School Affair

Chapter 20

"All right!! If you insist let's order tons of food!!" Nathan grimaces when he hears the boys cheer.

"Are you sure you want to treat us?" Maximillian as usual being polite he asks that.

"Yes, you guys worked really hard at study camp. This is your reward." Hearing the boys still cheering, Nathan asks:

"Aren't you a little too excited?"

"What do you expect off teenaged boys..."

"How is treating them to food, a party anyway?"

"Sharing a meal is the first step at understanding someone."

"All right..." not seeming really convinced about it, he still goes for it. When some boys start to talk to him, he turns to them.

"I am really surprised you came, Mr. Johnsen!"

"Me too. I never would have thought he would come with us."

"I know, right? Does that mean you are going to give us more fun math problems?!" crossing his arms he looks at them and says:

"I thought a party might not be a bad idea. Shall I write up some problems involving the menu here for you?" terrifying them with this, everyone fell silence.

"I am joking" at the beginning he seemed to be annoyed, but his expression has softened a bit and the mood lights up incredibly after that.

"Mr. Johnsen?! Making a JOKE? What is happing" laughing at how the boys are surprised by that, Jessica feels relieved to see that everyone enjoys themselves.

"I want to ask you something Mr. Johnsen!"

"Wait, Wait, me too! I bet he will answer today!" looking at him while the students argue who can ask the first question, Jessica says with a smile.

"See? Your smile was contagious. Now everyone is smiling." Pushing his glasses up, he looks at her.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Just then all the students push Maximillian over to them.

"Hey, why do I have to do it?" turning to his friends, Maximillian tries to break free from them.

"You are the only one who is brave enough! Do it!!" facing his two teachers, he sighs and give up.

"Fine...Mr. Johnsen, the boys want to know if you have a girlfriend. Do you?"

"I do not. We teacher are not allowed to date." Going even deeper into this topic, they ask one question after another.

"Do you have someone you like?"

"Of course not. I don't need something like this, it's just a burden." Knowing that he was all for the no dating rule doesn't surprise Jessica, but to think that relationships is just a burden for shocked them.

"Did you have some kind of bad experience or why do you think so?"

"It's just my opinion."

"Well if you don't have a girlfriend, what is your type, then?"

"You are awfully stubborn. My type..." Nathan stops talking and just looks at Jessica, before he starts to talk again.

"I do have a type of woman I like, i like feminine women who would never mistake someone for a ghost and scream in the middle of the night." Rolling her eyes, Jessica looks at him, while he smirks at her, ignoring the laugh of the boys around them.

"That was really mean Mr. Johnsen..."

"I wasn't necessarily talking about you." Taking her glass in her hand she starts to drink, when she hears Maximillian asking her a question.

"What about you, Miss Hower? How is your love life?" after hearing the question the boys start to question her out.

"Me? Well I don't like anyone, and I also don't have a boyfriend. But I do have a type. I like guys who don't sneak up on me and scare me in the middle of the night." Looking at Nathan, it is her turn to smirk at him.

"You got some nerve, Miss Hower!" he keeps frowning at her answer.

"What? I wasn't necessarily talking about you Mr. Johnsen" glaring at her he leans back and crosses his arms.

"If you keep glaring at her, you are going to scare her off, Mr. Johnsen."

"You should hear what your students said and be nice to girls." Looking at her students they start to laugh and Nathan sighs.

"Well that's admirable of you, Maximillian, isn't it?"

"My mom always taught me to treat woman with kindness and respect."

"It sounds like your mother has really a good impact on you, Maximillian." Taking a bit of his food Maximillian answers straight away.

"She does. I don't have a dad, so..." joining the conversion, Nathan looks at him.

"I see. Take good care of your mother, Maximillian she sounds like a good woman."

"Of course." Some of the other students turn to them and wanted to join in.

"Hey, Max you can't be the only one talking to teachers! What are you talking about, lets us in"

"We were talking about my family, nothing interesting." The students already know about his situation at home, about his mother being a single mother so they don't question any farther, instead they start to ask Nathan a question again.

"Do you have any siblings, Mr. Johnsen?"

"I suppose I might have a younger sister." The kids start getting excited imagining his sister, but Jessica is bothered by his odd phrasing that he supposes that he has a sister.

A few days later, Jessica gets used to the regular class schedule again.

"I have finished grading your practice tests. If you keep up the hard work, you will able to meet your goals in every subject for the real test." 

The class ends and the students file out of the room, but Jessica stays there, listing to Nathan talking. He said that there were no problems with the practice test, but something still bothers her. The students had lower scores in English than the other subjects. Maryam approaches her, putting an arm around her shoulder.

"Hey, Jess. Do you want to come over for some girl time?"

"I am sorry. I still have a lot to do."

"Really? Okay, but next time. We were not able to spend time together at all." Maryam waves at her and leaves. Turning towards her desk, she feels restless and starts to think about how she can't keep going like this and that she needs to think of a different plan. The grades had improved since Jessica changed her lesson plan during the camp and the students are more motived, too. Thinking deeper in this problem, she starts to think that her teaching method must be the problem.

"What are you doing her by yourself?"

"Mr. Johnsen? What are you doing here so late?"

"That's what I want to know from you. You are working late? You are upset about the test scores, aren't you?"

"How did you know? I am sorry, after all you have been through, helping me. I guess there is just something wrong with my teaching that's holding them back. I am sorry, I don't know why I am sitting here letting everything out to you." With a quite voice she looks down and expect him to get mad at her like he always does.

"I somehow wish that I could be more like you. I am still an amateur teacher...terrible at what I do."

"It would take you a hundred years to be like me, you know."

"I know..."

"Don't take it serious, I was just joking." Felling a soft sensation on top her head she looks at him, finding him patting her head with a soft smile.

"Don't give up. I will always be here for you."Jessica is so shocked; all she can do is stare at him