It Started Out With a Kiss

Some teachers get pregnant at the worst times. In this case, the semester just started a week ago and today is my English teacher's last day. She's not even going on maternity leave, she's going to be a stay-at-home mom. Good for her and her husband that they have the money to do that. Whatever, I'm not bitter. But our new teacher starts tomorrow and she doesn't even know who it is. Not that she cares.

"I bet it'll be some old hag that doesn't believe in girls wearing pants," my best friend Leah chuckled as we walked to the parking lot. I shrugged.

"I doubt Jebron will give them much of a chance, no matter who it is," I said. My other best friend, Casey, sighed.

"Or what if we got someone super hot?" she fantasized. "I would be get A's for sure!" We all laughed as we reached our cars. We said our goodbyes for the day and got inside. I had to pull my door shut with much more force than other cars. It was old, a 1979 Datsun 290ZX. I inherited it from my grandmother along with $7,500 for insurance and such. Enough to cover it for a while in case I couldn't find a job. I'm pretty sure that's why my father hates her and me, since she didn't leave anything for him. Oh well. He didn't deserve anything.

It's a quick drive home. Out of the senior lot, take a right to the first light, another right to the next light, a left then down a few blocks and there we are. Small but cozy. At least that's what it looks like from the outside. The inside is a completely different story.

I park by the curb (my father won't let me park in the driveway) and leave my bag in the trunk. No homework, why get it out? Luckily I have work tonight so I don't have to stay here for long. I walk to the back and go in through that door. The front door goes in through the living room and that's where my parents will be. I like avoiding that part of the house.

I go in through the kitchen and creep quietly up the stairs to my room. It's extremely quiet, which means I have to be quieter. I find a pair of khakis in my closet along with a nice shirt. Granted, a bookstore isn't a fancy place, but you have to look presentable. I grab my nametag and creep back out of the house. It's pretty normal for it to be like that.

As I get back in my car, I notice a moving truck a few houses down. Why someone would choose to live here, who knows. Probably fresh out of college with no money. Who am I to judge on the money part?

Work goes by normally. Cashier for a little bit, shelf stocker for the rest. I'm fine with it, though; a nice quiet stress-free place. The exact opposite of home.

9pm arrives and it's time to clock out. I drive home in the slight drizzle thinking about how it's only Tuesday.

I pull up to the curb and still see the moving truck along with a guy getting stuff out. He looked young, so maybe my college theory was right. I would offer to help but I don't know him, plus it's late and I have homework. So I walk to the back door but stop short. My father is outside smoking. He turns when he hears me, stares at me for a few seconds then just turns back around. I hate him so much. I go into the house and straight up to my room, ignoring my mother's laughter from the other room. Who knows what she's doing. Who cares.

I shut my door and lock it, throwing my name tag onto my desk. I'm off until the weekend. I pull out my binder and finish the few math problems I didn't do. They were easy, just time consuming. That's how everything in precalculus is. Oh well. Once I get it all done, I put it back in bag and get dressed for bed. Hopefully it'll be nicer tomorrow.

- - - - - -

I wake up to the sun beaming through my window as my alarm rings. I turn it off and head to the bathroom, careful to listen to any walking around the house. There isn't any, so I shut the door and lock both of the bolts.

I take my normal ten minute shower and quickly get dressed and blow dry my hair. Midback length chestnut brown, slightly wavy. I've been told it contrasts well with my pale skin. Whatever. I'm fairly plain.

I put on some light mascara and eyeliner and go back to my room as quiet as a mouse. I look at the time; 6:55. Guess I should go.

I throw my bag over my shoulder and tiptoe down the steps to the kitchen. My mother is looking in the fridge for something. I don't say anything as I walk past her out the door. I walk to my car and get in, seeing the same guy from last night getting in his car. Looked like he was in a bit of a rush, but not my problem. I plug my iPod in to the stereo and it's blasting. Forgot I had the music turned up last night. The guy seems startled as he looks at me, obviously hearing the heavy metal guitar screeching. I turn it down and speed off to the school.

