The Physics of Love

Chapter 24

'All good back there?'

'Everything's great, Ms White,' Ted shouts while he's trying to shove his hand underneath my thigh.

We're huddled up in the back of a small squeaking vehicle, as retro as its owner, like they were brought to this world in the same year. There's a full set of car accessories inside, from the air freshener hanging from the rear view mirror to faux fur seat covers and a steering wheel cover of the same design. Ms White insisted on a car ride because buses are so unreliable these days, even though there's one heading to the city every fifteen minutes. So now she sits crouched in the front seat, moving her arms erratically, trying to operate her machine, as she calls it, while, in the meantime, Ted's trying to get hold of my lower body, which is, thankfully, excluded from Ms White's visual field.

'You're not cold?'

'We're getting warmer by the minute, Ms White,' Ted's holding me around the waist.

I want to push him away since the idea of making out in Ms White's car while she's in the car sounds deviant, but I don't want to attract more of her attention and turn this into a shameful incident. What a disgrace would it be if her best student was caught in action on her back seat while on the way to a prestigious school competition? Really, how would Ms White react? Would she be stunned or petrified; would she yell or scream? Or maybe smile? By the looks of her tightly fastened collar, the length of her dull grey skirt and her lips puckering constantly, I could hardly hope for a free pass. She looks like she's always been a middle aged teacher, stern and serious, raising eyebrows at everything remotely mischievous or just human. Although...you never know with people. Maybe she's the complete opposite who's ashamed to show it, so she hides it behind cloth and buttons, hoping she will some day meet someone who understands and appreciates it.

'Ready for a pop quiz?' Ms White's voice brings me from Jane Austin's surroundings back to reality.

'No need, Ms White. Bianca here is perfectly ready for tomorrow. And if I don't know the answer, I'll simply peek into her notebook.' Saying that, he pulls my collar a little and peeks under my shirt. I slap his hand, but he grabs it tightly and won't let go.

'Come on, big five kinematics equations, now!'

'That's easy,' Ted numbers them smoothly and shakes my hand to congratulate himself.

'Equation for simple harmonic motion?'

It's my turn now. If Ms White knew how long ago Ted and I left those basic things behind, she would jump for joy.

'Okay, let me get one from electricity. It's your weak point, Bianca, right?'

'Not any more, Ms White,' Ted intervenes. 'That was before we started...working together. Now she's...conducting very well.'

'I didn't understand. Come again?'

'Ted's a little nervous before the big day. Don't mind his blabbing, Ms White.' I poke him under the ribs with my free arm. If we don't get there soon, he will embarrass me big time.

The road is cleared from snow and the lighting is satisfactory, so Ms White finally relaxes behind the wheel and stops holding it as tightly. She comments that at this speed, which is approximately a speed of a hover board, we will reach the hotel in about fifteen minutes.

'We can grab a light dinner and then I want you both in bed...I mean separately...obviously.' She bursts into flames instantly while the two of us are trying not to crack up. Weird times have come, grown ups blush in front of kids.

Soon we pull up in front of a small, but decent hotel close to the school where the competition is taking place tomorrow. Ms White studied it all on the websites, as she says, so we don't have to worry about anything. Ted gets our things from the trunk and we head to the reception. I brought only the basics, so I wouldn't look too girly in front of Ted, but Ms White, surprisingly brought a small luggage and now she's rolling it towards the lobby.