The school is warm, which is nothing surprising considering spring has come, bringing with it warmth and sunny days and washing out the bitterness and cold of winter. With no air conditioning in the school, it's bound to be an irritatingly warm spring, which will undoubtedly leave the students restless and probably more annoying than usual.
Still, I'm happy to be back after the two-week long spring break. I've missed my students, missed teaching, missed being in the classroom. I'm new teaching at this school this year and I've earned a reputation as a fun teacher. The students all like me and most respect me too, and being me, it was always a bit of a fight to get respect. Maybe it was the blonde hair or my attitude, I don't know; all that matters is now I've got the respect I've always wanted and it's doing something I love.
My desk looks neat right now, having cleared it before break began, but the drawers are all stuffed to the brim with papers I still need to grade and other various office supplies. I lightly sigh to myself as I sit down at my desk, trying to conjure up some regret at having spent the last two weeks off not grading, but I can't bring myself to care. The last two weeks were perfect even if I got no work done, even if all my students will be whining about not having their things graded yet.
"Hey," I look up at the voice to see Leigh-Anne as she meanders in, smiling at me.
"Hey," I reply, grinning at her. Leigh-Anne is my best friend; we met when I started here last year and the two of us clicked immediately, becoming close right away. If I've got the reputation as the fun teacher, Leigh-Anne is definitely the hot teacher.
"So," she says, sitting on top of a front row desk, "someone's got an anniversary coming up."
I try to fight my grin and instead narrow my eyes at her. "I always reprimand the students for sitting on the desks."
She ignores me and leans forward, her grin somehow widening, "What've you got planned?"
I lean to the side, opening one of my drawers, inwardly scolding myself for letting it get so messy, and begin tugging out papers, setting them on my desk in front of me and grabbing for a red pen so I can pretend to be grading, when instead all I can think about now is my girlfriend.
"I don't know," I mumble. "Just...dinner...and stuff. Typical anniversary stuff." Our one-year anniversary is coming up, which is huge. We never thought we'd make it this far; no one did, even our best friends, though they were nice enough not to say it.
"And stuff?" Leigh-Anne raises her eyebrows. "Oh, I know what that means!"
"Leigh-Anne!" I gasp, my blue eyes widening in shock even as I let out a small giggle. "She's your student too, I hope you realize."
"Hey, I'm not the one having sex with her," she retorts. I can feel my face heating up as I drop my head in my hands, groaning, which only makes the older girl laugh.
My girlfriend is a student- one of my students, and was one even when we began dating. But she's very mature for her age and now, she's 17 and I'm 24, which really isn't too bad of an age difference.
Leigh's laughing stops when the bell rings and suddenly we can hear all the students shuffling around, their talking growing louder and louder as they get closer and Leigh-Anne moans before hopping off the desk. "Better get to class," she jokes before calling a, "See you later," as she slips out of the room.
I push myself out of seat, smoothing down my skirt and trying not to get too excited to see my girlfriend, Jade. I only just saw her yesterday and we spoke on the phone last night, but still, it's been too long, and I'm starting to miss her. Luckily for me, she's in my first period class, as well third hour, for study hall.
Jade is one of the first people to come in, her best friend Jesy right in front of her as usual, and Jade gives me a secret smile, before she and Jesy head to their seats. I try not to stare, but it's hard. She's wearing her hair curly today, which she knows drives me crazy, and she's got a cute little skirt on, with a matching tank top, and a light sweater, and she looks perfect. She always looks perfect.
As soon as the bell rings, I start class, asking my students about their break instead of diving right back into the material. After twenty minutes of off topic discussion primarily consisting of Jeremy Wilkinson explaining why he got arrested over break, I get started on my lecture, assuring the students we'll get to have a class discussion over the material on Friday. I know they prefer class discussions, so I try to make them happen at least every other week.
Class is spent as it always is when Jade's in the room- attempting not to stare at my girlfriend the whole time and, more importantly, attempting not to make out with her in front of everyone. I tend to fail quite a bit when it comes to the staring, but at least I haven't made out with her.
