Lets Add Three

"I'm In Mrs Alice's Class Now"

A/N: This chapter is for Katie because she picked the same story as Rene! Lol here you go, I hope you enjoy it, well done on the quiz :)

Chapter 9:

When Kirstie goes to pick Marcia up on the Tuesday she goes into the school and waits outside the classroom door, she needed to talk to Alice. She has ten minutes left before the bell goes, and she's getting impatient, she has to know whether Alice knows Jasper or if it's just a coincidence. She runs her hands through her hair over and over again as she waits.
      She hears noise coming from around the corner and then an all too familiar voice tells them to keep quiet, stay in line and with their buddies. And just as she expected Jeremy walks his class around the corner. He gives her an awful glare as he unlocks the door.
     "Clever," he says as all the kids walk into the room. He turns to Kirstie, "Taking her out of my class. You must think you're a genius. Just wait Mrs Kaplan." He says the last two words with complete disgust and walks into his classroom.
     Kirstie glares at the door that closes shut behind him. Then she pulls out her phone and sends a text to Avi: 'I think Jeremy just threatened me again.'
      It's not moments later that a reply beeps through. 'You think or you know?'
     'I know'
     'What did he say?'
     'Just wait'
     'I don't want to wait!'
     'No, he said 'just wait', dummy!'
     'Fuck him'
      Kirstie doesn't need to reply, she knows Avi won't expect one anyway, that's a pretty final statement. But her phone buzzes again,
     'I reread that, and I know you don't have to be told, but I need to say it for my own sanity I don't mean 'fuck' him, I mean he's an asshole so forget about him, not the sex way'
      Kirstie sputters into laughter at her dorky husband, she'd never even read it as that way. And she knows that he would know that too, he just text that to make her laugh and he succeeded. She doesn't have time to reply because the bell rings.
     Kids fill the hallway and Kirstie presses her back close to the wall. She waves Jake over when he leaves his class, it was actually lucky his class had walked past her because otherwise he wouldn't have known to even look in this direction. Then she has to grabs her daughters arm to stop her from walking right past.
      "Mommy!" she cheers holding her arms out until Kirstie crouches down to hug her.
      "May I have a hug too?" Jake asks so politely so Marcia hugs him tightly too. "Tank-you Mar-shar but I meant your mommy, I already gots hugs from you today," he smiles shyly.
      "Oh Jake, Sweetie: of course you can have a hug," Kirstie smiles warmly, giving the boy who was almost two inches shorter than her daughter a hug. "Now if you don't mind I have to speak to Mrs Whitlock. Marcia why don't you show Jake your classroom while I do that?" she suggests as she ushers the two of them back to the door and into the classroom.
      Kirstie then grabs their backpacks and yanks them back close to her because it's not just Alice in the room.
      "Hi Mr Lewis!" Marcia waves with a smile.
      He returns the smile, "Hi Marcia, how are you doing?"
      "I'm in Mrs Alice's class now," she tells him.
     Jeremy nods, "Yeah I know." As he looks up from Marcia to Kirstie their eyes lock for a moment and it terrifies her. She had never seen him look at her or anyone like that.
      "Mommy that hurts my shoulder," Marcia complains pulling away from Kirstie's hand that had tightened on her shoulder in fear.
      "Sorry," she sighs, dropping both hands.
     "It's not a good idea to hurt your child," Jeremy speaks sharply.
     "I'm sure it was an accident," Alice interjects. "How can I help you Mrs Kaplan?"
      Before Kirstie can reply, Jeremy speaks, "You know I'm surprised you took his last name. I didn't think you were like that."
     Alice looks between Kirstie and Jeremy with confusion. "I don't know what's going on here, but Jeremy, if she chooses to take her husband's last name then that's her decision, just like it was mine, I took my husband's last name too," she shrugs.
      "Thank you Alice," Kirstie acknowledges her, "I'd also like to speak with just you if that's alright?"
      "I can take the kids into my classroom," Jeremy says.
