Mr. Bailey

by Taylor DeBolt

  Mr. Bailey's gaze dropped. He didn't dare look them in the eyes as he asked, "How much do you know?"

  "Everything," Mr. Hartford replied calmly.

  Mr. Bailey cringed at that answer before saying, "I know it probably doesn't mean anything now, but I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let things get to this point."

  "That's good to know. Now, we've had some time to think this over, and we've come up with a solution that we believe is to everyone's benefit. First and foremost, we will not be getting the police involved." Mr. Bailey looked at him in utter shock as he explained the reason for his decision. "You've done a lot for us over the years, and the thought of putting someone like you away for a stupid mistake like this doesn't sit well with me. Also, we know about the conversation you had with Anne yesterday, where you brought up a very good point about this affecting her. That being said, just because we're choosing to do this for you, that doesn't mean there aren't going to be consequences for your actions."

  "I understand," replied Mr. Bailey.

  "Okay then, now for your punishment. First of all, your relationship with Anne is over, and you will no longer be allowed to take her anywhere without our permission; the only exception to this is walking to school together. And from this point forward, all of Anne’s tutoring sessions are to take place here so we can keep an eye on you."

  Mr. Hartford now paused and glanced over at his wife before saying, "This next part is where Linda and I had a hard time coming to an agreement. We liked what you said about Anne enjoying her last two years of school. As for the last part of what you said, about you two seeing each other after graduation, we've decided that we will allow it, but only if she still wants to." As Mr. Bailey went to question them about their decision, Mr. Hartford answered his question by saying, "Think of this as my way of repaying you for the robbery incident."

  Giving a look of complete awe, Mr. Bailey said, "I-I don't know what to say…Thank you!"

  "You're welcome, but there is one catch."

  Mrs. Hartford now walked over to Mr. Bailey, glaring daggers at him as she said, "I expect you used protection?"

  "Y-yeah, I made sure of it," replied Mr. Bailey in a meek tone.

  "For your sake, I hope you're telling the truth because Anne will be taking a pregnancy test; and if I find out you got her pregnant, this deal is off, and your ass will be in jail! Do you understand me?"

  Mr. Bailey gave a quick nod as he lowered his head in shame. Not having anything else to say to him, Mrs. Hartford stormed out of the room. After sitting quietly for a moment, Mr. Hartford said, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, especially if that woman is Linda."

  Mr. Bailey was now able to crack a smile as Mr. Hartford showed him out. As he was about to leave, Mr. Bailey turned to say, "Brad, I'm so sorry about all of this; and I can't thank you enough for what did for me."

  "Look, it was a dumb mistake. I get that. But the only reason I gave you this chance is because of what I saw between you two. You care about her a lot but caring too much can be a bad thing."

  "What do you mean?"

  "You're a pushover, Jeff,” exclaimed Mr. Hartford. “All it took was a sad look and a few tears to make you change your mind about doing something that could have easily landed you in jail.” Mr. Hartford now sighed as he placed a hand on Mr. Bailey’s shoulder and said, “Look, there's nothing wrong with trying to make people happy, but you need to learn how to put your foot down. Otherwise, people are going to walk all over you for the rest of your life." Mr. Bailey nodded in agreement and thanked Mr. Hartford one more time before returning home for the night.

  The following week was a dramatic change for Anne and Mr. Bailey. They had to adjust to just being around each other without flirting or displaying their affection for one another, which was still present. At first, this proved to be quite difficult for them and led to many awkwardly silent tutoring sessions. However, as the weeks went on, they began to distance themselves from one another and suppress any feelings that they still had. Although they still laughed and joked around every now and again, it was nothing like before.

  During this time, Anne's parents kept a close watch over them and even tested them occasionally by leaving them alone to see if anything was still going on. After they were convinced the relationship was through, Mr. and Mrs. Hartford became trusting enough to allow them to go out together on a few rare occasions.

