"I guess nobody ever told you all you must hold on to is you"- Erykah Badu
I sat in the class silently reading the questions on the exam, I was taking my final GED exam and this would determine if I was done with the program or if I needed to take extra courses. I know when most people think of "GED course" they assume a person who was too lazy to handle their business in school and get their shit together. But I can assure them it was nothing of the sort, I had shit to do and school was the least of my worries.
See I had recently found out my mom was sick with lung disease my senior year, and there were other people who could care for her, but there was nobody like me. She was my top priority and, I just didn't have time for school. I took care of my mom day in and day out, and that's basically how my senior year went. I felt there was no purpose in me going back because I would be behind, so I dropped out and joined a GED program. Of course, I wanted to make something of myself and I would in due time. That's something time would have to tell though. My mom passed away a few months ago, and I decided to take that time to redeem myself. Here I was a seventeen-year-old girl, in the middle of the hood, trying to find a way out. I worked at a local cafe, down the street from my class. This was also the place I called my home because I surely didn't have one. After my mom died, the bank started doing some illegal bullshit, and I ended up with nothing. There was no purpose in going to court when I was too broke to hire a good fucking attorney, so here I was sleeping at the place I worked because my boss knew I had nothing else and she'd actually grown to trust me over time.
As I circled my last answer my GED director walked up next to me, I didn't consider him a teacher. He was about 26, very fine and very married. We always had this kind of heat between us like a vein is connected to your body. We had this unexistent closeness and we'd never even been around each other outside of this classroom, but I knew he was feeling me and I wasn't too sure if I was feeling him. He smiled at me and held his hand out.
"Are you done?", he asked me in a whispering tone. I nodded my head and gently placed the papers in his hand before standing up. I followed him to his desk as he scanned the papers, we stood there awkwardly attempting not to make eye contact with each other. A 96% popped up on the screen and I smiled, he smirked at me and licked his lips. "Well, I believe you're aware that you passed. You can come get your papers next week from the front office they should be done by that time", he informed me.
"Okay, and I really appreciate everything, Mr.Stiles.", I said before walking to my seat to gather my belongings and leave.
"Can I talk to you outside? Before you leave also.", he asked softly. My heart pounded, damn near out of my chest. This man could not be serious. One on one? With me? I began to calm my thoughts down... maybe it's about class. I quickly walked outside and stood outside the door staring at him walk this way through the window. The way his caramel skin glowed, even when there was nothing to enhance it. The way the light beamed off of his waves and how his beard was always nicely shaped and combed out. He had to be knocking on 6'0 foot, and he had a thin figure. He always had his slacks dry cleaned nicely and his ties were always nice as hell, and his hazel eyes just made the perfect man, he was gorgeous. I may have sounded thirsty in the moment, but any woman or man would after seeing him. "Hey", he said sliding out of the door and closing it softly.
"Hey, Mr.Sti-"
"Mike", he spoke cutting me off. I could feel my cheeks turning red. "Look I know you probably never noticed, but I think you're so beautiful and you're a very smart young lady. I'm, happy that you've passed and you're moving up and I just wanted to let you know if you needed anything, and I mean anything... you can call me.", he said in a serious tone. "You, I need you dumbass", was the only comment in my head.
