Chapter 4
Tampa Bay, Florida
Christine
“Five minutes to finish, team,” I told my students, my statement met with a groan. There’d been what someone had thought was a brilliant idea to call the students teammates, hoping to instill that we were all in this school year together.
As far as I could tell, the brilliant idea obviously created during a long bathroom break session hadn’t taken off like everyone in the junior high hoped.
A sly smile formed behind my highly polished professional one.
On the outside, I was a rather conservative, quiet, and very organized teacher. Most people who knew me would say I had a heart of gold, which I certainly didn’t mind hearing or displaying from time to time.
Until someone plucked my last nerve.
Which consisted of every man I’d dated, a good number of the older teachers at the school, and almost every student at Carver High.
While I could smile and act as if I could never have evil thoughts, behind my shimmering eyes was the heart and soul of a warrior.
Some might say an evil one.
That’s why I’d dropped a quiz on the fly when my students had all but ignored me the first half of the lesson. They’d obviously need to learn the hard way I wasn’t in the mood to be fucked with.
The kids hated when I tossed out pop quizzes, but I’d finally learned after being warned by every teacher, the principal and assistant principal, the guidance counselor and even the custodial staff that my sweet, straightforward method of teaching wouldn’t work with what they’d called ‘blood-sucking creatures from the black lagoon.’
Their staunch warnings had come during a welcome to the team cocktail party given in my honor. I’d wondered then why the lot of them had been tipsy.
Only a few months into the school year and I knew why.
Being the new girl at the time, I’d kept my mouth shut, although I’d been horrified they’d talked about their students that way. How in God’s name could they be so horrible?
The kids were exactly as described.
If only my life held a little excitement, something to look forward to. I’d debated planning a vacation on my own, but what fun was it exploring new locations all by yourself?
One time I’d tried going out to dinner by myself. One time. The poor waitress had openly avoided me given I was in tears within fifteen minutes. No, it wasn’t because I was all that fragile. I’d just come from an anxiety ridden doctor’s appointment, but the stigma of eating alone had remained.
I knew what my new Tampa friend would tell me to do.
Have a one-night stand. Hunger and hunt.
Those were her two favorite words, even if Tawny had a boyfriend.
Somehow, I didn’t think their relationship would last. I also wasn’t that kind of naughty girl, but after growing up in a conservative world where even dating was frowned upon, I was ready to break out of the mold.
A hand raised in the back of the classroom drew me out of my moment of misery. “Yes?”
“Ms. Carrington. What if we don’t finish?
” Anthony asked the question using what he thought was a powerful voice.
He did so out of a need to intimidate me, hoping to keep his reputation as the campus bad boy intact.
While he stood over me by a few inches, very little intimidated me any longer.
I’d been through way too much in my life.
“Then I fail you for the year.” That wasn’t true, but they didn’t know that. At least at this moment.
At least a few heads popped up, at least six pencils circling answers furiously. Maybe I was in a much more sarcastic mood than I’d originally thought.
Perhaps that was due to the fact that a fellow teacher continued to ask me out on a date. Even though I’d told him no twelve times now, he refused to take no for an answer. I could see I’d need to use other tactics to drive the arrogant prick from my life.
“Hockey players don’t need to read.”
The entire room laughed at Anthony’s insistence. He did love to be the center of attention.
“Well, Anthony, maybe you’re right. Hockey players are dumber than boxes of rocks, but at the end of the day, they still need to be able to read their contracts and the plays demanded by the coaches.
If you want to be considered for some team, you’ll need to graduate from college.
Which means you need to know how to read. ”
I had no idea what I was talking about as I couldn’t stand hockey players and hadn’t watched more than five minutes of a game in my entire life. But at least Anthony had paid attention to what I’d just said. I’d call that a successful day.
Five minutes on the clock.
Between the dirty looks I continued to receive, the tennis shoes tapping purposely on the scuffed tile floor, and the constant giggles coming from the group of girls in the back, I was on hour fifty-seven of my mind formulating various escape routes, not just away from the school but out of the city.
