The Job Interview

[baby_snow_white]

Miss Lopez nods. "I thought you could handle the job." She walks with Phoebe out of the apartment and to the classroom. "You can play with the toys until the kids start to come in. Then you will have to start doing the job I have you." Miss Lopez puts the sopapilla on the counter in the room. Can you help me set up the tables to put the food on or would you rather play until the other kids get here?"

[Guest clinediap]

Phoebe walked back down to the classroom, the setting making her feel more toddler-like already, so she tried to be extra serious as she nodded at Miss Lopez's words. She didn't really want to play with the toys, which she knew would only make her feel younger, so she was glad for the distraction Miss Lopez offered. "I'll help with the tables," she said quickly. "What do I need to do?"

[baby_snow_white]

Miss Lopez nods. "Ok you can help me set up the tables. First we need to go get the tables out of the supply room. along with the chairs. Then we will set the tables up in the room and put 6 chairs at each children size table. The bigger tables will go along the wall where the window is at." She walks with Phoebe down to the supply room. Miss Lopez points to the children sized tables and chairs on the shelf. You get them down and I'll take the rack with the bigger tables on it. Don't try and over do it by carrying too many. Make several trips so you don't hurt yourself."

[Guest clinediap]

Phoebe nodded, rolling her eyes a little. "I'll be fine," she assured Miss Lopez, sure she was just overreacting. She reached up, dragging the tables down off the shelf and onto the floor while Miss Lopez started moving the rack. She decided to get everything down first, stacking everything up carefully, then looking at it. It didn't seem like that much, really. And everything was pretty light... She took a couple of the fold-up chairs in each hand and started to carry them down the hallway to the classroom. They seemed to get a lot heavier as she walked, however, maybe partly because her arms were slightly tired from getting everything down. She sped up, hoping to make it to the class, only to feel them slip out of her hands, falling to the floor with a crash that made her jump, definitely glad now that Miss Lopez had told her to try to use the potty before coming downstairs, or else the shock of the sudden loud noise might have been a bit disastrous. She didn't even start to pick the chairs up, just stood there, red-faced, wondering why she'd gotten so clumsy today.

[baby_snow_white]

Miss Lopez hears the crash and comes out into the hall. "Are you ok Phoebe? I heard a loud crash." She sees the chairs on the floor in a pile. "Oh you dropped the chairs. I thought you had fallen and got hurt. I told you not to carry so many and to make several trips. It was so you wouldn't fall and hurt yourself or drop anything." Miss Lopez kneels down and hugs Phoebe. "It is ok. There is no need in being embarrassed. We have drop things from time to time. You just need to be more careful and take your time. Rushing causes accidents and I don't mean the ones in your training pants."

[Guest clinediap]

Phoebe let herself get hugged, feeling embarrassed despite Miss Lopez's words. She just wanted to show her that she knew how to do things, that she wasn't a little kid and could help her like the grown-up she was, but no matter what she tried, she just wound up proving the opposite. "I'll be careful," she said quietly, picking up half of the chairs and carrying them into the classroom. It was a lot easier, of course, and much less noisy. It also took longer to get everything in place, after which she looked around confusedly, unsure of where exactly it all needed to go.

[baby_snow_white]

Miss Lopez nods. "I know you will be more careful. Mommy doesn't want her assistant and her little girl hurt up." She looks at Phoebe as she brings the last of the chairs in and then looks around confused. "I think you forgot a step in what I told you. I asked you to set up the tables and the chairs after you brought them in. The tables and chairs are still not put up." Miss Lopez watches Phoebe starting to set up the tables and chairs. "Would you like a little assistance in putting the tables and chairs up? Then you can help me set up the bigger tables."

[Guest clinediap]

Phoebe felt a little odd, hearing Miss Lopez call herself her Mommy, though she quickly forgot it as she heard herself called an assistant as well. She really would like to work with Miss Lopez more than Mrs. Hammil... Though she supposed that meant having to stay in at least training pants until Marie graduated from the class, to keep her from feeling bad.

She blushed slightly, having forgotten that step indeed, working quickly to try to set everything up, only to realize that there was quite a bit of it. She wanted to tell Miss Lopez she could handle it, but after her other accidents that day, she decided instead to nod. "Yeah, if you want," she said.

