Teaching A Thing Or Two

Chapter 19 Confronting

Finley's POV

I grab my things, leaving my comforting car behind me to head into the uncomfortable area that is my work place. I let out a deep breathe trying to gain what little confidence I have to make my way to my classroom before I call in sick.. maybe I should just call in sick.. no I need to be an adult and deal with this like an aNighy. and that means dealing with this head-on no matter how much I don't want to do this.

I walk down the hallway feeling as if I'm being stared at and man let me tell you I hate that feeling. I keep my gaze straight forward, not letting it linger even just a little bit as I quickly get to my room to hide. I set my purse in my drawer as I get my books out for the lesson today. I walk to the board to start writing our lesson plan for the morning as I hear. "Finley, can we talk?" I stiffen up at the sound of his voice as I swallow the lump in my throat. I set my dry erase marker down as I slowly turn around.

"I don't know.." I say to him hesitantly, then putting my back to the wall just wanting to stay as far away from him as I can.

"Please Finley just let me explain and apologize at least." He begs of me as I groan saying. "Fine you have 5 minutes."

"Just please forgive me Finley, I don't know what came over me.. and I swear I thought you liked it.. I was just trying to help take your mind off of things.. I'm sorry Finley, can you please just give me another chance?" He exclaims to me as I shake my head instantly.

"I will forgive you because I'm not the 'holding a grudge' type.. but you knew I didn't like it because I told you I didn't. I'm just happy Jameson was there to stop it before you did something to really hurt me.. because that's the route it was heading down.. and that's no way to get a lady to like you.. I'm just saying since you obviously don't already know that.. Also.. You're not getting another chance with me I just want to be on decent terms with you because we work together but I'm not giving you another chance. Nothing that you did was ok and it will never be ok with us and it won't be forgotten either." I state as he asks, "I thought you said you would forgive me?"

"I said I would forgive but never said anything about forgetting." I state to him as he looks irritated by my statement.. but I don't care, he is the one that made the choices he did.. no one forced him into anything.

"Seriously you're just going to be a b***h like that and not even give me a chance to make it up to you?" He spats as we hear. "That's not her fault for being defensive when you're the one who forced yourself on her." Kacee comes in my defense, with Kimmy adding, "You're not owed any second chances just because you f*#cked up the first one.. it doesn't matter anyways because she has a new man in mind that's nothing like you."

I smile in victory with my friends coming to my aid in defense. "Fine be that way, It's your loss." He spats as he storms out of my classroom. I groan stating, "It's my gain not my loss." I turn around making direct eye contact with my friends as I let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks so much for coming to my defense." I say to the both of them as they nod. "Don't let him get to you.. you have all the right in the world to not give him another chance.. mostly because he doesn't deserve it." Kimmy explains to make me feel better and it works only slightly. I have to spend the whole rest of the day on edge with him glaring at me from afar and looking like he wants to say something to me but never does after our morning talk.

The day goes by way slower than I ever wanted but that's probably why.. I spent the whole day watching the clock which makes time seem like it's slowing, if not stopping all together.

But I get through the longer than expected day with no problems luckily for me. I quickly leave my room right after my kids just wanting to get out of there. I was starting to feel like I was suffocating, just craving for some much needed fresh air. I get out to my car as I bend down throwing my things into the passenger seat before I feel as if someone is behind me. I quickly stand then turning around and it's Joseph again.

"What can I help you out with Joey?" I ask curiously letting him know he is not being sneaky enough, because I noticed him.

"I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to convince you to change your mind and give me a second chance." He asks as I groan in annoyance at this question.

"No there's nothing you can do.. you had the one chance and it's long gone now and not coming back." I state probably too honestly to him as he groans, hating my answer. "Come on there's nothing I can do to change your mind?" He asks again as I roll my eyes. "Read my lips.. No.. have a good night Joey." I state trying to be nice as he takes my arm into his hand before I have the chance to get into my car.

