Chapter 8

Jolene

Seven Years Later

"Miss Falls, do you have to leave?"

I looked down at Noah's small pout and tried not to smile too hard.

"I do," I said, crouching beside his desk.

"But that doesn’t mean the world is ending"

"It feels like it," he muttered,goodness, he is so cute.

Across the classroom, several other students nodded in agreement while packing up their crayons and textbooks slower than usual.

My chest tightness and my heart aches for them.

I was going to miss them. Really miss them.

I have been teaching these children as a teaching assistant for two years. This place became my safe space and these children became my safe haven. My happy place was to always see them every morning and have them sing along with me. They are such adorable pups.

The colorful alphabet posters on the walls, tiny shoes squeaking across the floor, glue stains that never fully  goes away after wiping the table each closing day. I looked forward to this everyday.

"Who's going to read to us now?" 

Amelia asked sadly from the carpet area.

"Miss Parker will," I answered.

"She doesn’t do the voices right."

That nearly made me laugh.

"Well," I said, standing up slowly, "you’ll have to teach her."

A few of them giggled at that.

I turned toward the whiteboard, pretending to erase something already clean just so they wouldn’t see the tears welling up in my eyes.

Leaving them hurt more than I expected.

"Are you coming back after summer?"  another student asked from the back.

My hand paused. They are making everything,every decision harder.

"No, sweetheart. Unfortunately"

The room grew quieter after that.

" Okay,Miss Falls. But we are going to miss you so much. Hope the other children are good to you" Amelia said again.

" I will miss you all and never forget you guys"

" Okay Miss Falls " they all answered in unison.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and sighed.

"Alright. Everybody grabs your memory folders before your parents arrive."

The room exploded into movement again. Thank goodness they are distracted. I would have burst out crying if they had said one more world.

I hope I made the right decision and won't regret it later on.

As the students gathered their things, my eyes drifted toward the classroom windows.

Rain tapped softly against the glass outside.

Perfect weather for leaving a life behind.

....

By three-thirty, the classroom was finally empty.

The halls were almost emptied out, everywhere was silent.

I stood in the middle of the class, nostalgia hits me like a train as I remembered the first time I stepped foot into the class.

The tiny eyes and faces that stared at me in awe as I introduced myself.

Now looking at their tiny chairs and bookshelves ,the drawings taped crookedly to the wall a lump formed in my throat before I swallowed it down quickly.

"Trying not to cry?"

I turned to find Ava leaning against the doorway holding two slushes.

I smiled softly. "You know me too well."

"Unfortunately."

She walked inside and handed me one.

“You’re really leaving,” she said slurping hers already.

"Looks like it. I don't have a choice "

Her expression shifted slightly. "Yes you do. You don't have to take the job.You still don’t have to go back there."

Back there.

Crove Pack.

Home. Or at least it used to be..

"I  need this job" I said finally. "It's a good opportunity."

"I know. And I'm going to miss gossiping about the out teachers with you. Never forget me. Okay" she said hugging me.

"I would never do a thing like. I'll always call"

"So when are you leaving?" She asked,

I moved around, packing al my belongings into the box.

"Tomorrow afternoon. I want to get there in the evening or at dawn, don't want people looking at me and unnecessary questions" I replied, putting the thing into the box.

"Here. Let me help"she said and took the box from my hands and we started to walk out.

I locked the door behind me,not before giving the classroom one last glance.

"Are you ready to face the question of the Alpha because you going to be an outsider and the alpha is going question why you left. Everyone that sees you will know you've been through a lot even tho you don't them your story"she said.

My heart immediately skips a beat remembering that horrible night,after I run into the woods.

Eighteen years old. Exhausted. Traumatized. Barely speaking.

I arrived at my aunt’s pack looking like someone had ripped my soul out and left the remains behind.

And honestly?That wasn’t far from the truth.

That day would always mark a day I'll never forget in my life and I have scars that always remind me of what happened in the woods that night.

" I'm not going face question by the Alpha. I never cut ties with the pack. I still have my mark and symbol intact"I replied.

" I remember when you got here the first time after your university graduation. You were terrifyingly quiet"  Ava continued. "I genuinely thought you hated me. And I spilled milk all over your dress"

"Hey,it was my first day and I was the youngest and children aren't always sunshine and rainbows"

"I know that now,"she snorted. "But back then you looked ready to stab anyone who said good morning."

We walked down the hallway to the staff room.

Later the e staff held a small goodbye dinner later that evening at a nearby diner.

It wasn't anything big, just a few staff and the headmaster. I couldn't hold my tears anymore with all the gifts and goodbyes.

I made a family here and now I had to leave it.

...