[baby_snow_white]

Miss Lopez nods. "Ok I'll help you get the tables set up." With the two of them working on it. They had the tables and chairs set up in no time. They started working on the bigger tables which would you used to hold the food for the fiesta. Miss Lopez steps back. "See working together. It didn't take us long to get the tables and chairs set up. You are a pretty good assistant. You are not afraid to ask for help and you are wise enough to accept help when it is offered." She looks around the room and then back at Phoebe. "Do you need to go use the potty before we leave the room to go to the morning meeting? Remember your promise. You promised you would just set there and listen."

[Guest clinediap]

Phoebe smiled bashfully at the praise, although she still would have preferred to have been able to set everything up herself. She considered the question for a moment, wondering if, like this morning, she should try, just in case. It hadn't been that long since then, though, and she couldn't imagine the meeting would last all that long, if they could have it over naptime... Though, she realized, she wasn't entirely sure how long naptime really was, after oversleeping so much during hers the day before. She was pretty confident that she wouldn't have any problems. "I'm fine," she told Miss Lopez. "Let's go!"

[baby_snow_white]

Miss Lopez nods. "Ok let's go." She takes Phoebe's hand and walks out of the classroom. The two of them walk down to the dining room. When they get there. Phoebe can sees teacher and assistants she has not met or seen before. In the front of the room was Mrs. Hammil and Miss Winslow talking. Mrs. Hammil looks at Phoebe while they was talking. Soon the meeting came to order. The teachers go around the room and stand up if they had a problem or a concern. When it was Mrs. Hammil's turn. She stands up and looks at Miss Lopez. "Why did you bring a child to this meeting? It is for teachers."

Miss Lopez looks at Mrs. Hammil. "I didn't bring a child with me. This is your assistant that you didn't want, because she was uncapable of learning. I disagree with that. I think she would make a great assistant. She is very bright and the time I was with her yesterday. She did very well for me. She is very willing to please and she tries hard. Sure she doesn't learn as fast as other assistants,but that doesn't mean she is uncapable of learning. It could just take her longer than others. People didn't give up on me when I started here and I'm not going to give up on Phoebe."

[Guest clinediap]

Phoebe had felt excited about going to the meeting as they set out, sure that it was a sign that she was a step closer to becoming a real assistant, and not just another little kid. As they got closer and closer to the room, she started to feel nervous, and that just got worse as she saw Mrs. Hammil outside the door. She squirmed as the woman looked her over, sure she didn't want her there, and, sure enough, a few minutes later, she was calling her a child, making her feel even worse. She bit her bottom lip, staring down blankly at the floor.

She looked up slowly as Miss Lopez defended her, blushing at the compliments, starting to get more uncomfortable as they went on, glad that Miss Lopez seemed to think she had potential, but not particularly liking being the center of attention for so long. She blushed as Miss Lopez said she took a little longer to learn, but she supposed maybe that was true. She was back to staring at the floor as Miss Lopez finished, though, once the next teacher had started to speak, she dared to look back up at Miss Lopez with a little smile and whisper, "Thank you," figuring it would be all right to speak during the meeting for that.

[baby_snow_white]

Miss Lopez leans in close to Phoebe and smiles. "You are very much welcome. Everything I said was the truth. I think you will make a great assistant when the time is right. I also think it will take you a while to learn the right way to do things,but that is ok. I'll be right beside you every step of the way." The meeting goes on for another 30 minutes and then Miss Winslow ends the meeting and sends the teachers back to their class to get ready for the kids to show up. Miss Lopez stands up. "Go on back to the room. I'll be there in a little bit. I need to make a stop by the bathroom to use it."

[Guest clinediap]

Phoebe pouted a little, wondering why everyone seemed to think it took her so long to learn, but, since she'd promised to stay quiet during the meeting, she didn't bring it up, doing her best to pay attention instead, though the meeting was rather boring, truth be told, and she found herself yawning halfway through, and trying to hide it. She was glad to be dismissed, and nodded at Miss Lopez's instructions. "All right!" she exclaimed. "I'll see you in a minute or two, then!" She hurried out of the room and started to head for the classroom, happy again to be allowed to wait there by herself, without supervision.