Maybe the state.
Oh, what the hell, why not the country?
I could use a vacation right about now.
With another stern but controlled glare across the room full of students, I returned my attention to my laptop, hoping to finish grading the last paper before the bell rang.
Given the older building, an old-fashioned wall clock remained hanging in homage to the ongoing renovations occurring throughout campus. With the steel hands bent after so many years of abuse, the constant ticking only added to my annoyance.
I’d just entered the grade on the system when the bell rang. After a few additional groans, the students started to gather their things.
“Bring your quizzes up to my desk. I emailed your homework assignments for tonight.”
Another groan. My mother had always told me what happened when hands were idle. I’d certainly seen that in action with this group.
Since this was the last class of the day, the kids took a few seconds before making their way to the front.
When every paper was placed on my desk and the kids were walking toward the door, I closed my eyes.
Only when I heard the door close and their voices fade did I drop my head into my hands.
I’d wanted to be a teacher since I could remember.
Well, that was after the phase of eating, sleeping, and drinking ice skating.
In my heart, I’d known I’d head to the Olympics one day.
Then the bottom had been dropped out of my perfect little world and reality had settled in. Dreams really didn’t come true.
A slight sound brought me from my painful memories and very slowly I lifted my head.
Seeing Anthony lingering at his desk, his eyes scanning the quiz while the two fingers holding the pencil were white knuckled drew and kept my shocked attention.
I started to open my mouth to tell him in no uncertain terms he didn’t get an extension on the time limit when a little bird in the back of my head stopped me.
Maybe I needed to remind myself why I’d chosen the profession.
To help shape children’s minds, but more than that, to give them a reason to strive for more than what they had in their lives.
The children within this school lived in poverty. They didn’t start the year off with new clothes and a brand-new iPhone. Unless the items were stolen. Many fell into a life of crime just to make ends meet for their families.
Others did so to be cool and feel accepted.
My instinct had told me Anthony was highly intelligent and just required to hide his interest in school with the Street Bloods. Maybe we’d had vicious gangs where I’d grown up, but I’d certainly been protected from them.
Instead of uttering a word, I sat quietly, moving to another school project I could complete on the laptop.
Even though the same clock ticked away, the sound no longer bothered me.
Yet while the minutes passed, I both questioned and answered my mental inquiries as to why he hadn’t worked on the test during the allotted time.
Easy answer.
Because his buds in the gang would have been notified.
Less than ten minutes later, he jerked up from his seat. I could feel the angry heat resonating off his body as he approached. If I’d taken the bait and looked into his eyes, I’d see the dare in them. Instead, I acted as if he wasn’t even in the room.
I held my breath, certain he’d change his mind and rip the test to shreds. He stood in front of my desk long enough I was lightheaded, finally placing the piece of paper just off to the side. With an abrupt turn, he sauntered toward the door.
When he stopped and retraced his steps, I fought the urge to turn my head toward him with everything I had. Very few things in this life could shock me any longer. I was simply immune to surprises.
Or maybe the life had been sucked out of me.
Yet when he placed an apple on the desk, the tiny sound slipping past my lips was impossible to hold back. If he noticed, he didn’t show it, concentrating on what he thought was his cooler than shit gait as he headed to the exit, walking out and slamming the door behind him.
Only then did I let off a heavy breath.
Eagerness replaced everything else and I decided to grade the paper.
After scanning the answers, a tiny bit of excitement tickled my senses.
Unless I was losing my mind, he’d gotten every answer right.
Just as I finished with the last few questions, a light knock was followed by the door being pitched open.
Tawny Shephard was not only my best friend, she was also the only reason I’d yet to pull my hair out. After taking the job on what my parents had called a childish whim, she’d taken pity on me, helping me find a quaint albeit tiny rental house I could call my own.
At least for the time being.
She was also the only person I spent any time with outside of school, the woman as crazy on the inside as I was. Only she had no qualms in showing off her bitchy-witchy side, as she liked to call her larger-than-life personality.