Whispers Among The Magnolias

Twelve

I walked out of the front office stunned. Principal McAllister had now printed off my schedule for me, but I couldn't stop staring at it, there it was in bold letters. My last two classes of the day now had an ugly splotch on my sheet that read,

AP FOOTBALL TUTORING 1102

Is there a way he would be messing with me? How did this even get approved to weigh the same as two AP credits? Was it just tutoring during the school day? Would I have to be at games or practices? I don't even know the first thing about football.

It was like being hit by a brick wall, I was so engulfed in looking at my schedule I slammed right into whoever was in front of me, the items in my hand fell to the floor as I was pushed back a great deal from the force.

"Oh shit sorry," the voice said as bright red hair bent down in front of me and began picking up my stuff.

"Nash?" I asked as he looked up at me and smiled, he gathered all my stuff and stood back up blocking my view from whoever he was talking to before me.

"Magnolia, you look even prettier to me sober," He said, still smiling.

I blinked a couple of times at his words and gave a breathy laugh, "Oh thank you, I think."

He pushed his hair from his eyes and went to speak again just as Mary Mae walked into view, "Morning, how was your little beauty shop date with Rose?"

I fought the urge not to take a pencil from my bag and stab myself in the throat, gurgling on my blood would be easier than talking to Mary Miserable Mae.

"Morning," was all I said not giving the rest of the statement any thought.

Nash groaned dropping his smile, "Mary Mae please it's early."

Mary Mae then smiled and shrugged innocently, "I was just making conversation."

"Well quit you're throwing off my game," He said and I couldn't help but laugh at his persistance.

"Give me a break, your game? She's pity laughing Nashville, you're playing with yourself, which I bet sums up most nights for you huh," she said smiling at her joke.

"So you think about what most of my nights are like? Wouldn't you just love it if," Nash started and then stopped looking down at my schedule again, "Hey Magnolia, am I reading this right? You're taking over tutoring for the team?" He smiled down at me.

Mary Mae scoffed, "Wow must be your dream come true, you and a room full of men hanging on your every word." She folded her arms over her chest.

Before I could answer Nash chimed in, "Well shit it sure is mine, now I have something to look forward to every day."

I smiled a bit completely forgetting Mary Mae's insult just as the bell rang, and the dragging footsteps around us turned into hurried ones. Nash handed all my stuff to me,

"Looking forward to seeing you later Mags," Nash called and I smiled and waved.

"You too," I said as Mary Mae gave me a tight smile and followed him down the hallway. I looked back down at my schedule and saw my first class was Honors Literature and was on the west campus, I followed Hunter's advice and ignored the names of the buildings, and focused on the building numbers, and I followed the crowd heading out the left of the building.

I tried not to look like a lost freshman, hoping I walked into the right building.

I ended up walking into the wrong building and having to ask for directions. The campus was nearly clear, all the timely students having found their classes as the bell rang again just as I walked into my classroom. I felt out of breath and unnecessarily sweaty having climbed two flights of stairs to get to my class.