by Jamie Knight
"Good morning, Mr. Winston," I say happily as I walk past his desk.
"Good morning, Stacey," he says with a smile before going back to grading papers.
I put my stuff down and watch him for a few seconds. I spend the rest of the time preparing for today's lesson. The bell rings and the students come walking in. Mr. Winston closes his book and starts writing on the board while I hand out the papers for the day. The sound of the intercom interrupts us. We all stop what we’re doing and look at each other in surprise.
The principal clears his throat over the speaker and begins speaking.
"Attention, students and staff. We are informing you that the coronavirus has arrived in the Washington state area. The school district is waiting for more news. We will share this information with you once we receive it. That is all."
The announcement ends and the speaker goes silent.
The students are in shock. I go back to my desk. Mr. Winston stops writing and turns to address the class. They look at him with worry.
"Students, I have been watching the news closely these past few weeks. This virus isn't going away or getting any better. It's looking like the whole country could be infected soon," he says. Some of the students start to visibly panic.
"Excuse me, Mr. Winston? I have a few words I would like to say to the class as well," I say.
"Um, of course,” he says.
He walks over to stand by my desk while I walk to the board and begin to write.
"Now, children, " I begin, "back in 1918, there was an epidemic known as the Spanish flu…"
The children look at me curiously as I tell them the whole story. This takes up half the class period.
When I turn around, Mr. Winston is looking at me, impressed with my knowledge and explanation of the subject.
"I'm going to offer an extra credit assignment,” he says. “I would like a paper comparing the Spanish flu epidemic and this current virus. You can write about the way it’s affecting the world, or your own personal lives, or how the world will overcome this."
I look up at Mr. Winston and smile at him as we exchange places.
"Well, I'd like to congratulate Ms. Stacey on her well-explained lesson,” he says.
Everyone applauds me and I smile again.
"In addition to that assignment, you still have your regular lesson and assignment to get through tonight."
He writes down what chapter they are to read and answers questions about on the board. Class is almost over, so the students hurry to scribble this down before putting away their books.
Before the bell rings, the door to the classroom opens, and we see the principal step inside. We all look curiously at each other. "Ms. Stacey, can I speak to you outside?" he asks.
I look at Mr. Winston for a moment, and then say, "Yes, sir."
I follow the principal out the door.
"I was wondering if you could give this message to Mr. Winston. It’s urgent. I need to distribute it to all the teachers before the end of school today,” he says.
He hands me a slip of paper. I read it, then look at him in shock. "Right away, sir." I say.
"Good," he says before hurrying away.
I take a deep breath, then go back inside. I walk straight to Mr. Winston's side.
"Sir, the principal asked me to share this with you," I say, slipping him the memo.
He can tell by the tone in my voice that something is wrong. He reads the paper, then looks at me in shock. I hurry to my desk.
He calls the class to attention.
"Students, I have something important to share with you. If the bell rings, please remain seated,” he says. The students look surprised to hear him speak in that tone, but I can’t even pay attention; I'm too devastated by what I had just read.
He reads the note aloud.
"Attention, all teachers and staff: Please advise all students that there will be a two-week shutdown of all schools across the nation due to the virus pandemic. Parents and staff can receive updates on this via the school’s website or through school emails."
Mr. Winston puts the paper on his desk.
This news is greeted with mixed reviews. Half the class is talking excitedly about it, but the other half looks nervous and scared.
I just can't believe this is happening. I can't bring myself to look at anyone, let alone Mr. Winston. I don't think any of us were expecting this to happen. It's like my worst nightmare has come true. This is going to be the most depressing two weeks of my life.
I don't know how I’m going to get through it.
Chapter 5 - Chris
After an uneventful day, I finally fall asleep. I dream sweet, unexpected dreams of Stacey. I picture walking into the classroom and seeing her waiting there for me.
These dreams are interrupted by unwelcome dreams of a mandatory faculty meeting that I must attend in the morning. Those dreams cause me to wake up abruptly.
I jump up and look at my clock. I sigh; I am awake earlier than usual. I might as well go ahead and get started on my day.
I go about my normal routine of showering and dressing for the day. I put on a nice suit, since I must be at the meeting first thing in the morning. I take extra care when I shave and fix my hair.
Of course, I'm a little anxious to get down to the school and see Stacey. I tell myself to stay calm and focused. On my way out the door, I grab a cup of coffee and sip it during my drive to work.
I arrive in the teacher’s lounge with my coffee and briefcase. I take a seat amongst the other teachers already in the room. The principal is here. He looks at the papers in his hands, then begins to speak to us.
"Thank you all for being here so early. I'm here to inform you that the start date for the mandatory two-week closure has been set for this Friday," he says.
We all exchange glances, but say nothing as he finishes talking.
"Starting today, you will be responsible for prepping your classes for learning at home. Most lessons can be done online." He puts his papers down and looks at us. "Any questions?"
No one has any. They just look around the room or at each other.
