Omega's Teacher

by Bella Bennet

  Harry really wanted to continue hating Alex. But he was making it hard by being so reasonable. Why did he have to grow up ?

  “I’m having a bad day .”

  Alex blinked. “You were like this yesterday when I spoke to you in the hallway.” Damn, he remembered. “And at the teacher gathering after the first day of school.” Harry frowned. It seemed Alex had noticed him at the restaurant. He didn’t know what to say. What would get Alex away the fastest without making this turn into a problem ?

  “All the other teachers that I’ve spoken to, and I believe I’ve met all of them, have mentioned what a nice, charming, responsible omega you were.” Oh. Harry could feel himself blushing. It was hard not to when your fellow teachers were trying to set you up with the new alpha .

  “I don’t know what to say.” Alex’s eyebrows rose. He clearly was not going to let this go .

  “We have met before.” Now Alex frowned. He was probably trying to remember where he had met Harry before. He didn’t want to relive the worst year of his life, thanks to Alex, but it looked like he wasn’t going to get out of here without saying something. Especially since Alex was standing between him and the door .

  “I spent a year with my cousin in the Hamptons. I went to middle school with him for a year. I was in your grade.” Alex still didn’t show any recognition. He didn’t know whether to be insulted or grateful that Alex didn’t remember the kid whose life he made hell .

  “Well, it looks like you don’t remember me. If you could leave, I need to lock up the classroom and go.” Harry looked right at Alex. He wasn’t going to be intimidated by him anymore. It had nothing to do with the fact that Alex didn’t remember bullying him .

  “… Okay. I don’t know what I did back then.” Harry couldn’t help the glare that shot out with that sentence. He didn’t know? Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was a colleague, a coworker, he had to be civil .

  “But I do know I was an absolute little shit back then.” Harry opened his eyes. That was unexpected to hear. “I can only assume that I treated you pretty badly back then. I apologize. I regret how I behaved then. I’m not proud of those years .”

  Harry blinked. This was like a dream come true. His bully admitting he was wrong. It should have been a terrific moment full of him giving Alex a hug then waltzing off into the sunset happy that all was right with the world. Except that didn’t erase the year of hell that Harry had endured. That had shaped him into having the insecurities he had now .

  “Well… I’m glad.” Harry knew he should have said something better. He knew he was better than this. But he couldn’t seem to get the words out of his mouth. He wanted to smile, shake Alex’s hand and act like he normally would. He just couldn’t seem to make himself do it .

  * * *

  A lex finished wiping clean the whiteboard at the front of the Chemistry lab. All his classes had done a lab session, and they had all gone well. No students trying to show off or setting things on fire. It was always a good sign when the first lab in every class passed without problems .

  Alex’s smile dropped when he thought about the one person in the school that was most definitely not a fan. Harry Reyes the omega English teacher that should be called Saint Harry with the way everyone spoke of him .

  He put the eraser back on top the whiteboard and turned around visually inspecting the lab. Alex had already walked through once making sure everything was in the right place. He had heard some kids refer to him as Mr. OCD. Alex didn’t mind it. As long as they understood that keeping things organized and clean kept the school from blowing up, then all was good .

  Alex put homework and labs to grade in his briefcase. He shut the lights off, locked the door and walked down the hall to the stairs. The sinking feeling settled on him again. He was disappointed in himself. He couldn’t go back in time and change things, but he wished he could. Alex was embarrassed at how he used to act. At the person he used to be until his parent’s had kicked him on his ass and told him to grow up .

  He shook his head remembering. It was a shock, a horrible unwanted shock, but he had to admit that their method had worked. He grew up. He couldn’t get anywhere without money and he couldn’t get a job let alone keep one without being civil and not an ass. People didn’t like assholes. Who knew? He laughed at himself. What an ass he had been. A mean, nasty ass. He had gotten more polished as he grew older, but even just a few years ago he was still a judgmental, stuck up, asshole inside. Until Dan, his boyfriend was going to leave him unless he changed .