  Once school let out for the summer, Anne and Mr. Bailey seldom saw one another. It wasn’t until the new school year that they began to meet on a regular basis again. However, Anne no longer had any classes with him, so tutoring was the only time she saw him anymore. And by her senior year, she no longer needed to be tutored and only saw Mr. Bailey in passing or if they happened to be walking to school together.

  By the end of her senior year, Anne had been named valedictorian. On the day of her graduation ceremony, she personally thanked Mr. Bailey in her sendoff speech before giving him a hug and collecting her diploma from him. After the ceremony, she and Mr. Bailey met up and hugged one another again as he said, "Top of the class. I'm so proud of you."

  "I couldn't have done it without you," she replied while beaming at him.

  "Do you know what you're doing for college?"

  "I've got enough in scholarships to pay for my first two years at the community college. After that, I'm not sure. I've been having a hard time deciding on where I want to transfer to."

  "You have two more years to figure that out, so don't stress over it too much."

  Glancing over towards a group of people behind them, Anne said, "Oh, I see my parents. Before I go, I wanted to give you this."

  "What this?" asked Mr. Bailey as he reached out and took a small envelope from her.

  "It's an invitation to my grad party next Saturday. I hope you can make it."

  "I'll make sure to be there."

  "All right, I'll see you then."

  After Anne took off, Mr. Bailey returned home and set the party invitation aside with a stack of papers, forgetting about it entirely. It wasn't until the night before her party that he stumbled across the invitation. A few memories now came back to him as he looked over the picture of Anne on the front of the invite. As he was reminiscing over the past, he noticed a piece of paper sticking out of the envelope. After picking it up, he read it to himself.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Dear Mr. Bailey,

  Over the past month, I've been trying to think of a way to thank you for everything you've done, but I found the best way for me to tell you is through this letter. I first want to thank you for pushing me in school. You not only helped me become the valedictorian but, with your advice, I was able to make some great friends and grow as a person. You were always there for me, and I'll never forget that.

  Up until this last month, I had forgotten about the deal we made. When I remembered, I spent some time thinking about my feelings, and that brought back a lot of memories. I remember when you stopped tutoring me this year. I can't count how many times I'd get all my books set out just to realize you weren't coming over anymore. Knowing this, it didn't take me long to figure out an answer. I still love you just as much now as I did two years ago.

  Now that you know how I feel, I'd like to know your feelings. After my party, I'd like you to come up to my room so we can talk. Even if your feelings have changed, I'll understand.

  As a final note, I'd like to thank you for making such a great impact on my life. You've been a friend, a hero, and the love of my life. I'm anxious to hear your answer.

  Thank you for everything, Love Anne

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Upon finishing her note, Mr. Bailey went to lay down. He lied awake for a while, thinking about Anne, the letter, and what he would say to her tomorrow. Hours and hours passed him by; and before he knew it, it was morning. Realizing he wasn't going to get any sleep, he crawled out of bed and got himself ready, then ran a few errands to kill some time.

  Chapter 8

  After arri
ving at Anne’s party, Mr. Bailey mingled with some of the other guests before running into Anne, who immediately greeted him with warm smile as she thanked him for coming. They then talked for a minute before Anne excused herself to go help her mother.

  Not long after, Mr. Hartford pulled Mr. Bailey aside and said, “Enjoying the party?”

  "Yeah, I'm a little surprised though, I thought there'd be more people," replied Mr. Bailey.

  "Well, Anne didn't want a big party, just family, and friends."

  "Nothing wrong with that."

  Smirking from ear to ear, Mr. Hartford leaned in and said, "So, what did you decide?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "Anne told us about the letter she wrote you."

  Mr. Bailey grinned as he said, "I'm pretty sure you already know my answer, but what do you and Linda think?"

  "I told you how I felt already. You followed the rules we set and backed off. As far as I'm concerned, if after two years apart you still love each other, then I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be together.” Mr. Hartford now paused for a moment before saying, “Linda was a little apprehensive about it though. She thought the relationship was over, so when Anne told us how she felt, it took some time to convince her; she came around though."

