Whispers Among The Magnolias

Seven

I placed my phone face down and sank in my chair, I picked my phone back up letting the colossal mistake sink in even more, I groaned and turned my phone completely off.

I tried my best to focus on the lesson pushing the anxiety of him discovering my stalking to the back of my mind.

After another hour or so Ms. Banks had all the kids line up to meet their parents in the hallway as I started to clean up their tables picking small items off the floor. I placed the items in the trash and heard a familiar voice from the hallway, "One second Star I want to see my friend first,"

I paused, staring out the doorway before quickly walking or more accurately sprinting towards the bathroom. Ms. Banks looked up with a crazy expression on her face as she mouthed the words,

'What are you doing?' she looked at me then back at the doorway.

'I'm not here,' I mouthed as I could see Ms. Banks look in the doorway as someone peaked in.

"Hey Ms. Banks, is Magnolia still here I just wanted to talk to her really quick?" Chase asked, thankfully I couldn't see him through the cracked bathroom door, just a small view of the classroom and Ms. Banks. Though I didn't need to see him to know he was probably thoroughly creeped out by me.

"Hey Chase, always great to see those cute dimples. And yeah she's here she's in the," Ms. Banks started as I started frantically waving my arms and shaking my head no.

"I mean no no, she ain't here she went into town," Ms. Banks looked nervously from me to the unseen Chase.

"Wait so she isn't here or she is? Because she said she couldn't hang out because she was going into town with you today," Chase questioned.

"Aw, she said that? How darling," Ms. Banks smiled to herself then looked back at me almost forgetting I was hiding, she seemed to give my position away as I heard a few footsteps. I gave a panicked jump not sure what to do with myself.

"Uh no don't go in there!" Ms. Banks said as the corner of Chase's frame peaked into view.

I tried to mime the motion of throwing up as Ms. Banks seemed to squint in confusion, "She is here she's just uh, she's got an awful case of, or no she's. She is just pooping her brains out!"

Wow.

I stopped the motion and looked at her with a blank expression of disappointment.

"Oh, that's not good," Chase said as I saw his elbow stick out as he scratched his head, "It might be the new water she's not used to." He said rather matter-of-factly.

"Yup hun that's probably it, the poor thing is just sweating like a sinner in church fighting that beast out," Ms. Banks said laughing at her joke as Chase awkwardly joined in on the tail of the laugh.

I covered my face with my hands as they said their goodbyes. After the classroom door closed Ms. Banks slowly walked up to the restroom pulling the door open to look at me.

"Before you get mad at me, we all have our talents in life and lip reading isn't one of mine," Ms. Banks said and I just shrugged rather defeated.

"I'm not upset with you Ms. Banks, thank you for trying," I moved a stray curly out of my face, "I just kind of panicked," I said.

"Why did you hide anyway? You've only been here for a day there's no way you have boy trouble already," She tilted her head a bit waiting for my response.

"With Chase? Of course not he has a girlfriend," I said a bit defensive.

"He's still with that Mary Mae?" Ms. Banks asked.