Teaching Becomes Torture

•Part 16•

For the next two weeks, school went back to normal. I taught my classes with fewer disruptions and I didn't have stroppy students storming out of class. The only difference was Mitchell. Where I used to have his rude comments or his silly jokes, now I had nothing. He ignored me as much as I ignored him. It made things easier.

"I brought you something to eat," a friendly face entered my classroom as the bell sounded and everyone went out to lunch.

"Aw, my favourite!" I wrapped my arms around Annie.

"How are you?" She touched my stomach and kissed my forehead.

"We're good," I smiled.

Things were looking up, as bad as things seemed, I had my best friend by my side.

"And I brought you these, you were craving them this morning," Zack handed me a bag of pears.

"I love you both so much," I swung my arms around both of their necks.

"You not gonna offer me a pear?" Annie took the bag out of Zack's hand, teasing me.

"Hands off!" I snatched them off her and held them behind my back.

"You've got twenty minutes until lunch is over so best make the most of it," Zack hopped onto one of the tables.

"It's so difficult to hide all of this from him you know," I spoke my thoughts.

"You're doing so well," Zack put his arm around my waist, helping me up onto the table beside him.

"Are you two together or what?" Annie smirked at us.

"We're getting there," Zack pulled me in closer so I leaned on his shoulder.

"Miss can I talk to you," a student from one of the younger years knocked on the door.

"Yeah, sure," I climbed off the table with Zack's help. "What's wrong?"

"There's a group of boys in the corridor wolf whistling at my friends and I, it's really pissing us off," she groaned.

"Give me a sec," I held my hand up to Zack and Annie and followed the girl.

"Lads, What are you playing at?" I walked up to the group of boys who were still whistling at the girls.

"Oh even better, I prefer older women," one of the boys turned to look at me.

"Leave the girls alone," I gave him an evil glare.

"Come on Miss, you know you want me really," he took one step closer towards me.

"That's enough!" I heard a few voice boom, Zack's.

"And you are?" The guy laughed.

"Luke, let's go mate," Mitchell touched the guy's shoulder, signalling for them to walk away.

"She's a worthless tart anyway," Luke tutted and walked off, his group of mates following behind.

"Excuse me," Zack followed them.

"Leave it," I pulled him back.

"Yeah that's what I thought," Zack grumbled at Mitch, Luke and the rest of the boys.

"Ignore them," Annie put her arm around me and rested her chin on my shoulder.

"Morons," Zack turned around to face me.

"Stop," Annie gave Zack a death stare.

"They'll end up in prison," Zack continued.

"Zack!" Ann elbowed him.

"I'd feel sorry for their wife and kids," he muttered under his breath.

"I'd feel sorry for myself too," my voice broke as I spoke.

"No," Annie turned to look at me, concerned.

"Yep," I nodded.

"What?" Zack hadn't quite caught up yet.

"He's the dad, wake up!" Annie elbowed him once again but harder.

"That Luke dude?" Zack's smirk faded.

"The 'lets go mate' dude," I mimicked Mitch.

"Shit," Zack put his hand on my back and pushed me into his chest.

"Lunch is nearly over," Annie touched my arm.

"Do you want me to stay?" Zack took a small step back so we could make eye contact.

"You shouldn't even be here now, let alone my lessons," I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned up to peck his lips. "You can pick me up later though."

"Bye girl," Annie wiped my slightly wet eyes dry with her thumb before leaving along with Zack.

****

"Could everyone get into groups of three please," I gave out my orders to the class.

"Miss can we be a pair," two girls walked to the front to ask.

"There's 24 of us so id like all three's," I gave them a sorry look.

"Miss there's actually 23," one of the girls corrected me.

"Does anyone know where Mitchell is?" I asked the class after noticing he wasn't in his seat.

"Dead"

"Heads office"

"Different class"

"Hospital"

I heard many different answers, each made no sense.

"Does anyone know where Mitchell is?" I repeated myself.

"He had a fight," one of Mitch's friends finally spoke.

"With who?" The rest of the class turned to him.

"Luke in our maths class," he revealed.

"What?" I stood up, scared for Mitch.

As strong as Mitch was, Luke was much more and was known to be violent.

"Apparently there was blood all over the field," someone else popped up.

"Everyone stay here!" I grabbed my bag quickly.

"It's bad okay, they had to call an ambulance," Mitch's friend spoke, making everyone stop making presumptions.

"Watch my class!" I shouted in to the teacher from the class next door and rushed out of the block and onto the field where two men wearing a green uniform were leaning over a still body.

Mitch.

****
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