[baby_snow_white]

Miss Lopez nods. "Ok I'll see you in a little bit." She goes into the bathroom and uses it. Miss Lopez washes her hands and then comes out of the bathroom. She walks to the classroom and sees Phoebe setting over in the reading section in one of the beanbag chairs looking at a picture book of Mexico. Miss Lopez decided not to say anything and worked on getting the decoration up. "Dang, I forgot two of the boxes." She turns around and looks at Phoebe. "I've got to run upstairs and get the other decorations. I'll be back in a little bit. If any of the kids come in. You can start doing the job I have you." She leaves the room and goes upstairs to the apartment.

A few minutes later Maria came in dressed like a fandango dancer. "Hello Phoebe. You decided to come back to the class. This is going to be alot of fun. My sister and her class is going to be the entertainment at our fiesta. She said I can dance with them too. I'm been practicing very hard with my sister so I can dance the fandango right and not mess up. This is a fandango dress. These are castanets. When you click them together. It sounds like horse's hoofs." Maria clicks them so Phoebe could hear what they sound like."

[Guest clinediap]

Phoebe had walked around the classroom a time or two, trying to think of something constructive to do, but since she wasn't sure exactly how Miss Lopez wanted everything decorated, she decided it would be better to wait for her. She happened to see a book about Mexico on one of the shelves, however, and she picked it up, heading over to a beanbag to flip through it. It wasn't the most informative book, of course, being meant for little kids, but there were some pretty pictures. She barely even noticed Miss Lopez coming back in, though when she did she quickly put the book down and started to get to her feet, only to have Miss Lopez leave again. Phoebe shrugged, sinking back down into the beanbag.

She was almost all the way through the book when she heard someone else arriving. She looked up, smiling to see Maria again, and getting back up, listening to the girl talk. "That sounds cool," she said, both to the castanets and Maria's story. "I'm sure the dance'll be great! Your dress is so pretty!" She felt a little silly, standing there in just the overalls again, with Maria so dressed up, but she moved passed it quickly as she remembered her job. "Did you bring any food, or is your sister bringing it?" she asked. "I'm s'posed to put it on those tables there." She gestured back to the mostly empty tables, feeling rather proud of her silly little job.

[baby_snow_white]

Maria nods. "Yes they are cool. I like them because they sound like horse's hoofs and I love horses. Maybe your mommy can bring you to my home one day and you can ride horses with me and my sister. She is really good on a horse." She nods. "I hope so. I've worked hard on learning the dance and it would be really embarrassing if I messed up in front of the class. They might start laughing at me." Maria looks at the door. My sister is getting it out of the car. I was too heavy for me to carry. So she is bringing it. Mommy and I made refried beans and yellow rice. The yellow rice is good. The refried beans take some getting use to."

Carmen comes into the room with a box dressed like Maria. "Hola Senorita Phoebe. Where do you want me to put the food at?" Phoebe points to the empty tables. "Gracis."

[Guest clinediap]

"Oh, you have horses? That's pretty cool," Phoebe nodded, feeling a little uncertain. She wanted to be friends with Maria, of course, because she was a nice kid, but she doubted her mother was going to take her over to ride horses with a toddler. She wondered how often kids got together nowadays, and if it would seem weird that she never did. And while she wanted to "grow up" and be an assistant, was that going to kill off her friendship completely? She supposed she was really lying to her in a way... Well, not even in a way anymore, since she'd told the girl her supposed age. She was a little worried about it, but for the time being, she just patted the girl's arm and said, "I know you'll be great!"

Phoebe felt herself growing shy as Carmen entered, wondering how long she was going to stick around that day. She shyly pointed the table out to the teenager, then looked around, waiting for Miss Lopez to come back in anxiously. It was a little better when she was around - without her, Carmen seemed to be the oldest in the room by far, and thus automatically in charge. Having someone only two years older than her in that position was bad enough... Having someone younger than her made her really feel like she deserved to be in her training panties.

[baby_snow_white]

Maria nods. "Yes we have horses. We live on a horse farm. Carmen is a champion steeple chase racer. She looks like she is at home on her horse. She smiles. "I hope so."

Carmen puts the box on the floor and takes out the two bowls. She puts the bowls on the table and put the box under the table. "Are you looking forward to the fiesta? Did Maria tell you. My class and I are going to be dancing at the party and Maria was going to dance with us."

