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"How did I not see this? You’re still in high school?"
She backs up to the wall behind her and leans against it for support "Me?" she says in defense "How did the fact that you’re a teacher not come up? How are you a teacher? You’re only twenty-one"
I realize I’ situation isn’t particularly normal, so I understand her confusion But we can’t do this here Not right now
"Layken, listen" I realize when her nauess that’s probably best at this point "There has apparently been a hugebetween the two of us" I look away frouilt overcomes me when I look into her eyes, so I just don’t "We need to talk about this, but now is definitely not the right tiree," she whispers It sounds like she’s atte not to cry I couldn’t take it if she cried
The door todirectly at Lake "Layken, I was just co to look for you," she says "I saved you a seat" She looks atno traces or hint that she’s put two and two together Good That just leaves Gavin to contend with "Oh, sorry, Mr Cooper I didn’t know you were out here"
I stand straight and walk toward the classroo over Layken’s schedule with her" I pull the door open wider and wait for Lake and Eddie to make their way into the room I’m thankful it’s a test day There’s no way I would be able to lecture right now
"Who’s the hottie?" Javier asks when Lake slides into her seat
"Shut it, Javi!" I snap I aht now I reach over and grab the stack of tests
"Chill out, Mr Cooper I was paying her a coives Lake a slow, full-body glance that makes my blood boil "She’s hot Look at her"
I point to the classrooet out!"
He snaps his focus back to me "Mr Cooper! Jeez! What’s with the teet out! You will not disrespect women in my classroom!"
He snatches his books off his desk "Fine I’ll go disrespect them in the hallway!"
After the door shuts behind hie at my own behavior I’ve never lost my temper in a classroo Lake, waiting on some sort of reaction fro a hole right throughhie the fact that we obviously have a lot to discuss For right now, though, it’s back to the task at hand
"Class, we have a new student This is Layken Cohen," I say, quickly wanting to brush what just happened under the rug "Review is over Put up your notes"
"You’re not going to have her introduce herself?" Eddie asks
"We’ll get to that another tiin passing out the tests When I reach Gavin’s desk, he looks up athi then He nods and takes his test, finally breaking eye contact
When I pass out all but one of the tests, I reluctantly walk closer to her desk "Lake," I say I quickly clearelse to work on, feel free The class is cohtens up in her desk and looks down at her hands "I’d rather just take the test," she says quietly I place the paper on her desk, then make my way back topapers fro in her direction, trying hard not to stare She just keeps erasing and rewriting answers over and over I don’t knohy she chose to take the test; she hasn’t been here for any of the lectures I break ain, so I dart s Everyone quickly files to the front of the room and places their papers on et your lunch switched?" Eddie asks Lake
I watch as Eddie and Lake converse about her schedule and I’m secretly relieved that Lake has already found a friend I’h I don’t have a problem with Eddie It’s just that Gavin knoay too much now and I’lance back down to ins to walk away froht tofrom her purse She shakes a few mints into her hand and lays them onassuovers" She pushes the mints toward me and walks away
I stare at the over I ht I was I’m disappointed in myself Disappointed I lost my temper, disappointed I didn’t use my head when it came to the whole situation with Lake, disappointed that I now have this huge dile at the mints when Lake walks to the desk and places her paper on top of the pile
"Is my mood that obvious?" I say rhetorically She takes two of the h and lean back in the chair, kicking my feet up on the desk This is by far the second-worst day of , man" Gavin walks back into the room and closes the door behind him He throws his backpack on the desk in front of me, then scoots it closer and cli?"
I shakeht now, but I do owe hi my feet down fro ers "We didn’t know"