Leah looks like she just pulled in and Casey seems like she's been sitting there for a while. She always gets here so much earlier than she needs to. She looks around and realizes both of her friends are here. We all get out of our cars and stand in a triangle. Casey talks about something her boyfriend said to her last night that was rather derogatory. I stop listening as I see the guy from my street drive through the lot. He can't be a student.

"So I told him to fuck off and he got all mad like it was my fault! Like are you serious?!" She is so mad, I almost laugh. But I guess Leah saw where I was staring.

"Hm, who's that, Will?" I look back at her.

"I don't know, I think he just moved in a few houses down from me. But he looked too old to be a student." I look back and I can't see his car. I shrug and look back at my friends. "Oh well, maybe I didn't get a good look at him." Leah gives an expression to show she agrees and Casey grunts.

"He wants me to meet him by the security desk," she says. I pat her shoulder.

"Don't kill him," I chuckle. She stalks off and when she's far enough away, Leah starts laughing.

"They have more problems than our damn math book," she jokes, but it's true. They must break up constantly. Leah's been in a relationship for two years with someone that goes to another school. They are the best couple I've ever seen. I just hate how I've never had a boyfriend because everyone at school knows I'm the semi-withdrawn girl with a bad past and a bad home life. Whatever. I can see why no guy would want to get involved with that.

We walk into the school with five minutes until first period bell rings. Start off the day with a study hall. Leah and I split off to our destinations. I walk into the cafeteria as the bell rings, sign in, and sit in my normal seat to myself. Time to do any homework or read. I don't like waiting until study hall to do any work, so I usually read. Gets me away from my life. So I spend the entire hour and eighteen minutes (plus ten minutes for homeroom) rereading The Hunger Games. The bell rings and I'm off to Precalculus, one of three classes with Casey and Leah. We sit in a row in the back so we can pass notes without getting caught. But the concepts have been getting harder, so there have been less notes between us and more notes in our notebook that actually related to math.

About an hour of class is spent on taking notes, the remaining time we could work on the homework. Both Leah and I get it done while Casey struggles a little. She has a lot on her mind, so we understand. Leah sits in the middle so she turns to me to talk a little so we wouldn't disturb Casey.

"So how have things been at home?" she asks in a whisper. There are other kids talking quietly, so I know no one will hear our conversation.

"Normal, I guess," I murmur. Normal for me, at least.

"But, like... Everything's been okay? Like nothing out of the usual?" I nod.

"Yeah. I ignore Rob completely and Wendy ignores me. I'm pretty sure they ignore each other, too. It's a very quiet place to be."

"Has he been drinking?" That question catches me off guard. I shake my head. She remembers what happened last time. Granted, it was a year and a half ago and that was the first thing I ever went to her for help with. There wasn't anything she could do (that I would allow her to do) but I'd never opened up to anyone like I did that day with her. That's why I feel closer with her than Casey. Casey is a great friend, but sometimes she's a little too ditzy and she doesn't really understand my situation. She has a great home life and her parents are so loving. Leah's parents are divorced, but they get along and it's an all right situation to be in. Sometimes I think they just want to be friends with me because I'm a charity case. But over the few years we've known each other, I've realized it's definitely more than that. Which makes me feel like I actually belong somewhere.

"I don't think it'll happen again," I mutter. I feel Casey looking at me. I keep my head down.

"But if it does..." Leah trails off. I don't know why she brought this up. She's never brought this up before.

"Why are we talking about this?" I ask. I do my best to keep my voice low. I just hate this.

"I'm just worried about you, Will. If it happens again, I'm not keeping it to myself." I nod. It doesn't matter. It won't happen again. I turn 18 in June, and I'll be out of that house.

"You have nothing to about, Lee. Seriously." She purses her lips.

"Promise me that if it does, I can go to the police." I'm confident.

"Yeah. All right." She nods and faces forward in her seat as Casey shuts her notebook.

"So he apologized for being a douchenugget," Casey announces. I look at her.

