Here’s to Never Growing Up (teacherxstudent)

Chapter 7

I guess it must’ve been an empty threat. As I thought, Jackie couldn’t do it. One week has passed and she’s still with that jerk. Meanwhile, I only have a week to finish this stupid project.

I hammered my head against the mattress and Danny groaned. Alex commented, “Let me guess, philosophy?”

“Yes. Shoot me now.” I stretched on the bed.

“This is so boring.” Danny added, lying beside me.

“You stole my line.” I rolled around, peaking at his laptop. “How far are you?”

“Fifteen pages.” Once he replied, I sprung up, wide-eyed.

“Fifteen pages?! How the –” I looked back at my computer, staring at my eight miserable pages.

“You know the limit is twenty, right?” Angie, commented, leaning back on her chair.

“Yes, and I have no clue how I’m going to keep under thirty. I still have so many graphs and reflections to add before I can get to the conclusion.” He rolled around on the bed.

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t put your feet on top of my pillow, please.” Alex interrupted.

“Graphs.” I laughed in panic. “I didn’t even get to that part yet.” I pushed Danny off the bed and stole his computer as he complained. “Can we switch projects?”

“No thanks. I’d like to have anything above a C.” he mocked as he climbed back up, tackling me. I pushed him down again.

“Meanwhile, Angie over there, watching soap operas, hasn’t even started her project but I know she will have like a 200% as always.”

“Damn Asians.” Danny added.

All she did in return was laugh at something on her screen. I whined and sank my head back on the sheets.

“How come all of you get to take over all my things while I’m left here on the ground?” Alex complained, seated on a straw cushion and holding nothing but her phone.

“We are your guests. People must always ensure that their guests have maximum comfort. Plus, you snooze, you lose. C’est la vie.” I stuck my tongue out at her. “And we’re actually doing you a favor. People never really appreciate the value of the things they have until they lose them.” Danny laughed and Alex furrowed her eyebrows playfully.

“Hey, Em.” Angie suddenly turned from the cushioned desk chair. We all looked towards her in curiosity. “How come you act so weird towards Mr. Cohen?”

“Yeah, you never told us why.” Danny added.

My heart seemed to have stopped. I gulped and turned to Alex, bust she had a cool face on, telling me to do whatever I thought was best. They all just stared at me, waiting for an answer as I seemed to shrink in their presence.

“I just don’t like him.” I tried avoiding the reality I would have to eventually have to face.

“Why so suddenly though? Two years ago he was your favorite teacher and you were always going out of your way just to see him.” Angie insisted.

“Oh, I know what’s going on here.” Danny smirked and I was scared for a moment. “Let me guess, you made a move on him, but he rejected you so now you hate him.”

He and Angie kept laughing and I looked at him with my ‘you i***t’ face.

Angie then added, “Or maybe the two of them had a hot moment together, but it just didn’t work out.”

“Yeah right.” Danny debated, “As if the innocent Emily has ever been with a guy like that.” Angie agreed and Alex laughed with them. If only they knew… They would never see me as that ‘innocent’ girl.

I gulped. There’s no way I can tell them. What would they think of me? It’s not ‘normal’ to be in a relationship with a teacher. They would probably think of me as a slut or worst, and they would probably not want to be friends with me anymore. I could feel my face burning. I can’t tell them the truth.

I laughed with them and tried to distract them and if the question came up again, I’d just say that I plainly dislike him.

I worked on that blasted project for most of my hours that weekend. It progressed, but a ton of questions also emerged, though I couldn’t bring myself to query the moody man. He has hardly said anything insulting or scoffing lately as I’ve been tenaciously avoiding him. However, the hypocrite keeps ignoring me while acting vacantly toward all others.

He gave us time in class to work on the project, probably to escape his duties of being a teacher – no wonder there have been so many complaints about him already. I tried my best to solve all issues I encountered, avoiding facing him. However, there was one I couldn’t figure out nor hide with wordy nonsense. I called onto Angie and showed her my screen, begging her to help, but she couldn’t solve it either, neither could Clara or the genius, Parker. Thus… I had no other choice.

