The Wright One

ALEX

I knock on her door, before entering. I have a big grin on my face. Sure I am going to be gloating about the trouble that she went through. But she has her feet kicked up on her desk and looks comfortable as hell. She does not look like a woman who is ready to pull her hair out.

“So, did the piranhas devour you or what?” I think she might be putting on a front and doesn’t want me to know how bad she had it.

She shrugs. “It wasn’t so bad. Honestly I expected worse. They aren’t bad kids.”

I have to blink a few times to be sure that I am awake. “What do you mean they aren’t bad? This is summer school.” Did she not have the same kind of students I did? Did she somehow get students that are here for extra credit?

She laughs. “Just because they are in summer school doesn’t mean they are bad kids. It just means that they had stuff happen. It made it difficult to complete the course. Or maybe they learn a little differently. That doesn’t make them bad kids. We actually had a good discussion on the Boston Tea Party.”

I laugh. “Really? I mean there is no way you are this understanding. You had to have lost it at one point.” Why isn’t she ranting? Ready to quit.

I hear someone behind me. “Um, excuse me, Mr. Saxon.” I turn and see a timid girl that I hardly recognize. I think I saw her at the beginning of the year, but that was it. I thought she moved or something. I can’t even really remember her name. “Ms. Wright, can I talk to you in private?” She ignores me and addresses her. It’s like I am just in the way.

She nods and puts her feet down. “Sure Luna. Come on in. Mr. Saxon was just leaving anyway.” She is ready to disregard me too. What the hell just happened?

“Actually I wasn’t.” I grin. That usually works on women, they do what I want, or give me what I want. Right now I want to see her lose her cool.

She glares at me. “Well, a student needs me, which is slightly more important than your attempt at witty banter.” Ok, she isn’t losing it but she does look pissed. But at me and not the job.

“Harsh, tell me how you really feel.” I grin.

She just stares at me. “Leave please.” I have never in my life been dismissed by a woman like this. It just doesn’t make sense.

I roll my eyes. “Alright. Jeez. Can’t even take a joke.”

I leave the room and Luna shuts the door behind me. When I turned around I saw Nathon. He’s leaning against the lockers like he has nothing better to do with himself. He smiles at me. “She shot you down huh?” He’s usually really quiet. That brooding type that girls seem to flock to. It keeps him in the popular circle. That and he plays a mean game of basketball.

“I wasn’t even trying.” I protest before I realize that I am talking to a student. I should not be saying that I was hitting on another teacher. Or even hinting that I was. “Besides that would be unprofessional.”

He laughs. “Unprofessional or not, I know when I see a guy flirting. You were flirting. Very badly by the way. There is no way she is going to be into you, not acting like that.” He is making fun of me. What the hell world did I wake up in this morning? Maybe this is just some messed up dream or something.

I scoff. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. She is a kindergarten teacher that is playing at high school.” Putting her down seems like the best recourse here.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

He shrugs. “I don’t know, she did a pretty good job. We all listened, we learned. It was actually pretty cool. I like her.”

I roll my eyes. “It was her first day. I doubt you guys are going to want to continue listening to her.” I am calling it beginner’s luck. That is all this is. She is new and interesting, that is why they are listening to her.

He just smiles. “Believe what you want, Teach.”

Could we have been wrong? No, there is no way this little kid teacher is going to be able to handle high school. There is just no way. Yet it is her first day and already a student is going to her with a problem. Somehow she related to them. She got through to them. That doesn’t make any sense. I don’t understand how that is possible.

I am going to find out though.