Picking up the Pieces on AO3
Picking up the Pieces on TWCS
“On your marks…get set…GO!” I yelled as a waved my flag. The
third graders who were running the hundred yard dash for our field day took off
in a dead sprint. There was squealing, laughter and joy. Field day was an
annual event at the elementary school. The morning was spent with various races
and games. In the afternoon, the fire department and several deputies helped
with lunch, grilling hamburgers, hot dogs and veggie burgers while we finished
setting up the carnival in the gym and outside. This year had several new
attractions with pony rides, a petting zoo and inflatables. At the opposite end
of the field, Alice blew the whistle, bouncing up and down, congratulating the
fastest boy and fastest girl in the race.
After all of the races, we were going to determine the
fastest boy and girl for the primary grades, kindergarten through second grade
and another set for the more intermediate grades, third through fifth grade.
There also other various competitions, games and such going on during this
bright, warm day on the field of Forks Elementary School. Inside, arts and
crafts were being made in the classrooms, along with face painting and a book
walk, similar to a cake walk but the prizes were pulled books from the library.
The kids loved it. So did the parents. The staff, we hated it because it was a
lot of work. The field day was structured but not. Having twenty-four kids in
self-contained classroom. Having nearly three hundred children running around,
trying to keep them with their teacher was like herding cats.
Thank goodness today was the last day of school. For the
kids, it was the last day of school. For the teachers, they had an institute
day tomorrow to clean up their rooms so the desks could get replaced, the
carpets cleaned and a fresh coat of paint on the walls. For Alice and me, it
was the beginning of scheduling and all of that craziness with the secretaries,
registering new students and reassigning any staff that needed to be shuffled
around. In July, the school shut down completely so the main office could get
scoured, so I got the month of July off. But, June and August, were going to be
jam packed with a lot of work.
“Is everyone ready?” I asked the next group of kids. They
eagerly nodded, bouncing on their toes. “On your marks…get set…GO!!”
During lunch, I’m sitting on one of the lunch tables,
munching on a hot dog. I’m sweaty, tired and ready for a long nap. Walking
toward me was one of the grill masters, Edward. He was carrying another plate and
two water bottles. He plopped down next to me, handing me one of the bottles.
“You should be in the shade, Ms. Black. You’re awfully pink.”
“I’m just hot,” I said. “I can handle the heat but coupled
with humidity, my face gets red.” I chugged the water. “Are you freed from the
grill?”
“More like banned. Mr. Schwartz yelled at me because the
hamburgers I cooked were apparently raw. Stick to being a police officer, he
said,” Edward snorted, nibbling on his hot dog. “I decided to take a break and
join my favorite girl eat her lunch.”
“Well, Grace is over there,” I teased, pointing to a gaggle
of little girls, squealing happily.
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