The Wright One

ALEX

I am so glad that it is Friday. I get to go out and have a drink tonight and let this week wash off of me. I have too much to unpack this week. I have no idea why, but it seems like a lot happened this week. Maybe I need to actually start taking summers off. Or at least a vacation. Not that the kids are bad this summer. Trying but not bad.

I’m setting up an example on the board when Nathon starts talking. “Yo, Mr. Saxon, so the new teacher was talking about you.”

I pause and turn looking at him. “What?”

He shrugs. “Yeah, Ms. Wright, she was talking about you.”

Luna blushes. “Nathon we weren’t supposed to say anything.”

I shake my head. “What exactly are you talking about?”

He leans forward like he has a great story. “So, you know my boy Kyle is dating little miss Luna right? So anyway, The other day at lunch he showed up because he didn’t have to work. Luna has her lunch with Ms. Wright. So I headed with Kyle over there. They were sitting there having their girl talk when we walked in. She said you were the hottest thing since apple pie or something like that.”

Luna blushed. “Since apple tarts.” She supplied, like that made the story more believable.

I lean forward on my desk. “I don’t believe you.”

Nathon just shrugs. “You don’t have to believe me. I’m just giving you a heads up.”

James shifted in his seat. “I wasn’t going to say nothin’ but I was there too. She said that.”

I look back at Luna. She is blushing but not relenting. “OK, so let’s say hypothetically that Ms. Wright actually said that about me. It doesn’t matter. We don’t get along. She seems nice and all, but we are just not going to happen. It’s best we all just drop the subject.”

Felix grins and wiggles his eyebrows. “If I had a hottie like Ms. Wright interested in me. I would find a way to make it work. I guess you just don’t got the skills Mr. Saxon.”

I sigh. “Don’t goad me. It’s irritating. I said drop it and that is what we are going to do.” I state, returning to my problem on the board. My back is to the board. I can still hear them talking.

Nathon. “Yeah, Ms. Wright kind of said the same thing. She said there is no way that it would ever work between them. He is too stuck in his ways. She said she would rather we didn’t tell him. I just thought if I told him then he would man up. I guess she was right.”

James. “Too bad too. I mean they both could use someone like the other.”

Luna. “Her brother said her last boyfriend was lame. Said he was some skinny guy that was always on a diet for no reason at all.”

Amanda. “Oh, my God you met one of her brothers. Which one? Is he hot?”

Luna. “I met William. I would say he is attractive. I might get in trouble if I said he was hot.” She giggled a little at the end.

Amanda. “Oh, yeah, I totally forgot that you were dating Kyle. He’s a hottie too.”

Luna. “Um, thanks.” Her voice was shaky and uncertain. Not sure I would take it either. But at least they moved off the subject of me and Ms. Wright.

Gabe. “So, wait, you are saying that the hottie Ms. Wright has a thing for Mr. Saxon and he is just going to walk away. That’s messed up. If she would go for students I would totally go for her.”

Amanda. “Tiffany told me that on the first day, he said that Ms. Wright was hot.”

Oh, God, that was not what I said. I turn around to tell the class as much but they are already not paying any attention to me. It’s like I don’t even exist.

“Class. Come on guys, we have learning to do. With the exception of Luna none of you have completed your packets. We need to curb this discussion because it isn’t going anywhere anyway.”

They all look at me like I am insane. What a great end to my week. After they stare at me for a moment, they go right back to talking about me like I am not even here. Isn’t high school fantastic?