Chasing Miss Conner •OLD VERSION•

Sixteen

Sixteen

Ms. Conner's Pov

What the hell are you doing?

My mind was on overdrive as I left the hospital. My face hurt from smiling so much. A certain brunette occupied my thoughts all the way back to the school. But that was a good question, what was I doing?

Well, I'm dating my student.

That wasn't a whole lot of what bothered me. It should, I mean this could ruin my career, but it didn't. Shay was so headstrong and mature for her age it didn't really matter to me. What bothered me was the dirty looks people gave me after they saw me leaving after kissing another girl. That's what really bothered me. Yes I am older than Shay, yes she is my student, but the great part? They didn't know that.

Shay was an anomaly. She was different. Her years of hospital visits and various misdiagnosis have made her grow up quicker than your average teenager. Plus, she looked me straight in the eyes where most of my life I've been bowed to.

That was a huge turn on.

One of the reasons I became a high school teacher in the first place was because I wanted to educate people on my own terms. I was not born into what would classify as a "normal" life. My parents were hardly active in my life as my mother was the CEO of a well-known world-wide pharmaceutical company in Italy and often traveled, and my father was opening casinos all over the world. I was the only child of my parents and I was their little "doll". When I was younger I was thrown into beauty pageants, and nightmarish activities that were meant to make me "primp and proper" my parents always said they wanted what was best for me, but in reality, they only truly wanted what's best for them.

My love for English when I have come from such a high-class and sophisticated lifestyle has also made me the disappointment of the family. And we'll, when I'd revealed that I preferred women, that was just the icing on the cake.  But here, in the classroom, I was the alpha. I was the master of my own fate. And discipline was a responsibility I was about to act on in 2.5 seconds if one Caleb Ryce doesn't stop spreading rumors of his "hook up" with the new girl at some guys party.

My blood boiled and I clenched my jaw as I tried to hold in my anger. He had no right to talk like that. None. I had seen what Shay had looked like when I had found her; cut, bruised, terrified, broken. It reminded me of the way she looked when Caleb wrapped an arm around her when he caught me staring at her. God I wanted to pummel that smug-ass look right off his face.

"Mr. Ryce, I suggest you not brag about your party which may I add held the event of an attempted rape." I was very specific when I spoke that last part as to drive home the fact that I knew. His eyes widened and a brief flash of fear shot through them. A smug sense of satisfaction went through me, little bastard didn't expect to have a witness. "Such things are not meant to be taken lightly and I will not tolerate anything of the sort in my class." My voice was a near-growl when I spoke and ran my eyes over the rest of the class. The other students bowed their heads and obediently started working on the worksheet I'd handed out at the beginning of class.

The rest of the period went smoothly, though Caleb glared at me the whole time. It made me uneasy to watch him walk out, at least in class I could keep an eye on him. He sent me a smug look on his way and it immediately made me want to run back to the hospital and never let Shay out of my sight.

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"Morning sweetheart. How are you feeling today?" My mom asked as she walked into the room, sitting next to my bed a moment later. I rolled my head over and looked at her, I was too weak to hold it up. I'd been slowly losing energy all week. But right now was the worst I'd ever felt. I didn't understand, one moment I was fine, but the next I can barely move.

After her visit yesterday, Juliette hadn't been able to come in. She texted me as said she had a meeting with the principle, but that she would definitely be here today after fourth. Genny was here almost 24/7 though, which both drove me crazy, and made me extremely grateful. But she'd had to go home last night and she was busy this morning. I didn't really mind, I wasn't up for any company now anyways.

"Not great." I rasped. I was sure my eyes conveyed how much pain I was in.

Her eyebrows creased in worry. "I'll get the doctor." She hurried out of the room with brisk strides. My eyelids drooped in exhaustion from just that little conversation. The sound of footsteps returned a little while later. The Pediatrics doctor, a surprisingly young woman with wavy blond hair, and a red-haired nurse strode in along with my mom. The doctor smiled at me, but it wasn't really a "good morning!" smile, it was more of a "you're really sick and I don't know why" kind of smile. Her flinty green eyes conveyed her worry.

"Hey there Shay. Your mom tells me you're not feeling well?" I nodded slowly.

"She can barely move her head she's so weak! What's wrong with her?" My mom screeched in a moment of hysterics, her calm attitude from earlier evaporating quickly. She lowered her voice and shot them an apologetic look.

"Sorry...I...just three days ago she was fine!" She rubbed her temples. The doctor looked at her sympathetically. "I know Carrie, and I assure you, I'm going to be doing everything I can to figure this out." Her voice was firm with devotion. For a minute I balked at the fact she'd called mom by her first name, but then I realized they probably work together all the time.

Duh.

She turned her gaze to me, her eyes softening immediately. "Shay, I'm going run a couple more tests later, but for the mean time I want you to rest. Based on your body's-" she waved her hand around in indication of me "condition, these tests will most likely make you very tired."

More tired than I am now? Yeah, not likely.

I nodded though, my face twisting into an expression of pain. Noticing my expression, the doctor immediately turned to the nurse, speaking to her in low serious tones. The woman nodded and immediately took off to do her bidding. 

The doctor explained a few more things to us before she left, like what she thought was going on. Her theory was that with the heart attack and the stress, my condition actually kick-started and is appearing to be spreading rapidly. This would explain why every time I moved my bones felt like they were going to explode.

True to her word, the doctor gave me something for the pain, before she left me to my own devices. Mom's shoulders dropped and her watery eyes peered into mine. She was dressed in her scrubs and her scrub cap was on, meaning she needed to go get ready for her surgery.

"Mom, I'll be okay. You should go get ready for your surgery." She sighed and brushed the hair back from my face.

"I will, I just need a minute with you." She scanned my face, as if memorizing every detail. It unsettled me. "You're strong. I love you so much." My own eyes teared up and I leaned over and hugged her. "I love you too mom."

She pulled back, wiping her eyes. She planted a kiss on my forehead and gave me a stern look before she left. "You rest, okay?" I nodded, my eyelids already drooping. I was out before she left the room.

|So, how'd y'all like the Pov change (; I know it was short on Ms. C's side, but I wanted to get the whole "feel" of it. Hope you enjoyed reading! Please comment/vote!|