Her Forbidden Teacher (Taboo Sneaks #3)

1. Addison

Addison

It all started with a dumb picture.

A picture of me, topless and only covering my nipples with my fingers, while still wearing my school uniform skirt. I’d sent it to my friend Lucy with the words, “Should I go bigger?”

We’d been discussing plastic surgery. Lucy wanted a new nose. I thought having bigger breasts would be cool. It was silly girl talk.

Or so I thought...

Betrayal burns hot in my gut as I make my way up to my new school.

Brown High School is such a far cry from my private one.

People can park anywhere since there aren’t reserved spots.

You can wear whatever you want. And I have suddenly gone from one of the poorer kids at school to no doubt the richest.

I feel so out of place.

My stomach roils as I approach the door to the building. I get a few curious stares which I expected. I’m the new girl, showing up her senior year. I know no one. I have no friends here. It sucks.

When my phone buzzes in my purse, I glance at my watch to look at the notification.

Kenzie: Where are you? We’re waiting in the library for you.

Bile creeps up my throat.

I should have told them.

Seconds later, I get another text.

Halle: I saw Cason, but you weren’t with him. Sick on the first day?

Then, another text pops up.

Lucy: Everyone’s looking for you. Are you in Mr. Thompson’s room?

My blood turns to ice at her text. Lucy knows good and well where I’m at. Or where I’m not in this case.

I should have told Kenzie and Halle the truth—that I’m no longer attending our private school because of a stupid picture I didn’t even send, but I was too ashamed. It was easier to pretend all summer that everything was fine. Sweep what happened under the rug.

Lucy’s text is a stab to my heart. I sent that picture to her in confidence. It was supposed to stay between us. What she did with it was a hard lesson I’ll forever be learning from.

I shudder at the memory of being in an office with my parents, their lawyer, Mr. Thompson, his lawyer, school officials, and two police officers. It was humiliating. All for something I didn’t even do.

Another buzz on my phone. This time, a text from my brother.

Cason: Word is spreading. The secret is out.

I read his text as I make my way past some students just inside the building door.

This place smells like floor cleaner, a mixture of cologne and perfume, and mildew.

The flaking paint on the lockers that line the hallway and the brown water stains in the ceiling tiles point out how different this place is than my old, pristine, beautiful school.

In a way, I’m glad to be here as the secret gets out. Everyone is going to think I’m some whore who threw herself at her teacher. Mr. Thompson was friendly with all the students, especially us girls, but I didn’t like him like that. In fact, Lucy was the one who shamelessly flirted with him.

I still can’t believe she did that to me.

Lucy: Oh no. People are saying you did something terrible.

It’s then, the texts start rapid-fire hitting my watch.

Halle: Did you and Mr. Thompson have a fling?

Kenzie: Someone just said you were expelled! What’s happening right now?!

Nick: Heard you showed your tits to one of the teachers. Fucking skank. Is that why you turned me down? You were sucking Mr. T’s dick?

My eyes burn with tears as my skin heats up. The dean at my old school assured me and my parents we could keep the scandal between us. I’d stupidly hoped that were true, but Lucy already betrayed me once, so it’s not surprising she did it again.

I considered her one of my best friends, too.

Halle: Lucy said Nick said he saw you blowing Mr. Thompson. That’s disgusting! He’s like forty!

Kenzie: You kept this from us all summer? Lucy is crying. She’s devastated. You know she had a secret crush on him, right? Is that why you slept with him?

Maddy: You’re pregnant with Mr. Thompson’s baby? I overheard Halle saying that’s why you’re not in school. We always knew you were a slut.

A tear streaks down my cheek, and I hastily swipe it away.

Cason: I just got sent to the dean’s office. I’ll probably get suspended. Nick’s bloody nose was worth it.

At this, I crack a small smile. My younger brother always has my back.

I pass by the classroom where my second hour will be and Coach Long glowers at me as I pass. It makes me wonder if Mr. Thompson told all his teacher friends outside of the private school. Does everyone know I’m a whore?

You’re not a whore.

You didn’t send those messages to him.

I’d tried to explain that to my parents, the cops, to everyone, but no one believed me. The picture was clearly me. It was sent from a profile that had my pictures on it to Mr. Thompson’s Instagram. All the messages sent after that even sounded like me. I was just as shocked as they were.

“…fucked her teacher…”

I freeze when I overhear words nearby and snap my head over to a group of girls watching me with sneers. The tall one with sleek brown hair smirks at me.

“I’m Nick’s cousin, Elody.” She wriggles her fingers. “Hi, new girl.”

I reach my first hour class and shove through the door, eager to escape Elody.

I knew once the secret got out, it’d be bad, but I didn’t think it would spread so fast. My breaths come out sharp and quick as I scramble to the first desk I see.

It’s right in front of the teacher’s desk.

The back of the classroom has already filled up and there’s only one spot open beside me.

If Elody sits there, I’m quitting school and running away.

Needing to distract myself, I text my younger brother back.

Me: Thanks. Just ran into his cousin. It’s exploding here too.

Cason: Let me know if I need to come destroy someone’s life.

I smile despite the tears threatening to fall.

Cason is a Monahan, ruthless and cruel at times, but he’s also always on the hunt for a story.

The FBI should hire him with his investigative skills.

He’s the only one who believed me that Lucy sent the messages to Mr. Thompson, though we have no hard proof of it.

When he wants to find dirt on someone, he will and won’t stop until they’re exposed.

His YouTube channel is known for uncovering crazy local secrets.

