by M. C. Cerny
“While I appreciate the advice, I have no intensions of inviting, nor encouraging any behavior among my students.” I take a sip of my water from the typical brown diner glass, wiping the condensation off and rubbing my fingers together to dry them off. I wonder how smooth and slippery Edith’s skin would be when wet. It is a thought I shouldn’t be having, but everything brings her to mind now that I am seeing her again.
“I know, but given the attention you drew as a student, and later as a first-year professor, I shudder to think about the females ready to launch themselves in your direction.” Dean Andrews smiles politely, but I know his words are also a warning.
“No worries there. I’ve been dating someone off and on, and it’s becoming a more serious arrangement.” Who was I kidding? I hadn’t seen Amanda in weeks because of our schedules and, at this point, it is far from convenient. Who would have thought I’d be scheduling sex three to six weeks in advance? Not me.
“Excellent. I hope I’ll get to meet the lucky woman. You know, I’ve thought of you like a son since your freshman days here. I always wondered what became of your teaching career, though you’ve made a fine choice in opening up your own business.”
I look past Dean Andrews, slightly narrowing my eyes at the woman who ruined me for public teaching all because I was afraid I might have actually considered crossing the line just once. It is a good thing you can’t be prosecuted for one’s thoughts.
“Next time Amanda is in town, I’ll be sure to bring her by.”
“Yes, please do. Oh, before I forget, make sure you stop by the clinic on campus and get a flu shot. Seems there’s a bug going around, and with Dr. Roth getting surgery and limited people to fill-in, I’d hate to see you come down with anything these kids pass around.” Claire saunters back with our lunch, and Dean Andrews digs in.
“I’ll definitely do that as soon as possible.” I try eating my lunch, doing my damnedest to ignore the table of students that included one dark-haired girl.
Edith
“Shit. Is he still looking?” I mutter, slinking down in my seat, face hot with embarrassment as I crawl back up, trying to look as normal and as adult as possible.
“Are you still looking?” Aiden returns, laughing at me.
“Aiden, don’t turn around. You’re the most obvious,” I point out.
“Really? So sitting behind your menu isn’t obvious?”
“Shut up,” I say, annoyed.
“Wow. I’ve never seen you this flustered before.” Aiden seems like he wants to elaborate on this conversation further, but I’m just getting angrier.
“I. AM. NOT. FLUSTERED,” I hiss in my loudest whisper.
“Well, you could have fooled me. Are you going to eat those disco fries or not?” he asks, already reaching for one.
“I thought this dinner was about fattening me up for my vampire donation.” Sometimes I wonder if there are alternative motives with these two.
“Please. You putting on weight is a lost cause. I just want you to eat the meat protein…and the fries have no protein,” he tells me.
“Is that some medical fact?”
“Uh huh.” Aiden shoves the fries in his mouth, talking while chewing, causing Shelby to elbow him.
“What’s up with you two anyway, besides him being your hottie student teacher back in the day?” Shelby asks me, shoving more of my fries in her mouth. I don’t answer her, picking at my burger. My appetite is long gone as I start thinking about those shitty days in high school from which I couldn’t wait to escape.
Yeah, what was up with us? The last time I had an actual physical run-in with Jack Hamilton was in my junior math class before the end of the school year. My teacher, Miss Reynolds, went and got herself knocked up, married, and quit teaching a month before school started. So, Mr. Hamilton was some super math whiz kid who was student teaching and came to our high school to get hands-on experience. Hands on, indeed! I swear, every damn female in my school had it bad for Mr. Hamilton. They wanted to spend extra study halls, after school, and during lunch getting “extra” help from him. Granted, he seemed earnest in wanting students to succeed, and he seemed to have a soft spot for the girls who were struggling the most.