  "I have your permission then?"

  "Yes, but there is one thing Linda wanted me to tell you."

  "Oh, what's that?" Mr. Bailey asked hesitantly.

  "She said you'd better be a proper gentleman to Anne and never do anything to hurt her because we still have the video."

  Still grinning, Mr. Bailey shook his head and said, "That mistake's going to follow me for the rest of my life, isn't it?"

  "In Linda's hands, probably, but we'll have plenty of time to talk about it later. In the meantime, go enjoy the party." Mr. Bailey gave a nod, then went off to talk with some of the other guests.

  As the party wound down, Mr. Bailey helped clean up until the last of the guests left, then he made his way to Anne's room. After stopping just outside of her door, he heard her singing along as she strummed her guitar. He listened for a moment, finding her voice captivating as it changed a rock song into a soothing melody. He then took a deep breath and opened her door.

  As he came in, Anne stopped playing and smiled at him as he said, "I see you've learned some new songs."

  "Yeah, I've been practicing a lot.” Anne now patted the bed beside her and said, “Come sit down."

  After sitting down next to her, there was a long pause before Mr. Bailey said, "It feels a little weird sitting here next to you."

  "Why?"

  "I feel like I could get in trouble," he joked.

  "I already talked to my parents about this, so you're all right."

  There was now a brief silence between them before Mr. Bailey said, "I'll be honest with you, I didn't see your letter until last night; and after I read it, I couldn't sleep."

  "Oh, do you need more time to think it over?" she asked sounding surprised.

  "No, I've known my answer for a while now."

  He now paused for a minute to build up her anticipation, but she couldn't stand not knowing and impatiently asked, "Well, what did you decide?"

  Mr. Bailey reached over and rested his hand on hers, then said, "Anne…I never stopped loving you." After hearing his answer, Anne was so happy that she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him back onto the bed with her as they both smiled at each other.

  "Oh, I almost forgot to give you your graduation present," he said as he pulled a small box out of his pocket and handed it to her. After sitting back up, Anne’s eyes lit up at the charm bracelet inside. She then turned back to him as he said, "I remember you mentioned it to me a while ago. I hope you like it."

  Anne now slipped an arm around him and rested her head against him as she said, "I love it. Thank you."

  "Well, I've got one more surprise for you."

  "No more surprises,” she laughed, “you've already given me more than enough."

  "Are you sure, because I think you'll like it?"

  Anne shook her head for a moment before saying, "All right, what is it?"

  "Close your eyes." She smiled at him, then closed her eyes and waited. After a second, she felt him lift her chin, then slip a hand behind her head as his lips pressed to hers. Rather than relaxing into the kiss, Anne leaned into him until he was lying on his back with her resting on top of him. As their lips parted, they both grinned at each other, then Mr. Bailey said, "You don't know how much I've missed that."

  "Probably just as much as I have," she said with a giggle.

  "You know, if we're going be dating now, you're going to have to call me by my first name."

  "I don't know if I can do that. Jeff…It just sounds so weird."

  "Well, would you prefer I called you Ms. Hartford?"

  "Don't you dare," she laughed.

  As they sat together talking, Mr. Bailey heard a thump outside of the bedroom. He then motioned Anne to be quiet for a minute before saying, "I think your parents are listening in on us. I'll go check." After creeping over to the door, Mr. Bailey yanked it open and exclaimed, "I knew it!"

  "Really," exclaimed Anne as she walked over to the others.

  "Can you really blame us for wanting to listen in?" asked Mr. Hartford.

  "I guess not, but it'd be nice if you were quiet about it," replied Mr. Bailey.

  While the others were busy talking, Mrs. Hartford went and stood beside Mr. Bailey. The moment he caught her eye, he quickly glanced away. Mrs. Hartford then hugged him, catching him so off-guard that he jumped at her touch. After she released him, she said, "I’m sorry for being so hard on you Jeff, but when you have kids of your own, you'll understand why I acted the way that I did." He gave a nod, then she pointed at him and said, "Not until you're married though."

