WIFEABLE :: ORIGINAL

birthdays & popsicles

"Corey, you're a clown," Jelisa told the little boy who was coloring a popsicle stick with a red marker.

"You're a clown," he retorted, gluing the sticks together, "I'm making you a house."

"Thanks, man."

"Ms. Harris!" a little girl, Jasmen, came over and showed her a drawing she did, "look!"

"Aw, this is great, Jas!" she lied easily, "is that me?"

"Mhm. It's for your birthday. Happy Birthday!"

"Thank you!" she hugged the little girl and smiled, "I'm putting this on my fridge at home."

"Oh cool--"

"What're gonna do with my gift?" Corey asked with a frown, "hang it up, too!"

"How I'm gon' hang up a bird house on my fridge?" Jelisa asked, trying not to giggle at the kid.

"When there's a Will, there's a way," he cackled. This kid had been making jokes about her boyfriend ever since he found out what his name was. "Oh my GOD!"

"Wow!" she laughed with him, "be quiet, Corey."

"Aw, man, that was gold."

"Corey, you're weird, man," Damari, one of his best friends said.

"I'm cool though."

"That's true."

"Jelisa," one of the supervisors popped her head in, "may I speak with you for a minute?"

"Sure," she got up from the floor, keeping the door cracked as she stepped into the hallway.

"I don't know what you're doing to these kids, but I don't want you to stop," she commended, "I got scores back from your group's previous tests and teacher evaluations, and they've all went up by fifteen percent. Even Corey, who you know is a class clown and gets distracted easily."

"Really?" she was surprised because when she first arrived to this position the kids were already fun to work with. She just matched their energy.

"Yes, ma'am. That's why I'd like for you to help us out in the next meeting. You seem to understand the kids more than others and I want these scores to be high for every kid in our program."

"To be hoenst, Gloria, I'm childish, that's how," she shrugged, earning a laugh from the other woman, "it's not hard when they don't give you a reason to be boring."

"Still. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you," she'd only been here for a good month and a half and she was getting the respect she yearned for.

"That's all I wanted to say," Gloria shrugged, "I'll leave you to it."

"Thanks again," she replied, opening the door again to see all fifteen of her kids working on their art.

"She's back!" Corey hushed them.

"What's going on?" she sat down on the floor, watching him scramble to get his things together.

"Stay right there," Corey told her. They all assembled a single-file line, facing her, "this is for your birthday."

"Okay," Jelisa blushed, watching them hold their papers up, "thanks guys. You spelled birthday wrong but I still love it."

"Tracee!" James huffed, "there's no F in birthday."

"I still love it, guys!" Jelisa hushed her students before they started hurting each other's feelings. "Can I have these signs to take home?"