Damned and Cursed (Book 2): Witch's Kurse (11 page)

"Hi," he said, keeping his voice low.
 
"What's your name?"

She gave him an incredulous, annoyed look.
 
Trying to ignore him, she looked back to her notes.
 
It was only when she realized Jack wasn't leaning away did she sigh.

"Stephanie."

"Stephanie," he repeated.
 
"I'll call you Steph.
 
Listen, would you mind if I fall asleep on your shoulder?"

Steph's jaw dropped as she whirled toward him.
 
She said nothing, trying to figure out if Jack was serious.
 
Her face turned red.
 
He waited patiently for a response, still rubbing his thumb along his trinket.

"I'm…married!"

"And my girlfriend is right over there across the room.
 
I'm not asking to rip your thong off.
 
I just need a shoulder.
 
Yours looks nice and soft, and you smell pretty good, not like Miss Sewage next to me here."

Steph was quiet as her brow furrowed.
 
Confusion, anger, curiosity all played across her face.

"Come on, Steph.
 
Hook a parent up.
 
We're supposed to look out for each other."

A hint of a smile, and she started to speak, when Jack heard Mrs. Galloway say something that caught his attention.

"This is just a little reminder, but in case you weren't aware, the school's no-hugging policy went into effect this past week."

Jack frowned as he leaned away from Steph, and she went back to her notes.
 
He was shocked by the non-reaction in the room.
 
Mrs. Galloway was ready to move on when Jack threw his hand up.

"Whoa.
 
Hold on there.
 
Did you say
no-hugging
policy?"

Mrs. Galloway was surprised at the interruption, and didn't look happy.
 
She blinked a few times as she searched the group, finally spotting Jack's hand.
 
It seemed like more of a lecture than a meeting.

"Uh, yes, Mr. Kursed.
 
Like I just said, it went into effect this week."

"And what, pray tell, is a no-hugging policy?"

"Exactly what it sounds like.
 
If you were at our other meetings, you would know.
 
Children are not allowed to hug one another in the building or on the playground during school hours.
 
It's been causing disruption."

Jack slipped his pocket-watch into his jeans as he stood up.
 
He was no longer in the mood to sleep.
 
For the first time all evening, the entire room was attentive.

"This has been discussed," Mrs. Galloway said.
 
"Again, if you would have spared the time to come to our other meetings—"

"Let me get this straight.
 
If my daughter…let's say she gets whacked in the face with a dodge-ball at recess.
 
She's not that graceful.
 
She's crying, embarrassed.
 
Another kid comes up and gives her a hug, to make her feel better.
 
What happens?"

"If your daughter returns the hug, then both students are suspended," she said, without an ounce of humor.
 
"Hugging is simply not permitted—"

"Just because your husband would rather hug the babysitter than you, that's no reason to take it out on the little nose-pickers in school."

There was hushed laughter throughout the room, uncomfortable giggling.
 
Some parents were in awe, their eyes wide.

"Mr. Kursed—"

"Let me tell you something.
 
If my daughter comes home crying about how she got suspended…not for bad grades or cussing out a teacher, but for
hugging
, then I'm coming back here and personally putting my foot in every ass in this room."
 

The room was a whispering frenzy as the adults talked amongst themselves.
 
More laughter.
 
He spotted Erica, looking mortified, holding her head in her hands.
 
He turned his anger, his disbelief, onto the other parents in the room.

"I can't believe you idiots agreed to this.
 
You all thought this was a good idea?
 
Or are you all just too pussified?"

Silence.
 
Jack searched their faces.
 
Some of them looked ashamed, but no one dared speak.
 
He shook his head.

"Wow.
 
Not a single testicle among you.
 
You know, this reminds me of Germany, World War II."
 
He cringed at the memory.
 
Hitler was powerful, even before he had the aid of a half witch.
 
"Adolf Hitler would stand there, talking to his people.
 
He would lean slightly to the left, and the crowd leaned with him.
 
Then he'd pause, and lean right.
 
The people moved right along with him.
 
It was the scariest shit I'd seen in my whole life…until tonight, right here in this room.
 
Like little sheep, just wandering around—"

"Mr. Kursed!" Mrs. Galloway shouted.
 
"That is quite enough!
 
Regardless of your feelings, we've already discussed this—"

A voice came from the back.
 
"Uh, actually, Mrs. Galloway…."
 
A father stood up and adjusted his shirt.
 
"That's not really true.
 
You brought up the policy, but we didn't really talk…"
 
He trailed off.
 
"Anyway, I have to agree.
 
It's a bad idea.
 
There are so many more things we have to worry about with our kids than
hugging
."

It was hard to argue that.
 
Jack killed one of those
worries
earlier in the day.

He pointed at the man.
 
"Thank you, random parent."

A mother stood next.
 
"Yeah.
 
We really need to talk about this."

Jack sat back down as more parents voiced their opinions.
 
Mrs. Galloway's gaze didn't leave Jack, her features seething.

He merely smiled.

*****

Jack leaned against his truck as he waited outside school.
 
Other parents were milling about as they slowly made their way to their cars.
 
Some talked in small groups, with the occasional glance finding its way to Jack.
 
He scanned their lips, picking up conversation, and nearly laughed when the question '
Is he single?'
popped up once or twice.

He was still surprised when the second set of parents stopped at his truck to talk.
 
