Teaching Jenny (student/teacher)

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Things between Ben and I were amazing and with work piling up as my summer exams drew closer I really didn't have time to think about much else. Before long Easter had been and gone and it was our last half term at school before study leave. All my time was spent either at home studying or at Ben's place, where I would often study too. At the end of next September I was hoping to be going to the University of Manchester to study geography. Ben was extremely happy that I would be following the same course as him. However, this required me getting 3 a's in my A levels which would be a lot of hard work.

It was the last day of the easter holidays and I was currently at Ben's apartment. My geography books were splayed out on the kitchen table in front of me as I went over the tectonic section again. Ben was standing over the stove cooking pasta for lunch and kept distracting me. Focusing on my textbook once again I went over the Mount St Helen's case study for what felt like the hundredth time. The facts just didn't seem to want to stay put in my brain and I honestly felt like I had reached full capacity of all the facts I could retain.

The sound of Ben's ringtone interrupted me from my thoughts. Ben smiled apologetically before he clicked the accept call button and darted out of the kitchen. Finally in peace and quiet I started on the case study again. I loved geography but the human side of it was much more enjoyable than the physical I found.

The course I had applied for at Manchester University focused on the human side of geography with only a couple of modules on the physical side. Then in the second year we only learnt about human geography. The first year had a lot of similar modules to the physical geography course on offer so that you were able to switch onto the physical course if you wanted. However, my mind was set on human geography.

By the time Ben returned to the kitchen I had just about managed to remember all the information on the page in front of me. I would get Ben to test me later.

However, the look on Ben's face instantly made me forget everything geography related. "What is it?" I said standing up from my seat and walking over to my ashen faced boyfriend. His eyes were wide and panicked, and his bottom lip was captured between his teeth.

"That was my mum," he started. All the possible situations started flashing through my mind. Had something happened to his dad? Was he in hospital? Panic started to rise from the pit of my stomach as everything that could go wrong haunted my mind.

"You know my cousin who you saw at that family dinner when you were with Adam," Ben's eyes darkened when he said Adam's name. Gently I squeezed his hand as I nodded. Adam had honestly meant nothing to me. I knew it was horrible to be so blunt, and I hadn't realised it at the time, but I was using him. Adam was just a distraction from all the pain I was feeling. He took my mind off of Ben and at that point in time that was all I needed.

My mind flickered back to that night when I had seen Ben's cousin. She was the blonde girl I had thought was with Ben, and the reason I had broken up with Adam that night. I remember the feeling of jealousy which had flared up inside of me, never before had it been so strong.

Now possible scenarios of her being hurt flashed through my mind. I intwined my hand with Ben's, imaging how I would feel if I had just found out one of my cousins was injured.

"Well she is a teacher also," he managed to stutter out, clearly his brain was thinking everything over as he spoke. However, his words only confused me. Was she hurt while at work maybe? Moving closer to him I nodded for him to continue. "And you know Mrs Martins?" He continued but only confusing me more. What did Mrs Martins the school art teacher have anything to do with this? Utterly confused now and not sure how to react I just nodded.