I picked up my laptop with trembling knees and walked to the old man’s desk. I stood quietly and gulped as I waited for him to acknowledge me. As he eyeballed me from above his glasses and slowly lifted his head, the smirk plastered on his aging face was unveiled. He gestured me to speak as he cracked his knuckles, and so I did. I just felt like breaking that small, crooked nose from that repulsive face. According to Cora, he must’ve been quite handsome when he was young. In my personal opinion, however, I can’t quite picture him as having ever been young. As I finished explaining, he laughed, displaying his crooked, yellow teeth.

He snickered, “What are you even doing in this class?” All eyes set on us. “No, actually, what are you even doing in this school; wasting your parents’ money when even the dumbest soul could probably tell that there is no future waiting ahead of you.” That’s when I was reminded of my mother’s words and I started tearing up. “You’ll do quite well as a money-leech, failing college after college and being declined by job after job…”

I gritted my teeth and pumped my fists. I know that all he’s trying to do is humiliate me in front of my classmates, just like I had done, but I couldn’t just take it mouth-shut. “And what are you even doing in this school?” I fought back, “How could the vice-principal have been so blind to see any advantage in hiring you?”

He sneered, trying to hide my success in embarrassing him. “So good of you to remember the vice-principal, maybe you should pay him a visit right now.” his voice deepened as he progressed with the consequence.

I scowled but answered back, “Good. Maybe I’ll pay a visit to the principal while I’m at it!” He gulped at my threat but hid his fear, convincing himself that it was merely a bluff.

I slammed the door on my way out with all eyes following my thundering steps. I held my cool until the door was shut, but shortly after, I immediately teared up. How others call me strong and put-together I’ll never understand.

Turns out that I did not have to go to the principal myself; on the way to the vice-principal’s office, she appeared before me, standing poised and gracefully tall. She noticed the tears swelling up in my eyes and wrapped an arm around my shoulders while standing beside me, asking what was wrong. I was surprised and my tears fell with gratitude and embarrassment for this was the closest the principle had ever gotten to a student. She is the type of principal who becomes alert with a mere pat on the shoulder.

“I just… got into a fight with a teacher.” I answered warily.

“You?” She shot up an eyebrow and looked at me from the corners of her eyes, knowing me well. “Which teacher?”

“Mr. Law.” I answered quietly, unsure of the behavior he’d have towards me if he found out I ratted out to the principal.

She nodded and tapped my back with her large hand. “You can go back to class.” she freed me from going to the vice-principle, who, to me, is a million times scarier than her – although most others won’t agree.

I walked back into the classroom as slowly as I could, hoping the bell would save me, but it was much too early for such a miracle to occur. I wondered why she would let me go so quickly, without even listening to everything that happened. Maybe she’s just so tired of Buckteeth that she already automatically assumes it was his fault. Or maybe she concluded that it was his fault because of my reputation amongst the teachers. For once, I didn’t mind it so much.

Once I returned and walked into the classroom with my head lowered, Buckteeth stood up and instructed me to follow him back outside. I wondered if he had been worrying about my threat.

Once the door was shut and I stood in front of him, he crossed his arms and leaned his back on the wall. “What did he tell you?”

I looked up at him.

“The vice-principal. What did he tell you?” he demanded.

“I didn’t speak to him.” I responded honestly.

His face reddened in rage and he smirked contemptuously – his famous smirk. “I specifically told you to go to him and you failed to obey my orders once again? See, this is why –”

“The principal told me to go back to class.” I interrupted him with all the courage I still had left in me. For a moment, his expression changed to complete panic and he became baffled, but as soon as his eyes locked on mine, he fought to compose himself once again. This made me smirk. Perhaps he hasn’t completely lost his inner child. He has turned this into a game, competing to see who could keep their cool for the longest and who would have the last laugh.

“You…” I could tell he was looking for the right insult, but found none. “Do you really thing your professors in college will be holding your baby hand throughout your projects?” Again with this? I rolled my tired eyes. Seriously, what’s his problem with college professors?

