Chapter Text
September 21st marks the start of yet another year of education at Abbott Elementary. Another year of a job that Ava has somehow come to love, if not for the money then for the people behind it. She would never admit it to their faces but she’s actually grown to love the staff that works for her. They’re all dedicated teachers who work with so little to accomplish so much. She’s not sure she has even an ounce of their tenacity, or that she could if she ever started trying.
This year also happens to signify Barbara’s 35th year of teaching, which is really impressive. Ava’s pretty sure that without Mrs. Howard the school would’ve burnt to the ground by now, or they all would’ve gone crazy and drank the Kool-Aid like in that one cult documentary she watched on Netflix last week. Something catastrophic would’ve happened, that’s for sure.
The first day of the school year always feels a little off, like everyone is still trying to find their footing. Ava wonders if the teachers—even the most veteran of the bunch—feel that way. She gives them all a lot of credit, but Barbara especially. For other teachers, it’s easier, at least they know what’s coming to them through horror stories (or otherwise) from the teacher who taught the grade below them. But as the kindergarten teacher, Barbara has a set of fresh faces coming in every year, with no idea what to expect. She’s the teacher who takes one for the team, year after year. She’s also the one who takes the majority of the blame if the kids grow up to be little terrors. They say kindergarten is the most formative year and if you’re not good by then, your life is over. Explains a lot about Ava’s own life.
This year something feels different. Making coffee in the lounge a mere four months later with the same group of teachers, the vibe is off. She can’t explain it in words, it’s almost as if they forgot how to talk to each other after being apart for so long. Maybe because Janine has yet to pipe up in her usual way, or because Chocolate Thunder is still sitting over there brooding like always, or maybe it’s that Jacob hasn’t opened his mouth once to spout off annoying facts or start singing something.
But then she realizes, it’s not any of them. It’s—
“Barbara, how was your summer?” Janine finally butts in as expected, looking for any small talk anyone will afford her. The first day of school might feel off-putting for some, but it’s always a field day for newer teachers–and today is no different. This must be like Christmas for Janine.
“I divorced my husband, and took a trip to Cancun with the money.”
The whole room goes silent. Ava lets out a nervous laugh, sure the woman is joking. But when she looks around the room, the others don’t seem to agree. Janine’s jaw is on the floor, Jacob raises his eyebrows, mouth similarly ajar when he mouths ‘impressed.’ And Melissa? Well, she sits there looking unphased by this news entirely, an odd smirk on her face. Holy shit.
“Just kidding,” Barbara laughs finally, “I don’t have the money or the time for a vacation.”
“But… not kidding about the husband thing?” Janine questions before any of the others can get a word in.
Barbara shakes her head, looking away and opting to take a bite of her eggs instead of saying anything.
“Damn girl, you really dumped your old man?” Ava laughs, taking a second to check her nails in case she chipped them while handling the coffee machine. She’s trying her hardest to mask her utter disbelief. “I didn’t think you had it in you, Barbara.”
Jacob pipes up, because of course he does. “Well, I don’t think Barbara’s reasoning is any of our concern. Her life choices are her own.”
“Thank you, Jacob.“ She closes her eyes, taking a sip of coffee.
“No but seriously what happened because that sounds so juicy.” Ava gasps, nosey as always. She wants to be genuine, but it’s so unlike her that she knows that she’ll come across as insincere, so she sticks to her usual method of getting information, using humor. Much to her chagrin, trying to get any information from her best teacher about this sudden life-altering decision proves to be impossible.
They all sigh collectively at her usual antics. Janine grabs her laptop and gets up to leave the room without another word, Jacob follows not far behind her. Gregory blinks, glancing over all of them once more before muttering a goodbye and closing the door behind him. Barbara shifts in her seat, looking uncomfortable.
As the others move on, Ava can’t quite wrap her head around it still. How could Barbara leave her husband of that many years behind in a matter of four months? Moreover, how did she expect the revelation to go? The devout woman managed to get over her own religious qualms about ending her marriage, but did she prepare herself for the judgment of others—the natural curiosity and questioning that might come with such a hefty decision? Perhaps it’s something she didn’t anticipate having to deal with.
Clearly not, as after most of the room has cleared out she’s still on the same sip of her coffee from five minutes ago. Melissa reaches up and pries the mug from Barbara’s grasp, holding onto her hands tightly.
It’s a quiet comfort. More intimate than it probably should be for the teacher’s lounge. Ava is more than aware that neither of them notices her lingering presence, especially when Melissa’s hand travels to hold Barbara’s face gently and she whispers something indiscernible to her. Whatever she says, it brings the older woman comfort because she immediately untenses her shoulders and seems to relax into Melissa’s touch. Ava feels like she’s watching one of those Lifetime movies with those wild plot twists that you could predict if you really put enough energy into it. Like, this was unexpected–but not impossible to believe–perhaps even obvious if anyone ever stopped to watch them long enough…
It’s really none of her business, though, even as curious as she is. Suddenly Ava wants to be anywhere but here intruding on this moment.
She spares them one last glance and a small ‘hmph’ before taking her bejeweled ‘Best Principal’ tumbler and heading back to her office. After all that she's left with more questions than answers, but she can’t reflect on them now, she has a school to run.