Paradise Falls (Paradise Falls #1-5)(17)

“About last night,” she said softly.

“Changed your mind?”

“What? Oh, no, I just… I wanted to see if you still wanted to…”

He bit his lip. She couldn’t get a read on his expression.

“Why don’t you drop by on Saturday morning, and we can go for a bike ride?”

“I’d like that.”

She glanced back as she left the room, still playing with her braid. Stepping back into her classroom woke her up without the dogging weariness. Materials had to be laid out, and activities prepared.

When the bell rang, she greeted each student by name with a smile, and they replied with quizzical looks. The day blurred by until lunch. She weighed seeking out Jacob again, but a worrying twist in her belly made her afraid she’d come on too strong. She went to Rachel’s room instead.

The older teacher was at her desk, eating a disgusting combination of breakfast cereals, a peanut butter and banana sandwich, and a cup of yogurt, then washed it all down with orange soda. Jennifer dropped her lunch on the desk and tisk-tisked.

“Now now,” said Rachel, waggling a finger at Jennifer. “If I don’t eat like a pig, the kids won’t crack jokes about me being stoned all the time.”

“Yes, they will,” said Jennifer.

“He likes you.”

Jennifer scowled and said nothing.

“He’s been making bedroom eyes at since he saw you. That display in the hallway yesterday was very heroic.”

“That wasn’t for my benefit,” she said.

“I’m sure it wasn’t.”

Jennifer glared at her.

“I have big news,” Rachel said.

“What?”

“Kazmeyer put in his notice. He’s cashing in his sick days. His last day is in February.”

“He’s retiring?”

Rachel nodded. “You know he’s tried to get me fired, like, three times? Me? You know what the last one was about?”

“What?”

“I dared to show the old Romeo and Juliet movie in class. You know, the one with boobs. It’s one scene.”

Jennifer rolled her eyes. “Did you send the release home?”

“Of course I did. I still got written up for it, but I have tenure. Now you do, too. You should let your hair down a little.”

Jennifer sighed. “I think I’ll just stick with my lesson plans.”

“Good for you,” Rachel said, rolling her eyes. “How’s it going this year? Any problems?”

“I wish I didn’t have the freshmen after lunch.”

“Before lunch, after lunch, they’re all thinking about their classmates naked and producing excess body odor. Don’t worry, we can shove them all off on Kazmeyer’s replacement, whoever they can find.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” she said. “Though I sort of like freshmen. Sometimes.”

Rachel snorted.

“You love them,” Jennifer said.

“No, I just lost my mind in my fifth year.”

The bell rang a moment later. Jennifer said hello to some of Rachel’s freshmen as they came in. She had her own to tend.

The freshmen were docile, and the advanced placement class went smoothly enough. The conversation focused on the assigned reading. By the time it was over, she was exhausted. She sat behind her desk during Advisory and looked busy.

That didn’t stop Krystal, who sidled over, dragging her chair noisily across the floor.

“What?” Jennifer said, doing her best to sound terse. Despite everything, she felt light, somehow.

“I heard you got a ride from Mr. K.”

“So he’s Mr. K now,” Jennifer said. “I’m sure he’ll be overjoyed.”

“You’re not denying it,” Krystal said.

“Have you ever considered journalism school?”

Krystal grinned and shifted in her seat.

“What about you and, um…” Jennifer glanced at the table.

Krystal sat next to Cole, the boy from the fight. Jennifer wondered how that happened, but she was happy to see it.

“What about us?”

“Us, is it?”

“I don’t know. He asked me out. I haven’t said yes.”

“Far be it from me to advise,” said Jennifer.

“I think I’m going to.”

“I’m thrilled.”

“Are you going out with Mr. K?”

Jennifer looked at her. “Don’t you have work to do?”





7.





Yawning, Jennifer stretched until her back and shoulders popped, then swung her legs out of bed. A ride was just the thing for a Saturday morning. The forecast said it would barely top eighty degrees today.

She brushed her teeth, then plucked at her eyebrows. Any makeup would smear from sweat, and she rarely wore it anyway.

Riding back and forth to school in the sun brought out her freckles, and they were especially darker under her left eye. They dotted her neck and shoulders, too. She wound her hair in a bun instead of her usual braid to prevent it from swinging behind her as she rode. After dressing quickly in an old t-shirt and shorts, she put on pads and her helmet.

Her ring itched.