Mr. Tucker

by Justine Elvira

  "I won't say anything, Landon." I promise him. "I would never do that to you. All I want is to be with you. I know you want that, too." I move towards him and reach for his hand but he backs away, rejecting me physically, too.

  "It doesn't matter what I want, Savannah. All that matters is what should happen from here on out. I can't tutor you anymore. We shouldn't be left alone together for any reason. We need to get through the rest of the school year conducting a normal student/teacher relationship. I'll understand if in a few days you feel differently about what took place and need to tell administration. I won't blame you."

  "I won't feel differently, Landon. I want you. Doesn't that count for anything?"

  His face is solemn, the lines on his face relaxed. He watches me with no emotion before answering, "No."

  I can't believe this is over before it even really started. I'm still a virgin.

  I collect my things from the floor, hurriedly putting them in my backpack before rushing out of Landon's classroom. I don’t look back to see if I misread the moment, or if he's contemplating changing his mind. Instead I run through the empty hallways, out the front door of my high school, and all the way to the GG-mart. I don't stop until I'm inside the small gas station, completely out of breath and parched.

  Mr. Tucker usually drops me off on Saturdays after tutoring. When Dylan sees the state I'm in and my backpack over my shoulder he asks, "Problems with your teacher?"

  I flick him off and walk over to the standing cooler to grab a flavored drink. I go to the back room to change for my shift, vowing to find another guy to lose my virginity to. Maybe the new guy I find will inadvertently help me forget about Landon for good.

  Chapter Eleven

  January

  Avoiding Landon the past month has been fairly easy since two of the last four weeks we were out of school for Christmas break. My break was uneventful. I worked a lot of it, went to a few parties with the girls, and my mom, aunt, and I had a quiet Christmas day at home. I was even able to purchase my mom and aunt something small with the leftover money I had after paying my part of the bills.

  My momma bought me a few used paperback books and a beautiful secondhand dress that she promises to work on and have finished for me by prom. We spent some quality time together that day, which is something I'm not used to with my mother. All in all, it was one of the best Christmas holidays I've ever had with my mom.

  The break was also beneficial because I tried to get over Mr. Tucker. I even made out with Dylan after one of my shifts at the GG-mart when he was looking extra desirable but I just couldn't get into it. His mouth felt wrong against mine. His breath smelled like a distillery and his kisses were too wet, grossing me out and stopping our kissing session from moving to active, below the belt foreplay.

  Chett's family had their annual Christmas party and half the town showed up. I usually go with my girls but this year I made sure to pick up a shift at the same time of the party. I didn't want to risk running into Landon and have to awkwardly make conversation. From the conversation going on at my locker right now it seems I made the right decision ditching the party–Landon was there.

  "It can be so weird seeing a teacher outside of school, but Mr. Tucker looked even better at Chett's party than he does in class." Anna Belle giggles as she plays with a strand of her curly blond hair while we all stand around my locker.

  "I know what you mean," Jo Lynne says, agreeing with Anna Belle's observation. "It should be illegal to teach high school students when you're that sexy. Chett says he isn't dating anyone. He hasn't dated anyone since he arrived here. I don’t know how that's possible looking the way he does. He must be gay."

  If only that were true. The feeling of rejection would be a lot easier if he wasn’t interested in women, but the way his tongue skillfully moved against my body was the action of a straight man.

  "I don't think so. He's definitely straight. Did you see the way Ms. Kielly was hanging all over him at the party? It didn't look like Mr. Tucker was rejecting her advances."

  Anna Belle's observation has my claws ready to come out. I can't believe he was with Ms. Kielly at the party. Are they dating? Does he like her? Does she kiss better than me?

  "What do you think, Savannah?" Jo Lynne raises her perfectly waxed and shaped eyebrows while waiting for my answer.

  "What?" I ask, feigning ignorance.

  "Do you think Mr. Tucker could be gay?"

  "Yeah, sure. Anything’s possible," I answer as I try to hide my jealousy.

