The Substitute Teacher

Part 19 ~ Five Years Later

FIVE YEARS LATER 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just came home from a hard day of work . . . I'm quit teaching 5 years ago . . . I decided to go in another direction. Ever since that incident with that girl Ariana, my world turned upside down . . all the teachers knew I didn't do anything wrong. 

It's all in the police report. . . but the children didn't believe it . . . Carli's lie ruined everything for me . . . . I quit my job a week later.

It took me a long time to get out of this mess emotionally . . I actually went to therapy because of it. I'm still struggling till this day but I'm doing much better . . . maybe one day I will go back to teaching but not anytime soon.

I put it behind me. . . and I believe that was the best decision I could've made. 

I started a complete new life two years ago . . my ex girlfriend and I broke up and I moved out of our apartment. Everything went down hill from there . . . but therapy helped me a lot and I'm slowly but surely getting back on my feet. 

I couldn't even go on a date during all that time. . I was too busy trying to get my life back together. I felt like I had too many issues and problems to be dating girls and everything . . . but I feel like now I'm ready again . . . being single for so long doesn't feel good. . makes you feel lonely . . . I'm a guy with heart and I llike to share it with someone.

I spend the evening alone watching TV, playing around on my laptop . . . it's the weekend I and I don't have to be anywhere . . my two best buddies went to Hawaii with their wifes . . they wanted me to go with them and have a good time but I don't wanna be a third wheel . . . . they're all married and have children . .  and I'm without children and without a wife . . . it's ok . . . one day I'll date again and maybe someday it'll work out for me too.

I'm on this dating site right now . . . I'm chatting with a bunch of girls . . some of them are really nice. I will have to finally get myself together and ask one of them out . . I have to get out of the house and live my life like I did before. 


(CHATROOM)

SweetCupcake:
"Hey Michael . . are you there?" 

Michael58:
"Hey Bella . . how are you doing?"

SweetCupcake:
"I'm doing good, nice running into you here this evening, we haven't talked in a while, how are you doing? how is work?" 

Michael58:
"Work is great . . how was your day?"

SweetCupcake:
"My day was fine . . are you watching your favorite show?

Michael58:
"Hehe, no . . I'm just sitting here . . chatting"

SweetCupcake:
"I'm so tired from work . . . my back hurts, I know I will sleep like a baby tonight . . . hehe"

Michael58:
"Sorry to hear that . . did you have a hard day?"

SweetCupcake:
"Yea . . it was terrible . . I'm glad to be back home . . what are you doing tonight?"

Michael58:
"Not much . . I'm just staying home, relaxing . ."

Michael58:
Umm . . . have I told you that I used to teach?"

SweetCupcake:
"What? . . wow. . no you didn't tell me . . you were a teacher? wow that's cool! :)"

Michael58:
"Yes . . I used to be a Substitute teacher . . I really loved it until something terrible happened . . but I can't talk about it"

SweetCupcake:
"Aww . . I'm so sorry . . do you wanna teach again someday or did you put that all behind you?"

Michael58:
"I would love to teach again . . it's what I always wanted, ever since I was very little . . but I guess I'm just not meant for it. . .god knows what he's doing and I guess he just doesn't want me to be a teacher"

SweetCupcake:
"But . . I'm kinda curious . . what happened that you don't wanna be a teacher anymore? . . something terrible must've happened, I mean . . . you sound like you really loved your job as a teacher . . .why leave it behind when you love it so much?"

Michael58:
"Bella . . what happened to me five years ago changed something in me . . I can't look at it the same way . . I had to put a stop to it. . . it's really hard for me to talk about but if you
really wanna know, I guess I can tell you"

SweetCupcake:
"Five years ago? . . . yes . . I would love to know . . ."

Michael58:
"There was this girl in my class . . I'm not gonna mention her name umm . . she was very special . . very . . I was never sure what was going on in her mind, I just knew that she had a thing for me. . she started writing me little notes . . . and it was all ok until that one day. . she wanted to meet me at the park and talk to me . . I didn't wanna go, but I went anyway . . I was hoping I could help her . . she was a very confused young girl and I felt bad for her . . . but I knew what she wanted . .
she was 16 back then and I was 27 . . I told her that I can't be with her but she just wouldn't understand . . she kept pushing me . . . the tables turned when I wanted to drive her home. .she had a knife in her purse and I guess you can imgaine what happened later . . . . she threatened me and everything . . at that point I was over and done. . . I managed to get the knife out of her hand and drove her home. .I still think about all that til this day . . I just can't get over it. .
you know? I kind of feel bad but I knew I did the right thing . . I had to do it I had to quit my job and move on . . . it was horrible . . . one of my students told a lie to all the others and I went through hell from that moment on . . they all started believing that I beat the girl but that's wasn't true . . I never put a hand on her . . . I would never put a hand on anyone . . .
it hurt me deeply that this one student told a lie like that."

Michael58:
"Are you still there? . . 

Michael58: 
"Bella?" 

Michael58:
"Hello? . . ."

Michael58:
"please say something. . . ."





~ to be continued ~