Teaching Mr. Cooper

Chapter 11

Friday morning was here and Jezzy had managed to avoid seeing Mr. Cooper since the day in the nurses office. She still couldn't believe how she treated him. She felt bad, but she didn't want his pity. Taking a deep breath, she entered her third period class. Mr . Cooper was at the chalkboard writing out some instructions for class, when he saw her enter.

"Good morning, Miss Collins. I hope you're feeling better." Mr. Cooper was polite but distant and it pulled at her insides.

Jezz stopped a few feet from Mr. Cooper and nodded. "Yes, thank you," Jezzy's voice was soft and something in it made him turn to look at her fully, but she kept her gaze down avoiding eye contact. "Sorry," she says, taking a step closer. "I shouldn't have been as stand offish as I was. You didn't deserve that." Jezz raises her eyes to meet his penetrating gaze.
The bell rang and kids started coming into the classroom. Jezzy and Mr. Cooper broke eye contact. Mr. Cooper finished writing out his instructions and Jezz went to find her seat.

Wednesday the class had started their discussion on anthropology. Mr. Cooper began to tell the class about the major research paper. "You will have two months to complete your research. We will have time in the library each week for research. The rest of the time we will be continuing on with our lesson plan. You are welcome to work with a partner but I need to know that each partner has done a fair amount of the work."

Mr. Cooper went on to discuss the requirements for the final paper, and research notes. Each group would be able to choose a different cultural group and write an anthropological paper on the people. Some of the students groaned at the assignment, but Jezzy thought it was nice not to be constantly micro-managed.

At the end of class, Jezzy began packing up her stuff when she looked up to see Mr. Cooper. He stood next to his desk, arms crossed, chewing on his thumb with an inscrutable look on his face as he studied her. Jezzy gave him a small smile as she grabbed the last of her things. "Have a nice weekend, Mr. Cooper," she said as she passed him.

"Jezzy?"

Jezzy stopped to look at her teacher. "Yes?"

"Have a good weekend," Mr. Cooper gave a weak smile as she nodded and left.

Outside Daniel's classroom, Jezzy frowned trying to figure out what that was all about. Kaitie came bounding up to her. That girl had energy to spare. "Hey! Are you still coming to the Student Council meeting?"

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it." Jezzy was actually interested in doing something normal, and getting to know a few more of the students.

The Student Council had their own meeting room, with couches and even a small kitchenette. There were about nearly 20 kids filling the room, but staff members hadn't arrived yet. "Mrs. Swift was our former Staff Advisor, but she moved away over the summer. I think they were still deciding who was going to be taking over, when school started," Kaitie said, then filled Jezzy in on the current council members. Brett was the acting Student President, since he was vice president last year, and the previous president had graduated.

They talked about some of their first activities planned including frosh-week. Elections would be held in the beginning of October for this year's new council. And of course, they were always looming for volunteers to help with organizing events and fundraisers.

About ten minutes into the meeting the door opened and two teachers entered, Ms. Nash, psychology teacher, and Mr. Cooper. Jezzy had to remind herself to start breathing again. Really? Well, maybe I won't be spending as much time here as I planned.

They both smiled at the group and I introduced themselves. And the meeting continued under Brett's direction. Jezzy tried to keep watching Brett but eventually she found herself looking at over at the two teachers. Mr. Cooper's eyes swept across the room and stopped when they landed on Jezzy. The look on his face suggested he wasn't expecting to see her, either.

With the meeting over, most of the students filed out. Nate and the rest of the group stayed, along with a couple other students. Jezzy leaned against one of the tables as she looked around, across the room Mr. Cooper and Ms. Nash were talking. he was nodding his head, listening to the female teacher. When she finally left, Mr. Cooper glanced over at Jezzy. "It looks like you're starting to fit into your new school," walking over to Jezz with his hands in his pockets. He leaned against another table, mirroring her posture. "Were you involved in SRC in your old school?"

"What?"

"Sorry, SRC. Student Representive Council. Were you a part of it before?" he asked again.

Jezz hesitated, no one had really bothered to ask about her old school yet. "Uh, no. I never got involved with any extra-curriculars before."

"I'll let you in on a little secret. I've never done the SRC before, either. Last year I helped with the yearbook. I figured it kind of went hand in hand with history. You know documenting high school life." Mr. Cooper watched as she nodded.

Jezz shifted her weight and squirmed at the increasingly awkward silence that filled the space between them. "So, uh.."

"What sort.." Daniel chuckled and Jezz smiled as they both spoke at once. "Go ahead," Daniel said.

"Oh, I was just going to ask if you had any special plans this weekend?" realizing the slightly inappropriate nature of her question, Jezz blushed and looked away.

"Well, no," Daniel coughed, averting his eyes from the becoming way she blushed. Crossing his arms, he looks back. "You?"

"My little sister is coming to visit me this weekend," Jezzy replied, the pink from her cheeks slowly fading.

"Annabel, right?" Jezz smiled when he remembered. "So, are your parents separated then?"

Shifting again, Jezz reluctantly shakes her head. "No. It's complicated... it's all in my file," she says flatly.

"I'd rather hear it from you. I mean unless you don't want to talk about it," Mr. Cooper moved closer, his head tilted in concern.

"No, it's fine. I mean it is what it is. I just don't really want all the other students knowing." Jezzy looked down at her feet and scuffed the floor with her toe. "My sister is in foster care. My mother is in rehab. Um...my father died years ago. The same day my sister was born actually. And me, well, I was in foster care for a couple months, until I got emancipated. Soo... I guess that's it." Jezz shrugged and kicked at the floor again. It sounds sort of strange to say it out loud. When Mr. Cooper didn't say anything, she stole a look at him. Mr. Cooper sat next to her, staring at the floor in front of him, deep in thought.

"Wow, I had no idea," he said at last.

"It's not exactly something I go around advertising," Jezz shrugged. "It is what it is," she said softly, "and it's lonely." Jezz whispered the last part but Mr. Cooper was close enough to catch it. Before he could open his mouth to say anything, Jezz pushed herself off the table left.

There was still 15 minutes left of lunch and two more periods after, but Jezz didn't feel like sticking around. She couldn't face Mr. Cooper right now, and yet... she had opened up to him and he had listened. And for a moment, she didn't feel so alone.

A/N: Hey, just wanted to thank you for reading this. Please let me know what you think. Vote/comment. But especially comment, I love hearing what others think, good or bad. I can take it, really.