  "I knew it. All the hot ones are. It still would have been nice to get your opinion on him at the party. You work so much lately it's like we hardly get to spend time with you."

  Shrugging my shoulders I look over at her disappointed. "I know. It sucks but my family really needs the money right now."

  "Next weekend we're going to take a trip to Nashville to look at prom dresses. Anna Belle and Addison are just as excited as I am. You're still going to come, right?"

  Shit. I forgot all about that trip and I have no desire to go. I already have my prom dress that my mother's working on. Sitting in the shop with them while they try on expensive new dresses will only remind me of another luxury I don't have.

  I plaster on a fake smile. "Absolutely," I cheerfully confirm. "I need to see what my prom queen competition is going to wear so I can make sure my dress trumps your dress."

  "You know, Savannah," Addison chimes in, "You can't be nominated for prom queen if you’re still wearing that chastity belt."

  Jo Lynne and Anna Belle laugh and I just roll my eyes. "I'm working on it. Don't worry, I won't be a virgin for much longer."

  "There's always Chett," Jo Lynne reminds me.

  Prom is coming a lot faster than I want it to and since my chances with Landon are gone maybe I should just fuck Chett and get it over with. He's cute–in a not Mr. Tucker kind of way–and he wants me. He's also Landon's cousin so if I fuck him Landon is sure to find out. Maybe he'll even get jealous.

  "Yeah, maybe I will just give it up to Chett. We'll see. I still have time to think it over."

  The bell rings, startling the few of us who are left in the hallway and I'm late for history, again. If Landon were speaking to me I'm sure I'd be getting an earful about showing up to his class late. If this were any other class I'd be getting detention but since Landon's not speaking to me I have nothing to worry about.

  ***

  On Monday he glanced my way for approximately 3/8ths of a second. His beautiful grayish-blue eyes held mine and then were gone before I registered what happened, or saw the hint of purple hidden in his irises. The brief moment was enough to make me want to forgive him for what happened four weeks ago and try again.

  On Tuesday he handed me back my three-page paper he graded over Christmas break. On the top of the page in red marker was a bold A- with nothing else written. No "Great Job", "Excellent", or "Keep up the good work" next to my grade. It was the most unsatisfying A I've ever received.

  On Wednesday I was the only one in class to raise my hand when he asked us who watched the debate the night before. I was excited to weigh in with my opinion. Last night we had the small television on in the back room of the GG-mart. I watched as much of the debate as I could. Despite being the only one with my hand raised, Landon didn't call on me and instead spent ten minutes telling us what he observed watching each candidate.

  On Thursday I was confused about the new paper he assigned in class but based on how he'd acted all week I was too afraid to ask him about it so I sat silently confused instead. He gave us the last twenty minutes in class to start working on it and I spent those last twenty minutes listening to the devil and angel on my shoulders. The devil wanted me to stand up in front of everyone and call Landon out on his bullshit. The angel told me Mr. Tucker was doing the honorable thing and I should be happy to have a teacher like him.

  I was just mad because no matter which illusion of my conscience I listened to, I still didn't know what I was supposed to w
rite my paper about.

  Now it's Friday and I've had enough of Mr. Tucker and all the complex ways he ignores me. Instead of sitting in my normal seat up front, inches away from Mr. Tucker's desk, I sit down next to Chett and occupy Melody Claire's vacant seat since she's absent from school today. I want to be as far from Landon as possible today–now I'm the one ignoring him. Sitting next to his cousin is just an added bonus because right now Landon's nostrils flare and his cheeks turn a light shade of red as he catches us talking during class.

  His jealousy excites me. This is a side of him I've never seen before. I rest my hand on Chett's forearm and dramatically giggle. My eyelashes flutter as I lean into Chett, and then I look over at Landon to see if he's still watching. He is. I can't help but feel victorious.

  Do you like that, Mr. Tucker? If you don't want me, your cousin does.

  "You should come over tonight, Savannah. My parents have a benefit down in Chattanooga so they'll be gone all weekend. We'll have the place to ourselves. We can take a dip in the new hot tub."

