Me, Love, & Secrets

Callie De Verley

"I want you to meet, Callie." Melinda grinned. "She and I have been friends for a long time. It hasn't been long since she started homeschooling."

"Nice to meet you," Callie said in a heavy, French accent. "I've heard great things about you."

"I'm Ruby." I shook her hand. "Thank you for agreeing to homeschool me."

"Non, non. It is my pleasure. It has been a long time since I've taught other students."

"I'll try my best to work hard."

"I'm sure you will." Callie turned to Melinda. "I'm honored to help out your cousin. You can leave her to me. I'll make sure she's well taken care of."

"Thank you, Callie. I appreciate it."

"Anything for you, Lin. I'll see you later."

Melinda didn't waste any time leaving me behind. I didn't particularly like this situation, but it is what it is. Callie doesn't seem so bad. Maybe, just maybe, she'll be of use to me in the future. She doesn't look as old as Melinda, but looks can be very deceiving.

"You don't have to speak any French here. I'm trying to teach my children English. Hearing another student speaking French might make them give up," Callie said.

"I understand, Mrs. De Verley," I nodded.

"Please, call my Callie. That makes me feel old."

"Understandable."

"Yes, now follow me. I set up a room just for you when Melinda told me about you. To make sure you had enough to do on your first day, I went to your school and got a copy of your instructors' curriculums."

That sounds like a bit much.

"You'll find your books and worksheets there. I don't want school to be boring for you, so we're definitely going to be doing some outside learning every once in a while. How do you like the sound of that?"

"Better than what I experienced in The States," I muttered.

"Since we're allowed to work at our own pace, you can take breaks whenever you need. Lunch is at whatever time you feel like eating. If I end up cooking lunch, everyone is required to join me in the dining room. Etiquette and all."

"Will everything be taught in French?"

"Of course. Though, I'd love you to join me when I'm teaching my children English. Your insight is as good as anyone else's."

Callie seems like a fun person. I'll have to find out what she's like whenever school is over. Everyone is always different when school is done. We relax and start acting like we're at home. I never got to spend time with most of the students outside of school. Some had chosen to live in the campus dorms. Others were being picked up by personal drivers or taking the bus.

"Okay, I'm going to leave you to it," Callie said. "Your first assignments are on the desk. Whenever you finish, you can have lunch. If you don't mind, I'd like to get to know you better. I like to make sure my students are comfortable here."

"Do you have any other students?" I asked.

"I've been taking a little break from teaching, so some of my old students found new teachers. If all goes well, then I should have at least three of my students back. Of course, we'll have to move to another building, so we won't be packed in here."

"...Sounds fun. I didn't bring any lunch, so is it cool if I order something?"

"Of course. Ma maison est votre maison. I'll give you the address when you're ready to order something."