The Ap Calculus teacher

Training

Wednesday 4th hour

Mr. Colly looks over my paper and circles question seven for the third time. "I don't know how to do it." I groan and he grabs a piece of paper writing the problem out.

"Where do you start?" He ask and I shrug, "Come on you know." I shake my head no and he sets his pen down. "Come back when you get the first three parts done." "No, no, no, here." I start the problem and he stops me. "Is this positive?" "Oh my god! Three times and you couldn't of just pointed that out?" "I wouldn't be a good teacher if I gave it away."

I grab my paper and head back to my seat. "Hey I told you last time it was just a small mistake." I roll my eyes and finish the problem as the bell rings. I walk up to him sliding the paper on his desk and he smiles as he grabs it and looks over it. "Nice job." He puts it in a folder and nods to the door.

"Do I have to go?" "You don't want to go to lunch?" "Not really and I finished my art project yesterday, today is just the final day for touch ups." "But you don't need to make touch ups?" I shake my head no with a smile. "I can't just let you skip." "I still have three more problems, plus it's only lunch." "If there is a reason to stay through art I'll allow it,"

I smile and sit down pulling out my lunch. "What's your plan for soccer?" "Hoping to play, I made an appointment to see if I can." He nods and take a sip of his water. "So how did you end up as the Ap Calc teacher?" "Short staffed. I was teaching FST for a long time, but they needed me here." "Do you like it," "I mean I enjoy math overall but Calculus was never my favorite. Not hard just don't enjoy it."

I nod and open my pretzels. "How about you, where do you wanna end up?" "Out of here." I say bluntly and he looks up to me. "Why's that?" His voice is sincere and his eyes soften as they catch mine. "Never wanted to come back." "What's out there that you want?" "Distance," I whisper and he nods, "Enough said."

A teacher walks in and smiles softly. "Did you get the email from Jaron?" "Yeah I figured we'd cover it at the staff meeting." "Apparently only a handful of us got the email." "Don't worry about it, it'll fizzle out." She nods and walks out.

I chuckle softly at him and his look turns stern. "Oh calm down, teacher drama is so much more serious than ours." "How?" "I know about the email, talked to Shelby about it." "Shelby?" "She's my brothers ex, we're still close. I stop by her room before first hour." "He served a lot of years here, had things to say, not necessarily a bad thing." "So professional." I mock and he takes a deep breath. "Why so much tude?"

I chuckle looking at him grading a stack of papers. His green eyes burn into me as he looks away from the paper to me. "Part of the package." I say almost nervous, "What's that package gotten you?" "Shitty men, juvy, awful relationship with parents, tons of fun in Cali though." "Couldn't you have had fun doing legal activities?" "Oh you're that person." I groan closing my bag of pretzels.

"God no, had tons of fun in high school, exactly why I'm telling you not to." "So I should have fun in college when I can get arrested?" "You take the path you want." "Plan on it." I wink and he rolls his eyes. "All I ask is you be safe."

Shelby walks in and sits down heavily, slumping back. "If he sends me one more message about all this, I'm gonna flip my shit." "Colly thinks he has the right to have sent that email. You know cause of his time here." "Woah! That is not what I said." "What did you say Bennett?" "Just that he had served many years here and has things to say." "So a nicer phrased version of what you said?" Shelby says looking at me and I nod. Colly shakes his head at us.

"I am not involved with this drama." "He admits it!" "Of course we have drama, just I'm not involved." I roll my eyes and Shelby stands up." "Disappointed in you Bennett." "Yeah Shelby, I'm sure you are."

"What are you doing in here?" She ask me ignoring Colly. "It's lunch and I finished my art project, so I'm gonna work on a worksheet for his class." She nods and plays with my hair. "How's Scott?" "Shitty, running a head quarter over there." "Making quite the life for himself." "Except he hates it." She chuckles, "Never did a thing he enjoyed." I nod and she takes a deep breath. "Well enjoy your worksheet and you can suck it Bennett." "See you in the meeting." He chuckles and looks to me as she walks out.

