Dear reader, just as with my other story, "The Time Spine," this story was originally released in serial form. I have decided to release it as a single volume for convenience sake. I hope you enjoy. All characters are 18 or older.
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PART 1:
Mike sighed as he shuffled through 6th period's papers. He only had a few more minutes until 7th period started, and he still needed to turn on the projector and laptop for the video he was showing on factoring.
He liked teaching quite a bit, but it was challenging and energy consuming. By the time 7th period rolled around, he was often nearly out of energy. This was unfortunate, because 7th period was his most challenging class of the day. Perhaps because the students were tired as well. The name of the class was "Geometry connections," and it was for juniors and seniors who, for whatever reason, had not passed Geometry in the 10th grade.
Not exactly 'academic' students, in other words.
As he flipped open the laptop and booted it up, he reflected on the difference between high school and junior high teaching. He had enjoyed junior high as well, but found that the upper grades were better. In his opinion, these kids had just the right combination of maturity and playfulness. Yes, they were hard to manage sometimes, but over all, they could be reasoned with.
Two minutes before the bell rang, Victor strode in. Under five foot tall, he was a humorous and devilish young Mexican kid who talked fast and always had a quick comeback to anything. He was a big part of why 7th period was so difficult. Although a good kid, he seemed unable to stop his verbal outbursts. Unfortunately they were often hilarious and set the class to laughing. If left to his own devices, he would be doing stand-up all period long every day. Keeping Victor on task was Mike's major task every day.
More and more kids straggled in as the tardy bell approached, and finally everyone was in the room.
Mike looked up as the bell rang and noticed not everyone was present. Lexis Miller was late again. Lexis was the other problem with 7th period. The manic senior was extremely difficult to manage, fluctuating between surly defiance and annoying chattering when it was time to work.
She arrived ten minutes into class, and Mike could tell right away she was in one of her "up" moods. She stalked in on her long, gangly legs and practically shouted, "I was with the counselor!"
Mike wasn't so sure about that, but he just said, "I'll email her for confirmation. You missed the video, so you're going to have to copy someone's notes. Will someone let Lexis share your notes?"
He looked around the classroom and no one raised a hand. Lexis was fairly unpopular. Not only did she tend to be socially awkward and annoying, she was tall for a girl and had carrot-top red hair. She never brushed her hair, so it was always unkempt. She also had the pale skin typical of her coloring, which would turn blotchy red when she was upset. A rash of pimples completed the picture, and as a whole, she was shunned by the other students.
Mike pitied her, as he did all his "outcast" students, and he always tried to treat her with extra patience. "Come on... anyone? As a favor to me?" Finally Gracie raised her hand. Gracie was a quiet, shy girl with a heart of gold. Even a terror class has its good kids.
"Thank you Gracie," Mike nodded her way. "Let's get to work on the assignment. Remember, first check your notes, then ask me if you don't understand something."
He went back to his seat and contemplated the difficult redhead, who was sitting at her desk, pretending to work while sneaking cheese-its from her jacket pocket. She was a strange one, Lexis. Although she had recently turned eighteen, her mental and emotional maturity level seemed much lower. In some ways, she reminded him of his days teaching junior high. Those kids had also been full of manic energy. Mike shrugged and went back to taking attendance. Every kid matured at their own rate.
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The next day, when 7th period rolled around, Lexis was in one of her surly moods, but Victor was more crazy than ever. Mike had to spend most of his attention and energy on Victor.
Finally, twenty minutes into class, he lost patience. "That's it, Victor. Out. In the hallway." He pointed at the door. "Take your work. I'm through with your disruption."
Victor strutted and joked all the way to the door, but once he was gone, the whole room was quieter. That's when he noticed Lexis. She was positively radiating angst. "Lexis, would you come to my desk, please?"
She flashed him a dirty look but got up and moved slowly to his desk. "What?" she said in an irritated voice.
Mike swallowed the disrespect and asked patiently, "What's wrong? You seem down today."
Lexis looked at Mr. Bell and after a moment appeared to decide to open up. Mike Bell had a reputation for truly caring about his students. They knew they could trust him.
"It's just... Victor keeps calling me 'orangutang' every day. It's getting on my nerves."
Mike looked at her compassionately. "But you know that's just how Victor is. He's mean to everyone."
Lexis nodded and her fire-red hair bobbed. "I know. But he's right. I'm ugly. I know it. Everyone says so."
Mike felt terrible for the young teen. "Lexis, you are NOT ugly. You're very pretty." He smiled and said, "You have beautiful blue eyes. You just have unusual hair color, and high school kids always act mean when someone stands out."
Her face relaxed into a fond smile and Mike realized that she really was pretty, in an odd way. She had acne, very crooked teeth, and the kind of glasses that magnify the eyes, yet... he realized with a start... he was attracted to her.
Now everyone knows that most high school girls these days are fully developed. Some of them are strikingly beautiful. But as a professional, you just turn it off. It's like a wall of brick. You simply do not let your mind go there.
Mike was shaken by the realization that he was somehow on the wrong side of the wall. Lexis was tall and gawky, but shapely. She had medium-sized breasts that suited her frame perfectly and...