His previous looks of despair increased his vulnerability, only helping me raise my confidence to speak up. “No, but I know that they will at least tell us what the projects are about. Not to mention the due date” I managed to say through trembling lips.

“I’m not losing my job because of you, you –“

“You’re not losing your job because of her. If you do lose it, however, it will be due to your incompetence to preform your duties as a teacher.” My attention was grasped by the principle who appeared, walking tall with huge, tent-like clothes. She strode slowly towards us, holding her chin up and a clipboard against her chest.

The recent-dad let out that teeth-gritting, conceited laugh. “You actually went and told the principle, you f*****g cunt?!”

“Language!” the principle warned, placing an arm around my shoulder once again.

“This is such bullshit.” He couldn’t seem to keep his buck-teeth hidden away with that horrendous, sinister grin of fear. “You had no right to go complain about me.”

“Joel, you’re not really helping your case with that language. Now, calm down, we’ll all sit down and have a little chat to come to a consensus on the matter.” She pulled me back, distancing me from him.

All I could do was stand with eyes wide. I was frightened. Not for me, but for him. I know he had no right to treat me or any other student that way, but will I really be able to live with myself if he ends up being fired? Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything…

As Ms. Richards asked, I tried explaining everything to her, from how Danny and I spoke to the guidance counsellor and to Mr. Law to how he’s treated me in the last few classes. And by “we spoke”, I mean Danny spoke and I listened. But it’s not like I’m any less guilty and responsible. I was present and Danny did say everything that I was thinking. But if I didn’t speak, then why is he only treating me this way? (Not that I want Danny to be targeted as well). Maybe exactly because I didn’t speak. Unlike Danny, I didn’t have the courage to confront him face-to-face, but he does know that I’m thinking the same.

His presence only made me nervous, and I rocked in place, fiddling with my fingers as I spoke. His eyebrows furrowed and fists clenched, only making it harder for me. As I finished speaking, the nerves got to me, and my eyes began watering. This only worsened once he opened his mouth and began hissing at me. I tried ignoring his words, but soon enough I was full-on crying.

Whilst I responded to a question placed by the principle, sobbing uncontrollably – and embarrassed at my pathetic behavior, if I may add – the defendant’s face grew with indignity. His profile turned to the hue of a tomato and his irksome grin kept widening.

“YOU f*****g b***h!” he seemed to explode. “What’s your goal? To make everyone suffer just because mommy and daddy don’t give a f**k about you, you little crybaby?!”

All I could do was stand petrified as my eyes kept dripping. Ms. Richards tried calming him down and holding him back, but he kept going. “I don’t believe that my job is being put at risk because of a f*****g crying-ass b***h! You might as well just quit school and go to a w***e-house to find your per –“

Out of nowhere he had been struck to the ground and his crooked nose was bleeding. My soaked eyes widened and froze along with the rest of my body. I had been pulled toward a familiar bulk and a scent in which I had never gotten tired of drowning. Without thinking, and out of habit, I grabbed onto the intruder’s dress-shirt, and everything seemed to ease down, including my spinning head. My tears calmed down, but now it was the principle’s turn to become irate.

Her usually composed profile turned redder than Mr. Law’s and, as soon as he got back on his feet, two words flowed from her aging lips harmoniously as if she were the anthropomorphization of karma, “You’re fired.”

That was all.

As he began to protest, she added, “You may return home at once. All bureaucracy will be taken care of later. You are to never face one of my students again.”

As sorry as I am to say this, a game is a game, and this is game over for him.

As he gave up on defending himself, he tried insulting me once again only to end up frightened by Mr. Cohen who held me tightly. Mr. Law grumbled off and Ms. Richards turned to the both of us with arms crossed. I immediately let go of Andrew’s shirt and took a step back as he did so too. Even after what he had done, he didn’t seem scared at all for his job, standing composedly upright with eyes fixed on the principal’s. Even I was more scared for him, and I don’t even want him in this school. But…

I already got one teacher fired. No matter the gravity of this jerk’s actions, I really couldn’t stand being responsible for the dismissal of two idiots. I broke the silence, “Ms. Richards, it was my fault. I –“

“What are you talking about? Nothing else happened here.”