  "Chett Tucker," Landon calls out from the front of the room. "Is there something you'd like to share with the class or are you interrupting my lesson for social reasons?"

  I drop my hand from Chett's forearm and turn to face the front of the classroom, suppressing the surge of excitement that courses through my body. Chett apologetically answers, "Sorry Landon, I mean Mr. Tucker. It won't happen again."

  "Good. Next time you'll be staying after with me in detention."

  I don't know why but Landon threatening Chett with detention is absolutely hysterical to me and I can't suppress my feelings any longer. My stomach muscles tighten and contract as I try to hold back the laughter threatening to escape. It's impossible and I disrupt the class by laughing so hard I have to cover my mouth with one hand and hold my stomach with the other.

  "Savannah, what's so funny?" Chett harshly whispers from beside me but I can't answer because my uncontrollable laughter is not going to stop anytime soon.

  "Savannah, would you like to share with the class?" Landon asks in an annoyed tone. I look up at him between each giggle and that's when I spot the twelve-inch ruler in his left hand. Suddenly I'm falling to the floor in laughter, thinking about the ridiculous situation I've gotten myself into with Mr. Tucker. Tears flood my eyes and I can’t seem to calm myself down. I have never laughed this hard before.

  "Savannah, you need to cut it out,” Chett says as he crouches down next to me to help me up. His eyes are wide with surprise when I slap his hand away and hold my stomach tighter.

  I've disrupted the entire class. Every set of eyes is on me and I'm the only one who thinks the situation is funny. That might be because I'm the only one, besides Landon, who knows what the situation is. If they knew about Landon and me, and Chett and me, and then Landon threatening Chett with detention all because of me, they'd think the situation was funny, too. My well-educated, sophisticated teacher is jealous of his dumb jock of a cousin. It's funny.

  "That's it, Savannah. Please leave the classroom and stay in the hall until you can control your behavior. You'll be spending an hour after class with me in detention."

  That stops my laughter real quick. "I can't stay after class," I declare as the single remaining giggle leaves my lips.

  His hypnotizing eyes narrow as he crosses his arms over his chest. A hint of a grin reaches the corner of his mouth. "You should have thought of that before your little display."

  The cocky bastard. He knows how much I need my damn job. It’s the entire reason he agreed to tutor me late at night and weekend mornings to begin with. Now, because I had a little too much fun in his class and it wasn't with him, he's going to hold me back for detention and make me lose my job.

  I don't think so, buddy.

  "I'm not staying after school, Mr. Tucker. I'll lose my job and your detention isn't worth the loss of income."

  "Landon, man, Savannah's telling the truth," Chett chimes in, coming to my defense. "She's not like me. She has to work to survive."

  I'd be embarrassed if the entire town didn't already know about my lack of finances. I smile over at Chett. "Thanks...I think."

  "Chett, you're welcome to miss weight training after school and join Savannah in detention if you feel so strongly about the injustice I'm serving out."

  Chett's eyes practically pop out of their sockets and he shakes his head back and forth. "No, that's okay. You're the teacher. You know what the right punishment should be. I should mind my own business."

  "Fucking coward," I mumble and the entire class hears. This is another one of those situations where I meant to insult him in my head and instead the inappropriate comment passed my lips.

  Chett slips back in his seat, whispering an apology to me but I ignore him. The coward couldn't even stand up for me to his own cousin. I made the right decision at the beginning of the year when I decided to stop fooling around with him. Things with Landon may be over now, but that doesn't mean I should go back to slumming it with high school boys. In those brief minutes Landon went down on me and gave me the best orgasm I've ever had, I remembered exactly why I wanted a mature adult to pop my cherry. Men know what the fuck they're doing.

  If today's roles were reversed and Chett was the teacher and Landon was the student, Landon would have never backed down. He's the type of guy who would have joined me in detention and made out with me every time the teacher turned his back or left the room.

