking her daughter back and forth.

~On The Other Side Of The School~

     Alexis Castle walked into her English class and saw her father sitting at his desk. She speed walked up to his desk. "Dad? What are you doing here?" Alexis quietly asked, hoping her classmates wouldn't hear.
   "Oh you haven't heard? I'm your new English teacher." Rick smiled slyly causing Alexis to roll her eyes.
    "Don't tell anyone and don't embarrass me!" She scolded him then went to take her seat.
    "Everyone, I am your new English teacher." Everyone looked at him questionably.
   "What happened to Ms. Morgan?" Alexis awkwardly asked.
   "She moved." The novelist answered plainly. "I am Mr..." He paused for a moment then looked at Alexis who looked very nervous. "Rodgers. Mr. Rodgers." He finished and his daughter let out a sigh of relief. "So, what have you been working on?"

~On The Other Side Of The School~

Kate watched as her daughter slept. She felt bad that it was time to wake her and the rest of the class. "Ari, wake up baby." Kate whispered. Ariana didn't move. Her grip around her mother grew tighter. "Ariana," Kate whispered slightly laughing. Her eyes opened and for a second she looked up into her mother's beautiful hazel eyes in which she shared. Ariana is the spinning image of her mother. "Your head feel better?" Ari just shook her head yes then went to wake up her friends who would help wake up the other students. Kate announced that it was time for a bathroom break. No one had to go but she did. "Hey Christina can you watch my class while I run to the bathroom?" She asked the teacher beside her.
   "Of course but you would have to go into the middle school wing." Kate nodded then walked off to the bathroom on the other side of the building. Kate was busy looking at the walls, that were filled with projects in amazement. At least until she bumped into someone causing her to fall backwards. Kate rubbed her head then looked up to see a roguishly handsome man extending a hand towards her. She gratefully took it. She immediately recognized him but thought it couldn't be him. "S... Sorry." She stuttered.
    "It's fine."

    Rick Castle has had a lot of girls bump into him but this one stood out most. She had long, beautiful brown hair and soft hazel eyes. Rick thought she was stunning. By the time he stopped day dreaming, she was gone and he couldn't even get her name. He walked into the men's bathroom with hopes of seeing the beautiful, mystery women again.

    When Kate got back to her classroom she pulled Ari aside. "I think I just saw Richard Castle." She slightly started fangirling but kept her cool somehow.
    "Where?" Ariana asked, her eyes widening in disbelief.
   "At the middle school wing bathroom." At that moment, Ari decided to be a spy for her mother and try to find the beloved writer.
Ariana wondered the hallways and eventually got lost until a red head about eleven years old spots her.

    "Are you lost?" Alexis asked the cute little five year old. She shook her head yes. "Are you looking for the bathrooms?" The child shook her head yes again. Alexis pointed to the bathrooms. "They are right there. Do you need help getting back to class?" The brunette shook her head yes for the third time. Alexis decided to wait for the little girl then show her to her classroom. "What's your name?" The five year old looked up at Alexis with big hazel eyes.
   "Ariana." She quietly stated.
    "Well I'm Alexis. Who is your teacher?" She gave a warm smile causing Ariana to smile too.
    "Ms. Beckett." She whispered.

   Alexis walked with Ariana all the way to her classroom. "Mommy!" Ari shouted when she saw her mom standing in the doorway.
    "What took you so long?" Kate asked concerned.
    "I got lost but Alexis helped." Kate thanked Alexis then went inside the classroom.
    "Time to clean up." Everyone except Ariana started singing the clean up song. Once everything was cleaned up, Ari took her seat at a round table with her friends Mikayla, Selin, Yohanly, Trinity and Carmen. Everyone got their snacks and began watching Paw Patrol.
Soon after eating, Kate took the class outside to play and wait for the buses. She couldn't help but smile as she watched her daughter run around, laughing and smiling.

    "Did Richard Castle look like the guy on the back of his books?" Ariana asked on the way home.
    "Yup. And his eyes were the exact same color as the girl's who brought you back to the classroom."

    "Dad, there was this little five year old in the middle school wing and she was adorable. Her teacher is her mother. She had brown hair and hazel eyes. They could be twins." Rick remembered the women he had run into in the hallway.
    "Funny. I ran into someone with that description. Did you get her name?" He looked into the mirror and saw his daughter nodding.
    "The little girl's name is Ariana but, I only know her mother's last name. Beckett."