Page 40 of The Teacher

“She’s someone I’d get rid of first. It seems like Poseidon’s Academy hired her to bring in some good donations from her family, but she hasn’t brought in a penny. She’s rude and inconsiderate towards me and my authority as her senior, so she’ll have to go. I’ve had my eye on her for some time. I’ve been watching her. She’s very suspicious.”

“I see.”

“Here’s everything,” she says, gesturing at the pile of papers in front of her. “It’s all there, everything for the last five years when I took over.”

I walk up to her desk and take a hold of the papers. I smile at her. “You wouldn’t mind if I photocopy these, would you?”

13

SKIPPER

The bell rings, meaning a new class is about to begin.

That’s my cue. My chance.

Here we go.

I sprint down the school hallway, avoiding students left, right, and center. I’m holding the gift in my hand, the gift meant for her.

“Hey!” One of the kids yells at me as I duck past him, barely missing him as I rush past down the hallway. I don’t care about any student who gets in my way, this is my moment.

I turn a corner and there she is.

Sandy Finn.

She’s standing outside the door to her classroom, welcoming her English class in. She’s greeting each one as they walk through the doorway. She’s all smiles. I can see she loves this job. She really does. It makes me go all mushy inside.

Ugh. Emotions.

“Miss Finn,” I call out as I turn the corner. I hide the gift behind my back before she can notice it. She lifts her head up. Her eyes are sparkling blue. Gorgeous. Her face is tanned and her hair just perfect. She’s my ideal woman. She’s worth flying across the world for.

She’s worth me coming back to this town.

“Hey,” she says. She doesn’t seem as pleased to see me as I am to see her. No matter.

I’m going to change that.

“Last night really fucked me over,” I say, coming to a stop in front of her.

“No swearing in school.”

“Oh, right, Miss Finn.”

“Please just call me Sandy.”

“Well last night really screwed me over,” I say, emphasis on the not-swear word. She wants to laugh, but she hides it. I can see it, though.

She, unlike me, doesn’t seem affected at all by the numerous shots of tequila last night. She looks radiant. An angel.

I really fell into her trap last night, didn’t I?

“I’m glad that it did… screw you over.”

“Oh, so that’s how it is? You’re glad you made me wake up with a raging hangover, huh?”

“I don’t have time to talk to you now, Skipper,” she says, starting to turn inside her classroom. “I have Romeo and Juliet to teach.”

“Hang on one second,” I reply. I bring out my hand from behind my back, the hand carrying my gift, and show it to her. It’s a shiny red apple.