Lord Have Mercy (The Southern Gentleman #2)(58)

I just shook my head.

“I’m not riding in that.”

She smiled. “Aren’t you?”





Chapter 20


I wish Facebook would post when people unfriended you so I could like it.

-Flint’s secret thoughts

Flint

I arrived in a goddamn minivan, got on my motherfuckin’ scooter, and rolled into the school like I wasn’t embarrassed as fuck to be doing it.

However, I was pleasantly surprised that, instead of the ribbing I’d suspected from the students, every last one of them came up to me and gave me fist bumps or high fives. The boys, anyway. The girls all had hugs to give, and I took them even though their teenage perfume was making my nose itch.

“All right, all right,” my woman finally said. “It’s time for y’all to head to class, and Officer Stone to head to his office to get his day started. Y’all can talk to him later during lunch.”

Groans sounded from all around me, and I found myself grinning.

“Come on, Ms. Soon-to-be Stone,” a boy, the one I’d suggested submit his tip anonymously, said. “Please? Just a few more minutes. We’ve missed the man!”

The kid looked good. Much better than the last time I’d seen him.

The party that’d been raided had been a success, and the boys that had been planning the festivities had been taken to juvie.

Now without the bad influence around, the kids were all doing quite a bit better.

“Time to go,” came another voice from behind us.

I looked over to see Carver standing there looking pissed.

Everybody frowned at him, not moving an inch.

“Time to go, kids.” I clapped my hands. “I’ll see y’all in lunch like Camryn said.”

The children, groaning and dragging their feet, all started toward the front door.

It was when the last one finally filed inside that Carver turned to me with a glare.

“Why do they always listen to you and not me?” he asked.

I shrugged. “Because you’re new?”

And a pussy.

Not that I said that last part. Even though I might want to.

“Holy cow!” Nivea cried out, hurrying toward us with her bag in her hand and a coffee in the other. “I can’t believe you’re here! You should’ve let us know and we would’ve brought lunch for you. A potluck!”

Camryn edged closer to me, placing herself in between me and Nivea so that Nivea couldn’t move any farther toward me. Thank God.

I really did love the woman.

“We have to get him settled, and I’m already late.” Camryn smiled. “See y’all later.”

“I’ll call in pizza!”

I started forward and Camryn got the door, glaring at me when I couldn’t control the smile on my face.

“I hate her,” she muttered darkly.

I snorted. “I couldn’t tell.”

She surreptitiously flipped me off, and then picked up her pace.

“I really am late, though,” she pointed out.

“You have a conference period first period today,” I countered. “You’re not late.”

“I have to go get a test key and set it up in the computer lab,” she grumbled. “After the incident with the other test that went viral, I’m now giving all the tests on the computer. I was contemplating doing that anyway, but I decided after that particular incident that it might be better just to go ahead and get it done.”

“I used to hate taking tests on the computer,” I muttered as we took the last hallway that led to the front entrance, as well as the office that I occupied during the school hours.

It was set up right off the front entrance to the building. When you entered the large building, the front office was located next to a glass wall. My office was on the other end of the wall where I could see everything.

“I would say I did, too…but I’d be lying. Tests on the computer are much more straight forward, and way easier to grade.” She paused.

“True,” I admitted. “I can see why you would say that.”

She held out her palm for the keys, and I handed them to her, allowing her to open the office door mainly because I wasn’t sure I could get close enough without standing up. She hated watching me try to stand up because she was afraid that I was going to fall and reinjure myself.

I was very selective allowing her to see what she wanted to see. When she wasn’t around, I used the crutches and the wheelchair a hell of a lot less.

Though, technically, I wasn’t supposed to be on my feet just yet without crutches.

What she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.

“Here you go,” she said, pushing the door open.

I grinned at all the Get Well Soon cards that were lining the walls, and shook my head at the bouquet of Get Well teddy bears on the desk that said ‘Love, Schultz.’

“He needs his ass whooped,” I muttered.

Camryn’s laughter echoed behind her as she walked away. “Have a good day, baby.”

***

Overall, it was a very good day. So good, in fact, that I was glad that I’d been forced to come.

And the stupid scooter almost made me more approachable, because kids that I’d never talked to before—that never wanted to talk to me—made their way over to say hi and shoot the shit when they had time.