  Alex walked through the main school doors outside. It was a beautiful day. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He really truly felt regret. Alex had no idea so many people didn’t like him, barely tolerated him until Dan had pointed it out. He thought Dan had been lying. Nope. Even the ones he thought were his good friends didn’t like him. It was a shock. A very big shock .

  Alex opened the door to his BMW and got in setting the briefcase on the passenger seat. When he realized that he could easily lose his job at the Chicagoland high school that’s when Alex decided he had to do something. He was not going to lose a job. He didn’t want his parents to find out that he couldn’t make it work in the real world. Alex wanted to prove that he could, beyond a shadow of a doubt .

  Alex started the car and backed out of his spot. Once he had decided that he needed to do something before he got fired, he searched for a counselor that knew their stuff. He didn’t want to go to someone that wasn’t a good counselor. He wasn’t going to waste his time. Again Alex laughed at himself. Even when searching for therapy, he was still an ass .

  Dan was the one that stumbled across a treatment therapy that sounded like a perfect match. It was a year long program that met once a week with a group and then a therapist. It was intense but went over everything Alex realized he needed help with. Emotional regulation, distress intolerance, interpersonal communication. And mindfulness which at the time he didn’t know what it was .

  That program had changed his life. Everything that bothered him, why things never worked out, why he could never find anyone that wanted to stay with him, why no one seemed to actually like him, he learned why in that therapy program. And he changed himself. Never let it be said that Alex wouldn’t do what was needed to succeed. It was hard, very hard, but he did it. He graduated from the program a new man. And then he was accused of knowing and helping students make drugs at that school .

  Alex shook his head. He couldn’t believe it. Even when he was an asshole, he still wouldn’t have done that. But, Alex understood things more the longer he was removed from it. No one liked him though he was an exemplary teacher, and he had awards to prove it. But he hadn’t been nice. Or compassionate. Or anything remotely related to it until he was almost done with his therapy. That’s when it all seemed to stick and people started noticing a difference. But it was too late for the people he worked with, and the students he taught. It was only the other assholes, student asses, that had liked him as a teacher. He could see that now .

  He sighed again as he pulled into the underground garage of his condo. Alex really wished he could go back in time and redo everything. He used to wanted a redo to start in high school, but thanks to Harry Reyes, he realized he that the asshole kid he was in middle school still affected people. He was ashamed. But he wasn’t that person anymore. He was sorry he had hurt Harry so bad, especially since it effectively cock blocked his future self. He was still paying penance for the asshole he used to be .

  Chapter 5

  H arry waved to the last student walking out of his sophomore English class. He loved his students. The ability to enrich their minds, broaden their horizons, get them to think in different ways was something that would never get old. He erased the blackboard trying to be careful not to get any chalk dust on his clothes. Harry frowned as he realized what he was doing. He had never cared until Alex had come along. Now many of the teachers had upped their fashion game trying to dress better. He didn’t kn
ow why the women bothered, it’s not like Alex would go after any of them. Didn’t they know he was an alpha ?

  Harry wiped his hands off. It was a free period for him, should he be brave and go to the teacher’s lounge even though Alex might be there? Or should he be a coward, like he had been, and stay here in his classroom? Harry threw the cloth down on his desk. He would not let Alex run his life in this school. Harry picked up papers to grade and left the room .

  He could hear talking and laughter outside the lounge. Harry frowned. Weren’t they supposed to keep things quiet so as not to disturb the other classes? He shook himself. When did he become such a prick? He had never been like this until Alex had shown up. Harry opened the door and walked into the lounge, his eyes settling on Alex in the midst of telling a story .

  Harry smiled at everyone, grabbed a chair and sat down. He felt eyes on him and he knew it had to be because he had been avoiding the teacher’s lounge like the plague since school started. He pulled the first homework assignment to him and looked it over .

