Who I Once Was (Book Three in the 'Small Town Girl' Series)

Chapter Fifteen: A Reason To

I headed home before I would go back to Topanga's to meet up with Mrs. Geyser.

When I got there, I was pleasantly surprised to see my Dad and Deb standing outside by the mail boxes engaged in conversation. They burst out laughing and once again, she put a hand on his arm before she looked up, spotting me over his shoulder. 

"Hey there, Skipper!" She greeted. I smiled as Dad turned around to look at me. He furrowed his eyebrows.

"You're dressed kind of professionally for lunch, aren't you?" I nodded.

"Mm-hmm." He turned to face me fully.

"What do you mean, Mm-Hmm?"

"Well I am overdressed for lunch because I wasn't...at lunch." He just continued to stare at me, waiting for an answer. "I just wanted to formally introduce myself." I held out my hand to him.

"Why are you being so weird, Skip?" He asked, hesitantly shaking my hand.

"That's Ms. Jackson to you." I said, which only confused him further. "You are shaking hands...with the new Abigail Adams English Teacher." His eyes widened.

"What?! Oh my gosh?!" He wrapped his arms around my waist, picking me up. I laughed.

"Dad, put me down, you're going to hurt yourself!" I laughed. He pulled back with his hands on my shoulders. 

"You went to an interview?!" He exclaimed. I nodded. "But wait, if it was just now the interview, how do you know you got the job?"

"He gave it to me on the spot. They're desperate for someone to take over at semester, so he said I could give it a trial run, and if I hate it, he'll see about getting me severance for the whole year."  He put his hands on his head, looking between Deb and I.

"Congratulations, Skipper."

"Thank you, Deb."

"So this means you're staying in New York?" He asked. I smiled, nodded and he hugged me again. I laughed.

"But don't tell anyone else yet, I want to surprise them all individually."

"Well if you don't do it today, you'll have to do it when you get back. You and Farkle are driving out to get your stuff tomorrow."

"Then that's the perfect time to tell him at least. If any of the others talk to you, make it sound like I'm going back to California. I'll give them a tearful goodbye this afternoon and then surprise them when I pop back up again."

"That sounds like a plan." He said, smiling. "I'm so proud of you, Skip." I smiled.

"Thanks, Dad." I said. By now Deb had gone back into her house, probably feeling like she was intruding. "It um...it feels like things are finally going my way."

"Heaven knows you deserve it." He hugged me a third time. I sighed.

"Right, I need to change, and get through my goodbyes before my afternoon lunch with Mrs. Geyser." He nodded and I headed inside to do so.

~~~

I changed my clothes and arranged to meet everyone at a restaurant other than Topanga's to avoid the risk of them and Mrs. Geyser crossing paths.

"So you three are heading out?" Riley asked, looking at Zay, Vanessa, and I. We all nodded.

"Our flight leaves tonight." Zay told her.

"Yeah, and I have to move all of my stuff out of my place, so Farkle and I are driving down to California first thing in the morning."

"Wait, why do you have to move all of your stuff out of your place?" Maya asked. Crap...I hadn't told them all about that.