Sweets. He had a nickname for all the girls. Sweets was more unique than babe, it was probably unique to her and he called every random girl who rode on the back of his bike, babe.
She giggled. “Whatever, handsome.”
I pursed my lips and forced my posture straighter. This was fine, good, even. King was a teenager, he should be with another teenager. It made sense. Plus, they were both lovely blondes. They would look good together.
Yes, I was happy. It was nice to see two students link up and find joy in each other.
Bullshit, crazy Cressida raged inside the cage of my ribs, shaking them so violently that my breath began to rattle in and out of my mouth. He’s yours!
He wasn’t, had never been and wouldn’t ever be.
Still, rage burned through my veins turning blood to hot lead.
Talia caught the expression on my face and laughed lightly as she settled back in her seat. “Sorry, Mrs. Irons. I’m sure you get me though, he’s so hawt.”
I did get her.
“No worries, Talia,” I said drily as I turned away to sit behind my desk again, needing the space. “Next time try to control yourself though, okay?”
I could feel King’s eyes on me, the necklace now a choker of barbed wire around my throat but I refused to look at him for the rest of the class.
Unfortunately, our class was sixth period so King stayed in his seat while everyone else left the classroom. Talia lingered for a few minutes, leaning against his desk so that her breasts were in his face but I was able to ignore them fairly well as Maya stayed behind to ask me a question about her Paradise Lost final paper. I continued to ignore him when both girls left, the door closing with a sinister snick behind them.
I had papers to grade from my grade eleven History class and a lesson plan to make for my substitute teacher next Friday for when I had to go back into Vancouver for a mandated mediation session with William. It all needed to be done efficiently, because I was frequently interrupted by students seeking extra help or kids who just needed a good listening ear. I fully expected Benny to show up to voice his woes about Talia and King, for example.
So, I bent my head with a curtain of hair between King and myself, and set to work.
This lasted for a surprisingly long time. So long, in fact, that I became jumpy and easily distracted by every single noise. Benny did come, his eyes wide and frenzied but upon seeing the object of his tizzy, they widened even more in agony and he quickly backtracked from the room.
My favorite student, an eleventh grader named Louise Lafayette who was built like a blonde bombshell already but dressed like she was sixty and who had, just last week, been diagnosed with cancer, came in for her customary cup of tea. We shared one every Thursday afternoon, the only free time she had between classes, volunteering and dance classes. Now, the dance classes would have to stop because she was beginning chemotherapy in two weeks. We had our cup of tea, talking quietly huddled together on my side of the desk so I could reach out to push back her hair, touch her hand. Her father was the Mayor of Entrance, a busy man with no time for his daughter, and her mother was the unofficial queen of society, so she too made no efforts with Louise or the younger daughter Beatrice. Therefore, our tea dates were the only times Louise got any sort of affection or attention and I made sure to give it to her in spades.
Detention was nearly over by the time she left, smiling slightly despite her situation. I was grateful for my hour with her even though I didn’t get any work done, because I truly adored her. She was as close to perfect as I believed a person could get; outstandingly beautiful, funny with a quick wit, and kind enough to spend hours every week volunteering at the local autism center. I was happier than I could say that she trusted me to be there for her, just as I felt overwhelmingly privileged every time one of my students confided in me. Even though I didn’t want to teach forever, it was by far my favorite part of the job.
I was also grateful because for one hour, I’d been wholly distracted from the blond king sitting five meters away diligently working on his assignments.
Only when Louise had left and I’d turned back to my grading, did he quietly speak.
“You were so good with her.”
I stiffened. Of course, he could have overheard our quiet conversation and Louise knew we had an audience so she wouldn’t have said anything she didn’t want shared, but I still thought it was rude of him to eavesdrop.