Forbidden Love

Red or black…Red or black.

I stared at the two different colored shoes while “SuperBass” by Nicki Minaj played in the background. I sighed; getting up in the morning is one thing, but choosing your outfit is another.

Being the only black person in an all-white environment is difficult for me. I always have to wear stupid classy clothes to be able to fit in with the other white teachers. It’s not helpful knowing that the school only hired me because they needed diversity points.

I love my job, and I love the kids, but sometimes, I wish there were some black brothers and sisters in this mess.

Finally deciding on the black shoes, I put them on before I turned off the music and closed the lights in my fairly small bedroom. I grabbed my two class binders and briefcase then rushed out the door.

I stuffed everything into the backseats of my car, making sure they were secure before I hopped into the driver's seat.

Miraculously, I was able to get to my classroom early and set everything up. I made sure to keep the doors to the classroom open, so the children could come streaming in with their nannies—yeah, nannies.

None of the white rich parents had time to bring their children to school. They were too busy making big cash.

Slowly but surely, my first grade students started making their way into the classroom. As they came in, I gave them highfives and told them to pick a colored stick from a jar.

Once everyone finished walking in and unpacking their things, I began to speak.

“Good morning, kids! I hope you all had a good night’s sleep!” I told them, smiling as I looked at every single student one by one.

“Good morning, Miss Aisha!” the kids shouted back enthusiastically.

“Today, we are going to be doing station groups. When you came in, I told you all to pick a colored popsicle stick. I want everyone who has green to come up to the front,” I ordered.

The kids with the green popsicle sticks slowly started shuffling towards my desk. After making sure they all had the right colors, I sent them to the building blocks section.

Next was the coloring section, then the reading sections, and finally the numbers corner. Once everyone was in their correct groups, I went to my desk and began replying to some emails I got this morning.

Not long after I began going through my email, I heard wailing coming from the building block section. I got up from my seat and looked to see that Jenna was the one wailing.

“Jenna, what’s wrong?” I asked.

“Didi took my block!” she cried.

I looked over at Didi who had a cheeky little grin on his face. “What did I say about taking people’s things without asking?” I asked, placing a hand on my hip.

His smile disappeared from his face and was instead replaced by a soft frown.

“W-we not allowed to and—and we suppos…be kind,” he struggled to say.

“Good. Now what should you say to Jenna?”

He looked up at her bashfully. “S-sowwy…Here’s your block.”

Jenna smiled as she took the block, then began building a tower with him.

I couldn’t help but coo, they were adorable.

Five minutes later, I had the kids all rotate and go to a different station. Once the kids got settled down in their new stations, I saw my boss—the principal—poke her brunette head around the door, asking if it was alright to come in.

I nodded my head, smiling brightly at her.

“Hey, Aisha! I see you’re still doing wonders with this class. Out of all the classrooms, you’ve managed to have the kids under complete control,” the principal smiled sweetly.

My smile faltered for a moment. I knew exactly what she was doing. She would always come into my classroom, compliment me and my work, then ask for a stupid favor.

“Thank you so much, Miranda. The kids are absolutely wonderful,” I replied with a soft smile.

Miranda—my boss—laughed a bit for no particular reason. “I have a little favor to ask…Do you mind watching a little girl from Amy’s classroom, please? She’s been a bit of a handful lately and I figured you’d be able to keep her under control since you’re able to keep your class under control! I hope you don’t mind taking in just one more child.”

mind taking her in!”—Even

such a dear! Her name is Jasmine Brown, I’ll send her over right now!” Miranda said as she left the classroom to

everything to me. They might not have the best parents in the world,

among their students and staff. Unfortunately, the staff also don’t know how to communicate to their students, and therefore end

that the teachers don’t even care about their students. They only care about the money, which is shameful and a tad

I never understood them.

than sitting down and learning about their students. Simply put,

moment, Miranda walked into the classroom with an adorable little girl

big nor small, and she was short, which was expected since she was still in 1st grade. She was wearing a cute little pink dress and had on a pissy

bent down so we were face to face. “Hi, Jasmine! You can call me Miss Aisha. I’m going

She nodded.

like your dress. It looks very pretty on

her eyes light up,

to go to the coloring section of the classroom. It’s right over there. Can you do that for me?” I asked, pointing at the

to where I was pointing before she nodded her head yes. I

to face Miranda. “How long is she going to be staying

since you have more experience and

proudly smiled, knowing that I was very damn well one of the

as I can do my job. Do

has her days. Her parents split up and they’re co-parenting. She stays with her dad on weekdays, then goes to see her mom on the

her parents are doing the best they can. Mine didn’t even want to keep me,” I sadly

Her smile told me

Aisha,” she softly

apologizing. I’m going to get back to my class now, I know you

check up on you and Jasmine later today. It

too!” I replied back before I made my way

me. I never got the chance to meet them since they didn’t want me. I was put into the

ten siblings. All of them are adopted (including me), except two. Even though I’m not blood related to them, they treat me like I am. They treat me with so much love and passion. I will forever be

my thoughts when I heard the bell ring. It was time

for whether they wanted to eat in the lunchroom or in the classroom. In the classroom,

eat in the classroom and watch a movie or do you want to go to

making me laugh since

don’t want the mean boss to come in here,” I said, whispering the last part. It was a harmless joke that made the

watch a movie and eat your lunch here, you have to clean

they all said in

clean up everything. I was happy knowing that they were working together and not

was setting up the movie for the kids. I put on The Smurfs, since

kids were seated in their assigned seats with their lunchboxes in front of them, I noticed that Jasmine didn’t have

movie, then called Jasmine over so

where’s your lunchbox, sweetie?” I asked once she

give it to m-me…he was

you to go hungry for the rest of the day, so I’ll give you some of my lunch. I hope you like tuna sandwiches, fries,soda, and potato chips. Those are my favorite,” I told her as

slightly happy, but also really sad at the

sweetie?

mommy told me eating f-food makes me f-fat…” she

their children that? It’s disgusting and unacceptable. It made me even more suspicious, but I can’t

“Oh,

tells you anything mean,

me a tight hug before she walked away with the food I gave her. I looked over at the clock and saw that it was already 1 o’clock. I might as well let them watch as much as they can before school ends since it ends at

an important meeting today where we were gonna discuss how to make the kids'

as I mentally rolled my

eating then throw the garbage away. When you’re done, please go get your backpacks and jackets and place them by your chairs. You can keep watching the movie until

students immediately began doing what I asked them to do, talking to their friends as they did it. They continued to eat

had to answer everyday. From parents asking me about their kids, to teachers and other staff asking for

told the parents that they could ask me as many questions as they wanted when we had a parent teacher

heard the bell ring. I paused the movie and looked up to see that my students were already