One day after school, near the end of the year, I stayed late to get some books from the library. Some stupid English project on Beowulf, and I didn’t want to work with other students making videos. It would have been hard for me to explain my absences at home as it was, so I asked my teacher if I could write a paper instead and she agreed. As I came out of the library, my arms full of books and not paying attention, I slammed right into Mr. Hamilton. Books and papers flying up into the air like a cyclone, I landed on the floor, banging my head pretty hard. I saw stars, but not only that. In my addled mind, as Mr. Hamilton was picking me up off the floor and asking me if I was okay, I kissed him. I freaking kissed him or, rather, our lips met. I kept hoping it wasn’t totally initiated on my part, but I knew that wasn’t true. I remembered them tasting cool, wet, and soft, his bottom lip sticking out slightly. As we kissed, I felt his hands roam my body and push me against the brick hallway, gripping my thigh so acutely, I remembered having a set of fingerprint bruises for days afterwards. I traced those bruises for the remaining days, matching my fingers to his prints watching them fade, and secretly loving them. My core tingled every time I looked at them. I’m not sure how much of the memory is totally accurate and how much I’m horrifically romanticizing. The kiss was so tender and fleeting, the only other memory that overpowers it was when he pushed me back, horrified, and proceeded to wipe his mouth with the back of his hand, looking me over, disgusted. What the hell had possessed me to do such a thing? Had I even done it? I mean, I’d like to think I hit my head pretty hard on those linoleum tiles. All I know is that the taste of cool, icy, winter mint gum became my best, my worst, and my last memory of high school. I still get flashes of heat every time I see that gum flavor in the drugstore.
“Edie. Earth to Edie?” Aiden sounds like an annoying broken record, scratching the skipped beats.
“Hmm?” I drift out of my reverie slowly, wondering when I might have enough spare money for some mint ice cream so I can relive that kiss alone in my apartment.
Thunk.
“What the…?” Aiden had thrown a mostly clean french fry at my face, splashing a glob of gravy and cheese in my eye and, likely, my hair. Giggling, Shelby hands me a napkin as I give my two best friends a death stare. “Real classy, Aiden.” I wipe the gravy from my face, tossing the napkin at Aiden, who ducks. In my heated anger, I don’t notice Mr. Hamilton and Dean Andrews walking by us. Dean Andrews walks up to the diner register. Mr. Hamilton picks up the napkin I threw at Aiden, which had landed on the floor, and places it on the table next to my hand.
“Don’t forget right here, Miss Willows. You, uh…missed a spot.” Mr. Hamilton gently brushes my cheek with his thumb. Oh, holy hell! I want to die right there. He actually takes his thumb and puts it in his mouth, sucking the gravy off. I think my stomach rippled, like a stone skipping over a pond, before my brain reengaged in semi-conduciveness.
“T-thanks.” I grab the napkin and furiously brush my cheek.
“See you on Tuesday,” he says before turning to walk away.
“Is there a quiz?” Shelby calls out, making Mr. Hamilton turn back around, and Dean Andrews is watching us.
Eyes wide, I look at her and mouth, WHAT THE HELL?
“Actually, there is. Make sure Miss Willows studies extra hard.” Mr. Hamilton walks out with Dean Andrews and I sink into my seat. Did he have to say it like that? I swear he enunciated the words extra hard on purpose.
“Thanks!” Shelby, with her usual bubbly attitude, calls back and waves. Mr. Hamilton keeps walking, but sticks his arm in the air and waves back.
“Seriously, I’m going to kill you, Shelby.” It isn’t possible to sink lower in my seat as we watch them walk back towards campus.
“Well, now that he’s touched you, you’ll have some
thing to master…,” Shelby says as Aiden bumps his water into her lap, making her jump up, squealing.
“OKAY!” I yell at her, drawing more unwanted attention to myself.
“I didn’t need to know that. I’ll make sure I text before we come over,” Aiden mumbles, clearly as embarrassed as I am. I put my arms over my head, trying to forget my two best friends sitting in front of me and smiling like idiots.
Chapter Four
Jack
The week has been a busy one between managing my company and clients, as well as teaching the Statistics course on Tuesday. Edith Willows has tormented me the entire time just sitting there quietly and pretending we didn’t have a past together, as brief as it was. Now that it is finally Thursday, I go to get my flu shot, recalling Edith had skipped my class. The overly helpful nurse at the student clinic wants to take my shirt off for just a damn flu shot when I can just simply roll up my sleeve. Amanda, my on again/off again girlfriend, flew back and stopped over the other night, before heading back out again. The sex all-nighter was probably what I needed to purge Edith from my mind. My dick was sated, for the time being, and Amanda walked out on unsteady legs, which pleased me immensely. I was about to leave the clinic with my flu shot paperwork for HR when I hear my familiar pain in the ass student who cut class earlier today.
