That didn’t make my paranoia or nerves, react any better.
I shuffled into the classroom and came to a sudden halt when I found nearly the entire room full to bursting.
The bell hadn’t even rung yet, and it was this full?
Why?
Every single desk in the room was filled, and two older boys were standing.
“Wow,” I murmured as I took everyone in. “I’m impressed that everyone is here and seated already.”
“That’s because if we’re late, Coach McDuff kicks our a…”
I gave Johnson a level look. “Don’t.”
He pretended to zip his lips and throw away the key, causing me to roll my eyes.
The kid was a sweetheart, and cute as a button. I remembered when he was still a boy and he had that head full of curls.
I used to babysit him in the church nursery, and Johnson McDuff Berey had immediately curled himself in my lap the moment he’d entered the nursery doors.
From there, I’d play with those baby soft curls and dream of one day having a little boy exactly like him.
And now he was so grown and taller than me to boot.
“I was under the impression that this was a senior class,” I said softly to Johnson.
Johnson grinned. “It helps to have the coach be your uncle. He was able to work me into his class…before they decided to utilize his services elsewhere.”
I frowned. “Utilize his services elsewhere?”
He nodded. “Didn’t they tell you that he’s taking over helping the new track coach? That’s why he’s not teaching this class. Apparently, Coach Casper isn’t able to keep up with all the demands of the track team.”
It kind of annoyed me that they’d lied to me about why Ezra wasn’t able to teach this class, but again, I was one of the newest hired along with the new track coach. A track coach who, might I add, wasn’t in the least bit unable to do her job. Likely, she was just pulling the overwhelmed card to get Ezra to help her.
I swallowed and looked away, searching for something, anything, to get my mind off of those two.
I hated Coach Casper. She was a douche canoe and hated me.
I’d never done anything to her, but you trip a chick one time, causing her to drop her coffee on her new shoes, and she hates you.
Coach Casper hadn’t even given me the chance to apologize.
Using the time to collect myself, I pulled the chair out from under the desk at the front of the room and rolled it in Johnson’s direction. “Sit here until we can find you a new desk. You there, take that tall chair in the back of the room.”
The other kid, a boy that’d been standing there talking to Johnson when I’d walked in, gave me a tight smile and headed in the direction I’d indicated.
Once they were all seated, I pointed at the first desk farthest away from Johnson and said, “Introduce yourself.”
They did so, one by one, until there was only one.
“I know you, but go ahead so they don’t think I’m playing favorites this early in the semester,” I ordered Johnson.
Johnson smiled, looking so much like Ezra that it made my heart hurt.
“Johnson McDuff Berey. I’m the star of the Devil Dogs, and I play first base. I have a hot a—”
“Johnson, you finish that sentence, and I’ll take your ass to the field house,” a dark, deep, menacing voice said from directly behind me.
I squeaked and jumped, whirling around as I did, putting as much space in between Ezra and I that I could with the distance that the desk behind me afforded.
He looked at me like I’d hurt his feelings.
I kind of felt bad, but I couldn’t help my reactions.
They were what they were, and there wasn’t a damn thing that I could do about it. I would know—I’d tried.
“You scared the dickens out of me,” I whispered.
He studied me like I was a bug.
I knew he was trying to place how he knew me.
Luckily, I’d done a damn fine job at covering my nearly blackened eyes.
It’d been two whole weeks that they’d had to heal, and goddamn if they were taking their sweet ass time.
It was pretty darn sad that his nephew knew me, but he didn’t.
I mean, the man had practically seen me do the splits in front of him. Then he’d dropped a box of condoms on me making me bleed…how could you forget that?
Then again, I’d taught Johnson just last year.
I knew that Ezra still couldn’t place me, and I had a feeling it was likely due to my school attire, and the fact that my hair was down concealing my face.
Then again, it could be that he didn’t recognize me without all the blood…
“I brought you my notes,” he said. “Ms. Crusie, yes?”
I nodded, taking the notes he handed me with shaking fingers.