Chapter seven
"Hot damn sugar momma, who are you?" I got when I walked in the class room for the first time, for my first class. Well, that and silence.
"Hello, my name is Ms. Jackson and I'll-"
I was interrupted by someone singing.
"I'm sorry Ms. Jackson, oh, I am for real, never meant make your daughter cry I apologize a trillion times!" The kid sang as his buddies cracked up.
"While I do enjoy the classics of Outkast, can we please limit it to outside the classroom?" I raise my eyebrow to the loud mouth.
His smile gets bigger when he figures out I know what he's talking about. Well, hell maybe I should have played dumb.
"How old are you?" The loud mouth asks. A couple other boys in the class chimed in with him.
"Too old for you, now where did you guys leave off-"
"I'm eighteen, if you wanted to know." He says, his eyes never leaving my chest.
Okay, now I'm starting to get pissed.
"Okay, well, thank you for enlightening me. Now if someone would tell me where-"
"My name is Todd, by the way." Loud mouth interrupts again.
"Listen here you little shit, if you continue to interrupt me and stare at my tits I'm going to give you detention for the rest of this week. Are we clear?"
It was like a bomb went of. There were gasps, there were giggles and then full fledged laughter. One laugh caught my attention though. I searched the room and found Beth's little brother. Wow, he changed quit a bit.
"Johnny!" I blurted out accidentally. His eyes widened at getting singled out. A few kids looked at him incredulously, like what the hell? How do you know her?
"Uhm, yeah?" He asks unsure of himself. Now the whole class is looking between him and me. Oops.
"You Beth's little brother?"
His eyes widen and look me over before asking, "Clara?"
"Hi!" I say smiling.
I used to tuck him in when he was younger, and babysit him with Beth all the time. He used to be soo cute. He still is but now that cuteness developed into full fledged hotness. He has black hair and icy blue eyes, really buff, now, like he's on a sports team or something.
He breaks into a smile too, then blushes and says, "hey."
After that I get on with class and try to get back on track. Near the end of class, three minutes before the bell rings, I call Three kids up to my desk.
One, named Owen, looks like a dumb jock, another is a girl named Ray looks like a stoner chick and another, was the big mouth Todd.
"Okay you guys, you need to stop passing notes and distracting class. Got it? I know I'm new but that don't make me stupid. Got it?" Man it totally feels weird to be disciplining kids not much younger than me.
They all mumbled yeps but Owen and Todd stayed up at my desk annoying the shit out of me by hitting on me and insulting my intelligence.
The bell rings and they still seem to want to talk to me. They eventually leave when Johnny comes up to my desk. They seem to not get along that well.
"Hey Johnny," I say with a warm smile.
"Hey Clara," he says, blushing a little.
"Hey, its Ms. Jackson to you."
He laughs and sits on my desk. "So I thought you were in Europe?"
"Well, I was, but then I came back. I'm rooming with your sister, you know."
"I thought she already had a roommate?"
Me and Johnny talked for a little bit, while other kids come into the room. They all kind of stare at me. Its a little creepy. Then I here some crude comments about my appearance. I guess I should have dressed like a nun. Even though my outfit isn't all that revealing.
I had on a knee length skirt, heels and a long sleeved high neck shirt. Nothing too arousing. But considering the reactions I got I might as well came in a bikini. Johnny left wishing me luck and then I had to do the whole damn thing again. Good thing that Todd kid wasn't in this class again, I think I would have quit if that were the case.
Nothing too eventful happened throughout the day. Well at least not until fourth period.
I was going over reviews and stuff that the kids left off on. They were reading "How to Kill a Mocking Bird" after they finished this I planned on doing a poetry unit, because even though I'm not with Dean anymore I still love poetry.
"Okay, well what chapter did you guys leave-"
"Holy shit, Clara Jackson?" Came from the doorway.
I look over at the interrupter and gasped.
"Fuck." I said in a breathy whisper.
Standing in the doorway was Matt Kirby. The guy I met in Italy. The guy that was my quick and easy. Shit! What the fuck was he doing here? I was frozen, staring at him.
He looked exactly the same as I remember. Blond hair, hazel eyes and he had a boyish charm that he had no problem using. I am so screwed.
"You work here?" I asked stupidly. Now the whole class was starting to whisper and stare, like all they needed was some popcorn and they'd be set.
