The Way Life Goes

Fantasy, she said.

The weekend came and went which was spent mostly sleeping and doing homework. It was to her delight that it was Wednesday quicker than she imagined and she looked forward to the end of the day.

“Can you give me a ride back?” Noah pleaded when the bell rang for the end of the day.

“Extra lessons. Can’t,” she replied. “Ask the girlfriend.”

“She’s already gone home,” he muttered with a pout.

“Well walk home then, I’m busy,” she said with a smile and headed off the classroom.

She knocked before stepping inside and shuffled awkwardly when Tyler turned to face her surprised.

“If you’ve forgotten this is going to be really awkward...” she muttered with a nod.

“No, no, I’ve not forgotten. I’ll be with you in a moment, take a seat,” he said with a shake of his head. As she sat down and waited for him. Her eyes trailed over his back as he finished tidying away and her teeth bit into her bottom lip to stop herself from saying something inappropriate.

“So how’s your day been?” She questioned with a small smile.

“Busy, I thought you wanted to do essays?”

“I do, but get to know your teacher as well. It’s much more fun for me” she said, gesturing at him. “Are you from around here?”

“I came here from New York. I used to live here” he said, shuffling papers around and putting them onto stacks in the tray.

“You used to live here? I don’t remember anyone called Danson living here.”

“It was a long time ago and my family died in a car accident,” he said, sitting down to answer her instead. “I moved away from here with my brother and I’ve only recently returned with a friend of mine. It was by chance that this job opened to me.”

“I’m sorry about your family,” Olivia said

“It’s okay. It was a long time ago.”

When Tyler didn’t say anything for a while, she continued. “So… girlfriend or wife?”

He blinked looking over to her, faintly amused while she tried to look innocent. “No and no.”

“Oh my god, are you gay? If you’re gay then the universe hates me. Not that there’s anything wrong with being gay, you know.” she said desperately, closing her eyes and waiting for his answer.

“I’m not gay, I just don’t have anyone. I’m not in the dating mood as they say,” he said with a snort of laughter. “Now I’m here for you to help you in extra lessons so instead of being nosy why don’t we do what we’re supposed to be doing?”

“Oh don’t be so boring! Why did you leave New York for here? I’d rather have stayed there if I was you.”

“Well you’re not me, are you? I came here because it’s my home.” Tyler said thoughtfully staring down at the lino floor. “There are other reasons of course but you don’t need to know those reasons. If you’re quite done, you have two essays. I don’t want to fail you, but I will if they are not done this week.”

She swallowed hard looking down at her desk and brought out her pad to write on.

Tyler watched the tic of her jaw and took in the slump of her shoulders. Olivia wasn’t like other girls, she didn’t need to slap makeup all over her face, wear clothes that showed off her breasts and body, and she was altogether different. She wore a hooded sweatshirt and jeans, her hair fell naturally and curly; she had natural beauty.

Olivia could feel his eyes on her and looked up to catch him looking at her in soft wonder. It made something inside of her skip a beat and he looked away quickly after that. She didn’t question it and chose to concentrate on the essay at hand instead with a small smile.

It was a long hour before she slammed down her pen and ripped out the three pages she had managed to write.

“I hope you’re happy that I have a cramped wrist, my writing is sloppy, and I’m starving,” she said, handing it over.

Tyler took it from her, casting an eye down it, and nodded. “I’ll get it graded tonight and I want the other done by Friday.”

“So is this every week or is it a one-time offer?”

“Every week.”

“Good stuff, bring food next time, yeah?” she said collecting her bag and heading out with a smirk.

“I’m your teacher, not your servant!” he called out after her, she paused spinning to face him.

“Yeah, but as my teacher, you need to feed me like a gerbil otherwise I just run down,” she said with a shrug waving a hand. “Bye-bye, Mister Danson!”

Tyler opened his mouth to respond but nothing came out. She was something different alright and Tyler liked different a lot. It made something inside of him twist and he smacked a fist against his forehead, annoyed at himself. That “different” was sixteen years old, young, innocent, cheeky, slightly annoying, and very clever. It was illegal and very wrong to want that kind of "different" but it didn’t stop it. It just developed.

***

While Olivia went to get takeout and go home, Tyler got in his car and drove back to the apartment he was sharing with his friend. It was about fifteen minutes from the school and when he arrived the music was blaring.

Jeremy was lazing on the couch when he walked in and hit the pause button.

“No, no, don’t do that!” he protested and grimaced when they both heard the squeaking and moaning of their next-door neighbor having s*x. Tyler wrinkled his nose, turning it back on and Jeremy looked at him in relief.

“You’re back late!” he shouted over the music.

“Extra class with a student!” he explained, dumping his bag and coat on the kitchen side. “Have we still got that leftover food?”

“I think so,” Jeremy said with a shrug, sitting back down and closing his eyes. “How is the school?”

“It’s fine, do you have a job?” he shouted and rolled his eyes when his friend grimaced guiltily.

“I’m looking, I will get the rent, dude, I swear.”

“I came here with you because I needed a friend and you wanted out of New York for different reasons. Get a job, Jeremy, I’m not your carer,” he said pointing a fork at him.

“I promise!” Jeremy pleaded, looking like a puppy begging for treats.

Tyler rolled his eyes again and took his food into his bedroom slamming the door behind him. The double bed looked lonely when he got on, closing his eyes and listening to the music blaring outside.

***

Olivia, meanwhile, was lounging on the bed at her house feeling giddy and couldn’t stop smiling. It was probably wrong but she didn’t care. She wasn’t some naïve little girl here, she knew nothing was going to happen because of the age difference, the fact he was her teacher, and this was real life.

It didn’t stop her fantasies though and she could happily imagine ripping his clothes off.

The lovely thoughts were interrupted by the knocking at the front door and she walked downstairs opening it. She stepped aside blinking when Noah and the others just strolled in.

“It’s your turn for movie night,” Samantha said, thrusting the takeaway menu at her.

“Why was I not consulted?” She replied with a raised eyebrow looking at them all confused. “We’re not watching Love Actually.”

“Thank you!” Adam exclaimed, nodding at Samantha who looked away nonplussed.

“We did consult you, you just weren’t listening. You were daydreaming.” Angela said with a smirk and Olivia flipped her the finger.

“I don’t daydream...” Olivia said softly sitting down glancing at Noah and Angela looking cozy and much happier. “Life is so much better when you two are talking, seriously, it makes me happy.

The movie night ended up all of them watching Thor and eating takeaway until the Sheriff came home glancing at them all.

“Don’t you lot have school tomorrow?” he asked, nodding at the time. She smirked lazily whilst the others stood up looking tired and trudged out back home.

“It was my turn for movie night,” she explained, stretching out and smiling up at him.

“You seem happier,” her dad noted, shrugging off his jacket.

“Do I? I had a good day I guess,” she murmured with a shrug and longed for her bed. “I’m heading to bed, I’ll see you tomorrow, dad.”

“Night,” he said fondly watching her walk up the stairs and sat down on the couch deciding to eat and catch up with some shows.

She wrapped the comforter around her like a cocoon and snuggled into it for the night blissfully accepting sleep and for the first time drifted away without anything pecking at her mind.