I pull my phone out checking snaps from people back in Cali. I groan seeing Carson's name again." "Oh is that drama?" "Not drama, just annoyed." He waits for me to explain but I shake my head and pull the worksheet out.

"I need help so," "Well pull a chair up." I pull a chair up to his desk and look up into his eyes. His strong scent runs through my veins as I try to stay focused. "This worksheet is finished." He chuckles and his white teeth shine. "No, half completed. I don't know how to finish them." "That's not part of this unit, I only need you to be able to get to this point and explain what it means. "Oh, please don't make me go to art." "Grab a piece of paper and write an explanation on at least five problems."

I scribble explanations down and he reads them. "Are you going into the math field?" "I don't know?" "You should consider it." "I've thought about architecture but I don't know." "You mean you we're going for soccer till your injury and then had no idea what to do?" "No fuck that! Don't read into me. Weird as hell." "I was there too."

I look up to him, his sculpted jaw protrudes with his soft lips starring at me. I tap my pencil on my thigh, "Fashion would be another thing." "Where at?" "Cali duh." "Right, right, you've got potential for a heavy math filed." "Like a Calc teacher?" "No, god you don't want the drama." I laugh and lean back in the chair propping my feet on his desk. "Who do you think you are?" "Bronx, your favorite student." "More like student with the biggest attitude." "Whachu gonna do about it?"

He gives me a stern look and I take my feet down. He nods and hands me a stack of papers to grade. I grab a red pen and start. He works on his computer and I study him for a second. He looks at me with furrowed brows. "Music, or talk, it's so quiet in here." He nods and puts on some music.

The bell rings and I look at him. "I can stay and finish these." "Go home, thank you for your help. I'll see tomorrow." "Wrong, on the field tonight." "No because I cannot drive you home." "Cam isn't working." I grin and head out before he can say anything.

I lay in bed watching tv till three and then pause Bojack to get ready. I throw my hair into a messy bun and slip on leggings and a t-shirt and begin to search through my drawer for socks when I hear my front door open. I grab my phone and a pocket knife slowly creeping around the corner to see who is down there.

"Sam what the hell!" I yell and she looks up to me. "Were you going to kill me?" "Well my door just opened! I didn't know who it was!" She laughs and runs up to me. "I used to walk in all the time." "When we were in fifth grade, during summer!" She chuckles and we go back to my room.

I find a pair of socks and slip them on followed by shoes. "Colly says I have to take you home." I roll my eyes, "You do not." "No all good, going to Cams after anyways so."

My mind races and I look at her, "You're questioning it aren't you?" I nod and she smiles. "Sierra is talking to Gavin, they're hanging out tonight. "Ah, I was like you don't seem the type to hang with that crew." She shakes her head no and lays back. "Still going pro?" I ask and she laughs. "God no, I hate soccer now, such a chore. Wanna get my real estate license." "Yeah I can see that."

She sits back up and studied me, "I- you have changed so much. I couldn't guess what you wanna do." I nod and plop down next to her. "Fall back plan still." "Architecture, really?" I nod and she smiles, "Good for you."

My alarm for three thirty rings and I grab my bag following her to the car. We pull up to the field and Colly smiles at us. "You girls ready?" We nod and warm up.

Sam is leaned over the trash can and Colly looks at me. "How are you?" "Bad, real fucking bad."

Sam looks at me and spits one final time. "On the line." Colly says and we step to the line. "And you told me you're out of shape." I laugh and start down the field.

I get back to Colly and he smiles. "You ready to be done?" I nod my head wipping the sweat off my forehead. "Grab water." I take a large drink of my water and lay on the turf. Sam joins me and he stands over us. "Ice when you get home and a lot of electrolytes."

I nod taking Sam's keys and pulling her up. "Stay at my place or go to Cam's?" I ask, "I-" "I will get Sierra and get her home. Where do you wanna hang and eat?" "Yours." I nod and take us home.