While You Were Teaching

Chapter 9- The Purple Bustier and the Human Statue

"The topic we will be covering today is Integral Functions with Quadratics." Dominic is writing formulas and a bunch of other weird scribbly stuff on the whiteboard. This is going to be fun. I sigh loudly and roll my eyes up at the ceiling.

Dominic catches my eye and I freeze up and quickly sit up straight in my chair.  He gives me a small smile and continues on with his lecture. 

We are trying to coexist. After my visit to his office, Dominic and I have both been trying harder to be more cordial towards each other.  We were put in an awkward situation but we are making the best out of it.  I wouldn't say we are friends now, but I don't cringe every time I walk into his classroom and he doesn't avoid me like I have the Plague. We are coexisting.

I've been to his office two other times since the first time for homework help. We keep it professional at all times and I can tell he is always conscious to keep a respectable amount of distance between us.  He's usually tense at first, but after the first few minutes he loosens up and returns to the Dominic I know. And me? I try to focus on the words coming out of his mouth, instead of the lips that are saying those words. And I haven't hugged him since the first day, even though I think about it every second I am in his presence.

Today he looks even more huggable than usual in a blue cashmere sweater that is pushed up right above his elbows.  Focus, Avery!!

I look over to the girl in front of me named Isabelle, the brunette from the first day of school, and see she is writing Isabelle Brown all of her notebook in cursive handwriting.  I feel a sharp pang in my chest and turn back to Dominic who is going on and on about how to prove a certain math problem.

Class passes quickly and before I know it, Dominic is excusing the class and I am packing up my calculator and notes.

Isabelle flaunters down to Dominic's desk in a purple bustier and black skinny jeans, swishing her hips back and forth. The girl practically oozes sex appeal.  If Dominic is going to get in trouble for being involved with any student, I would bet a million dollars it would be that girl.

"Great lesson today, Mr. Brown. I think I'm actually starting to understand this stuff." She smiles blindingly at him.

"Glad to hear that, Isabelle." Dominic is erasing the white board but he turns around to smile at her.

"So what is your favorite kind of smoothie?" Isabelle is now leaning over his desk. Does she even remember that I'm still here? Dominic sure doesn't. He can't take his eyes off her.

"Excuse me?" He clears his throat roughly. I wonder if he knows the effect he has on all his female students.  He's got to know, right?

"What smoothie do you want me to pick up for you?" Isabelle slowly enunciates each word, licking her lips seductively. "I'm going to head over to Jamba Juice before we meet up today and I am bringing you a smoothie today, no excuses." She throws her head back and laughs fakely.

I must make some kind of noise because Dominic looks over at me, which causes me to look quickly at the fascinating moldy green carpet under my feet. He looks back at Isabelle and then back again to me.  Of course I understand that he has to help any student who asks but does she have to be so damn beautiful? Is it absolutely necessary that a girl like that spend almost every day with him? And I thought his office hours aren't on Mondays, which means she is the kind of girl worth making an exception for.

"Strawberries Wild." I answer for him. It was a random question I had asked him over dinner weeks ago.  A random tidbit that should not have stuck out in my mind, but I guess it did.

Isabelle looks over at me with a murderous glare and Dominic's mouth is slightly open, shock etched all over his face.  Isabelle scoffs and crosses her arms.