The rest of the day is uneventful, just work and wishing I could just go home and cuddle with Jade instead. During study hall, Jade and Jesy tell me about their break- the stories Jade hasn't told me already (like Leigh-Anne, Jesy of course knows about Jade and me, but is actually better than Leigh at keeping it quiet)- and are occasionally interrupted by other students either needing help with something from class or asking to go to the bathroom. But finally, finally the day comes to an end and Jade meanders into the room after all her classmates have gone for the day already, shutting the door (the small window on the door is covered with papers I taped up there a long time ago to keep the students from being distracted by anything in the hallway), and grinning at me as she drops her Minnie Mouse back-pack to the ground and presses her lips to mine.
"Babe," I gasp, gently pushing her away. "We have to be careful. I know the door is shut, but anyone can walk in."
"I know, but...today sucked," Jade pouts. "Over break I could kiss you and hold your hand all the time, but now I have to go back to pretending we're not together."
Jade and I don't go out in public together; we just order in and stay at my place, because going out runs the risk of one of my coworkers or other students seeing us out together. Luckily, our families know already. Jade's found out by accident, when Jade forgot to warn Jesy that she'd told her mother she was at Jesy's house when she was actually at my house. Her mother ended up running into Jesy while the girl was out with her boyfriend and Jade's mother had called her in a rage, demanding an explanation, so Jade hastily explained she had a girlfriend, and the next night I was sitting in Jade's dining room, sweating as we explained that we were together.
Jade's mum reacted better than I anticipated though, just told Jade she wished she'd would have told her earlier and hugged her before warning me not to break her daughter's heart. Two weeks later, Jade and I decided to tell my family too; my mother had actually been more worried than Jade's mother, but as she got to know Jade, and realized how mature the younger girl is, she knew we fit together, we made sense.
Because we always have made sense; even before we knew each other, we belonged together. I just know in my heart we were destined to meet and make this work.
Now, I frown at Jade sympathetically. "I know baby," I reply, tucking a strand of curly hair behind her ear. "It sucked for me too, but we've got to keep this a secret. Just focus on graduation; it's just a couple months away now and then we can tell the world about us."
"Yeah," she grins, heading to the back of the room and grabbing a stool- I guess I'm supposed to sit on it while teaching, if I wanted to, but I don't use it- before dragging it back to the front and sitting right across from me. "So, do you realize what today is?"
I quirk an eyebrow, "Monday?" It's not our anniversary yet; that's not for another week and a half.
She rolls her eyes, "Well, yes, but more specifically. Think of the date."
"Jadey, it's not our anniversary yet," I remind her.
She makes a small, annoyed noise. "I know! It's my anniversary."
I give her a blank look. "Your birthday's in December."
"Pezza!" she cries. "I mean...it's the anniversary of...you know. One year since..." she trails off, giving me a look, hoping I'll be able to figure out what she's talking about and suddenly it hits me. One year since she attempted suicide. One year since the love of my life tried to kill herself.
"Oh," I whisper.
"This is good," she says, getting off the stool and coming over next to me, gently tilting my head up so I'm looking at her. "Look how far I've come. A year ago, I was miserable and hopeless but now I'm happier than I've ever been. I'm just...proud that I'm so much better now."
I smile, "I'm proud too."
Her attempt is how we got together, actually; or at least, it's got a lot to do with it. I guess I tried to block out that it ever happened because Jade feeling that way, Jade trying to end her life...well, it hurts me a lot. But after spring break last year, Leigh-Anne told me one of our students had attempted suicide and when Jade walked past us in the hall, she'd whispered, "That's the girl." I could feel her warm breath against my skin as she added, "The one that tried to kill herself."
Even then, it broke my heart. At the time, I knew Jade as the quiet, shy, sweet girl who always got good grades. I knew she had few friends- just Jesy, really. But I had no idea she was depressed.
So I'd talked to her; I told her if she wanted someone or needed someone, I was there, and she'd broken down, right then, crying to me, and I'd comforted her, and every day we would talk until one day she kissed me. She'd immediately blushed and stuttered out an apology and run out of the room and the next day she ditched my class- something she'd never done- but I spotted her in the hall at the end of the day and we'd talked for a long time and both admitted we had feelings for the other. That weekend, I took her on our first date, and slowly, we worked through Jade's issues, working towards making her happy.
