Sequel: An Old Beginning ›
Status: Complete
Guilty Pleasures
Chapter 30
“Mr. Toro…what can I do for you?”
“I was wondering if you have a moment…”
Gerard tilted his head slightly as the older man trailed off, looking over Gerard's shoulder.
“If I’m interrupting something…”
Gerard felt his heart nearly stop in his chest, an array of thoughts flying through his brain as he turned around to face Naomi. He breathed a sigh of
relief when he saw her sitting at one of the desks, her history book and notes scattered around her. ‘Good girl,’ he thought, his shoulders nearly sagging with gratitude when he noticed her hair was now covering her neck.
“No,” Gerard said, turning back to Ray. “We were just finishing up. Why don’t we talk in the hall?” Gerard turned to Naomi, giving her a small smile
when she looked up at him. “Naomi, why don’t you get your things together. I’ll talk to you later.”
Naomi nodded like a good little student as Gerard walked into the hallway, closing the door behind him.
“Mr. Way, I need to speak to you privately. It’s a matter of some importance.”
Gerard felt his second mini heart attack course through him. “So talk.”
“I can’t discuss it here. Perhaps when you finish up with Naomi.”
Gerard nodded, his brow furrowed as Mr Toro turned around, walking away from him. He quickly turned, making his way back into the classroom, where Naomi
was standing with her bag.
“What happened?”
“He wants to talk to me later.”
“Oh,” Naomi said with a small smile. “That’s good then, right?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his waist.
Gerard pushed her away. “No, it’s not ‘good’,” he replied. “In fact, when a teacher doesn’t want to discuss something in the hallway, it’s very, very bad.”
“Gee, you’re overreacting, he probably just needs your help with something.”
“And if I’m not wrong?” Gerard challenged. “What if he suspects something, Nae? I could get fired. Fuck, I could go to jail!”
“You’re not going to get fired and you’re not going to go to jail,” Naomi replied, trying to calm him down. “I’m eighteen in a few days, and everything will be fine.”
“You don’t get it, do you?” Gerard asked, his eyes flashing. “This is illegal, Nae!”
“And it has been since it started in September,” Naomi replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “It’s different, Gerard. We’re not doing something because it’s ‘illegal’. It doesn’t apply to us. It’s not the same.”
“Naomi, grow up!” he spat back, realizing his mistake.
Naomi tightened her jaw as she fought the emotions going through her.
“Fine,” she said softly as Gerard closed his eyes, inwardly cursing himself for his thoughtless remark. Naomi grabbed her backpack off the ground, walking toward the door when she felt Gerard's hand on her arm.
“I didn’t mean that.”
“I think you did.”
“Look, I’m sorry, okay? I’m just stressed out and I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”
Naomi finally turned to look at him as he continued.
“Will you come over tonight?” he asked with a pleading quality in his voice.
“Are you sure you want me to?” she asked softly, deciding to forgive him for his foot-in-mouth moment.
“I am.”
“Then I’ll be there.”
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Hmm. Whatever could Mr Ray Ray want to talk about *Tralalalala*
“I was wondering if you have a moment…”
Gerard tilted his head slightly as the older man trailed off, looking over Gerard's shoulder.
“If I’m interrupting something…”
Gerard felt his heart nearly stop in his chest, an array of thoughts flying through his brain as he turned around to face Naomi. He breathed a sigh of
relief when he saw her sitting at one of the desks, her history book and notes scattered around her. ‘Good girl,’ he thought, his shoulders nearly sagging with gratitude when he noticed her hair was now covering her neck.
“No,” Gerard said, turning back to Ray. “We were just finishing up. Why don’t we talk in the hall?” Gerard turned to Naomi, giving her a small smile
when she looked up at him. “Naomi, why don’t you get your things together. I’ll talk to you later.”
Naomi nodded like a good little student as Gerard walked into the hallway, closing the door behind him.
“Mr. Way, I need to speak to you privately. It’s a matter of some importance.”
Gerard felt his second mini heart attack course through him. “So talk.”
“I can’t discuss it here. Perhaps when you finish up with Naomi.”
Gerard nodded, his brow furrowed as Mr Toro turned around, walking away from him. He quickly turned, making his way back into the classroom, where Naomi
was standing with her bag.
“What happened?”
“He wants to talk to me later.”
“Oh,” Naomi said with a small smile. “That’s good then, right?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his waist.
Gerard pushed her away. “No, it’s not ‘good’,” he replied. “In fact, when a teacher doesn’t want to discuss something in the hallway, it’s very, very bad.”
“Gee, you’re overreacting, he probably just needs your help with something.”
“And if I’m not wrong?” Gerard challenged. “What if he suspects something, Nae? I could get fired. Fuck, I could go to jail!”
“You’re not going to get fired and you’re not going to go to jail,” Naomi replied, trying to calm him down. “I’m eighteen in a few days, and everything will be fine.”
“You don’t get it, do you?” Gerard asked, his eyes flashing. “This is illegal, Nae!”
“And it has been since it started in September,” Naomi replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “It’s different, Gerard. We’re not doing something because it’s ‘illegal’. It doesn’t apply to us. It’s not the same.”
“Naomi, grow up!” he spat back, realizing his mistake.
Naomi tightened her jaw as she fought the emotions going through her.
“Fine,” she said softly as Gerard closed his eyes, inwardly cursing himself for his thoughtless remark. Naomi grabbed her backpack off the ground, walking toward the door when she felt Gerard's hand on her arm.
“I didn’t mean that.”
“I think you did.”
“Look, I’m sorry, okay? I’m just stressed out and I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”
Naomi finally turned to look at him as he continued.
“Will you come over tonight?” he asked with a pleading quality in his voice.
“Are you sure you want me to?” she asked softly, deciding to forgive him for his foot-in-mouth moment.
“I am.”
“Then I’ll be there.”
----------
Hmm. Whatever could Mr Ray Ray want to talk about *Tralalalala*