  “… then the kid added sulphur!” Everyone in the lounge laughed with him. Except Harry. Who would snap his correcting pen if he didn’t let go of it. Pretending to be fine with an old bully was one thing when you weren’t around him, but in the same room with everyone hanging on his every word and his stunning good looks, well that was much harder .

  Harry tried his best to focus, but he kept paying attention to what they were talking about at the other table. Harry rubbed his forehead as a nasty headache was developing. The lounge had been his sanctuary, where he could visit with people, grade or read while still being around people, many he considered his friends. But now he was stuck with Alex’s storytelling showtime if he stayed .

  Harry looked up at the clock. Only ten minutes had passed. This was a nightmare. He ran his hand through his hair. He needed to buckle down and get some work done. There was nothing else he could do .

  * * *

  H arry took a drink from his water bottle then set it down on his desk. Students for the next class came in the room. They were loud and excited today. He heard the word “chemistry” and his stomach dropped. Hadn’t he suffered enough already? Why did the students have to be excited about Alex as well ?

  He turned around and faced the class. The tweed jacket he was wearing bunched up at the elbows irritating him. He was more irritated at why he was wearing it. Because suddenly all the teachers, even him he hated to admit, were wearing jackets to class. Harry felt his pain in his forehead and realized he had been frowning again. He rubbed his forehead. He could not believe his luck. Of all the schools, Alex had to come to this one .

  “Hey, Mr. Reyes?” Harry looked at up at one of the male students .

  “Yes?”

  “What do you think of Mr. Short? The new science teacher. Isn’t he awesome?” Harry stared at the student and then glanced at the rest of the class. Even the ones that had just walked in were looking at him for an answer. He knew they wanted to hear he liked Mr. Short and thought he was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Why, why did that jerk have to come to his school ?

  “I’m sure he’s a very competent teacher.” Harry could tell immediately that was the wrong thing to say. Smiles dropped, students looked confused. He wasn’t known for damning with faint praise. He was usually the happy, optimistic one. Except for this school year. “I’ve heard he has some new ideas for experiments and trips this year .”

  That worked. Smiles were back up. The male student launched into an account of the lab they had just started on. It involved some thing in water that created an immediate burst of light. Harry shook himself. He was being sullen and ruining the student’s excitement at learning. Wasn’t he the one always trying to bring in new and fun things for his classes? He was being a hypocrite .

  “I’m really glad you’re having such a great time in that class. I considered science not one of my best subjects, especially chemistry. I was a nightmare in the lab.” The students laughed. This would be a great way to handle it from now on, just tell stories of what a mess he had been in chemistry. Then he wouldn’t have to directly answer what he thought about the teacher. That will work perfectly .

  * * *

  A lex thought he was settling in well. There were some students that loved Chemistry and hung out after school in his classroom while Alex double checked the lab, classroom and storage room. They had been trying to talk him into having a Chemistry club with even “cooler” experiments. A YouTube channel was also mentioned. Alex smiled. He loved their excitement for his favorite subject, but he wasn’t sure Dr. Stevens would be up for “cool” experiments like the ones the boys were talking about .

  He put the whiteboard eraser back on top the board. At least this was a better discussion than the ones the boys had been having with him all week. They were trying to get him to date their English teacher who was a wonderful person and was an omega. Alex snorted. They were barking up the wrong tree for that. He had to tell them his personal life was none of their business. Which for some reason had egged them on even more .

  “Ok you guys, and lady, everybody out.” He heard the groans and grumbles of why they couldn’t stay there for hours just hanging out and doing cool Chemistry things. They really needed to get involved in school activities or find something to do after school. He would not hang out and supervise them for hours. He dealt with kids for his job, he needed a break. But it got him thinking, was there some place for nerdy kids to go after school ?

  He closed the classroom door and locked it. He might have to check with Dr. Stevens. But then again, what principal wanted to invite trouble by having a teacher and students alone in a room not during school hours? Yeah, he was dropping that idea .

