Teacher

by R. L. Merrill

  He peered out the window now, his deep brown eyes ringed with dark circles. His cheeks were covered with red stubble and his shaggy, wavy red hair was sticking out all over the place from under his hat.

  “The district approved all of the paperwork, Jesse, so if you’ll just sign here,” she handed me a blue pen, “then the two of you can get started.”

  I looked up at Danny but he was still looking out the window. I cleared my throat. “I have a few questions, if you don’t mind.”

  He turned his glare back on me and I felt my face flush. He had such presence. I knew on stage he was a passionate performer, moving fluidly from raging growls to tender melodies. But sitting across from him, I felt like his eyes were burning holes in me. I worried I might not hold up under the pressure. It was one thing to work with angry young boys who just needed someone to believe in them. I had no experience with angry, thirty-something men.

  Patricia looked worriedly between us and gave me an uneasy smile. “What is it that you’d like to ask?"

  I looked over at Danny and raised an eyebrow. “I just want to be sure that Mr. Black understands what is involved with this kind of work. Typically I meet with my students once or twice a week and they work about twenty hours at home to complete their credits. The curriculum I use covers the standards and allows for the student to move at his or her own pace.”

  Instead of glaring, he now had his game face on. I thought maybe this was the right approach, to challenge him. “I’m ready to do what I need to do. I’ll work more than twenty hours a week if it means getting done with this quickly. But I’m going to need more than two meetings a week. I’m going to expect you to be at my place whenever I need you.” He dropped that gauntlet and then leaned forward with his elbows on the table, lacing his long fingers together. Tattooed across his fingers were the words “Wise” and “Fool.” Interesting.

  I crossed my legs and leaned forward to mimic his position. “The district will likely not allow me to work more than a set amount of hours per week.”

  He leaned a few millimeters more towards me. “I don’t give a fuck what the district says. If you take this job I expect you to be there when I need you,” he whispered angrily. There was a faint trace of a challenging smile on his lips and I really didn’t know what to do with that. He leaned forward again, his voice a quiet whisper, and said, "Ms. Martin, have you ever worked with adults before?”

  I shook my head. “No, but I work with kids who haven't been in school for two or three years, who have been in jail, who have been pregnant and given birth while finishing, and kids who are doing the Hollywood gig, trying to make it big. All of them want it bad enough to work hard and do what is required.” I leaned forward again. “Are you prepared to work hard and do what is required?”

  He nodded and his lips spread into a devilish grin. “You bet your ass I am.”

  We sat there, leaning towards each other, staring each other down and waiting for the other to blink first. I sat back, never taking my eyes off his, and picked up the blue pen again.

  "I’ll sign your agreement. When do you want to start?”

  His smile was gone. “Tomorrow. Noon. My place. Patricia will send a car.”

  I shook my head. “That’s not necessary. If you give me an address I will get there myself.”

  Now he really looked pissed.

  “Fine. Patricia?” She jotted down his address and handed it to me in exchange for the agreement.

  “Thank you, I will see you tomorrow.” I stood up and Patricia touched my arm.

  “But Jesse, didn’t you want to stay for dinner? I’ve got to run, I’ve got another engagement, but it would be good for you and Danny to, uh, talk strategy don’t you think?”

  He was looking out the window again, fuming. I glanced at Patricia. She was giving me a pleading look.

  “I guess. Thank you.”

  She moved to get out of the booth and shook my hand again. “It was nice meeting you, Jesse. I’ll be in touch with you on Tuesday. Danny,” she said in a warning tone. He waved to her without looking and she rolled her eyes.

  “Goodnight,” I called to her as she was leaving. I hesitated for a moment before sitting back down. He still wasn’t looking at me and all of his energy was screaming that he wished he were any place other than here.

  “Mr. Black, if you’d rather we just meet tomorrow...”

  He looked up at me and for a moment I saw sadness in his eyes instead of bitterness. He shook his head. “No, I think it’s a good idea if we make a plan. Please, sit.”

