A Plus In Love

Electric Feel

We sat in my car listening to the end of the song before going back to school after lunch. It was the first day of Senior year and we were going to make the most of it. We chatted about nothing in particular as we entered the hallway and started to our lockers. I was excited about all my classes and wanted to soak it all up on last time.

“Hey Casey Jones” A booming voice rang out.The nearly deserted hallway came to a stand still. The dark haired beast stode up to me like it was our regular routine. He towered over  me at well over six feet tall with his wide shoulders and thick muscular arms. He got mistaken for a teacher more than once in our high school career.

    “Mrs Morris wants us to come early to class. She sent me to get you.” I love Mrs Morris. She wasn't stuck up like the other teachers. We respected her because she treated us like people. But why she would send him to get me was another thing entirely. We did not run in the same social circles.  While he was very kind and polite when he spoke with me, our interactions were very limited for three years.

    “Ok, Meet you guys in Choir.” They all said bye to me while looking at him. I followed his long legs down the stairs and around the corner to Mrs. Morris’s room. She taught ‘Life: A class in Living’ like HomEc but not so gender bias.  It was an elective class but by Senior year if you did even a half ass job you had a few elective classes.

    We all knew what we were signing up for. A “spouse”,budgeting, planning, a fake baby for a week, health stuff, just a general course on how to be a proficient human being. My entire body did a weird sort of press and jiggle number into his as he stopped.  I was too far into my own mind to notice. He reached back and steadied me by my hips. OH God, how mortifying.

    “Sorry, I get lost up here sometimes.” He smiled at me over his shoulder.

    “I’ve noticed.” We walked in, and Mrs Morris was at her desk with a young woman who looked to be only a few years older than me. They noticed us.

    “You were fast Mr. St Claire. Please take a seat.” I took a seat two away from him. I didn’t exactly thinking clearly when he was close. “ Ok I have asked you two to come early because I have a request. This year  is my last year and I have always wanted to do something. I have wanted to have a pair of students to act as an example. I never really though two students would work together quite well enough before, but as luck would have this year I do.”

I looked over at Giles. He was looking  at Ms. Morris. I had an uneasy feeling about this. I  looked back at Mrs. Morris. The young woman stood up. “Mrs. Plunkett is most likely going to take my position next year. She is in her last year of school. She is going to be leading class under my supervision. “  Mrs. Plunkett looked at us both then took a breath

“If you agree we would like you two be our example couple. You would be called upon to share your work with the class, lead groups, help the other students.”  She raised her brow. That seemed easy enough. We would work together in class. He always did his fair share so, why not? But the look on her face was strange. There was something else.

    “Before you agree, I have one more thing to tell you. When I say I mean for you to be my example. I mean that I intend for you to be partners for everything. First you’ll be married, then you’ll buy a home, create a budget, at some point you’ll  have a child. I mean for you to do this together all year.” She  moved to the desk and lead against it. “ I’d like for it an experiment  of sorts.  From 8am to 2pm Monday through Friday, all school year, you’ll be a couple. Not actually, but you understand.”

    Yes I did understand. I had to basically act like his ‘wife’ for nine months. To be honest even though this was something I had day dreamed about a lot (like a lot) , I didn’t think I could do it. I could barely get more than two sentences out around him without shrinking into myself.  I was so shy around him, I must have looked like a complete bitch.