Hissy Fit (The Southern Gentleman #1)(5)

But that was thanks to a certain senior, that was now a convict, in a maximum-security prison.

At the time, he’d only been a stupid seventeen, almost eighteen-year-old kid, that thought he’d be able to obtain an A by sexing up the student teacher. When I’d informed him that I was uninterested, he’d taken it as a personal affront, and had made it his mission in life to make my life hell.

Shortly after the end of the year, Cramer Winters, my personal stalker, failed his Algebra class. When he’d received his grade, he’d come to the office to complain to the teacher. Only, the teacher hadn’t been there. I had.

And he’d sexually assaulted me—though he’d not gotten as far as he’d been intending.

Luckily, the actual teacher had walked in right about the time that Cramer had been about to penetrate me.

I’d been unconscious and bloody, unaware of the horror that the teacher had saved me from until much later on that day.

The bad thing was that another student had seen him assaulting me and hadn’t done a thing about it.

That left a deep-seated fear in me when it came to the elder students that should’ve helped and didn’t.

It’d taken everything I had to continue with my teaching degree. Then, when I’d tried to find a job with the younger age group, I’d hit hurdle after hurdle, until finally, I’d found a job working with the younger generation of high schoolers.

It was a good fit for me.

“I don’t know…”

“Listen, Ms. Crusie. I’m going to be honest with you here. You’re already one of the newest teachers here, that means that most of the other teachers have seniority. You’re the most qualified. Either you take it, or we’ll find someone new that can. Coach McDuff is willing to give you all of his materials and sit in on the first few classes to help smooth the transition over,” Mrs. Sherpa was saying. “I know that you’re nervous with teaching the upper levels due to your previous…problems. But he promises that it’ll be okay. They’re good kids, and most of them are his ball players. He can ensure that they stay in line.”

She didn’t have to say the words. I knew what she meant.

Either I did what I was being asked to do, or I would be fired, and someone else would be hired that could just as easily do my job and teach the sex-ed class.

“Fine,” I said, my voice shaky. “When do you want me to start?”

She looked at her watch. “Now.”

***

I arrived in the senior hallway and tried not to jump at the sound of lockers slamming, boisterous laughter, and the yells and shouts of the seniors all around me.

Today was Friday, and it was the last class before school let out for the weekend, plus it was a game day. It was understandable that they were getting excited.

That didn’t make my paranoia or nerves, react any better.

I shuffled into the classroom and came to a sudden halt when I found nearly the entire room full to bursting.

The bell hadn’t even rung yet, and it was this full?

Why?

Every single desk in the room was filled, and two older boys were standing.

“Wow,” I murmured as I took everyone in. “I’m impressed that everyone is here and seated already.”

“That’s because if we’re late, Coach McDuff kicks our a…”

I gave Johnson a level look. “Don’t.”

He pretended to zip his lips and throw away the key, causing me to roll my eyes.

The kid was a sweetheart, and cute as a button. I remembered when he was still a boy and he had that head full of curls.

I used to babysit him in the church nursery, and Johnson McDuff Berey had immediately curled himself in my lap the moment he’d entered the nursery doors.

From there, I’d play with those baby soft curls and dream of one day having a little boy exactly like him.

And now he was so grown and taller than me to boot.

“I was under the impression that this was a senior class,” I said softly to Johnson.

Johnson grinned. “It helps to have the coach be your uncle. He was able to work me into his class…before they decided to utilize his services elsewhere.”

I frowned. “Utilize his services elsewhere?”

He nodded. “Didn’t they tell you that he’s taking over helping the new track coach? That’s why he’s not teaching this class. Apparently, Coach Casper isn’t able to keep up with all the demands of the track team.”

It kind of annoyed me that they’d lied to me about why Ezra wasn’t able to teach this class, but again, I was one of the newest hired along with the new track coach. A track coach who, might I add, wasn’t in the least bit unable to do her job. Likely, she was just pulling the overwhelmed card to get Ezra to help her.

I swallowed and looked away, searching for something, anything, to get my mind off of those two.

I hated Coach Casper. She was a douche canoe and hated me.

I’d never done anything to her, but you trip a chick one time, causing her to drop her coffee on her new shoes, and she hates you.

Coach Casper hadn’t even given me the chance to apologize.

Using the time to collect myself, I pulled the chair out from under the desk at the front of the room and rolled it in Johnson’s direction. “Sit here until we can find you a new desk. You there, take that tall chair in the back of the room.”