"Do you have to work much longer?" Jade asks, giving me a hopeful look.
I smile, "Nah, we can go." I lead Jade up to my car and we clamber in, Jade immediately turning up the pop CD she put in last week and never took out. We came up with the lie that we live on the same street so that my colleagues and boss won't question why Jade rides home with me every day. Her mum takes her to school but I usually drive her home so we can hang out for a bit after school.
The moment I unlock the door to my flat, Jade's making herself at home, kicking her shoes off and dropping her backpack on the floor before flopping onto the couch and getting comfy, tugging her sweater off and flipping on the TV, searching for something to watch. I smile as I watch her, slipping out of my own shoes, and setting my bag on the kitchen counter.
"Babe, you want pizza for dinner?" I call.
"Sure!" she agrees.
I order the food and then change into comfier clothes- yoga pants and a v-neck t-shirt- before cuddling close to Jade, littering kisses all over her face, eliciting giggles from the younger girl.
"Pez!" she cries. "I'm trying to watch TV!"
"I don't care," I murmur. Jade lays back as I climb on top of her, straddling her hips, and then locking my lips with hers before she slips her tongue in, making me let out a small, surprised noise. For the first few months of our relationship, she was so shy about everything, and never initiated anything physical. Even now, when she gets aggressive, it surprises me, but also turns me on.
We're mid-make out when there's a knock on the door and I sigh, pulling away and clambering off of her as she sits up. "That pizza was fast," she comments as I grab my wallet on my way to the door. I murmur my agreement and glance through the peep hole just in case.
It's not the pizza guy on the other side, though. It's Michael Hale, another teacher from school, who- according to Leigh-Anne- likes me.
"Shit," I hiss, turning to Jade. "Go hide in my room; it's Mr. Hale."
"Mr. Hale?" she repeats quietly, getting up and grabbing her sweater and backpack as she scurries down the hall and into my bedroom.
I groan and tug the door open, plastering on a fake smile. "Michael, hi."
"Hey Perrie," he smiles. "Sorry to interrupt you at home, but, um, I think you forgot this?" He holds up my jacket, one I've been looking for the past two weeks.
"Oh my gosh! Where did you find it?" I cry, taking the jacket into my own hands, and looking it over as if it may have been hurt.
"The teacher's lounge," he answers.
"The teacher's lounge!" I repeat, remembering back before break accidentally leaving it in there one day. I rarely go into the teacher's lounge, usually preferring to spend my off time either in my classroom or in Leigh-Anne's. "Well thank you, that's very nice of you, but you know you could've just given this to me at school tomorrow?"
"I know," he grins, a light blush tinting his cheeks. "I just wanted to see you."
"Oh," I manage, my eyebrows going up. "Well, that's...that's really sweet. But, Michael, um...you know I'm gay, right?"
He stares at me for a few moments before managing, "You're...I didn't realize...you're...you're gay... Well. Um. I should be going."
"Ok, well, I'll see you at work," I respond awkwardly.
He gives me a tight smile and a small wave before turning and walking away. I shut the door behind him, dropping my head into my hands for a moment, feeling embarrassed for the poor man. But when I lift my head, Jade is walking down the hall, towards me, laughing hard.
"Oh stop it!" I cry, slinging my jacket over the back of one of the dining room chairs. "That was awkward for me too, you know!"
"But funny for me," she retorts, tossing her backpack over by her shoes and laying her sweater onto the back of the couch. "Anyway he needs to know he can't flirt with my girlfriend," she adds, turning me on with her possessive tone.
"Oh yeah?" I say, quirking an eyebrow.
"Yeah," she smirks, taking me by the hand and leading me over to the couch. She gently pushes me down before climbing onto my lap. "Just wait until the first holiday party after I graduate when you can bring me as your girlfriend and show me off. I'll put Michael in his place."
I laugh, "It's still Mr. Hale to you," I tell her before giving her a kiss.
She gives me a look, "Oh, so you're Miss Edwards?"
I grin, "That'd be hot, yeah."
"Oh shut it, Pezza!" she exclaims, smiling despite herself and giving me a kiss. "The point is you're mine."
"I know Jadey," I whisper, stealing yet another kiss. "I'm yours."