Total pages in book: 197
Estimated words: 199143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 996(@200wpm)___ 797(@250wpm)___ 664(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 199143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 996(@200wpm)___ 797(@250wpm)___ 664(@300wpm)
The kindergarten teacher’s voice traveled over the classroom of overly excited children. Cece, at only five, wasn’t much for getting messy, or being too loud. Not to mention any of the other things these kids were doing. She would much rather be back at home with her ma, daddy, or Nazio.
But Ma said she had to go to school.
Ma said it would be fun.
Ma lied.
Cece had made friends because that was easy for her to do. And sure, she got to wear her pretty outfit, and do her hair nice. Ma even let her have lip gloss because today was a special day.
But people kept bothering Cece here. She was always having to do this, or that. She couldn’t just do what she wanted to do. Cece’s Ma and Daddy always told her to listen when the adults were talking, though, so she was trying to be extra good at school.
It was still pretty hard.
But her favorite thing was supposed to happen soon—after lunch, the teacher was going to take them to the library.
The library was the first place she had gotten to see when her ma had taken her to visit the school. That, and the older girls with the pretty dresses were the only reason Cece was excited to attend.
That, and her ma.
Ma seemed excited, too.
Cece didn’t want to disappoint her ma.
“Cece,” the teacher said, “please go help the other kids pick up the toys.”
“But I didn’t mess them up or play with them,” Cece said.
“You all played with them, sweetheart.”
“I didn’t.”
“Cece.”
She hadn’t played with the stupid toys. They were the kinds of toys her baby brother, Nazio, might play with. But at the idea that she might not get to go to the library, Cece helped everybody else to pick up the toys.
“Let’s line up, everybody, and get ready to go down to the cafeteria.”
A little bit closer to the library.
Cece happily skipped to the spot where the rest of the kids had been directed to stand in line. She liked the way the skirt of her dress swished when she moved, so she moved her hips to make it do the sound again.
Not paying much attention to anyone else, Cece felt a sharp tug on her hair. So hard, actually, that it yanked her head back.
And hurt.
“Ouch!”
Cece huffed, and turned to face the boy behind her.
“Don’t pull my hair,” she told him.
The boy—Matthew—only smiled at her. He didn’t even say sorry!
“Don’t do it again,” Cece warned him one last time.
Cece learned from watching Ma, and Grandmamma, that one warning should be more than enough for somebody to get the point, and stop. If one warning didn’t seem to work, then the person deserved whatever they got.
She gave the boy one more look she hoped was mean enough to make her point, and then turned around to face the teacher coming down the line of kids.
Then, the boy pulled her hair.
Again.
Okay.
She told him to stop.
He didn’t.
Smiling sweetly just like her ma and grandmamma did before they got mad at somebody, Cece turned to face the boy again. He was still smiling in that way of his—a way that her daddy would say was smug.
A smile that made Cece want to punch him in the throat. She saw her daddy do that to someone once. It seemed easy enough.
Cece did just that.
She smiled all the while.
The boy dropped to the floor.
“Cece!” the teacher shouted.
Well, crap.
There goes the library.
Oh, well.
*
Cross POV
“Wait,” Cross said, “so is the boy also being punished?”
“For what?”
Cross stared at the principal, and hoped to hell the woman could feel his frustration and hatred radiating from his gaze alone. She only stared back silent, and looking stupid behind her too-large desk.
Catherine stepped in to save the day. “I think what my husband is trying to ask, is that will the boy who pulled Cece’s hair be spoken to for his behavior as well? Has his parents been called in like we were?”
“He was punched.”
Cross scowled. “Quite aware, yeah.”
“He is not going to get in trouble because your daughter punched him.”
Catherine cocked a brow.
Cross chuckled at the sight.
Hell was coming, and her name was Catherine Donati.
“We’ve apologized for Cece’s outburst, and you can trust that she will be spoken to—thoroughly. However, do explain to that little boy, and his parents as they probably need a fucking memo, too, that when a girl says no, or asks him to stop doing something, he needs to do that. Instantly. No questions asked.”
“Mrs.—”
“Make sure he and his parents know that should my daughter make her personal space clear again, and he once again violates it and ignores her request, that she will do exactly what she has been told to do.”
The principal gaped.
Catherine tipped her chin up as if to look down on the woman. “I hope I have made myself clear here.”