  Mr. Bailey smirked at her remark, then Anne leaned in and whispered something to him, causing him to say, "I don't care, but ask your parents."

  Anne now blushed as she asked, "Would it be all right if I spent the night over at Mr. B…I mean, Jeff's?"

  Mr. Hartford glanced over to his wife and asked, "What do you think?"

  "Oh, all right, but make sure whatever you do you're safe about it," Mrs. Hartford replied sternly.

  "Is there a certain time you want her back by?" asked Mr. Bailey.

  "How about she stays until tomorrow night, then we can all go out to dinner together," replied Mr. Hartford.

  Not wanting to wait around any longer, Anne took Mr. Bailey by the hand and pulled him towards the door. He then yelled back, "Give us a heads up before you come over."

  "You're really going to let her stay that long?" asked Mrs. Hartford.

  "Let them have their fun; they've waited long enough." Mr. Hartford now slipped his arms around his wife and said, "Besides, now we have the house to ourselves."

  "Now I see where Anne gets it from," she laughed. "But I guess it would be nice to have a little alone time."

  "Just what I was thinking."

  "Please, it's what you're always thinking," she said as he guided her down the hall and into their bedroom.

  After arriving at Mr. Bailey's house, Anne asked, "So, what do you want to do?"

  "Up to you," he replied.

  Once again, she took his hand as she led him down the hall to the bedroom. There, the two of them laid together for a while, not saying anything, just enjoying the moment. Anne then glanced up at him and said, "You know, this is probably what I missed most; just laying with you."

  "I missed it too. Hey, you never told me what you plan on going into?"

  "Teaching."

  "Oh really? Not math I hope."

  She laughed at his joke, then said, "No, English."

  "Any reason why?"

  "I like writing."

  "What do you write?"

  "Mostly poems, but I really want to write a story."

  "Do you have any ideas?"

  "No, I've been trying to come up with one, but
it's hard."

  "I've got one for you: high school science teacher falls madly in love with his beautiful and brilliant student."

  "That's actually pretty good, but you forgot the science teacher is the nicest and most handsome guy the student's ever known."

  "Let me know when you finish it; I'd love to read it."

  "I'll make sure you're the first one…" Her voice trailed off as Mr. Bailey leaned over and kissed her, then the two of them slipped beneath the covers, only to wake late in the afternoon the following day. From that point on, Anne and Mr. Bailey were inseparable for the rest of the summer.

  As the school year was beginning again, Anne had finished her story but refused to share it with anyone until she could think of a title. Close to a month went by and still, she was stumped at the name. Then one day, when she and Mr. Bailey went out to dinner together, she heard a young girl call out Mr. Bailey's name as she came over to talk with him. Anne had become so accustomed to calling him Jeff that it sounded strange to hear someone call him by his last name.

  As the girl talked with him, Anne started to remember being back in high school. She thought about all the time they spent in the back of the room together and some of the jokes he told her, as well as the more intimate moments they had. With all those memories flooding back to her, it was at that moment that Anne finally knew what to call her story.

  The Real Mr. Bailey

  For the sake of privacy, I have been asked to omit certain details and change the names of those involved.

  I began writing Mr. Bailey several years ago after becoming privy to a student-teacher relationship at another high school. The relationship was brought to my attention by my friend, Linda. During her lunch period, Linda saw her friend, Anne, making out with their science teacher, Mr. Bailey. Linda was so shocked by the discovery that she quietly retreated back to the cafeteria and tried to make sense of what she had just witnessed.

  After keeping the secret for a few days, Linda reached out to me. She explained the situation and asked for my opinion on the matter. Considering myself an open-minded individual, I told her to talk to her friend and get her side of the story first. After all, what she witnessed was a quick glance into a complicated situation, not the whole picture.