“Miss, I really think you should continue to lie down until you feel better. At least drink more juice.” I spin around and see a very pale Edith pushing a nurse away, wobbling to a plastic chair in the waiting room.
“I’m fine. I just need the bus to get to work.” Edith grabs the chair and slumps forward, her head rolling like a rag doll.
“Edith, take it easy. Are you alright? Is it the flu?” I grab her by her upper arms to hold her up. I notice how frail she seems to be under my touch. “Edith, stay with me. Come on.” I lean her back, propping her up against the wall. “Edith, keep your eyes open.” This position is all too hauntingly familiar for me, and I try to hold myself back and keep her standing upright.
“Sh’um fine, Mr. H.” She tries pushing my hand away, but can’t even get her arm up with any force.
“No offence, but you look like shit, Edie.” I decide holding her close will have to suffice; otherwise, she might wiggle in my arms, causing more problems than I care to deal with right now.
“You never call me that. It’s always Edith with you.” She keeps slurring her words and I look up at the nurse for some assistance.
“She’s just given plasma. Are you a friend or relative? She’s never had this kind of reaction before.”
“She’s done this before?” I look back at Edith. If it is even possible, she looks more waxen and pale. I wonder what would make Edith have to give plasma like this.
“Like clockwork, sir. Oh, and before I forget, here’s the twenty dollar gift card we give all our plasma donors.”
“Donors?” I look between the two of them. Edith looks like she barely weighs the minimum to donate anything.
“Zip! I’ll be takin’ that!” Almost drunkenly, Edith grabs for the gift card twice before dropping it and just blankly staring at it. I pick it up off the floor and pocket it. We are definitely going to be talking about this later. Suddenly, her eyes roll into her head and it is lights out for princess pain in my ass.
“Whoa, there. Let’s get a cot for her. I think this might take her awhile.” I pick up Edith, who weighs pretty much what I thought she would…delicate, feather light, and enough to piss me off because she obviously isn’t eating enough to sustain herself properly. “Damn it, Edie. What are you doing to yourself?” I bring her into one of the triage rooms that had a cot in it and place her down. As I brush hair back from her face, her shampoo fragrance drifts to my nose, scented like sweet summer honeysuckle.
I watch Edith rest for about a half-hour before she starts to come around. “Here, drink some juice.” I help her sit up on the cot and give her the juice box, like she is a little kid. Edith is definitely not a child, but I feel like a total pervert thinking the thoughts I do about her.
“Thank you.” She is quiet and I’m curious, surely a bad combination for us both.
“Edith, I probably shouldn’t ask, but…” I hand her the donor gift card. For all I know, it is her beer money for some frat party.
“Please. Don’t.” Edith slowly pockets the card in her jeans and looks around the curtained off room. I walk over to the chair and pick up her bag for her. She looks at her phone. “Ugh, crap. I’m late for work.”
“Where do you work?”
“A dry cleaner over on Main Street.”
“Well, come on. I’ll drive you over.” I give her my arm to help her get up. Her fingers are soft and cool to the touch…and causes an almighty zing right to my pants.
“It’s not necessary.” she mumbles, not looking at me.
“I’ll take her over,” a deep voice behind me says. I turn around. Ah, the medical student friend.
“Aiden? How…?” Edith takes a step and stumbles. I grab her and push her back onto the cot. I stand over her, my hand on her shoulder, keeping her there.
“The nurse told the girl checking everyone in and she called Shelby, since they have class together, and Shelby called me. Come on, rock star. Let’s get you some dinner.” Aiden tries to brush past me, but I hold my ground. “Mr. Hamilton, don’t you have a Math Fundamentals prep course this evening?” Her smartass friend must have been doing his homework.