  “Mr. Reyes! Hello!” Oh no. Alex groaned .

  “Hey kids, how are you doing?” Harry was smiling. He looked happy and relaxed. Alex’s stomach dropped. Why did he have to be so good looking? And such a great person? Alex could smell the omega now he was closer. He closed his eyes and steeled himself. It was hell wanting someone that hated you because you were an ass to them earlier in your life. This was karmic payback .

  “We were hanging with Mr. Short. We’re trying to talk him into making a Chemistry club so we can do cool experiments.” Harry glanced at Alex, but Alex couldn’t tell what he was thinking .

  “Well, that sounds great.” Alex’s eyebrows rose. This guy wasn’t going to be subtle about his dislike, was he ?

  “Thanks for your praise.” Ok, he shouldn’t have done that. There was no need to get sarcastic. He was supposed to let things roll off of him .

  “It wasn’t.” Well. Looks like Harry gave up subtle as well. He glanced at the students and saw shock on their faces. Alex rubbed his face. This was not going well. He didn’t want it to get back to anyone he wasn’t being a good coworker .

  “Look— “

  Harry shook his head. “I need to go, I have things I need to do tonight. I’ll walk out with you kids.” The kids gave another look at Alex then turned to walk out with Harry. All were silent. Great. Just great .

  Alex ran his hand through his hair and then followed them. He hoped the kids wouldn’t tell anyone about this, but he knew that wasn’t going to happen. How many friends did nerds have, anyway? Maybe it wouldn’t go all over the school. His shoulders relaxed, and he took a deep breath. It would work out. Next time though, he had to control his mouth. He couldn’t lose this job right after he had gotten it .

  * * *

  A lex decreased the treadmill’s speed, which was difficult to do while running. He wiped his face and neck with the towel, then put it back on his shoulder. A good run was just what he had needed. Too bad there were only college students in the gym at this hour. He felt like a lech looking at the fit younger men. If only Harry wasn’t such an ass .

  He would have to remind himself several times a day to be nice no matter what Harry said. It was his penance for being an ass and hurting him decades ago. Which was a little
crazy that Harry was carrying this resentment and anger after all this time. The guy needed a shrink .

  Alex stopped the treadmill and got off. He grabbed the cleaning spray and wiped it down. Alex wished he knew of some way to get Harry to let it go. He had already apologized to him. What else could he do? Alex shook his head. He had no idea. This was too embarrassing of a problem to call up his cousin and ask her. He wondered if Penny knew what kind of an ass he used to be. Probably .

  Alex drank the rest of his water and headed to the locker. He’d have to think of some way to talk to Harry again. Maybe he could invite him out to dinner? No, too much time if things were uncomfortable. Maybe coffee. That would be perfect. He wondered who would know Harry’s favorite coffee place. He’d ask the main secretary. It seemed like she knew everything .

  * * *

  “O h, how thoughtful! What a good idea that is, Alex.” Shirley was pleased with Alex’s request for Harry’s favorite coffee place. He had a bad feeling she thought he was looking to date Harry .

  “Thanks. I’m trying to get to know all the teachers. My schedule and Harry’s haven’t coincided to get to him yet .”

  The main secretary smiled at him again like there were wedding bells ringing already. He could feel his smile get tight. “So what’s his favorite coffee place, again ?”

  “You know I’m not sure. He loves coffee, I know that, but he goes right to his room in the mornings and I don’t know where he gets his coffee. Don’t worry, I’ll ask him and get it to you.” She winked. His stomach sank. This was not going the way he had planned. Now there will be rumors he was dating Harry, in between them sniping at each other in the halls. Wonderful .

  “Thanks, Shirley, you’re a peach.” She blushed and waved him away. He turned around and walked out of the office wondering if this is what it feels like when you’re being pulled along a path you had no intention of going on. What would happen next ?