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Martha has been in my classroom every blessed day this week, and it’s mostly been to complain

“Mom, Miss Stansfield is mean”

Martha’s gaze flies to my face, and her eyes narrow

Here we go

“Why is that?” Martha asks her son

“She wouldn’t tie my shoes”

I smile in that patient way I learned to do when I started this career “Timmy, we all tie our own shoes You know that”

“I don’t see why you couldn’t just help hied to do over the past fifteen minutes “It only takes a second”

“Bye, Miss S!”

Several kids wave as they leave the roo them up

A few lag behind, putting on shoes and jackets

Martha is still glaring at me

“We have a rule,” I say calmly “All of us ties our own shoes”

“You’re not nice like Captain America,” Timmy spits out “I bet no one likes you I bet you don’t have any friends”

“Actually,” I say before I can stop myself, “I live with Captain America”

If I could pull the words back, I would But they’re out now, and there’s nothing I can do about it

“Really?” a little boy named Robert says in excitement

“I want to meet him,” Ashley says

“Now you’re lying to the children?” Martha says with disgust “I’ the principal I don’t want my child in a liar’s classroom”

She grabs Timmy’s hand and storms away I usher the last of the kids out, close h

“Go ho until Monday There’s no need to get all riled up”

I close up my room for the weekend and set off on foot toward my condo It’s not far, and I’ve enjoyed the walks each day

But the et I hope she does take Timmy out of my class He’s a little jerk He disruptshis in the least

But I’m not a liar That comment pissed me off