  A waiter approached us warily at that moment and asked for our drink orders. “I’ll just have water,” I said quietly.

  Danny whispered, “Hot tea with lemon.”

  Not at all what I expected. The waiter nodded and left us with two menus.

  I had no idea what the hell I was doing and I couldn't stop fidgeting. He really affected me, and not just because I was a fan. I glanced quickly at the menu deciding on a spinach salad. We sat quietly waiting for the waiter to come back and ordered as soon as he arrived. Then it was back to quiet. I figured I’d start. I opened the folder Patricia left and looked at his transcript. He’d attended high school in Los Gatos, not too far from the East Bay where I was from. According to his transcript, he dropped out in the middle of his sophomore year. I heard knuckles cracking so I glanced up to find him looking nervously at me.

  “How bad is it,” he whispered, pulling at his bottom lip. He was obviously worried about what I was going to think. I looked back down at the paper and saw that he had earned 50 credits. When my eyes met his I tried my best to be reassuring.

  “I’ve seen worse. You have 50 credits and you need 190. Typically, students have a limit on how many credits they can turn in weekly, but I think in this case we can waive that. You have almost all of your math credits and you passed band and PE. We can approach this however you like, but I usually suggest getting the stuff you hate out of the way first. I want to be honest with you, Mr. Black. I think it’s going to take longer than the summer. We can get as much done as possible and then keep working...”

  He shook his head. “I need to get this done. It’s not just about me.” I frowned. He took a long sip of his tea and stirred it with the spoon absently.

  I didn’t know whether he was going to continue, but then the waiter brought our food. He had ordered a pasta dish with shrimp and he winced at my spinach salad. “Is that all you’re going to eat,” he asked in his whisper voice.

  “Yes. Is there a reason you’re whispering?”

  He glared at me and I realized my big mouth was going to get me out of a job before I even started. “Yes, there’s a reason. I just had surgery. I’m not even supposed to be talking or whispering and my fucking throat is killing me.”

  "I'm sorry. I had no idea. Maybe something cold would feel better?" He frowned and shrugged. I motioned to our server and said, "Instead of the pasta, can you bring him some sorbet or ice cream, maybe?" The server looked at Danny and then back at me, confused. "Please? And the sooner the better?" The last I spoke with a sweet smile, hoping not to come across rude.

  He nodded and left.

  "Perhaps I should talk then?"

  He shrugged again, but his eyes were on me like he was sizing up an adversary.

  "By a show of fingers, which is your least favorite subject: English is one, Social Studies is two, Science is three."

  He thought for a minute and held up two fingers. I smiled.

  "Great, we'll start there. It happens to be my favorite subject, lucky or unlucky for you. I will give you a pretest for each class and see what you know."

  His eyes narrowed and he grinned. The waiter approached and handed him a huge bowl of chocolate ice cream with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Danny looked up and nodded at him.

  "Thank you," I said and the waiter looked between us again, smiled, and then retreated.

  “A pre-test,” he whispered.

  He took a bite of the
ice cream and his eyes rolled back in his head. He sighed and nodded. He took another and then looked up at me and smiled, a real smile this time, not a sarcastic grin. I was surprised at how happy it made me to see him happy. Behind every angry kid I’d worked with was a terribly sad individual. I was beginning to think Danny Black was no different.

  I picked at my salad while I told him about the curriculum, that we would be using a blended program of texts and online activities. His eyes brightened when I explained that in some of the subjects he’d have the opportunity to test out of doing the work. “That should make things go a little quicker.”

  He nodded. “I may not have finished high school, but I never quit reading.” He winced and shoveled in some more ice cream. I didn’t speak for a few minutes, letting him soothe his throat with the cool ice cream. But I was curious.

  “Had you done some damage to your vocal chords?” He looked up, frowning again. “I’m sorry, I was just curious.”

  He shook his head. “Do you even know who I am?”

  How the hell could I not? I looked up at him warily and nodded.

