Teacher's Pet

Chapter 5

Alright so getting Noah off my mind was going to be harder than I thought. Maybe it was the fact that in every class all I heard was the girls talking about the hot new teacher. These girls seriously acted like they’d never seen a good looking guy before. Thankfully I powered through and now it was time for lunch. I made my way over to the spot where me and my friends normally sat. Justin was turned around talking to some girl and Hannah was scrolling through her phone trying hard to not care about what Justin was doing. I walked up and flopped down on the seat.

“Hi.” I said pathetically, causing Hannah to look up.

“What’s wrong with you?” She asked.

“Nothing. Just over this year already. Can it please hurry up and be June?”

Hannah put down her phone and looked at me. “Is this because of Mr. Hottie in D wing?” She raised her eyebrows up and down looking at me.

“Oh god, not you too. He’s not even that good-looking you know.” I lied.

“Oh please. I listened to you go on and on all summer long about this guy. Then when I saw him this morning I almost had a heart attack. Seriously Franks, that man is gorgeous with a capital G.”

Justin turned around. “Did someone call me?” He smiled at us.

“You wish Justin. We’re talking about Franks love tutor.” Hannah was seriously a nerd sometimes.

“I don’t like that guy.” Justin replied.

“Why because all the girls like him and he’s bad for your new found w***e-dom?”

“No, it's because he was an asshole to Frankie yesterday. You didn’t see her face when she walked into sixth period. The guy is a serious douche. All you girls see is muscles and a pretty face.”

“Ugh enough!” I said. “I’m so over any conversation that involves him. I don’t even want to acknowledge he exists except one hour a day when I have no other choice.”

Both my friends just looked at me and nodded. They then proceeded to have their own conversation letting me have some much-needed time to just sit and be.

The bell rang and Justin and I started walking to fifth period.

“You’re walking pretty slowly there, smalls. You’re little legs having trouble keeping up today.”

I rolled my eyes at him. “I’m going as fast as I’m able to. My whole body just wants to turn and run.”

“After yesterday there’s not much more you can do or say. He definitely won’t do anything to mess up his job so you’re safe.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

We walked into the classroom and took the same seats we had yesterday. I felt better sitting as far away from Noah’s desk and the front of the room as I possibly could. I made sure not to glance in his direction and immediately went to take out my supplies for class. I sat there with my head in my hand looking out the window.

“Alright class. If everyone can pass your homework assignments up the line to the front of the room I’ll go ahead and collect those now.”

“Mr. Stevenson, how was dinner last night?” One of the girls in the front row asked him.

 I immediately turned my head wanting to observe this conversation. I knew this girl’s parents had owned one of the more bougie Asian fusion restaurants in the Marina. I looked from the girl to Noah.

 "Dinner was, um dinner was good thank you.”

“Was that your wife who you were with.” She asked.

I sucked in my breath so fast I immediately started choking and coughing. Most of the kids in class turned to look at me. I played it off and composed myself within seconds. “Sorry,” I mumbled. I looked up at the front of the room and saw Noah looking at me. He turned back to face the girl and smiled.

 “No. She’s not my wife.”

“Girlfriend?”

Noah glanced back in my direction and then looked down. “Yeah, I guess you can say she’s my girlfriend.”

I looked over at Justin with my eyes so big I thought they were going to bulge right out of my skull. It felt like my stomach had twisted inside out. It took everything I had not to get up and yell or run or anything I wanted to do. Noah had given me so much s**t for lying about my age and the entire time he had a girlfriend. Justin placed his hand on my arm and just shook his head letting me know this wasn’t the time or place for an outburst. I calmed myself as much as I could. The hour seemed to drag on and I’m certain I didn’t hear anything that was being taught.

 When the bell rang I grabbed my things and rushed out the door leaving Justin behind. I needed to feel the cool air, I needed to breathe. I leaned up against the wall waiting for Justin to come out. I folded my hands over my chest, leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes for a second.

“Frankie.”

My eyes popped open and I looked to my left where Noah was standing. I just stared at him not knowing what to say or do. His eyes looked sad but I couldn’t tell if he was sad for me or him. I blinked and looked away.

“Frankie, please look at me.”

I looked past him and saw Justin coming out of the room. He stopped when he saw me.

“You ok Franks?”

I sighed and looked at Noah. “I’m fine. Let’s get to class.”

 I pushed off the wall, grabbed Justin’s arm and hurried down towards the corridor to our next class.

Noah:

I waited until the last student left my classroom and I closed the door.

 “Fuck.” I clenched my fist and punched the wall. Of all the restaurants in the city I ended up at one belonging to that particular student’s family.

 “Fuck.” I’ve worked in high schools for three years. I know how teenage girls are. Why did she have to ask me about Veronica? And now Frankie could barely look at me. I never mentioned Veronica whenever I would speak with Frankie over the past couple of months because what was the point. What I was doing was harmless. At the gym I got hit on all the time by clients and members. I never acted on anything. But with Frankie, god why was she so different. After our lunch and that moment we shared I planned on telling her. But then when every one of my texts and phone calls was ignored there was no point. I was so mad with her yesterday when I called her out on her lies and I didn’t even think how mine would impact her.

 "Fuck.” I sat down and ran my hands through my hair. I picked up my phone and opened my text messages. I quickly found Frankie’s name. “Can we talk after school?” I put my phone down and it immediately buzzed.

“What for?” Was her response.

“I think we need to discuss a couple of things and need to clear the air if we’re going to see each other every day.”

“What’s there to clear up? We both lied and pretended to be something we’re not. End of discussion.”

I didn’t know where to go from there. She was right. I had done the same thing she did only where she hurt my ego, I may have hurt her feelings. I didn’t know how she felt about me. I knew the passion I felt when I was with her in that alley was unlike anything I’d ever felt with anyone ever before.

 My relationship with Veronica was out of pure convenience. I met her when I was twenty-one and she was thirty-two. She was at a bar with friends and my band was playing. I had a few too many and ended up back at her apartment. She was in corporate law and had a big apartment on top of Nob Hill. At the time I was currently sharing a small apartment with four other people and in my last year at State. Veronica was independent, smart and attractive. Things between her and I became a regular thing. I knew that I was her new toy to show off at parties and client dinners but at that point in my life I didn’t care. To a broke college kid, I was getting free clothes, an awesome place to stay and free meals. But nothing in this world is free.

After graduation Veronica asked me to move in with her and I accepted. On a teacher’s salary I had limited options of places I’d be able to afford and I was ok with our situation. I didn’t love her. She said she loved me but I knew deep down she just loved the image we portrayed. And now I don’t know if I would ever get the chance to explain any of this to Frankie. I picked up my phone and gave it one last shot.

“I’ll wait in my room until twenty after three. If you’re not here by then I’ll leave you alone from here on out. I promise.”

I put down my phone and turned to the pile of work I needed to get through. In forty minutes or so if she wasn’t here I would have my answer.