The Jerk Of A Science Teacher

Stars

I woke up alone. He had gone, though it hadn't really surprised me. He probably thought it would be best. Leave when I don't know, no collateral damage. I guess it was better in a way, I didn't have to say goodbye and see him walk out the door. It saved me some heartbreak, though I knew he was coming back. At least he said he was. He would be there for my birthday, he promised me that, but in the end, I don't know if they were empty words.

"Mr Harris gone?" I looked towards the door to see my mom standing there, a packet of crisps and two sodas in her hand. She sat down on the chair I had found Mr Harris in just a few hours before.

"Yeah, he must have left sometime last night." I shrugged.

"You two made up?" She had a slight frown on her face, she knew how much he worried me. Of course, she didn't know about the female bumble bee, I'd rather that was kept between Mr Harris and I.

"You're awake!" A voice shouted. I looked up to see Riley standing in her school uniform. I grinned at her. I was glad to have someone who didn't know about Mr Harris, I didn't get the sad puppy dog look, at me sitting alone without him here. Thankfully she was oblivious to it all.

"I'll let you two talk." My mom said, standing up and walking out the room.

"What happened after I fainted?" I asked. I was curious on how Mr Harris reacted, seeing as he heard me fall.

"Utter panic. Well at least from me anyway." She laughed. "Mr Harris spun around as soon as you hit the floor. His face was as white as a sheet. He phoned the ambulance straight away, while I tried to get you to wake up. The dance stopped straight away, though some heavily drunk people thought the sirens were part of the music."

"Sounds fun, almost wish I wasn't passed out. You can sit down you know." She hesitantly looked towards the chair in the corner of the room.

"I'm not contagious, you know. I just fainted. "

"I know," Riley said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "It's just, it was scary you know. One minute you were laughing and the next you hit the ground and wouldn't wake up."

"I'm fine now. I get discharged today anyway. How was school."

"So bad without you. My parents wouldn't let me skip school. Mr Harris has dropped off the ends of the earth. Some 'family emergency ' they told us, but I'm sure it's something else."

"Strange."

"Has he visited you?"

"Why?"

"He seemed pretty shook up when you were on the floor. It was strange." She furrowed her eyebrows. I gulped. She stared me out like she was trying to read my mind.

"Anyway, I can't stay, stupid parents want me home for 5:00." She sighed. She stood up and gave me a hug.

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, hopefully, I don't stay off for too long." And hopefully, Mr Harris doesn't disappear for too long.

~~~~~~~~

Arriving at science was weird. I arrived late, of course, the substitute briefly looked up to see me enter and looked back to his newspaper. It was completely different to the cold glares and the roll of the eyes I was used to. The middle aged balding man was no comparison to Mr Harris. It made my heart ache longer, which I hated. What was the saying, distance makes the heart grow fonder? I used to hate the saying, I didn't understand it, but the longer he was away for the more I wanted to be in his arms.

"When do you think Mr Harris will be back?" Riley whispered to me as we set up our experiment.

"I don't know, hopefully soon."