  “Then you know how much I wouldn’t want to talk about this. I’ll be fine. I just need some time. All you need to worry about is helping me get my fucking diploma.”

  Ok. Well, I guess he was not going to be the friendliest person I’ve ever worked with. Fine. I had a job to do and I would do it.

  “Mr. Black, I’m sorry if I offended you. I’ll stick to the topic.”

  He looked up from his ice cream and got a disgusted look on his face. He shook his head again, tossing his spoon down on the table, and that was it. He waved the server over, handed him a credit card and the server nodded to him. I finished my water.

  “Thank you for dinner. I will see you tomorrow at noon. Goodnight, Mr. Black.”

  I stood to leave, making sure I had the folder and his address. When I stepped past him, he grabbed my arm. Startled, I looked down to find him staring up at me apologetically.

  “Thank you for coming, Ms. Martin.”

  I smiled tentatively at him and nodded. He looked me up and down, rubbing his thumb along my wrist before letting go. That sent a chill through me and my face flushed. What was that for?

  I hurried out of the restaurant and out to my car. It took a couple of tries to get the damn thing to start, which added to the pounding in my chest. Thankfully the Pinto got me home in one piece and I patted the dash before I climbed out, a little ritual we had.

  Cosmo’s apartment was spilling over with drunken chicks and loud music. I passed two girls making out with each other at the bottom of the steps and I shook my head as they looked over invitingly. I climbed the steps carefully avoiding questionable substances along the way. Cosmo was sitting on the top step with his acoustic guitar dressed the same as he had been earlier. In the doorway of his apartment Jinx appeared to be in some sort of threesome with a half-naked girl and Johnny.

  “Hey, Jesse Baby,” Cosmo sang to me. “I think I need to write a song about you.” He was slurring his words meaning obviously he was in his drunken pronouncement state. “Guys! Don’t you think we should write a song about Jesse?”

  Johnny and Jinx looked up from the girl they were defiling and agreed. Jinx licked his lips and groaned.

  “Definitely. You gotta talk about her legs, man. Jesse, I had a wet dream about your legs once.”

  All I wanted to do was get in my door without any bodily fluids getting on me. The girl’s skirt was up around her waist and Johnny was making out with her. He had his hand between her legs while it appeared Jinx was penetrating her... Gross. Then she dropped down and started blowing Johnny and used her other hand to continue servicing Jinx. I fumbled with my keys and then dropped them with a curse. I heard the guys start moaning louder and I got the door opened just as one of them came and jizz shot to the spot where I was just standing.

  “Really!? Guys! How many times am I going to have to replace this damn door mat!? Keep your sperm on your side of the line!”

  Cosmo fell over laughing, his guitar dropping from his hands. I heard the other guys apologize as I slammed the door.

  "God!!! I need to get out of here," I groaned to myself. This apartment was getting more and more hazardous to my health. As much as the guys made me laugh sometimes, coming home to watch them bang chicks in the doorway was too much. I took a shower just in case any flying objects had hit me and stuffed my clothes in the dry cleaner bag. I put on my headphones and fell into bed praying I’d get a decent night’s sleep. Instead, Danny’s brown eyes haunted me.

  Chapter Two

  A knock on the door woke me the next day. I groaned and sat up to see that it was 9:00. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and grabbed my robe. The light hurt my eyes and I felt a headache threatening to attack. I pulled the door open and smiled. A new doormat with a red ribbon wrapped around it was on the ground and a basket with fresh fruit and a loaf of sourdough bread was waiting for me. I shook my head and read the card.

  “Thanks for putting up with us, Jesse Baby. Love Cosmo and the boys."

  I picked up the basket and brought it inside, no longer wondering what I was going to eat for breakfast. Jinx drove a delivery van for a local florist and gourmet food company and often brought over baskets that either couldn’t be delivered or that had been refused. The food was always awesome and greatly appreciated by all of us. Cosmo was lousy about buying groceries and I couldn’t always afford them.

