School Affair

Chapter 14

"Wrong...Wrong.... Damn it close" Jessica sits at her desk at lunchtime grading quizzes, eating her fruit salad while she did that. Even though the quiz was just over material they learned in class, the scores aren't very good, wondering if it was too tough for them, Jessica leans back at her chair and sighs.

"Don't think about how the quiz is maybe too hard for them. It is not, I simply think they don't understand it." Once again Nathan scares her with him suddenly appearing next to her, and how he was able to know what she was thinking about.

"How long have you been standing behind me like that?! And you really think they didn't understand it? Maybe it is a problem with my teaching skills...Maybe they need someone else to teach them English in the study camp...Do you think I should have Mr. Knight take over for me?"

"Why do you look so unconfident all of a sudden? But well let's do that then. I feel sorry for the students for having a teacher who has no motivation. If you are that unsure about yourself, maybe you should quit being a teacher altogether."

"I am sorry! There is no way I am going to quit! I was just over-exaggerating!" They both stare at each other silently and then suddenly he smiles.

"Glad to see you have your fighting spirit back. That's more like the strong woman I know. But still we can ask Mr. Knight for help refining the curriculum. I will call him; you go ahead and prepare so you can present the material for him." Jessica squeezes her hands into fists and starts to prepare everything to show it to Taylor.

Later that night after Taylor arrives, Jessica holds a mock class in front of him and Nathan.

"What do you think? How was it?"

"Hmm...your method of interpreting the text was very good, I can tell that you put a lot of effort into making it easy to understand. But I think you should involve the students more." Taking the word Nathan says:

"There wasn't a lot of opportunity for them to read aloud."

"Exactly. It is actually easier to remember the material when you hear it sometimes. So, I think you should give them the opportunity to practice the English they have learned." Taking mental notes to everything they said, she looks as if she daydreams and was not listing.

"Hey, are you even listing?" Nathan's strict voice bring her back.

"Sorry, I was just taking mental notes. I guess I have a lot of things to learn to get better."

"At least you understand that. We will support you with that."

Feeling even more motived Jessica is thankful for they critic and help.

The next day Jessica feels even more tiered, because she stayed up late to improve her classes, plus she and Nathan stayed in school the night.

That reminds her, she needs to ask Nathan to look over her lesson plans, standing up she makes her way to the math lab where he is probably preparing for the next math class in the afternoon. Looking for him almost everywhere not being able to find him, the only place she hasn't looked was the lounge where they sleep. Jessica walks in seeing him fast asleep on the sofa, which didn't surprise her, because he stayed up late with her, helping her with a lot of stuff. Looking around for a blanket to cover him, she finds one and his expression softens as she puts it over him. A chuckle escapes her mouth when she him sleeping like a cute little kid and she brushes his hair out off his face. The more she looks at him, the more handsome he seems. Suddenly he begins to furrow his eyebrows and his eyes open, blinking sleepily and then he just stars at her.

"Mr. Johnsen? Are you okay?" asking carefully, she is prepared for his lecture, but instead he squints his eyes and asks.

"Where are my glasses?" giving him his glasses, who laid on the table he puts them on and looks at her again.

"Oh, it's you."

"Where you not able to see me? You must have really bad eyesight. But wait you weren't wearing your glasses the other day at home."

"My eyes get tired from wearing them all the time, so I try to take them off at home."

"I was surprised to find you here, though. You seemed so relaxed."

"I come here sometimes to rest." Jessica notices  that when he is out of the students' sight, he is kind of sloppy about everything.

"I don't know why you come here, but I hope it's not because you like to watch people sleep. That would be an awfully strange fetish."

"You were the one who was hiding out here napping."

"And who was it that kept me up all night working?" not being able to say anything back she did feel bad about it. As usual, he got the best of her again. Just then, the door opens and Maximillian walks in.

"I finally found you, Mr. Johnsen! I have been looking for you everywhere. Oh, Miss Hower you are here too."

"What is wrong?" being the teacher he is, Nathan switches to teacher mode right away, looking as professional as always.

"I need your help with this math problem..." seeming like he really hates it how he doesn't understand his homework, Maximillian asks with dropped shoulders. The mood in the room however changes and Nathans attitude freezes over.

"I can't help you."

"What? But..." shocked by the rejection Maximillian stood frozen in place.

"You can do this problem yourself." That's not the way to act to a student who comes for help, knowing he can't do anything to change his mind, Maximillian turns around to leave.

"...Fine. Excuse me for interrupting you." Closing the door behind him, Jessica sighs and looks at Nathan.

"You shouldn't have turned him away like that..."

"It was for his own good. I know that he can do a simple problem like that. He is an intelligent student. That's why he needs to work it out on his own. I am absolutely sure that he can solve that on his own."

"Then it is your job to compliment him when he does."

"I don't think people deserve to be complimented for things that are already expected of them."

"What?" feeling like he complimented her after she passes the test, so why would he do that to her but not to the students? Standing up, Nathan stands up.

"If that's all, I am going now."

"Wait. I just wanted you to look at what I changed on the lesson plan you helped me with."

"All right, you can show it to me. But remember I am a tough critic."

"Well I know that already..." she says that eagerly and Nathan sighs, just like that the second day of the study camp is coming to an end.