The Teacher's Pet

Chapter Three.

Picture is of Belle.

Wednesday.

It was a Wednesday the first time he allowed himself to admit that he care about her, more than he should.

It was nearly a month after the night he'd given her a ride home in the rain, she'd be avoiding him and he knew it. She'd skirt around the other desks to enter or exit his classroom, her head always down and her books clutched to her chest. The book he had given her was always among the text books, her grades stayed the same, straight A's across the board.

The school took a class field trip and even though he thought it was ridiculous to go in the middle of the week he had chaperoned. He climbed onto the bus of screaming teenagers, excited to get out of the classroom even for one day and did a head count, one hundred and four students. Plus eight teachers.

He took a seat next to the principal, near the front of the bus and tried not to wonder if Belle was on the bus somewhere. Principal Madison Green was nice enough but a little eccentric, which was the reason they were taking a hiking field trip in the middle of the week.

"It looks like it's going to rain," Madison said.

"I thought so too."

"Maybe we should call this off."

"Nonsense, fresh air helps the spirit breathe and the mind to open."

He rolled his eyes at her and the ridiculous ideas she had, fresh air may be nice but rain wasn't. At least half of the kids would get colds if it rained and he didn't want to think about the complaints they'd have from the teenaged girls if their shoes got ruined in the mud.

When the bus parked at the local wildlife hike it was even cloudier, the rain in Washington always unpredictable. He silently cursed Madison as he followed her off the bus, the rowdy students shoving their way down the stairs after him.

"Okay kids, we're here for three hours then we're going for lunch. Stay on the path and be respectful!" Madison called out.

He watched the students split into their groups, cheerleaders in a group, band members, drama club and etc. Then one student darted out from the crowd, head down, hood up, clutching a book to her chest she headed up the hill. He knew by the thin frame, skinny jeans and tattered converse shoes it was Belle.

He wished she wouldn't go off by herself and had an intense desire to follow her but he held back. He watched the other students disperse and then took up a seat near the bus, he figured he'd give the couples a ten minute head start before he came to tear them off each other.

He must have dozed off because the next thing he was aware of was a cold rain droplet landing on his cheek. He sat up further on the wooden bench and checked his watch they had been there for an hour already.

"We should probably star gathering the kids," Madison said.

"Once the rain hits they'll scurry in."

The rain began to pick up and Madison hurried onto the bus, she carried a silver whistle around her neck and before stepping onto the bus she blew it, letting out a shrill noise. The teens all knew that once they heard the whistle they had to head back.

With in a few minutes the rain had become a full on downpour, students began rushing down the hill and to the bus. He stood next to the bus and counted as the drenched teens and few teachers hurried onto the bus.

"Mr Reynolds!" Mistys voice called to him and he rolled his eyes as she approached.

"Yes Misty?"