A Flower for Angela Read Online Free Page A

these circum-stances. Still, she'd held her own. He loved dealing with issues and now Angela had provided him with one.
    Her mind churning with ideas, she set about making preparations for the next day's instruct-ion. Without a doubt, she'd make her point clear. Ricardo de la Cruz would recognize the value of her teaching techniques—or he wasn't the man she believed him to be.
    Wrapped up in her plans, Angela didn't hear the door open. She jumped when Maria spoke, "So how did it go?"
    "Don't sneak up on me like that!” Angela chided her friend.
    "Was it that bad, or is this your usual end-of-the-day touchiness?"
    "You know I'm always grumpy after I’m done teaching." Feeling drained, Angela hung up the last drawing on the wall and stepped back with a sigh of relief. She saw Maria's energetic smile and groaned. "How do you always stay so chipper? Don't you ever get tired?"
    "I'm finally waking up about now. You know I'm a night person." Maria settled on the corner of the table. "So tell me, how did it go?"
    Angela scrunched her face into a frown.
    "Not good, huh? Did your class blow it?"
    "They were great, as always,” Angela defended her students. "It was him." She threw up her hands in disgust. "He came in with his mind made up and missed all the important things."
    "I find that hard to believe. He's a thorough investigator."
    "So I thought." Angela began sorting papers. "But you know how slow people are to change their views on education. Look how long it took us to get some of the teachers to understand our methods. I'd just hoped that de la Cruz would be different."
    "Maybe he was too busy watching you instead of observing what was going on.”
    "What are you talking about?"
    "I've seen the way he looks at you during the board meetings. Don't tell me he's not interested in more than your teaching." Maria crossed her arms and smiled.
    "Ridiculous,” Angela scoffed.
    "I don't think so."
    "I hope you're wrong, Maria. You have to be wrong."
    "What's the matter with male interest? It couldn't hurt your cause."
    "No way! I'm never getting involved with anyone even remotely connected with work again." Angela began vigorously erasing the chalkboard.
    "You mean because of what happened in Yuma?"
    Angela nodded.
    "That was six years ago, and it was a different situation."
    Angela didn't want to be reminded of the past. She needed all of her energy for the present. "You're right. It was a long time ago, but I'm still not repeating past mistakes."
    "Okay, okay!" Maria threw up her hands and laughed. "Let's hear about what happened. Just the straight facts—no emotional stuff."
    Angela set the eraser down. Maria could be counted on to see the bright side of any situation. Thinking it might help, she related the events of the day while she measured out new paint for the easels.
    "You're kidding!" Maria whistled when she’d finished. "He's going to be here a whole week?"
    "If I survive a whole week.”
    "If you get tired of him, he can come to my room. I'd love to take care of that hunk."
    "Don't tease,” Angela warned. "I just might send him over and then what would you do?"
    "I'd manage to keep him busy. I don't have any hangups about involvement with school personnel.”
    "Don't you have work to do?"
    "Yes, but this is more fun."
    "Will this day never end?" Angela rolled her eyes and sighed. "These journals the children wrote need to be answered." She gestured to the pile of notebooks on the table, hoping Maria would take the hint and leave her in peace.
    "Okay, okay, I'll go." Maria paused in the doorway. "Do you want a ride home?"
    "No, thanks. It's out of your way."
    "I don't mind."
    “Really, I'd rather take the bus." Angela appreciated her friend's offer, but solitude appealed.
    "You just want to finish the book you're reading."
    "Right." Angela waved her friend away. Maria often teased her about taking the bus when she had a car she could drive to school. But Angela enjoyed the half-hour it took to arrive at her east