"I told you I was a math teacher." What are the fucking odds? This is horse shit!
I look to the class. "I'll be back in a second."
I follow Matt out the door, into the hallway. I shut the door behind me so the kids in there cant here.
"Well hello there." Man this was awkward.
"Hey, Matt. Um, how are you?"
"Good. Wow. What are the odds, huh?"
"I know."
"So what are you doing here? I mean how long are you here for?" He asked, looking nervous. "Are you a sub or the new teach?"
"Um, I'm actually a long term sub for Mrs Roger. I'm finishing the year out." He seems disappointed by this.
"Oh."
"Why?"
"Well, Clara. You cant tell anyone about what happened between us."
"Oh? And why not?" I ask. Who does he think he is? Is he ashamed of me?
"Because I'm engaged."
"What! You motherfucker!" I yell.
"Look, keep your voice down." He whispers. "I'm sorry for having to lie to you but I got lost in the moment. Plus my mom was sick and Natalie and I were going through a rough patch. I just wanted to get lost in you because you were smart and funny and beautiful. I just forgot my worries for a day. Is that so bad?"
"Yes." I said and then I stomped back to the class room, leaving him in the hallway.
I tell the class to work on something and leave me alone. I cant believe Matt! That total slime ball. He is just like Dean. Except I was the other girl. I was the Russian slut. Shit. That does not bod well for me. At all. Shit. No, Now i'm the American slut. The distinction doesnt make me feel any better.
After fourth period is over I stay in my room for lunch. Pondering what I should do. Should I just let him get away with it or should I go to the fiance? Crap, this job is so harder than I thought it would be, and its only my first day.
Sixth and seventh period I had free period. The other teachers call it a planning period but I call it The MFPTND. Major Freakout Period That Needs a Drink. Too bad I don't have anything in my car.
What am I thinking? Getting drunk on my first day of work is not the answer. Damn it. I bang my head against the desk. Which, contrary to popular belief, does not knock sense into you. Or at least not for me, all it does for me is give me a headache.
"Clara?"
I look up and see Johnny in the door way.
"Yeah Johnny?"
"Um, I used to be an aid for Mrs. Roger. Seventh period she would usually send a huge stack of papers at me and told me to grade them. If you need any work done, I could help."
"Thanks, but I didn't get anything done today. All I did was basically host a study hall, instead of an English class."
Johnny and I talked for a while. He was so grown up now. He talked about Beth and his new Boyfriend Tom. I would have never pictured him of being gay, but, whatever. As long as he's happy. He talks about colleges he's applied to and aspirations for the future. We talk and talk and I feel like I'm with Beth, they remind me a lot of each other.
He was just telling me about trying to get a basketball scholarship and all the sports he's played. When wrestling comes up, I ask him about Derek.
"So, how's the little twirp, huh? I haven't got a chance to see him since I've been back."
"Well if your still considering him a little 'twirp' than you have a lot to catch up on." He says, laughing.
I'm left pondering his words when the bell rings and brings in my eighth period study hall.
I start my spiel about me being new and that just because I'm younger than most the teachers here, doesn't mean that I'll go easy on them.
"So I'll make you a deal, you stay quiet and I'll pretend I don't see you passing notes? Sound good?" I get a few mumbles but nothing concrete.
All eighth period I make my lesson plans for the honors class next. And this is when I'll be seeing Derek for the first time. He's in honors English and is passing with flying colors.
I'm looking through the student list on my computer and find myself surprised at how many last names I know. I went to school with almost everyone's older brothers or sisters. Its freaky! While I'm doing that, the bell rings. Then students leave and then come in. I get up and look for the attendance roster sheet. I just had it! Where the hell did it go!
I look under the desk and, at last! I find it! How the hell did it end up under there? As I'm getting up off the floor I hear a very familiar voice that I just can't place. I swear I heard it before. I look up and search for the owner of the voice and almost shit myself. Standing there, all golden good looks and amazing green eyes and buff body, was the guy I had sex with in the wild side! Oh my god! Do all the people I slept with work here? Then the unthinkable happens. He sits down. In a desk. Like a student. Talking to other students. Like there his peers. Holy shit. No fucking way. This is not possible. I glance at the seating chart and try to find him. No this cant be right. It says that seat belongs to-
"Derek! I told you to wait for me at my looker." April says walking up to Wild Side boy and sitting on his lap. Holy shit. I am soo going to hell.