Author Description

Nathan Harding: Caged bird.<br/>Claire Benson: Unclipping her wings.<br/><br/>I’ve never been given the chance to grow up. As a live-in nanny for my parents, my college degree may as well be used as an extra rag to clean up the messes of my four younger siblings. When I’m finally given the opportunity to spread my wings as a long-term substitute at my old middle school, the question begs: What do I want to be when I grow up if “growing up” is quickly passing me by?<br/>Enter Nathan Harding: Assistant Principal. Despite our initial clashing, I can’t resist the pull that keeps bringing us together. There is a soft, kind side to him that he doesn’t let anyone else see. And when the noise in my own home gets to be too loud, he welcomes me into the comfort of his. I don’t want to let go. But sneaking around with a boss who has almost a decade on you has its own set of consequences.<br/>Nathan and I could have the futures we’ve never been allowed to have if we could just learn to stop reading between the lines.