Teaching Mr. Cooper

Chapter 16

"So, is this a date or not?"

Jezzy shot Hailey a sharp look and finished with her customer before answering. "I don't know. I think he kinda likes me, but he made it seem sort of casual, soo..." Jezzy shrugged as she left her sentence hanging.

"Well, do you want it to be a date?"

She shrugged again, "I don't know. He's nice. We get along, but honestly, I don't have any strong feelings towards him... it's more just lukewarm."

"So you don't feel the same about Nate as you do Mr. Hottie?" Hailey wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at her friend. It had been just over a month since she first started teasing Jezz about the man who ended being her teacher. Jezzy had deliberately not kept Hailey informed about recent events, Hailey would surely flip if she found out.

"I told you, there is nothing going on between Mr. Cooper and me." Hailey eyed her skeptically, but for once kept her mouth shut, to Jezzy's relief.

Jezzy had the Saturday morning shift, so when three o'clock came around she started to hang up her apron. "Hey Hails, do you have any plans tonight?"

"Not really, I've got a test to study for my business course, but it's not too hard. Why, you wanna do something?"

"Sure... as long as it's cheap." Jezz said with a smirk, she wasn't worried though, Hailey was working her way through business school and wasn't exactly rolling in dough, either.

"Ok. Well I get off at 6, so I can bring some movies and we can hang at your place." Hailey smiled, knowing she would pick some sappy chick-flick that would have Jezzy groaning.

Seven o'clock arrived and Hailey showed up with movies and drinks. Jezzy eyed the mudslides in her friends hands. "What? Don't tell me you're not thinking it's nice having a friend who can pull for you." Hailey gave Jezz a mischievous grin as she brushed past her friend and dropped the stuff on the small dining table.

Jezz rolled her eyes, she wasn't much of a drinker, having an alcoholic mother kind of takes the fun out of it, but she still enjoyed a drink now and then. "You're just lucky that you chose my favorite drink. If you brought beer, I might have to ask you to leave. I hate the smell," she said crinkling her nose.

Hailey laughed and made herself comfortable on the couch. Jezzy grabbed a bowl of chips and a bottle for each of them and plopped down next to Hailey. Hailey had already set up the movie, so it wasn't until the opening credits started that Jezz knew which movie her friend brought over. Jezz scowled as Drew Barrymore began to narrate. "That's not funny."

"Oh, come on. It's a little funny.  Never Been Kissed is only my favorite movie." Jezz didn't respond, but she did try to shoot daggers out of her eyes. "It's not as if anything happened with your teacher... what? Nothing happened, right? Oh my god, you're holding out on me."

Breaking eye contact, Jezzy stared at her hands. "Nothing happened, not exactly." She filled the other girl in on what is going on with her mom, and her talk with Mr. Cooper and the awkward moment they had, Hailey staring Jezz with her jaw hanging open. "And so on Monday, I'm going to go to the office and drop his class."

"Wait... what? You find out your teacher, who you've liked since the day you met him, who you might be dating now, if he hadn't ended up being  your teacher, he clearly has feelings for you... you're just going to avoid him? Pretend you two don't have feelings for each other?" Hailey was just about kneeling on the couch.

"Hailey this isn't a movie!"

"No, this is your life. So you might as well enjoy it."

"You know what, I'd rather not talk about this now. I just wanted to have a nice evening and not have to over think everything."

"You're right, sorry. But can we still watch the movie. I really do like it."