No one
ever
stopped to talk to him.

"Hey, Jack, is it?" a father asked.
 
"That was
nice
in there.
 
Galloway, well, I'm sure you know now, but she's a real bitch."

Jack was thankful the father didn't extend his hand.
 
He didn't like shaking hands.

"Yeah," he said.
 
"I can see that."

"I'm Tom, and this here is my wife, Violet.
 
Everyone just calls her Vie."

Jack nodded in greeting at the husband and wife he wouldn't remember past the night.
 
"Uh, pleased to meet you."

Vie stepped forward.
 
"Listen, about Tiffany, it's such a shame what she had to go through.
 
But she's doing very well in school, and my son tells me everyone likes her."

One of the minuses of living in a small beach town was everyone knowing everyone's business.
 
Tiffany was still something of a local celebrity, even though she barely remembered the events that surrounded her when she was four years old.
 
Her mother had died, and her father abandoned her, literally, in their apartment.
 
She lived off scraps until she was finally found weeks later.
 
She was bounced between abusive foster homes, until finally wedging herself into Jack's life.

He smiled as he thought of his daughter.
 
Like him, she could survive any challenge.

"I'm proud of Tiffany," he said, finally glad to be able to say something he meant.
 
"It's good to hear she's adjusting okay."

"Let us know if you need anything," Tom said.
 
"And don't forget Halloween's coming up.
 
I'm sure a bunch of us will be taking the kids around.
 
You're welcome to join us, if you want."

He cringed at the thought of spending an evening with mortals not named Tiffany or Erica, but managed to put on a fake smile.

"Appreciate it."

Tom and Vie said their goodbyes, and Jack was blissfully alone once again.
 
A few of the unhappily married wives ogled him as they climbed in their cars, gossiping with each other like little girls.
 
Jack snarled and crossed his arms.

The teachers finally started leaving school, and Jack spotted who he was looking for.
 
Tiffany was the mortal who made Jack realize he was still capable of love.
 
Erica was the woman who made him think there may be something beyond a one night stand.

Erica adjusted her purse on her shoulder as she said goodbye to another teacher.
 
Her eyes fell on Jack, and he read her features as easily as reading a book.

He was in trouble.

There was a hint of a smile.
 
She was always glad to see Jack.
 
But a volcano bubbled under the surface.
 
Her eyes were serious, her movements tense.
 
Her right hand was clenched around the loop of her purse.
 
She brushed her hair back behind her shoulder, but not in an attempt to be seductive.

Jack admired her as she approached him, while he still could.
 
He had the feeling it'd be difficult to appreciate her figure while she was bitching him out.

"Hey there, sexy woman," he said as she drew nearer.
 
"Has anyone told you you're the hottest teacher in this school?"

"Just a bunch of fifth graders," she said.

He hugged her tightly and kissed her on the lips.
 
She returned the kiss and stepped back at arm's length.

"So, my first PTA meeting," Jack said.
 
"How did I do?"

"Oh, it went great.
 
I especially loved how you embarrassed my
boss
in front of everyone.
 
And then you ripped on every parent in the room.
 
What did you call them?
 
Idiots?
 
Oh and let's not forget how you managed to work in a Nazi reference."

He smiled.
 
"Hey, you're the one who said I should come."
 
He paused.
 
"No-hugging policy, Erica?"

She rolled her eyes.
 
"Of course it's a terrible idea," she admitted.
 
"And that would have come out on its own in a few weeks.
 
You didn't have to make my job harder by verbally bitch-slapping Galloway in front of everyone."

He laughed at her choice of words, then put the smile away when he saw she wasn't amused.

"What do you mean?
 
Make your job harder?"

"Galloway knows we're dating, and I know she doesn't like it."

"Hey, I don't like her fat nose, but I'll just have to deal with that, won't I?
 
Tiffany's not in your class anymore, so they can't yell favoritism.
 
You can date and have nasty, dirty sex with any guy you want."

"Shh, Jack!"
 
Erica searched the parking lot.
 
"People are still leaving."

"Okay, look…." He took a breath, mustering courage to say something still unfamiliar to him.
 
"I'm sorry.
 
I didn't mean to make your workday harder.
 
I won't go to any more PTA meetings."

She sighed and took his hand.
 
"As much as I hate to admit it, you got parents actually
talking
.
 
They were actually discussing ideas and speaking their minds, not just sitting there listening to whatever Galloway had to say.
 
Or sleeping, for that matter."

He put a hand to his mouth.
 
"People actually
sleep
at the PTA meetings?
 
That's just terrible.
 
I'm outraged."

"Yeah, I'm sure you are.
 
Anyway, you're not banned from the PTA meetings.
 
To be honest…it was funny watching her face turn red."

Jack pulled her close, resting his hands on her hips.
 
One reason was to feel that body of hers.
 
Another was to piss off Galloway as she crossed the parking lot.
 
He flashed the principal a smile as he leaned close to Erica's ear.

"That little comment you made about dirty sex has me thinking.
 
You still have the blanket in your car?
 
We can have ourselves some fun right here."

Erica laughed shortly, and Jack sensed a dismissal coming.
 
But she didn't push away.

"I didn't make the comment.
 
You did.
 
And sex right here on school property?
 
That's sort of against the rules."

"You didn't say that in your classroom that one night.
 
Did you ever get that desk we broke replaced?"