English Is Flammable (Student/Teacher)

Chapter 15

(Shay’s Point of View)

I somehow made it through Sunday without breaking anything, running into people I didn’t want to see (Ms. Bonzell), or having anything too terrible happen, although there was one standout moment.  

“Dani, I don’t think Jere’s that worried about being single.”  I told her, as  I got out the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies.  I bake when I’m bored.  The funny thing is that I always eat at least half of the batter so I always need to double the recipe.  Maybe I’ll run some of them over to Will later.   

“Yeah, but he looks a little lonely, I mean, you wouldn’t know, you have a boyfriend.”

“I know, but we all go through cycles in a year, I may just be the first to find one that’ll last for more than a week.”  It was true, Dani once dated a guy for a week and then dumped him for no apparent reason.

“I guess that’s true.  So...last night was fun.”  

“Yeah, last night was really fun.  You and Bryan looked rather smitten...”  

“What?  No, he just seems like a nice guy.  You don’t think I like-like him do you?  That’s just crazy.”  

“Alright, whatever you sa-”  I said knowingly, stopping because I dropped the sugar when I tried to adjust the phone against my ear.  “Fuck!”  There was sugar EVERYWHERE. There managed to be sugar on the counters, all over the floor, out in the living room, in every tiny crevice of the kitchen.  This is great, just fucking great.    

“Shay?  Shay, what happened?  Are you okay?  Shay, talk to me, say something!”  Dani shouted over the phone.

“Well I wouldn’t say okay, I’d say fine.  Fucking intense neurotic emotions.”  I said darkly into the phone.

“What happened?”  

“I dropped the sugar.  And it’s everywhere.”  

“Shit.  I’ll be right over.”  
    “Thank you.”  After that episode Dani arrived shortly and helped me clean up the mess, which took about two hours.  Then we found the sugar in the pantry and used that to bake the cookies, leaving a decent sized bowl of it for us to eat.  While the cookies were baking we sat on the couch, eating the cookie batter with spoons, and watching old episodes Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide on On Demand.  It turned out to be a pretty good day.

Monday was really boring.  I went to school, learned some stuff, texted with Will and told him about the sugar fiasco, went over the routine for the pep rally thing in cheer, went home, and ordered Chinese take out for dinner.  I was taking a bite out of some kind of chicken when the doorbell rang.  I shoved as much as I could in my mouth then walked to the door to answer it.  Oh, joy.

Ms. Bonzell stood there, looking pissed as she glared at me from her spot on my doorstep.  Well, this can’t be good.  I swallowed the food in my mouth with a big gulp and looked her in the eye.  

“Can I help you Ms. Bonzell?  Perhaps you need a cup of sugar?”  I asked, chuckling to myself about the last part.  Inside joke since yesterday.  

“No, but you can do something else for me.”  She snarled.

“Oh, and what would that be?”  I asked back sweetly.

“I want you to stay away from Will Coleman.  I don’t know what’s going on with you two but I don’t like it.”  She snarled again.  What is with this woman and snarling?

“Ms. Bonzell, I really can’t stay farther away from him than I already do.  He does teach my AP English class.  I’m afraid that there’s nothing I can do for you.”  I responded. smiling sadly at her, as if I felt bad for her.