The Teacher's Assistant

Meetings for Winners

This was your first Poe's Cup and it was turning out to be less than spectacular. You had been basically hiding from both Thornhill and Weems all morning. There was a knock at your bedroom door earlier, but being the coward you are, you remained perfectly quiet until you heard whoever's footsteps walk back down the hall. Hopefully, it wasn't a student but you couldn't risk it. You didn't even come out of your room until the students descended to the lake for the big race.

You watched Poe's cup from a distance, thankful to be the same height as most of the teenagers at the academy, so blending in was easy. You wanted to be there to support your students, but you also could not risk having a conversation started with either of the women, so you just remained at the back in the crowd away from the other staff.

You couldn't help looking at Larissa though. She was regal and beautiful in her tan dress suit and her perfectly shaped hair. You watched as her eyes scanned the crowd, what you could only assume was her looking for you. Your heart ached. You wanted to run up to her and tell her you were there and to whisk her away to tell her what you were too scared to tell her last night, but you couldn't. Not only because she was the boss and the kids could never know, but because you were still scared. Why else would you be hiding?

You hadn't seen anything but Ms. Thornhill's red boots towards the front of the crowd and knew you especially needed to avoid her. There is no telling what she thought was going on and you didn't want her becoming a part of it, whatever it was.

Suddenly there was noise on the horizon and Larissa turned around, stopping her search for you to see who it was racing towards the finish. You were surprised to find out one of them was Ophelia Hall's The Cats. You hadn't been here long but you knew how unlikely that was. Wednesday was definitely the reason for that and you found yourself smiling at the thought of the tiny outcast making waves within the school, even though she may gut you if you pointed it out.

The Gold Bugs were sunk and you watched as Enid and Wednesday's team rowed in and ran the flag to the finish line, officially making them the champions for the year. Everyone ran to congratulate them, leaving you behind and very seeable.

Almost immediately Larissa and Marilynn both saw you. You froze again, trying to figure out your best escape. You looked to the side and then back and forth between the two women. Larissa looked pained as if she wanted to run off her place on the dock and to you. You wanted her to and you wondered if you stayed there long enough if she would. Thornhill on the other hand was already heading towards you.

You began to stumble backward and you watched as Marilynn picked up the pace, knowing you weren't planning on staying. You never broke eye contact with her but you started a light jog away from the commotion and Thornhill's face turned serious.

"Y/N, I need to speak with you!" She yelled, smiling. You knew it was forced.

You then began to sprint, running off back towards the school. Thornhill however was quick to follow after you in her little red boots and caught up, catching your arm in her grasp. She turned you around and you saw how far you had run. Thankfully no one seemed to notice and you were far from the crowd of students.

"Why are you running?" she huffed, not letting go of your arm. You stared at her and she cocked her eyebrows, making it obvious she expected an answer.

"I needed to go to the bathroom," you blatantly lied.

"Are you serious?" she asked, deadpanned.

You stared at her again, trying to swallow the word vomit that was bound to come out.

Marilynn looked around and you could see Larissa closer than she was before, definitely looking in your direction. She saw this too and pulled you behind a nearby tree to talk to you more privately.