"Good. Let's get to work."
He walks out of the room. The other teachers grab their bags, gossiping about the situation. I grab my briefcase and coffee and hurry from the room. I don’t want to waste time with them; I'm eager to see Stacey. I hurry as quickly down the halls as I can while still looking normal.
I hurry to unlock the classroom and get inside. The faculty meeting was early enough that students are just barely starting to arrive on campus; I know that I still have a little while before Stacey shows up.
I set my coffee down and pull out my laptop, settling into my seat and pulling out a stack of papers that I need to grade while I wait for my computer to turn on. I want to have all my paperwork done.
After I have graded a few papers, I look up and see that my computer has finally turned on. I set the papers aside and check my email.
It's the usual stuff, except for a new one from the school district. I open and read through it, but it's just a reminder about the mandatory closure. This pandemic has a lot of people worried. I try not to let it bother me, though.
I read through the rest of my emails, but it's mostly spam. I sigh and check out the daily news headlines.
"Good morning, Mr. Winston."
I look up to see Stacey walking in.
"Good morning, Stacey," I say as she walks by me and goes to her desk. I watch her for a few seconds; I have to force myself to look away.
I give her a chance to get settled at her desk before I go over the day's workload with her. I glance at the clock at the wall. The students will be in here soon.
"Stacey?" I ask. She looks up at me. "I have a busy day today. They announced at the staff meeting this morning that the mandatory two-week closure starts Friday, so I need to prepare for that."
She looks worried, so I'm hoping my next news will cheer her up.
"So, since I have so m
uch to get done, I think I’m going to let you handle today's lesson."
I try not to smile as her mouth hangs open in shock. She takes a few seconds to collect herself; I can tell that she is shocked and hesitant about it.
"Me? Are you sure?" she asks.
I nod as I get up from my desk, handing her the workbook.
"The page for today is already marked, " I say, showing her.
"Oh, okay. If you’re sure," she says.
I can sense her excitement growing. She takes the book from me and starts to study the page. I sit at my desk and watch her read through the lesson. She is quiet as she prepares.
I watch as she takes the book with her to the board. With her free hand, she writes the key points of the lesson on the board in her neat, perfect script.
I feel proud of giving her this opportunity, and for distracting her from the situation we are facing. I go back to grading the stacks of papers I have, trying but failing to get her off my mind long enough to concentrate on something else.
Chapter 6 - Stacey
I wake up and look at my clock. I'm alarmed that it's mid-morning already. I never wake up this late. It’s not like I have anywhere to be, though; it's the start of the first week of the mandatory two-week closure.
I stay in bed, staring at my clock. I don't know what's wrong with me, but something doesn't feel right, like I don't even have the energy to get up.
I turn over and stare at the ceiling for 30 minutes. Finally, I force myself into a sitting position. My body feels stiff and a little achy, but I assume it's because I slept wrong.
I stand up and stretch, but that doesn't really help. I pull on my robe and slippers, grab my phone from my nightstand, and walk to the kitchen. I need a strong cup of coffee.
As I'm brewing the coffee, I look at my phone, seeing that I have a text message. I click on it and read it.
"Good morning."
That’s all it says.
I wonder who it's from. I look at the number quickly, then look again. My mouth drops open in shock. It's from Mr. Winston, I mean, Chris. I can't believe he texted me.
When my coffee is ready, I take a cup to the living room with me, setting it on the coffee table in front of me. I sit on the couch and text a "good morning" back to him.
He replies with a little smiley face and a reminder that today is the first day of the online assignments that students must complete.
I respond with an "okay” before setting my phone down and sipping my coffee. It’s weird; I feel sort of sluggish. I try to shake the feeling off.
I grab my textbook and laptop, then go back to the living room, sitting on the couch and checking my email. I login to the school website and wait for the students to start uploading their completed assignments.
I turn on the TV for background noise. I go to take a sip of coffee, but suddenly I feel too warm to drink it. That's weird.
My phone chimes again. I quickly grab it to read the text from Chris.
"Just reminding you that I'm here if you have any questions or need any help."
I smile at my phone, thinking about how sweet he is. I can feel my body heat rise as I text him back.
"Thank you. That's very sweet of you. I'll be sure to keep that in mind."
I hit send, then put the phone down.
I try to take my mind off how weird I'm feeling by skimming through the first assignment that the kids need to complete. A few minutes later, my phone chimes again; he’s texted me a winking face.
I find myself giggling after I put my phone down. I realize that I’m lusting hard after him. I look up from my work and sigh. Why couldn't I have had a teacher as dreamy as him in high school or college? That would have made it a lot more fun for me.
A short while later, I text him.
"How does this work? Who grades the assignments?"
I eagerly wait for his response. A few moments later, I'm reading his message:
"You could grade it first, then send it to me to double check and enter it into the book? Or we could split the workload and take turns with each assignment that is turned in?"
He's giving me a choice. This is a difficult decision.