  Teachers make close to decent money in California, but when you factored in my student loans, medical bills, and the money I sent home to help my parents, I didn’t have a lot left over. I supplemented my income teaching at a local dance studio, but that was only two nights a week and some weekends if they needed a sub. I liked staying busy so I didn’t mind. But finances were tight.

  I ate a grapefruit, a banana, and a slice of the sourdough. I made myself some fresh squeezed OJ, realizing I could have made a nice smoothie if the guys hadn’t taken my blender yesterday. Lord, I didn’t want to know what they’d done with it. I figured I’d probably be buying a new one with my next paycheck. Why I let them borrow my stuff was beyond me. I guess I had a soft spot for them. They were kind of like the little brothers I never had, only a lot more hairy and perverted than I imagined little brothers would be.

  I stretched and exercised for about 45 minutes and then took a shower. I had to keep my body limber to keep the pain away. After cleaning up I graded papers until 11:00. I was nervous about going to Danny’s house. Hopefully in his own environment, he’d be a little less prickly. Otherwise, it was going to be a long summer.

  The Pinto started up normal this morning and I breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully by the end of the summer I’d have enough saved up to buy a car from this century. Danny’s address was in the Hollywood Hills off of Doheny and Nightingale Lane. I’d never been up that far and I hoped the Pinto would make it.

  I wound through the hills and finally pulled up in front of his house, which was surrounded on one side by a massive stone wall. Not very inviting, but I assumed it was necessary. There were vans parked down the street with paparazzi waiting for one of the residents to do something salacious, most likely. I tried to avoid parking near any of them and found a spot in front of the house and across the street. I got out and smoothed down my skirt. I’d opted for another sleeveless blouse and fitted skirt combo, this one in shades of grey, but today I’d left my hair down. I walked up the driveway and rang the buzzer.

  The door was opened by a striking, forty-something, African American woman. She smiled brightly when she saw me.

  “Hello there, darlin’. You must be Miss Martin?”

  I nodded and held out my hand. She shook it firmly and held the door open for me. I stepped inside and had to suppress a gasp at the sight. This house was immaculate, all clean lines and modern touches. It was slick, everything you would imagine a wealthy artist in Hollywood might want in a house. But it was not homey, despite the intention that the
se areas be used to entertain. I got the sense not much entertaining happened here as opposed to my apartment building. I walked in and the clack-clack of my heels on the marble was unsettling to me.

  “I’m Nora. I take care of Mr. Black. Can I get you something to drink? Some iced tea, maybe?”

  I nodded. “That would be great. Where is Mr. Black?”

  She scowled comically. “He’s in his office, he’ll be out shortly. I’ll let him know you’re here.”

  She left me standing in the foyer while she went into the kitchen. I glanced around the living space wondering if this was professionally decorated or if Danny chose this. The glare from the sun shining through the wall of glass before me glanced off the metal table and blinded me. My headache from earlier wasn’t quite gone so I moved towards the kitchen where I’d seen Nora go.

  I heard a crash as I passed a doorway. I peeked inside and saw Danny with his back to me, a phone to his ear and a mess of dirt and terra cotta at his feet. His thick shoulders were tense under a navy t-shirt and frayed Levi’s. He had no shoes on and I noticed blood on his foot. I gasped and he turned around, that disgusted look back on his face. He was whispering harshly.

  “I have to go, I have an appointment. You better not miss our meeting time. I want Janey this week, Brooke. Don’t fuck around.” I heard a voice on the other side and then he ended the call with a curse.

  “I’m sorry to intrude, but did you know you’re bleeding?”

  He looked down and cursed again. Just then Nora found me.

  “I guess you found Mr. Black... Oh! Danny! What happened? Are you hurt?”

  He shook his head, irritated. She hurried in and started picking up shards of the pot that had met its demise.

  “You go on and clean yourself up and I’ll get this.” She continued to grumble under her breath as she grabbed a trashcan and started dropping pieces of the pot and clumps of dirt in it.