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There wasn’t a guard up now I couldn’t say how I knew I just… felt it

And it stunned me for a few seconds A few seconds filled with curiosity and indecision

But following those seconds were the h

"Hannah?"

"I don’t want to hear it," I answered "I’ up and switched et a new nu myself My hands shook and my heart pounded as I placed the phone back on my table

Probationary year was often difficult – the days were sometimes stressful and I was busy all the time For once I was thankful for that over the next few days I was also thankful for the adult literacy course and for the book group I’d joined that gathered every Wednesday evening at St Stephen’s Centre If it kept odsend

I had my fourth-year class that afternoon, and they were definitely helping to keep me busy It would seehout the period, Jack Ryan, the little pain in the arse that Tabitha Bell had been so upset over, had repeatedly sighed heavily as we read scenes and discussed the play Five times I’d asked him to sit properly at his desk after he pushed his chair up onto its back legs, balancing it precariously I had visions of the chair tipping hi off the corner of the desk behind hi nore him and teach

"Aw coruh for ot there "Why don’t you shut the fk up, you whining wee bastard?"

"Jarrod," I warned

"What?" Jarrod gri a dick"

"That doesn’t mean you have to lower yourself to his level"

Jack’s chair thudded to the ground "You calling thy stare in answer Jarrod relaxed, chuckling in triu before I could receive his sure-to-be-disrespectful retort

As the kids got up to leave, I called Jarrod over to ular occurrence He swaggered over to oing to give me a row, don’t bother"

I raised my eyebrows at hi?"

He shrugged "I just said what you wanted to say"

That was so terribly true it took everything in ive that fact away "Jarrod, the point is that you’re a bright kid, and a good kid, and you need to learn to stop retaliating against idiots who aren’t worth it Keep your lips sealed and walk away"

"Froed this tireed with hiuys like Jack Ryan and Rutherford didn’t get the best of hihtfully

A few seconds of contemplation passed, and since I didn’t want hi down on him all the time, I pushed another topic "Did you look atany progress?"

"I suppose so"

"As good as it is, I just feel it would have ht into your parents and their influence on your relationship with your brother"

Jarrod’s eyes hardened "Well, it’s just Mum, me, and the weeinstantly unco helpful since I fortunately didn’t have personal insight into parents who abandoned their children, I offered a laed with fake nonchalance

"It does Try writing it in Ito spoil a perfectly nicehim a look that told him I didn’t buy his pretense at cool, I opened my mouth to dismiss hiazes

I sucked inthe entire dooras Marco He earing a dark fleece hoodie and dark jeans tucked into construction boots My eyes flew back up to his face, and I felt that painful wince inhere?

Jarrod sensed the sudden tension "You okay, Miss Nichols?" His eyes swung to Marco and instantly narrowed in suspicion

My heart racing, I turned to my student and attempted to sound calm as I replied, "I’m fine I’ll see you next class, Jarrod"

"I can stay," he said stubbornly

I smiled at his protectiveness but shook my head "I’ll be fine"

He didn’t seee, brooding ood-bye and strode across the roo despite Marco’s size

Marco watched hi hiht, he turned back to ot a loyal one there"

No, no There would be no pleasantries in this a here?"