"Experience is the teacher of all things."
-Julius Caesar
It took me hours to stop thinking about the question that Omera had asked me. Why did I kiss her? I do realize it's completely wrong to have a relationship with my students. I've found some students attractive before but I never acted on it.
I don't know why I did with Omera. That's why I couldn't answer her, and whenever she brings up the fact that I'm pushing her away? I remember that what we are doing isn't right.
She seemed awfully quiet in Health, she didn't raise her hand or talk to anyone. That's exactly what I don't want to do to her, I don't want her to skip my class or not pay attention in class because of problems between her and I. If I get involved with her in anyway I'm compromising her education. I can't let that happen, she deserves to have a fair chance at learning without distractions.
After class ends, I don't bother saying goodbye to my students by the door as I usually do. This has taken a toll on me as well, it seems.
"Mr. Howell?" I hear a voice call to me, I see a pair of light blue nails on my desk. I cautiously look up and see a pair of green eyes focused on me.
"Ms. Sanders, right?" I ask. She was here last year, but wasn't here the first few weeks this year.
"Yeah, that's right." She nods, she nervously scratches her short light brown hair as she smiles innocently.
"What can I help you with?" I ask her as I get up from my chair. I see Omera begin to walk up to me, but I ignore her for now.
"I was absent for the first few weeks because I had a family problems, something of the sort. I just wanted to know if I could catch up on-" She begins to explain with a smile but Omera cuts her off.
"I have to talk to you." Omera say, laying her hands on my desk.
"Omera, I'm talking with a student." I say, rubbing my forehead in distress. Omera looks at the other girl with confusion, she studies her quickly.
"H-Hello?" She says under Omera's harsh gaze.
"What's your name?" She asks.
"T-Tia." She stutters out.
"Ms. Williams, stop harassing Ms. Sanders." I sigh as Tia gets nervous under Omera's harsh stare.
"I am not harassing anyone." Omera argues back but I hold up a hand.
"Sit down and wait your turn." I demand with a calm voice, I point to her desk.
"No it's fine if she-" Tia begins to protest with worry.
"Go ahead, Tila." Omera rolls her eyes as she takes a seat.
"It's Tia..." She trails but quickly shakes her head to rid her of Omera, her short brown locks shake slightly.
"Sorry, Sir. I wanted to know if there is any way for me to catch up for the work I missed in both your classes." Tia asks me, slightly adjusting her skirt as she says so.
"Yeah of course. Though, the camping trip is tomorrow. We can catch up a bit there and after we return." I suggest to her. She blinks slowly and shakes her head again.
"I'm sorry, can you repeat that? I kind of zoned out." She apologizes. If I was the same teacher I was last year I would have scolded her for it but her attitude was a breath of fresh air compared to Omera.
"Of course, I said we can catch up at the camping trip and a bit after." I repeat with a nod.
"Sounds good, thank you." She nods a final time.
"No problem." I respond quickly, she turns and walks out of the classroom with a wave. Once the door is shut, I turn my gaze to Omera who only stares at me with a slight smile.
"You know she's into you, right?" Omera says from her seat.
I furrow my eyebrows. "What? No, she isn't."
"But she is. She was drooling all over you." Omera explains to me as if I'm too blind to see it.
"Tia is my student. Not every student thinks of their teacher the way you do." I bite back at her, she raises her eyebrows.
"You'd be surprised actually. A lot of students would fall on their knees to suck you off." She quietly mutters. My eyes widen as her foul language, however it turned me on a bit. I mentally slap myself for even letting her words get to me.
"Even you, I'm guessing." I reply as I grab the eraser to erase the notes I wrote on the board.
"I expected you to yell at me." She silently remarks as she watches me.
"Then you know what you said isn't right. Why did you say it, Ms. Williams?" I finish erasing the board and think quickly of something to do. I grab the marker and begin writing the date in the corner.
"I wanted to let you know the truth. The truth gets you in trouble sometimes." She quickly responds without delay. I loved how she didn't stutter or get nervous around me like most students.
"That's a true statement used in the wrong context. We will learn more about this in future English units." I finish writing the date and turn back to her.
"What units will we be leaning in health?" She questions me, she silently chews her gum and she stares at me.
"We are learning new about all dimensions of health. Physical, emotional, social, and spiritual. Next we will have a unit on drugs and alcohol. After that, a unit on Sex Ed." I explain to her off the top of my head.
Wow, she's actually interested in the class, this is a great thing.
"Will you teach us how to be good at oral-" She begins to ask but I interrupt her.
Of course she wasn't interested in the lessons.
"Omera, I can't teach you that. I'll teach you how to be safe and about STDs." I try keeping my professional authority as a teacher.
"You can teach me about oral." She says, getting up from her seat and leaning against her desk.
"No, I can't." I shake my head quickly, wanting her to stay where she is.
"You can teach me right now." She walks towards me with intention.
My cheeks burn the way it did when I was back in high school, before I had any type of sexual experience. I'm much older now, so why am I forgetting every single experience I've had?
I don't know how Omera and I are eight years apart in age yet I feel like she's older. I wasn't like this when I was in high school. A girl like her wouldn't even look at me, the nerdy boy who sat in the front of the class doing nothing but hating life. I hadn't even lost my virginity until I was nineteen in college.
"Omera..." I manage to spit out as she lays a hand on my chest.
Why does she tempt me like this?
