My Dad is My Teacher // a.f.i

Chapter 10 - Name Change

*Rylie's POV*

Mr. Irwin, or should I say dad, picked me up that Monday on his way to the school. I carried my saxophone into the band closet before saying goodbye to him.

I walked to my locker, grabbed my first and second period books, and I then went to homeroom.

"Ry!" Ski exclaimed when I walked into homeroom. She came over to me, "I saw you in the band room again this morning. Were you talking to Mr. Irwin again?"

"Yeah, and I was putting my saxophone in the band closet," I explained, saying nothing about Mr. Irwin being my dad.

"Okay. So how was your weekend? You said something about talking to your mum about your dad! What did she say?"

"Well, it turns out that I was conceived the same night my dad cheated on my mum, while he was drunk," I began. The bell rung, and our homeroom teacher yelled for us to get in our seats so she could take attendance.

"Rylie Jensen!" She had yelled. I responded with, "here!" Soon, we'd be changing my last name. I was an Irwin, and I now knew that.

A few names later, she got to Ski. She yelled out, "Ski Robinson!" Ski responded, then immediately whispered to me, "tell me more about what happened this weekend."

"In period two, okay? We sit together, and our French teacher won't care if we're talking for the first few minutes of class."

"Okay," she sighed, and our teacher finished taking attendance. The bell rang seconds later, so Ski and I left to our first period class: history.

------

In period two, I walked into the French classroom and sat right beside Ski, where I always do.

"So tell me more about what happened this weekend," she smiled. She really wanted to know about my dad, who was also her band and chorus director, but she didn't know that yet.

"Well, then my mum left him. She soon found out she was pregnant. She only told her parents and a friend or two of hers. She hadn't seen my dad since the night I was conceived. That is, until this weekend, well, and even before that," I smiled.

"What? You met your dad?" She seemed excited, but surprised. We were interrupted again by the teacher, but I nodded, and she smiled.

------

In period three during band, I decided I'd tell Ski that my dad was Mr. Irwin. I was excited to tell her.

"So you met your dad this weekend! Oh my god!" I couldn't believe how excited she was about me meeting my dad.

"Yeah, I had met him before, though. I just didn't know he was my dad," I told her, not telling her directly quite yet.

"What's he like? Is he nice? You seem to be really happy! I know I'm really happy for you."

"Yeah, I'm happy. He's really nice. Actually, he asked my mum to marry him. She said yes," I was procrastinating, not wanting to tell her quite yet.

"Really!? Oh my god, that's great! That's amazing! I can't believe that after sixteen years, you know your dad, and your mum is getting married! I'm so happy for you guys."

"You keep saying that," I laughed, "and when we change my name, it'll be Rylie Irwin."

"That sounds so nice! Wait- Irwin?"

"Yeah, Irwin. That's my last name. Wait a minute.. Were you thinking that Mr. Irwin is my dad?" I asked her, acting like he wasn't.

"Well, yeah.. That's what I thought at first," she shrugged.

"Because he is," I told her. Her mouth dropped. She seemed surprised, yet happy and excited at the same time.

"He is!? Wait, you did tell me your mum dated him once! That's fantastic, Rylie!" She smiled, then set her trumpet under her chair and walked to the front of the room where dad was getting ready for class. I tagged along behind her.

"Mr. Irwin, you're Rylie's dad?" She asked to be sure. She always had to be one-hundred-percent sure.

"I am. I didn't know that until this weekend, and neither did she. I knew there was something familiar about her," he laughed then smiled at me.

"So you're getting married to her mum?" Ski had just remembered what I told her a few minutes earlier.

"Yeah, I am. I don't know why Rylie is telling you all these things, but-" he looked at me.

"Ski is my best friend, dad," I laughed, "I tell her everything. She tells me everything."

"I understand," he nodded, smiling at both of us, "but your mum doesn't tell me everything because she said she has something else to tell me. She needs to tell you too, but I don't know what it is." Ski walked back toward our seats.

"She kept the secret of you being my dad from me for sixteen years. Who knows how long she's been keeping this other secret?" I shrugged, "I hope it's not that she's pregnant again or something. That wouldn't make sense, though."

"She did say that she went to see Calum," he laughed, "but he's married."

"Who's Calum?" I asked, confused. Was Calum a friend of his?

"He's your uncle. He was my bandmate. There was also Michael and Luke. I'll have to introduce you to them once. They'd really like to meet you," he explained.

"Well, we should get class started, so get back to your seat, and I'll talk to you later," he instructed. I nodded and walked back towards my seat where Ski was and had been for most of my conversation with dad.