Miss Lopez comes in with a box in her arms. "Hello Carmen and Maria. How are you today?"

Maria smiles. "We are good. I see you put Phoebe in charge of the food."

Carmen nods. "Yes Phoebe makes a good assistant."

Miss Lopez nods. "Yes I think so too."

[Guest clinediap]

"Wow," Phoebe said, nodding her head, impressed. Carmen was seeming even more impressive... Phoebe wasn't a champion at anything, and she sure didn't own any horses. She'd never even rode a horse.

"Uh-huh," she nodded bashfully, glancing down at the floor as she spoke to Carmen. "I'm sure the fiesta'll be lots of fun."

Finally, Miss Lopez came back, and Phoebe hurried over to her, wanting to be closer to her, and to hopefully get something else to do to make her feel more grown-up. The exact opposite wound up happening, however, as the other three talked about her, and how good she was at helping, as if she wasn't even standing there. She squirmed there, feeling young and helpless, the feeling making her just barely able to stop herself from wetting her training pants as the sudden urge to pee came over her. She started to excuse herself to go to the attached bathroom, but couldn't make herself say the words, so instead, she quietly asked, "Do you need help with anything else?", sure she could hold it, hopefully until some other kids showed up to distract some attention from her.

[baby_snow_white]

Carmen nods. "They usually are. I'm sure you will have fun." She leans down and whispers something in Maria's ear.

Maria giggles. "Oh I did forget it didn't it? I'll be right back." She goes running out of the room and goes outside to Carmen's car.

Miss Lopez noticed Phoebe doing the pee pee dance and nods. "Yes you can help me by going into the bathroom and getting me two rolls of paper towels." She leans down. "I don't really need the paper towels,but you looked like you needed to go use the bathroom. So I gave you a reason to go in there. So you wouldn't be embarrassed by having to go in there while Carmen was looking at you. I can tell she makes you feel younger than you are."

[Guest clinediap]

Phoebe nodded, feeling glad for the excuse, but also embarrassed that Miss Lopez had noticed her discomfort. And if she had, that meant Carmen probably had, too, since she had a little sister, after all.

But she tried not to think about that as she hurried into the bathroom, closing the door and struggling briefly with the overalls before managing to get them off and pull down her now slightly damp training pants before sitting down at the toilet. She re-dressed herself, wondering if she'd manage to find a way to change before anyone could notice her little accident, then headed out, almost forgetting the pretense she'd been sent there after. She also remembered to wash her hands before grabbing the paper towels and bringing them out, setting them on one of the tables and turning back to Miss Lopez. "Anything else?"

[baby_snow_white]

Miss Lopez shakes her head. "No I can't think of anything else right now. If I do. I'll let you know."

Maria comes back in with a Pinta. "I forgot this until Carmen reminded me."

Carmen smiles at Maria. "I'll see you later squirt. I've got to get to school,but I'll be back around lunchtime with my class. Have fun until then."

Maria nods. "Ok sis. See you later." She waves as Carmen goes out the classroom door and outside. Once Carmen was out of sight. Maria turns to Phoebe. "Carmen is great isn't she and so cool. I hope I'm as cool as she is when I grow up. She gets to go to school with big kids."

[Guest clinediap]

Phoebe watched Carmen go, feeling relieved, though she knew she would be back. It wasn't a bad thing, of course, but she felt much more like the big girl she knew she was with her gone, which just made the little wet spot in her training pants even more embarrassing to her, which just made that back part of her mind more excited by it.

"Yeah," she nodded to Maria. "She is pretty cool." She was pretty sure she hadn't been as cool as Carmen was even at her real, current age, much less when she'd been Carmen's age. Quickly, she countered with the one thing she could say that made herself seem a little more powerful. "Do you want to help me greet people when they come in to get their food to put on the tables?"

[baby_snow_white]

Maria nods. "Yes she is. I'm lucky to have her as my big sister. Do you have any brothers or sisters?" She smiles broadly. "Cool. I'll be your assistant." The kids slowly started coming in and Phoebe welcomed them. Maria directed them to the table to put their food on. Miss Lopez watched the two of them greeting the kids and taking their food. She could tell they was both loving it.