Chapter 3 Gabe
Monday August 25, 11:05 AM
Second period went a lot like first period, followed by his prep period. Gabe waited for the bell to ring for the beginning of third period to start so the hallways would be clear. Then he headed to the office to make his daily visit.
“Ahh, Doreen. You saved the day with that muffin. Like always.”
Doreen’s eyes twinkled. “You are so welcome. My husband doesn’t even eat as many as you do.”
Gabe smiled as he leaned on the counter above Doreen’s station.
She smiled back, then fiddled with some paperwork on the desk. “I heard from another student today you’re his favorite sub. You know Mr. Tolman is retiring soon. Why not put your name in the hat?”
Gabe sighed slowly and with annoyance. “Doreen. We’ve talked about this.”
She sighed, exasperated, then stapled the papers. “Come on. We need more young teachers like you around here. If you get a full-time teaching job, I’ll bring you muffins every day.”
“You already do that,” he replied. “Anyway, you know why I can’t commit to anything right now.”
“Yeah, I know. When are you going to hear back about the fossil project? What was it?” Doreen rolled back in her office chair and filed the papers in a drawer.
“An archeological dig. In Egypt. My old college professor is trying to secure funding. He’s been working on this since I graduated college. He’s getting really close. If it goes through, I’ll be out of here in a month.”
Visions of dirt and shovels and brushes and ancient artifacts danced in his head. His dreams were so close, he could feel it.
Doreen rolled back toward Gabe. “Well, we’d sure miss you. Come back anytime. You’ll always have a substitute job waiting. You’re our own Indiana Jones, you know.”
He smiled. Okay, so Indiana Jones had been a big reason he got into archeology in the first place. Every single class in college had confirmed it was his calling. He couldn’t get enough of studying ancient civilizations. He’d even do unrequired reading. And Egypt documentaries? Forget about it. Gabe had watched them all multiple times.
The office phone rang and Doreen picked it up. “Oh. I see. Uh, yes. I’ll send someone right away.” She hung up and looked around the office area behind her, which was empty. Then her eyes landed back on Gabe, and her eyes twinkled again.
“Can you go help out in room 110? The new sub is having a bit of a… crisis.” Doreen smiled.
The new sub. Avery. He swallowed. Part of him was excited for the thrill of a new adventure of helping someone, but his heart leapt at the thought of Miss Williams.
“Suuure,” he drew out his answer. “Why are you smiling?” He paused, wagging a finger at her. “Like you’re hiding something?”
The phone rang again. “Go. Off with you.” Doreen put the phone to her ear. “Hello, Desert Scorpion High School.”
Gabe reluctantly turned and headed down the hall. He didn’t mind a good crisis—he thrived on the excitement—but he had suspicions Doreen had ulterior motives. Too many people in his life were trying to play matchmaker, but of course nobody knew who his type was.
Because clearly Gabe didn’t know. Even with how good he was at reading most people, he had no idea what he wanted in the opposite sex. Clearly, he hadn’t been good at picking the right girl so far, because every relationship had crashed and burned. And since he pretty much liked every person he met, Gabe knew he had no filter. How could he trust himself?
Which was why swearing off women altogether was flat out easier. Besides, he was going to leave the country in a month. Hopefully.
As he reached room 110, the door jerked open and Avery rushed out, shut the door, kicked off her shoes, put her hands over her eyes and shook her head, and let out a muted scream, probably so the students wouldn’t hear.
Gabe smirked and stopped a few feet away from her. Despite her panic, the way she moved transfixed him. Her purple top tucked professionally into black pants that hugged her hips, her long dark hair falling around her shoulders.
“You got through two class periods before having your first breakdown? Pretty good for your first day.”
Avery jerked her hands away from her eyes, her face scrunched. “You? What are you doing here? Don’t you have a class to teach?” she huffed.
Gabe glanced between the little window on the classroom door and her. “Prep period. What happened?”
She folded her arms. “I don’t… they just… gah!” He knew how teenagers could be, but Gabe always had a playful attitude. Maybe he could help her approach the situation less seriously.
