Veronica (teacher x student)

3

I sit in the ER with my mom. Turns out, while I was running I stepped in a very big shard of glass. The nurse had to put stitches in my foot. I look at my mom yawning. It's almost 03:00. The nurse gives me crutches so I don't break the stitches. I'll only be out of volleyball for about a week. I begin hobbling out of the hospital with my mom. I get situated in the passenger seat of her car.

"Tell me the full story," She says because the one I gave the nurse was extremely vague.

"Well, I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep so I went into the kitchen. I looked out the window and saw our garbage bin knocked over, so I went to pick it up and when I did I stepped in glass," I tell her.

"Just don't go in the street barefoot again, okay? Especially not at 2 in the morning," She says and yawns again. As soon as we get home, I email my coach explaining the situation.

"You don't have to go to school tomorrow, okay sweetie. I don't want you to be too worn out," 

"Okay, I don't think I will then," I say slightly excited. I haven't taken a sick day in probably 2 years.

I spend the whole day at home. I just laid in my bed with my phone, I even did a face mask. The reason I didn't tell my mom about the car was that I didn't want her to worry. It was probably nothing just some 20-something-year-old stoners who just drive around at night until sunrise. Even in my relax-filled day, Liam had to text me.

Liam: Heard you broke your foot r u ok

Veronica: i only got stitches i'll be back at school tomorrow

Liam: Good <3

Veronica: if you text me another heart you are gonna get your ass blocked

Liam: Hard to get 

I thought no one would care, but when I went back to school the next day, everyone was asking what happened. Apparently, a rumor went around that I was in the hospital on life support. In almost all my classes I hadn't really missed anything except for English. Of course, I had to miss the busiest day of English. At least, now I can stay as long as I want to after school because I don't have to go to volleyball.

As soon as I walked into English, Ms. Wright eyed my crutches. She walked over to me as soon I wobbled into her room.

"Do you need any help? A seat by the door? I can carry your bag," She immediately began talking. I have never seen this side of Ms. Wright before. She was usually very stern and sarcastic but one look at my crutches and she became so... soft. 

"I'll be fine at my normal desk," I say and begin to make my way over. I look back and she looks extremely nervous, biting her nail. I never knew she could be like that. The class flies through and I, of course, stay after to catch up. After everyone leaves, Ms. Wright pulls up two chairs to my desk.

"You can put your foot up on this one," She says and sits on the other one, "I know it must be swollen and tired,". I place my foot upon the chair and sure enough, it feels so good.

"Do you have to go to volleyball?" She asks.

"No, I don't think I play again until next week," I tell her.

"That's good," She says placing her hand on my leg, just below my knee. Her hand circled around my leg and even eventually wanders to above my knee, "You need the break," she says.

"You know, I never knew you could be so... caring," I say and she lightly laughs.

"I'm not that mean, am I?" she asks smiling. She reaches past my shoulder to get the pencil off my desk, while doing that her hand slides up my thigh. Her hand slides back down to my knee as she sits back in her chair. I swear I can hear my heart beating in my ears. As she looks down at my paper she begins to talk,

"How long have you lived in this town?" she asked

"My whole life, why?" I respond.

"I don't know how you do it. This place is so small, there's nothing to do. I used to live in the city and I loved running around the parts of the city I didn't know, but I almost know the whole town now," She tells me.

"Well, there's this bike path that is close to my house, it's very scenic. I run on it all the time, there's this part of it where you're just surrounded by these cherry blossom trees. The trees are pretty ugly in the winter and fall, but when they bloom near summer they look amazing. Running through them in the summer feels so cool because even the branches go over your head so, by the time you're out of the pink tree tunnel, you have petals all over you," Ms. Wright smiles as I tell her about it.

We review the worksheet some more. Almost an hour went by and she is finally done reteaching me the lesson. I put my folder in my bag. I walk out the door and notice it's very quiet in the hallways this much after school. Before I could take 10 steps someone grabs my shoulder. I quickly whip around to see Liam's face all sweaty from football.

"Hey, I got a coupon for some ice cream that my mom gave to me and football just got done early so... Want to go get some with me?" He asks nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. I smile at his awkward proposal. I notice Ms. Wright standing a few feet behind him with her arms crossed.

"She's got a lot of English work to catch up on, so I advise you to have your after-school play date some other day," She says very sternly. Liam turns his head back at me.

"The coupon expires tomorrow and all my friends already went home," He says trying his hardest to get me to say yes. He really hasn't been that bad lately.

"Yes, I will go get ice cream with you, I have a study hall 4th period tomorrow to work on my stuff," I tell him. The biggest goofiest grin I've ever seen on that boy appears. I look back at Ms. Wright but she was gone. I walk out of the school with Liam and get into the passenger seat of his truck.

"Ms. Wright is a bitch, huh?" he says.

"I wouldn't say that, she's pretty strict but she can be nice sometimes," I tell him.

"Nice? All my friends that have her say that her class is hell," He says adjusting his grip on the steering wheel. He starts up the truck and starts driving.

"I'm planning on going to almost all your games this year," Liam says.

"I'm planning on going to all the home football games this year, but not for you," I say smiling at his obvious frown.

"Why are you always playing hard to get?" He asks.

"Maybe not all girls want to be with you," I say.

"God, you're such a fucking bitch. I take you on this date and you can't even say anything nice to me. All I ever hear is 'get away from me' and 'stop flirting with me'. I don't know why you won't date me. You don't even know what it's like. I swear you have to like girls or something," He begins talking loudly on verge of yelling. He parks the truck in the parking lot and I reach over and slap his cheek.

"Don't you ever say that again," I snap at him.

"I knew you were a lesbian," He says. I slap him again and tears began to well in my eyes.

"I don't like girls! I've been playing hard to get with you because I secretly like you!" I begin to make up the biggest lie so that he won't spread anything around the school, "I just didn't want to date you because my parents don't like you, my friends don't like you and I'm just scared of what they'll think," I say. His tough tone suddenly dies down. He gets out of the truck and I follow him inside the ice cream parlor. The whole time was quiet even the car ride back to the school. I thought he would say something but he just never did.