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“They’re taking a test,” I fussed in a whisper. Meaning, don’t disturb them.
Finn had a way of taking over my class and entertaining them with his sparkling personality. He especially loved to do this when we were in a deep discussion ofPride and Prejudice, mocking Darcy’s stoic character and suggesting that Lizzy should’ve gone for Bingley since he was much more fun to be around. He did things like this only to get a rise out of me.
He grinned as he plopped his cute ass on the edge of my desk and whispered, “I actually need something.”
“What?”
“I know you’re busy withBarefoot, but I really do need your opinion onMuch Ado. The current blocking. Your boy Trace got the lead.”
I beamed, knowing that he would have. He’d been prepping for auditions for the past month, and he was a natural when we role-played Shakespeare and other classics in the classroom.
“I can’t today.”
Katherine stood from the back and walked to the side table where I kept supplies the kids could use if they needed them. She picked up the dispenser roll of scotch tape, sniffling as she returned to her desk with it. She never looked up, but I could tell that she’d been crying. Or still was.
“What day do you have off of rehearsal this week?” he asked, still whispering like a good boy so I wouldn’t blow a gasket.
“Thursday,” I replied, still watching Katherine doing something with her copy ofJane Eyre.
“Terrific. Do you mind stopping by just a few minutes after school? I need a second opinion. And I chose this play for you, after all.”
Much Ado About Nothingwas my favorite comedy by Shakespeare. Not just because the plot and banter were stellar, but because the leading female had my name, Beatrice.
“Sure,” I said, turning my attention back to him.
“Not getting much done today, I see,” he remarked, lifting my one graded paper from a stack of thirty ungraded.
I slapped his hand and arched a brow at him. He knew damn well not to bring up last night in front of the students. I’d been late again and forced to tell him why since I couldn’t keep my post-orgasmic euphoria to even a dim glow when I got to my classroom door this morning.
The first thing he’d said as I swaggered in was, “You finally got laid.”
And he’d said it almost within earshot of a student. After punching him and telling him we’d discuss it at lunch, he’d valiantly strolled back to the Fine Arts wing. I’d had to make copies and do some teacher stuff at lunch, so I still hadn’t given him the details.
“Do you have time for a cup of coffee after school? So we cantalk?”
“Yes,” I hissed. “Now get out. My kids are testing.”
He rolled his eyes as if that were ridiculous. He thought I took academia so seriously. But as I’d told him, we couldn’t all play drama games and dress up for a paycheck.
After he closed the door, my attention went back to Katherine, who was hunched over her desk, fiddling with her book. I tried to return to my lesson plans, but I knew something was wrong.
When the bell rang ten minutes later, the last few who hadn’t turned in their essays stacked them on my desk as they headed out. Katherine was sniffling loudly again and taking her sweet time packing things up.
When she sauntered up and dejectedly dropped her essay on the stack, I said, “Hold on just a minute, Katherine.”
She glanced at me, her eyes red-rimmed, evidence of her crying. “Yes, ma’am.”
Once everyone had filed out, I stood and leaned on my desk. “What’s wrong?”
“I didn’t finish the essay, and I know I’m going to fail it.” She let out a quiet sob, staring at the floor.
I was glad I had the next hour off so no one would interrupt us. Katherine was a sensitive student. She made straight As and was on her way to being valedictorian of her senior class. She was quiet and introverted with a few friends who spent most lunches in the library. Most of the time, she was sweet and smiling when she wasn’t ignoring the world with her nose in a book or last-minute cramming for a test. This was definitely out of the norm for her.
“You can have more time to finish,” I offered. “If I send it home with you, I trust you to complete it on your own.”
She looked up at me in shock. “But that wouldn’t be fair to the other students.”
Katherine was very attuned to what was just and right. She had aspirations to become a defense attorney as a public defender for those who couldn’t afford a high-profile attorney. She wanted to be the best defense attorney for the underprivileged in Louisiana history since she saw how unjust and lopsided the law could be if you didn’t have enough money to fight your battles. She was an idealist with a charitable spirit and a giant heart.
