All characters are over the age of 18. All the science in this story is utter bunk. This series of stories involves a very slow build-up which is just the way I like it. This is also my first attempt at writing fiction (and I can tell you that it's hard work!). So be warned, impatient ones!
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James was lost in his own world during lunch on Saturday. His aunt, Carla, had joined them and was busy yakking away with his Mom while his Dad ate his meal quietly, also apparently lost in his own world, but absorbing every nugget of gossip being bartered between the sisters.
"Earth to James! Earth to James!"
James looked around. "Huh? What?"
"Welcome back to the world of the living, nephew. Boring you, are we?" giggled his aunt.
"Er, no. I was just distracted. Sorry," he apologised.
"So your mom tells me that you know Jill Saunders."
James' heart skipped a beat. "Um. Yeah. She's my Chem teacher," he replied, trying to keep any panic out of his voice.
"Rumours have been flying around that she's been fired. For having an affair with a teacher or according to some, for sleeping with a student. You know anything about this?"
James really hoped that his face hadn't gone completely red.
"Um. No. But she's been on leave for a while now."
"Yeah, that's what Charlene told me too. But she doesn't like to share the juicy details," Aunt Carla replied, scowling. "Is she your teacher too?"
"Not this year, no," he replied. "Mrs. Madsen isn't very popular in school. The students have a ... sobriquet for her. They like to call her 'Grumpy'," James added, trying to steer the conversation away from Jill.
His Mom and his aunt looked at each other before cracking up.
James finished the rest of his lunch in comparable silence before heading back up into his room. He locked his door and collapsed on his bed. He wondered if these were the last few days of his life as he knew it. If people, and specifically, his parents found out that
he
was the student that Jill was having sex with, the shit would hit the proverbial fan. But how had people found out? He, of course, hadn't told anyone. Mrs. Madsen could have put two and two together as she had been the one who had given Jill's address to him. It sounded plausible. Could it have been her? Who else? Jill might have told someone. A friend or neighbour of hers, perhaps? But he couldn't see Jill being so shortsighted. And then, there was her husband, Frank. Could he have been the one?
There was no way to deny the fact that Jill had been having sex with someone. If she really was pregnant, it would be obvious to everybody in a couple of months' time. James wondered if she'd heard these "rumours" too. She'd told him that she'd resigned. Nothing about being fired. He also reasoned that it was highly unlikely that she was having an affair with a colleague. James sighed. This was going nowhere. His phone rang. It was Jill.
"Hi"
"Hello James. We need to talk," Jill said, without preamble. She sounded on edge.
"OK. I'll come on over right now," he replied.
"No. I'm ... I'm in the neighbourhood. I'll pick you up. Can you wait a couple of streets from your place? Near the playground?"
"Sure. I'll be there in 10 minutes," he replied. Jill must have heard the rumours too.
He quickly ran a comb through his hair and headed downstairs. Avoiding his Mom and aunt, James headed quietly out the door.
###
James climbed into Jill's Elantra and she quickly pulled away from the curb and headed for the highway. Jill was wearing a green cardigan over a dark top and a pair of Capris. He'd never seen her wearing sunglasses before today. Her blond tresses framed her face in a kind of organised chaos. She was beautiful!
"Hi," he said, breaking the silence.
"Hi, James," she replied. "Sorry for dragging you away on such short notice. But it's important."
"I take it that you've heard the rumours too," he said, air-quoting "rumours".
She glanced at him sharply before sighing. She nodded. "Who told you?"
"My aunt Carla. Mrs. Madsen from school knows about it too as she's my aunt's neighbour."
"Fuck!"
Jill pulled into a rest area on the highway and placed the car in park. She unbuckled herself and removed her sunglasses before turning towards James.
"So, what did you hear?" she asked him.
He told her what he'd heard. She had heard much the same thing. She looked straight ahead for a few moments and he could see that her eyes were brimming with tears. He placed his hand on her knee and squeezed gently.
"Don't worry. Things will be fine, Jill. We have done nothing wrong," he told her in a calm reassuring tone.
Jill blinked and let a pair of tears stream down her cheek. She smiled at him. "Thanks, Coco."
He smiled back trying to project an air of confidence that he didn't particularly feel himself.
"Do you have any idea who might have started the rumours?" he asked.
"I don't know. I really don't. While I don't believe that even he would do something like this, I can't think of anyone besides Frank. Have
you
... talked to anybody?"
"No. Nobody," he replied. "But Mrs. Madsen knew that I was trying to contact you. She's the one who gave me your address."
"Oh fuck. Really?"