Rain Check?

.26.

  Thanksgiving break is quickly approaching, as is the realization to Dempsey that whatever this is with Chris is apparently quite casual.

  She reminds herself daily that his job is nothing like hers with no set hours and changing almost daily. The few phone calls and texts have been pleasant, but lacking in what she thought was actually there. It wasn't that she had fallen head over heels for him, but she was willing to give herself the opportunity for that type of emotion to happen. But the way things are going, she's starting to see this may be more like a very casual friendship than even dating casually. 

  Rifling through her closet Dempsey remembers that today is the Thanksgiving luncheon for the students which means lots of parents and grandparents will be filtering through the school and her classroom. With a sigh she moves to the opposite side where all of her dresses hang. She decides on a simple black and white striped maxi that she can pair a jean jacket and cheetah print flats with. 

  With a quarter of a bottle of dry shampoo in her hair she throws a couple of new curls in before pulling it half back. Today is definitely not a day that she can forego make up so she takes an extra five minutes in painting her face before setting off for the hectic day.

Dempsey POV

  "Number 19 is association, association."  

  I walk around the classroom, watching the students as they take their spelling test. Come Monday we'll all be on break for the week so several of them are already itching  to start now. A nice bribe of candy for each 100 seemed to do the trick this week to get their focus to last just a bit longer.

  "Association. The home owners association meets quarterly," I read aloud the sentence that accompanies the word. A quick tap with my finger against Molly Mae's desk reminds her to keep her eyes ahead of her. 

  A handful of parents had been sneaking in quietly, lining the back of the room in preparation for the Thanksgiving lunch we'll be attending once the test is over. 

  "Number 20 is discovery, discovery. The discovery of a man walking on the moon excited the world. Discovery."

  The test finishes out with three vocabulary words that the students must use in a sentence in order to get the full extra credit points. Once the papers are collected they line up and we make our way to the well decorated lunchroom. 

  As we're passing the back of the entrance to the front office I hear a student tell Ethan that his grandmother and uncle are just ahead, waiting for him by the cafeteria door. 

  I can't help but hope it's Scott with Lisa. 

  But, the closer I get the more internally I groan as I see Chris standing next to Lisa holding the lunchroom doors open for the class and their parents. His wide smile with the kids softens a bit as I bring up the rear of the line.

  "Hi," he states simply.

  "Mr. Evans, good to see you. It seems Ethan was surprised as well," I admit, motioning over where Ethan is excitedly introducing Lisa to his friends as they stand in line waiting for their meal. 

  Chris lets the door close behind us, effectively trapping us in the midst of the lunch time chaos. "You know, you don't have to call me that," Chris says walking over to the end of the lunch line. 

  "Yes, actually I do." I slip past him and the rest of the adults and students and into the back of the kitchen where there is a small buffet set up for teachers. With my plate laden with turkey, stuffing and sweet potatoes I check my name on the list and go back into the loud, overcrowded room. 

  I notice the Evans clan managed to find three empty seats near the exit, which is where I myself am headed. "Have a nice time," I call out to Lisa, my back against the door pushing it out. 

  Once back in the quiet sanctuary of my classroom I take a couple of bites before I begin grading the spelling tests. Many of the student's parents will be checking them out and starting their week of vacation once lunch time is over and I have a few too many who will be upset if they don't get the test back today. 

  So a working lunch it is.

   Thankfully I work rather quickly through grading the tests, and by the time I'm inputting the grades online I realize I only have ten minutes left. I pull the tests of the students that I know will be leaving and hurry to get them documented, knowing that the kids have music class after lunch I decide I can finish the rest then. 

  With five minutes left I finish gobbling down the rest of my lunch when I hear my classroom door creak open. I poke my head out of my small office in the back corner thinking it must be a student that is already checking out. 

  If only.

  Chris steps into the room fully, his long legs making quick work of crossing the room towards my office. I straighten myself up as I stand, meeting him at the doorway.  "Mr. Evans, can I help you? Are you checking Ethan out for the day?"

  He stuffs his hands in his pockets, much like he did when he asked me out. "I can't with that Mr. Evans stuff," he says giving me a funny look. "That's my father, not me."

  "No," I shake my head slowly, "I'm pretty sure that's you too." I breeze past him with the completed tests in my hand, quickly putting them in the cubbies of each student along with the rest of their graded assignments. 

  "Fair point. Doesn't mean I have to like it though. I prefer Chris be the name that you call me."

   "Well, if I ever see you outside the walls of this school, then that's what you'll get," I assure him, almost surprising myself. But the lack of face to face has made me question a lot about whatever this is, especially considering how the last 'date' went. 

  The alarm on my watch sounds just as Chris is reaching for  my hand. "I have to go get the kids, and I'm sure Lisa is wondering where you ran off to." I silence the alarm and brush past him and head out the door. 

  "Demi!" I hear called out behind me but I keep walking, not because it's him but because I don't want to get reprimanded by the cafeteria staff or Mrs. Parks for being late to pick up my class. 

  I only slow my steps when I hear, "Miss Abrams," correcting his earlier mistake. The pep in his step increases in order for him to reach me. I notice a couple of passing teachers give me a strange look, eyes darting between Chris and myself. 

  Of course I'm the only idiot that didn't know who he was.

  "Listen," he starts once he's caught up, "I'm off most of this next week. I'd like to see you again. My siblings and I all go to this get together with some friends the night before Thanksgiving. I want you to come too. I mean, I want to see you before then of course, but that's something specific I'd like us to do." He pulls the cafeteria door open, ushering me inside just as he did earlier. 

  "I'll think about it." By the confusion that crosses his face, I'm pretty sure he wasn't expecting that answer.

  "About the dinner or getting together at all?" 

  My response doesn't meet his ears as I'm suddenly bombarded with parents and students alike letting me know they're leaving for the day. 

  

*I know, it's been a few days since this one has been updated. My apologies.