     The two kids step forward but Kirstie pulls them back, "No thank you, they'll stay with me," she tells him with a hiss in her voice.
      With narrow eyes Jeremy walks back through the door that joins the two first grade classes.
      "The curious part of me would like to know what that was about, but the professional part of me knows I shouldn't ask," Alice nods as she looks up at Kirstie.
      "Go play at the back," the mom tells the two kids. She turns back to Alice, "It's complicated," she offers as an explanation
      "So what did you want to talk to me about?" Alice asks once the kids are safely out of earshot.
      "It's not a school thing," Kirstie speaks hesitantly.
      The teacher nods, "That's okay."
      "I've heard your husband is a lawyer," Kirstie raises an eyebrow.
      Both Alice's eyebrows shoot up, "Well you heard correctly. Are you needing his help?"
       Kirstie nods, "Sort of. Our friend Kevin mentioned him and that to get hold of him is pretty difficult."
      "That's because he's very particular about who he represents. I can speak to him though, you seem like a decent person and I'm sure he'd help." Alice chuckles a little to herself, "It's funny, Jeremy asked about him yesterday."
      Kirstie's face drains of colour, "What?"
      "Yeah, but Jasper doesn't want to help him, I can't say that I exactly gave my colleague a glowing review. Jaz doesn't even do child cases anyway, but we won't be passing his details onto Rose either," she scoffs then pulls a face. "I'm sorry I shouldn't be saying this."
      Kirstie shakes her head, "It's fine, helpful." So it turns out that Jeremy didn't have the brilliant lawyer he claimed to. "In fact I'm actually looking for a lawyer that deals in child cases, custody."
      Alice looks at her skeptically, "You're kidding."
      "I wish I was."
      "So you and Jeremy both happen to be looking for a child lawyer? I didn't even know Jeremy had a child."
       Kirstie scoffs, "Typical." He suddenly wants her back and he's never even told anyone about her, acted like he never had a child until it benefits him.
      Alice frowns, "I'm starting to paint a picture in my head about what's going on here."
      "Jeremy does have a child, not that he has ever had anything to do with her," she sighs.
       Alice casts the smallest glance out the corner of her eye at the back of the room. Then she locks eyes with Kirstie who gives her one solid nod.
      "That's why I can't have her in his class," Kirstie whispers. "And Marcia can't know, because I don't care what anyone says: Avi is her dad."
       Alice nods quickly, "I understand completely. Not a word from me. But I will give you my sister in law's number. Rosalie McCarthy," the smaller woman dashes over to her desk, pulling out her phone and piece of paper, scribbling down the number. She rushes back over to Kirstie's confusion. "There's no need to go through jasper just to get this. Rosalie is a child lawyer and she's the best and she only represents female clients, unless there's a special circumstance. Your husband would count in that category," she adds that last sentence in case Kirstie hadn't gotten it.
      "Thank you so much for this, and you don't even know the whole story, seriously thank you," Kirstie gives her a genuine smile with tears in her eyes.
      "I think I've put the pieces together well enough. And besides Jeremy is a little... slimy, I don't know," she shrugs. "He told me that I'd look better with long hair, like I asked for his opinion," she scoffs.
      Kirstie nods, "Yeah he does that. He always thinks he knows best and that his word is law and shit like that. I have no idea what I ever saw in him."
      "And I might add, hopefully without overstepping my boundaries," she giggles, "Your husband is better looking than Jeremy and I don't even like facial hair," she chuckles.
    Kirstie laughs, "I'm sure your husband is better looking than him too! You know if it's not weird with you being Marcia's teacher, we should hang out, get coffee. My usual coffee buddy just had a baby so."
      Alice nods, "I'd love to."

A/N: And things are even further on track, woo!

If there are any sort of cutesy moments that you'd like to see during this story to break up the stressful stuff then let me know :)

Hannah :)