He peered through the window to see students talking and wandering around. “Looks like a bunch of teenagers to me.”
“They’re awful! I can’t even repeat… I don’t even know…” Her shoulders finally relaxed. “What does rizz even mean?”
His eyebrows furrowed. “What?” He laughed so hard he could barely breathe.
Avery stared, her face getting redder by the second. Bad move to laugh at her. Avery was madder than a cobra staring Indiana Jones in the face.
He stopped laughing. “I’ll be right back.” Gabe opened the door of the classroom and went inside.
Time to lay down the law. He was always happy to help, especially a woman in distress. Although he tended to overdo it. Well, right now he would be helpful. Because she needed it, and Doreen specifically asked him to help. But he would make sure to not go over the top.
He closed the door to take care of business without Avery watching him. Now it was only him and a classroom full of students.
“Excuse me? Are there some Desert Scorpion Scorpions being disrespectful to a fellow substitute teacher?” He used his best authoritative voice. His time in the drama club helped.
He stalked to the front of the room. “Anyone I point to has only thirty seconds to explain what happened, and it better be good.” Looking for a likely suspect, or better yet, a willing snitch. “You.” He pointed at Davis, a student who had acted up in several classes he’d subbed for in the past.
“Uhhh. I uh,” Davis shook his head.
Next, Gabe picked Hailey, a student who was usually well behaved.
“The three boys in the back started telling dirty jokes while Miss Williams was talking about some book and then everyone was laughing and those girls over there started making fun of the boys but Miss Williams thought they were making fun of her and—”
Gabe closed his hand in the air. “Thank you. Next!” He pointed at one of the accused girls.
“Yeah, I mean, but then while Miss Williams was distracted they were making rude, uh, gestures behind her back.”
He peered at all the students. “That’s what happened?”
The students nodded. The three boys in the back slid down in their chairs.
Gabe dramatically stomped around the classroom with his arms folded, acting as mad as possible. How could he actually be mad? He was a class clown himself. But he was never disrespectful. Some students laughed at his overdramatization, that is, until he turned to them and gave them a look.
“Let’s all stand and recite the school motto, shall we?” he said. The students grumbled. “Come on, come on. We all need a reminder.”
Everyone stood and repeated together: “Building a community of discovery, learning, connection, and respect.” The students sat.
“We should always respect each other,” he said, “but especially new people. That includes teachers. I can’t fill all the substitute jobs myself. Not like there’s a line out the door to step in and teach all you at a moment’s notice. So behave. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“Good. Don’t make me come back. I’m in my prep period. Oh, and you three boys, separate. Now.” They shuffled quickly.
Gabe opened the door to find Avery waiting outside. Her mouth gaped but no sound came out. She shook her head. “How did you get them to behave?”
He shrugged. “Be silly sometimes, but always be in charge. And remind them Scorpions are always respectful. The mascot comes around and drills it into them regularly. It’s kind of weird, but effective.”
She smiled. “Thanks. I appreciate your help.” Avery’s smile melted him.
She was unexpectedly one hundred times prettier when she smiled, her eyes bright and hopeful. And because—for a second—she didn’t look so anxious. He had helped her feel comfortable, and he liked that. Like he had rescued her from danger, or something. Dang it, Gabe. Don’t overdo it. Stay businessy and teachery.
“But how did you know what to say? How to get them to calm down?” she asked.
Gabe searched his brain. How to put his teaching method into words? “What do you think those three boys in the back wanted to gain from telling jokes?”
“Attention.” She shrugged.
“Yes, but from who?”
A lightbulb seemed to go off in her brown eyes. “Ahh. The girls.”
“Who then reciprocated, but because you were frazzled you thought it was directed toward you.”
Avery held up a finger then put it down. “Okay, fine. But weren’t you frazzled on your first day?”
Gabe smiled, then as he turned and walked away, said, “Nope.”
He turned back to see her put a hand on her hip, and Gabe could tell she was hiding amusement under a playful scowl.
Which wasn’t as cute as her real smile, but still a victory in his book.