Me: Is this going to mess up your YouTube stuff?

Cason: Already getting demands to reveal “the truth” about you.

Me: I’m sorry.

Cason: I can handle the trolls. Just get through your day. We can go visit Buck later. That’ll cheer you up.

He’s right. Visiting my baby nephew will make a bad day better.

I’m about to reply when a man clears his voice, making me jump.

“Put your phone away, miss. This will be your only warning. I have a strict ‘no-phones out ever’ policy for my classroom.”

A few kids snigger at me, sending a ripple of irritation down my spine.

I snap my eyes up to meet the teacher’s.

I don’t know why I expected to meet a similar, almost-mean looking face like Coach Long, but that’s not at all what I see.

Despite the firm, no-nonsense words, the man’s face doesn’t match them.

His eyes are big, bright, and green like the color of the lily pads in Dad’s backyard pond.

When he notices my wet eyelashes, his lips thin out and his eyebrows furl together.

I tear my gaze from his to put my phone away and pull out my Chromebook. Brown High’s budget must be a lot lower than my old school’s because these decrepit laptops are a far cry from the MacBook Pros we had before.

Everything is so different in my life.

Even where I live now.

“I’m Mr. Langford,” the teacher says once the bell rings and everyone is seated.

“As previously stated, I have a ‘no-phones out ever’ policy. It means exactly what it says it means. If I see them, you can take a walk to Principal Renner’s office for him to hold onto them until the end of the day.

Three times of this and you’re spending detention with Coach Long.

Four times and I call your parents. Understood? ”

He seems strict but when I snare his gaze again, there’s a kindness twinkling in his eyes. I give him a small smile hoping he can tell I’m not a troublemaker.

It’s only a matter of time before he knows what happened, too…

I cringe as I think about the staff discussing me in the teachers’ lounge. It reminds me of that story we read last year in English. The Scarlett Letter. I’m wearing one and the whole world is publicly shaming me for it.

“Mr. Langford?” a guy calls out from behind me. “What if my mom needs me?”

“She’ll survive for fifty minutes,” Mr. Langford says in a dry tone. “And you are…”

“A momma’s boy!” someone calls out for him.

“Shut up, Liam,” he grumbles over his shoulder and then to Mr. Langford, he says, “I’m Zayne.”

“Okay, Zayne,” Mr. Langford continues, a smile tugging at his lips, “if you need to talk to your mom during class, you have permission to go visit Principal Renner as long as all of your work is complete.”

The class cracks up and I even manage a small chuckle.

Mr. Langford’s gaze lands on me and he studies my expression before moving on to someone else. His shoulders relax slightly and I can’t help but wonder if it’s because I no longer look on the verge of tears.

“This is Agricultural Education, an elective I’m sure you all are so pleased to be taking,” Mr. Langford teases, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Can anyone read the classroom objectives from the syllabus?”

I glance down at my Chromebook and skim through the objectives quickly. Of course, I don’t raise my hand. The last thing I want is the entire class’s eyes on me.

“Miss…” Mr. Langford says, attention now on me.

“Monahan,” I rasp out. “Addison Monahan.”

Someone laughs in the back of the classroom, but Mr. Langford ignores them.

“Since no one else is ready to work and you’re the only one with your Chromebook out, can you read the objectives to everyone?”

My face heats and a tremble shakes its way through me. At my old school, this would have been something I could have easily done without a second thought.

Things are different now.

My confidence is gone.

“…too busy sucking dicks to learn how to speak…”

I flinch at the whispered words nearby. My skin turns impossibly hotter. Mr. Langford cuts his eyes in the direction of the nasty whisperer and gives them a warning glare.

After sucking in a deep breath and licking my lips to wet them, I begin reading off the screen.

“We’ll explain the roles agriculture plays in our local communities versus a more global view.

” I swallow and continue on. “Um, demonstrate safe practices while working in greenhouses, labs, and outdoor agricultural settings.” I glance up at Mr. Langford, and he nods, a small, encouraging smile on his lips.

“Let’s see, uh, we’ll identify basic plant principles like propagation, nutrition, and pest management. ”

“Boring,” someone mutters close by.

“Perhaps,” Mr. Langford says with a shrug, “but you still need this elective to graduate. Continue on, please.”

I continue to rattle off all the objectives, and when I finish, I’m thrilled to have everyone’s attention off me.

“Thank you, Addison. And there you have it,” Mr. Langford tells the class. “I’ll be looking for people to sign up for FFA and also the Greenhouse Club. In the resources folder, you’ll find the applications. Deadline to apply for both is at the end of this week.”

My watch vibrates and I glance down at it. Mr. Langford didn’t mention watches, but I’m sure they’re lumped in with the phones. When I see a text from Lucy, I tense up.

Lucy: We’re all so shocked and embarrassed to have been friends with you. Try not to fuck any teachers at your new school.

I grew up with Lucy. Spent the night at her house more times than I can count. Even went on a vacation with her family. We were close.

There was one weird moment that I try hard not to think about and then everything changed. She viciously turned against me.

When I look back up at my teacher, the tears in my eyes making his form blurry, he’s watching me intently. I’m busted. I grimace, fully expecting to be called out.

“All right,” Mr. Langford says, eyes dragging away from me and across the classroom. “Let’s go visit the campus greenhouse. When you’re not taking tests here in this classroom, we’ll be there. Prepare to get dirty.”

Soon, everyone will learn I already am.

Dirty.

Dirty, dirty girl.