Andrew had already understood her intentions but my slow brain was behind, as usual, and I just had to ask, “But, Mr. Cohen, he –“

“I didn’t see anything.” She winked and it was like hallelujah in my brain. I smiled and so did she. “Andrew, supervise this class for the remaining twenty minutes, please.” she said, glancing at her wristwatch before walking away.

However, as she strode gloriously, she turned back around in a short pause, “But I will have my eyes open if more hugs like that are shared.” she shot up a brow before she kept on walking as we both gulped.

The second jerk opened the door and let me in first. That was when I noticed his bleeding fist. I stopped for a while, surprised. My first thought was to take his hand in mine and… No, but I couldn’t. Instead, I shook those thoughts away and murmured a “Thanks” right before dragging myself inside to the walk of shame. I knew that the moment I walked in, the rumors would begin and spread like a disease, destroying lives. Soon enough, the whole school will know that Emily Roth got Mr. Buckteeth fired and that Mr. Cohen was her knight in shining armor who slayed the mighty dragon.

…And so it did. Everyone around me was whispering and the biggest drug-addict and dickhead from our grade laughed out, picking on me in front of the whole class. I didn’t say anything. And, truthfully, I didn’t care. Not even a bit. What I get at home is much worse than anything I get thrown at here.

However, the jerk filling in for the previous jerk couldn’t figure that out. “Hey,” he called out to Mickey Mouse from Drugsterland, “quiet down. I think Em has had enough commotion for one day.”

What did he just say?!

I shot back at him in indignation.

Both our eyes widened as so did the rest of the class’s. Burying my face in my arms and sinking into my seat, I didn’t lift my head until the end of the period. Please tell me he didn’t just call me Em in front of everyone. Even in this position I could still feel the million glares fixed upon me. The i***t quickly cleared his throat and started talking nonsense to break the awkwardness he’d created.

I waited until everyone had left the classroom and sent my friends off.

“What the f**k was that?!” I turned to him, flinging my arms up.

“Sorry. It just slipped. Force of habit?” he said pathetically.

“It slipped?!” I laughed, outraged, “You know what else just slipped because you couldn’t keep your stupid mouth shut? My whole reputation, that’s what!”

“Em, I was just trying to protect you.”

“STOP CALLING ME THAT! It’s like the billionth time I’ve told you that already! We are not close anymore. I don’t call you Andy, and you don’t call me Em. Do you understand?” I breathed out in frustration. “In fact, it’s much easier if you just don’t call me anything at all. There’s only a bit more than half a year left until I graduate. Do you think you could just disappear once again until I leave this place?”

“I can’t do that.” He looked at me with an air of determination, clearing out any signs of pain.

“What…” the f**k? “I don’t even want to hear it.” I brushed him off, knowing his was the next nose that would be broken if I let him speak.

I simply walked out of the classroom and walked towards the cafeteria to join my friends. I was stopped in the way by Mr. D.

“Hey, kiddo. You okay?” I nodded and smiled, opening the door to the cafeteria. If he already knows, then I’m betting all other teachers are already talking about it. I wouldn’t be surprised if I start being treated completely differently by them, constantly afraid that I will get them fired. My eyes nearly watered up again. Why the f**k did that buck-teethed asshole have to act that way?

“Hey, Em?”

“Don’t call me that!”

My friends looked at me questioningly with brows furrowed and my eyes widened, realizing my rude tone. “Sorry. Can you please stop calling me that for a while?” I stuttered, trying to speak gently.

“Why? Is something wrong?” Alex seemed worried.

“N-no. I’m fine.” I laughed, trying to fake my feelings. Wanting to change the subject, I looked around and asked, “Hey, where’s Jackie?”

Alex shrugged, “Probably with Jake, I presume.”