  Why couldn’t Landon be a few years younger, or why couldn't I be a few years older? If Landon and I had gone to school together then I'd be fucking him right now. He'd definitely be the guy I gave my virginity to. I guess it's a moot point. Landon's still my teacher and if in an alternate universe Landon was my classmate, I probably wouldn't have given him the time of day because I still would have wanted an older man for the mission.

  "Savannah, if you're not going to step out in the hall then please take a seat. I'd like to finish the rest of class without you continuing to disrupt my lesson."

  My cheeks flush as I sit back down in my chair. The rest of the class turns their attention back to Landon as he finishes his lesson, but I don’t hear a word. Instead I'm trying to figure out a way to not lose my job. By the time the bell rings I've already come up with a plan to get to work on time and ditch this fucking detention.

  I start to leave the classroom when Landon calls out, "Savannah Simple, you're in here for the next hour. Remember?"

  I don’t look his way as I respond, "Yes, Mr. Tucker. I'm just going to my locker to grab my things." I make a mad dash down the crowded hall to my locker and fill my backpack in record time. Then I'm running out to the parking lot to catch Jo Lynne before she pulls away. It's my lucky day because she's in the driver's seat of her convertible talking with Addison who's standing right outside the car.

  "Jo Lynne, wait up!" I yell out as I continue to run in her direction.

  She waves and once I get to her car I'm out of breath, and seriously thinking about taking up track because of all the running I've been doing lately.

  "Can you give me a ride to the GG-mart before Mr. Tucker realizes I ditched detention?" I wheeze out.

  "You're ditching detention?" she asks at the same time Addison asks, "Why do you have detention?"

  Not sure which question I should answer first, and worried if I stay out here too long Mr. Tucker will come out and find me, I blurt out, "Detention is all Chett Tucker's fault and if I stay after school for detention with Mr. Tucker I'll lose my job at the GG-mart. I can’t lose my job, so please, will you get me out of here before he comes searching for me and I'm unemployed?"

  Jo Lynne smiles mischievously. "Hop in."

  We both say goodbye to Addison and then Jo Lynne's peeling out of the school parking lot and driving me to work. She has the stereo blaring with the sounds of Beyoncé’s new album floating out the speakers as her smooth, dark satin hair blows in the wind.

  "Savannah, I hope you know what you're doing. You're goin
g to end up getting an additional five detentions since you ditched today."

  I respond like ditching is no big deal. "It'll be fine."

  I know she's right, though. A part of me is really worried about what Landon will do once he finds out I had no intention of coming back to his classroom but it's a risk I had to take because I can't lose my job–not even for him.

  Chapter Twelve

  Landon

  As the hallways clear out and the remaining students hustle off to their extracurricular school activities, I wait for Savannah inside my classroom. Ten minutes later the hallway outside my door is empty, all the students are gone, and Savannah is nowhere to be found.

  The little minx. I should spank her ass until it's bright pink for ditching detention.

  Wait, I already have. She has a fine ass–toned and plump with the smoothest, softest warm skin. Our time together wasn't nearly enough because I want to be all up on her and in her, worshipping that ass before sinking balls deep into her warm cunt.

  Fuck! I need to stop thinking of her this way.

  I should let her outburst in my classroom go and let her get away with leaving. She ditched detention but adding more detentions onto her punishment will only be punishment for me, causing my dick to shrivel up and fall off because I'll be forced to resist her each afternoon. It's hard enough resisting her beautiful face, seductive body, and irresistibly sweet scent every day when she sits in front of me in class. If I'm alone with her I'll succumb to my desire for her.

  But fuck, I can't let it go. She can't just go around and do whatever the hell she wants. I'll look like a pushover in front of other students and they'll wonder why she's getting special treatment. Savannah needs to know there are consequences for her actions. Flirting with Chett–I mean, disrupting the class is not acceptable when I'm teaching. Detention is the appropriate punishment and if she loses her job because of it, well, it's a tough lesson to learn but it will teach her every action has consequences.