"I think I'll go with the first one," I quickly text him back.
I like my choice. Not only will it make his workload easier, but I’ll get to show off my skills at grading again. I'm hoping I can earn a few more compliments or praise from him.
“Okay, sounds good,” comes his answer.
About an hour later, the first two assignments are turned in. I quickly get to work. After grading, I submit them to Chris.
He texts me shortly after.
"Excellent job. I'm not even sure you need me to double check them. Haha."
I laugh at his text and hurry to reply:
"I feel much safer working this way, like you are protecting me or guiding me."
He texts me back with a smiling face. Then, we lapse into silence. I feel myself growing warm and a little drowsy. I lie down to rest on the couch. I fall in and out of sleep for the rest of the afternoon and most of the night.
For the next two days, I work from my couch. I wake up happily to his good morning texts, and I always text him back as quickly as possible.
He compliments me on more of my "excellent work;” I smile every time. I can't deny how huge my crush on him is now, even though we don't get to see each other. By noon on the second day, there is a break in the amount of assignments being turned in.
I take a cold shower; I was hoping that would help me, but I still can't shake this icky feeling that I have in my body.
I quickly pull on my comfy sweats and go back to the living room, keeping the towel wrapped around my head because I'm still drying my hair. I check my phone and see his message waiting for me.
"How are you holding up?" he asks.
I sigh, debating on an answer.
Finally, I type, "Ok, I guess. How about you?" I hit send, then put the phone down so I can dry my hair.
After I dry it, I take the towel to the bathroom and come back with my brush. I sit there, brushing my hair and waiting for his response.
It takes a little while, but he responds, "I hear you. Have been feeling the same. Why does quarantine have to be so lonely?"
My heart twists. I feel sad. Now, I want to see him.
I put the brush down and type, "I feel the exact same way."
"It’s even lonelier when you're single,” he texts quickly back.
My heart pounds with excitement as I read that.
"I can definitely relate."
I wait for him to write back. The fact that he's single has my mind and heart racing. I start to think about the things we could do together.
After a while, he texts back a very lengthy message. It startles me from my thoughts and makes my heart pound again.
"I hope it's ok of me to ask this, but I had a thought. It seems that both of us have been taking this quarantine so seriously that a break could be beneficial for us both. What I mean to say is, it wouldn't be a terrible idea if the two of us were to meet up in person to quell the loneliness, so to speak, would it?"
I'm in shock. He pretty much just asked me out on a date. I feel a little dizzy for a second. I calm myself down, concentrating on my reply.
"No, I don't think that would be a bad idea at all. But, where would we go?"
Despite still not feeling well, I'm a bundle of nerves and excitement.
“I think I'll leave that to you. Where do you usually like to go?" he asks.
I hurry to text back my answer.
"Well, I like simple things, where people can just spend time together and talk. How about grabbing a cup of coffee?" I ask.
He texts back quickly.
"That sounds divine, and I love coffee, but everything is closed down."
I stare at his message and my heart sinks in disappointment. I think for a few minutes before I text him "How about a walk in the park?"
I cringe a little; I hope tha
t doesn't sound too boring or cliché.
He texts back with a smiling face.
"That sounds perfect. Shall we set a date and time?"
I smile at my phone. I can't help it; I'm so happy right now. I can't believe I have a date with Mr. Winston! I had been secretly hoping that this would happen, but I didn't think that it would.
"Whatever works for you."
I finish brushing my hair, then put the brush away. When I get back to the couch, there is another message from him:
"Great! I'll let you know later. Need to get some work done. I hope you have a great afternoon."
I smile, wanting to cheer out loud. I wish him a good afternoon before putting my phone away; I should do my best to concentrate on work, too. I grade the next few assignments that come in. There are no more texts from him.
In between grading papers, I start to fix myself up for my date. I pick out an outfit for it, laying it out on my bed carefully. I paint my nails, and I decide to give myself a facial and a little bit of a makeover while watching TV. Despite being quarantined, I feel like I've had a productive day.
There are new assignments to grade; I send them rapidly off to him.
He sends them back quickly, with a little email stating, "Keep up the great work. You're making my job a whole lot easier. Text you soon."
I laugh aloud. Even though we are apart, I find him to be sweet and charming. Obviously, I'm attracted to him, and I lust after his body, but I'm starting to see the type of person that he is, and that makes me want to be with him even more.
The lust I have is turning to actual feelings... I hope that doesn't make me sound crazy. I force myself to watch TV and put these thoughts out of my head. It's way too soon to be thinking about stuff like this.
I still feel horrible, but I am hungry. I get up to make me a snack, then sit back down to watch tv. I see that I have an email from a student. They have a question about one of the assignments. I quickly respond and help them. I'm proud of how fast I am able to work.
I'm also very glad that Chris takes notice of that. His compliments make me even more happy about my job. Working from home is fun, but his constant texts and communication have made it more enjoyable for me. I didn't think that was possible. But I guess stranger things have happened.