"What did he even do?" I ask. She looks down sheepishly.

"Megan Carfara smiled at him," she mutters so fast I barely catch it. My jaw drops. Not at what he did, but at her level of jealousy. The talking in the room has gotten louder because the bell is going to ring in a minute.

"She's a skank! Why are you jealous of her?!" Leah demands.

"Guys want her! It's not fair!" I feel bad, because Casey is clearly upset.

"Guys want her for one thing," I tell her. "Jason wants you because he loves you." The bell rings and we all get up. Jason is waiting outside the class. I'll be honest, when they first started dating, I was highly suspicious of him because he's on the baseball team. Jocks are known for cheating. But he's really proven himself to both Leah and me.

Next is Government with people I don't really talk to. The class really drags, especially today since we're doing notes. But we get through them for the entire class time and it's time for lunch. Since I'm a senior, I can leave and go somewhere. So Casey, Leah and I meet in the lot and decide on Taco Bell. They always give an option of going back to one of their houses since they know I'm not made of money, but I have a job. I can get fast food every now and then.

We walk instead of drive since it's literally a five minute walk. We go in and order our usual stuff; cheesy potato burrito for Casey, taco salad for Leah, and a nacho supreme for me. All of us get a large Mountain Dew Baja Blast every time, too. We sit in a booth and just talk about random stuff and before we know it, it's time to head back. We quickly refill our cups and get back to the school. Fifth period is English, then we can go home. Yay.

We wander the halls a little until the bell rings for fourth period to end and we make our way to the classroom. We're getting our sub today. There are already a few kids in the room when we walk in. "Mr. Warner" is written on the board, but there's no teacher in sight.

"So has anyone seen this guy?" Casey asks the class. Everyone shakes their head. Kids still file in as the bell rings for class to begin. How do we start class without a teacher?

Then, a young looking man with a deep tan and dark hair walks in. He seems very fit standing at about 5'9". He's in a button down and tie, so I assume it's him.

"Hot damn," someone says. We all laugh but I have to agree. He's insanely attractive. He stands in front of the class and and claps his hands together.

"All right, guys," he says in a fairly deep voice. "As the board says, I'm Mr. Warner, and I'll be your teacher for rest of the year since Mrs. Lebow is having her baby." He looks around at us. He nods. "Okay, attendance time." He grabs his laptop off the desk and sets it down at the table in the front. "Raise your hand so I can start to try to match a name with a face. Andrew Allen?"

"Here," one of the guys say with a hand. Goes on for a few more people.

"Casey Daulton?" Case raises her hand with a smile.

"Right here!" She's way too enthusiastic. I'm next. His face contorts slightly. My name isn't common.

"Willow Daye?" I raise my hand.

"Here," I say. His facial expression flashes something for a split second. I think it's recognition. But he looks down and keeps going. Later on, at the M's, Leah is called. He gets through everyone and shuts his computer.

"Okay, so I guess you guys were in the middle of watching Hamlet?" he asks.

"We didn't start it yet," someone informs. He puts the DVD into the player and starts it. We already read the entire play, but the school does this thing called Shakespeare Festival where every honors and AP English class act out five scenes from the play. So Mrs. Lebow wants us to see it actually acted out so we can get some ideas.

We get through a little over an hour of it before Mr. Warner turns it off since the dismissal bell will ring in a few minutes.

"He is so hot, oh my god," Casey gushes quietly. I roll my eyes.

"What about Jason?" I ask.

"He looks at Megan, I can look at my teacher!"

"That sounds so wrong," Leah laughs. I glance around and see one of the more popular girls talking to him, but he's looking right at me. I look back toward my little circle as the bell rings and we all leave. We spend some time in the parking lot, waiting for the line of cars to decrease before we join it ourselves. I get home kind of later than usual. Once I get to my space outside my house, I sit there for a second. Why was he looking at me like that? And what was with the face when he called my name for attendance? Whatever. I get out and grab my bag. When I turn around, I freeze.

Mr. Warner is getting out of his car in the driveway of the new neighbor's house.