"Keep your hands off of me.. I thought you would have learned that from the last time. I don't care that you don't like my answer because my answer is final. Now I'm sure there are plenty of women that you would like out there so leave me alone. I have my sights set on someone special anyways.." I explain to him as best as I can with so much determination laced in every single word until I hear from behind me. "Yeah my dad really likes her and she really likes him.. so it's just perfect.. but one thing I do know is that he wouldn't like you holding her arm like that." Sunny declares as Joey looks back and forth between us before I spat back, "You're right Sunny, he wouldn't like this and I know that for a fact because he didn't like it the first time he did it to me.. don't you remember what he did to you because he didn't like how you were treating me Joey?" I ask sarcastically because I know he does remember.

Joseph doesn't say anything to me he just reluctantly loosens his grip around my arm as I swipe my arm out of his hold. "Now have a good night Joey." I say sitting down in my car and slamming the door shut. Sunny gets into my car passenger seat as I lock the doors just in case because I trust Joey as far as I can throw him and let me tell you, that is not far.

"Thanks for saying something." I say to Sunny as she nods but looks a little freaked out with wide eyes and worry on her face. "So what did you mean by that with Joey and my dad?" She asks me curiously and I don't want to lie to her.

"Well, Joey heard about my break up so he asked me out to help distract me.. so I said yes thinking he was just being nice.. and he was really nice the whole date.. well until the end.. he walked me to my house and tried to force himself on me and that's when your dad came to my rescue. I told you he helped me out and that I didn't get to thank him.. well that's what I was talking about.." I explain as best as I can to her.

"So is that when you met my dad?" She asks as I quickly reply before even thinking, "No but that's when I knew I really wanted to get to know him." I freeze up at my own comment as I try to explain. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that.. but I met your dad by almost running him over, hitting him with my door by accident, him helping me with Joey then by seeing him at your house.. it was a whole bunch of times of seeing him as if it was meant to happen.. but your dad is actually working on the house that I live next door to."

"So have you already seen him today? He was talking about you to me last night and I told him I completely approve and he liked that." Sunny states to me as I smile and nod. "I appriciate your approval but if there's any point where you don't like it you have to let me know because you're my priority Sunny." I say this empathetically to her as she smiles even bigger saying. "Well I'm fine with it because I love you and him and he deserves to be happy.. you should come over tonight, I bet my dad wouldn't mind."

"Actually he already asked me this morning to come over tonight so I was planning on heading right over there after I dropped my stuff off at home and maybe changed.. or fixed my make up.." I retort as she smiles and shakes her head. "You look perfect as usual Finn. Let's just head over to my house now." She asks as I smile and nod. "Alright I'm taking your word that I don't look awful so you better not be lying to me.. I'm trying to leave a good impression on this sexy beast of a man." I state playfully as she groans out loud saying in more of a screech, "Ewe that's my dad you're talking about.. but you look fine." She says as I respond instantly while driving away from the school. "Fine?"

"Fine.. glorious!" She states as I laugh at that comment, "Good that's what I like to hear.. I think your dad deserves the best so I need to do my best to be the best." I exclaim as she shakes her head gaining some of my attention as I drive. "He just deserves someone to treat him right.. I'm sure he wouldn't care what you looked like as long as you had the best personality.. that's why he left my mother, supposedly he went for her looks and not the personality and that's what he got.." She says looking a little sad.

"I bet your mom has made mistakes but she can't be that bad." I say to her as she shakes her head more. "She has never been nice to me as if I'm the biggest burden in her life.. so my father never forced her to give money or see me.. he always said if she wanted to see us she would.. and she never really did except to piss my daddy off when he tried to get full custody.. she would go into full b***h mode acting like she missed me or something even though she had plenty of times to see me and just never did.. I honestly don't think she cares about me I think she just likes hurting my dad.. if we are being honest." she explains to me, making me sadder than before.

"I'm so sorry that's not right and I really hope with all my heart that's not true. So did your dad get full custody now?" I ask as she shakes her head, sadly saying, "No something comes up every single time.. so we have to change dates or do another one because of different evidence and so on.. but hopefully this coming up date we can get it done and over with because I have been with my dad the whole time anyways. No matter how hard she tried to take me away from him."

"Well I hope everything works out in your favor as well." I say as comforting to her as possible until we pull into her drive way, parking. "Are you sure I look ok?" I ask her again as she nods vigorously. "You look fantastic." she says to me as I let out a nervous breathe.

"Ok let's do this before I get scared and run like the wind." I say with so much humor making Sunny laugh as we get out of my car and head in for a fun night.