“Not this semester. Miss Willows, I hope to see you in class on Tuesday.” Clearly, I am being dismissed.
“Y-yes, Mr. Hamilton.”
I put Edith’s purse on the cot next to her. “And no more skipping class to donate plasma. I’m willing to overlook it this one time. Surely beer money for frat parties comes easier than this.” Pissed off, I walk out past her friend and make my way to my car parked on the street. I was mad. Considering I’d spent time getting off with Amanda earlier, it is weird to be so angry at her friend for merely coming to pick her up. A green haze of jealously overcomes me for a moment, but I push it aside. Shit like this will get me fired.
Edith
“It’s not beer money, jerk,” I feebly yell back at him, but he just throws his hand up in the air, like a dismissive wave, and keeps on walking away and out of sight. If I had more energy, I might have contemplated following him to give him a piece of my mind.
“I can’t believe that asshole just said that.” Aiden stands with his arms crossed and his muscles bulging under his t-shirt that says “Nerds are Hot”. “What the hell is going on, Edie?” he says pissed, his hands on his hips.
“I don’t know, Aiden. I really don’t know.” Shaking my head makes me dizzy so I just put my head in my hands and lean forward, hoping the dizzy spell will pass quickly.
“You know Shelby is going to ask. Prepare for the interrogation.”
“Please, Aiden. I can’t take another inquisition right now.”
“Let’s get you a greasy burger before I drop you off at work.” My stomach rolls thinking about food, I push the feeling down and focus on getting out of here.
Aiden helps me out to his car, a beat-up Mercedes his parents gave him. The car has seen some better days, but it drives nicely and gets us around campus just fine. Aiden is a good friend, and I know you have to appreciate the few good ones you are lucky enough to have.
Chapter Five
Jack
Edith consumes my thoughts the next few weeks and it isn’t only her marginally passing grade that comes to mind. Last week, I thought the gods were playing a cruel joke on me because the podium I was using to hide my massive boner had disappeared. I promptly called maintenance and had it brought back before my next class. I keep replaying that kiss from so many years ago. My mind goes back to how soft, plump, and silky her lips felt. I think about her tongue and how good it had tasted. Words escape me to describe it, but my dick strains against my pants when I think about it. I make that useless TA of mine tutor Edith, hating that it can�
��t be me, and I am pissed the dean is unable to replace him mid-semester. She needs a passing grade to keep her scholarship and finish school. I can’t let her loose it because I can’t keep my hands and mind together.
It also doesn’t help that our weather hasn’t shifted to a proper fall, either. Edith has been wearing skimpy-looking t-shirts with jeans that look ready to fall off her hips. Black flip flops and toenails painted red tease me, leaving me thinking how much I want her legs wrapped around my waist. Fantasies of taking her across my desk, papers thrown to the floor, don’t help. When I zoned out on Amanda during dinner the last time she was here, she stormed out saying I’d been too distant with her. She was right, but what can I do about it? The one thing I want, I can’t have, and what I do have is a poor substitute. I’m a horrible man.
I hadn’t seen Edith in class on Tuesday. I have a few students who regularly cut class, but I told her I wasn’t going to tolerate her doing so. I am not above a little coercion to get her passing my class, but I’m not going to make it easy for her, either. It is now Thursday, and no sign of Edith. No phone call or email telling me why she missed class.
“Hey, Daniel. Have you seen Edith Willows?” I grab Daniel on his way out, making him stop short and bump into another classmate.
“No, sir. She missed our last two tutor sessions this week. She was a no show at the library.” Daniel shrugs and I wonder what is keeping her from class. Certainly I don’t think it’s me. I keep the appropriate distance, even if my mind can’t stop taking her clothes off every time I close my eyes. After Daniel leaves, I realize I don’t have a way to get in touch with her, so I call the Registrar to see if they can give me her number or address.
After some back and forth, and speaking to a supervisor who questioned my motives, I am finally given an address and a cell phone number. I try calling her, but her voicemail box isn’t set up and she doesn’t answer. I wonder if she gave plasma again, or if she is in some kind of trouble. I decide I will just head over to her place and see for myself.