Teaching Jenny (student/teacher)

Chapter 26

Chapter 26





The weeks turned into months and before I knew it I was sitting my exams, and then like that they were over. Overall I felt like they had gone well but I still wasn't sure if I had done enough to get the three a's I needed to get into my first choice university.

I had now completed my final year of school and would only be returning to collect my results during the summer and for one final farewell dance for the whole of my year.

Ben and I were currently sitting outside my house in his car. The day had finally come to tell my parents. My hands were shaking with nerves as I flattened down my jeans for what felt like the hundredth time. Ben was trying to stay calm but I could tell he was anxious from the look in his eyes.

"You ready?" Ben asked, as he turned to look at me. We had been sitting in his car in silence for a good ten minutes now, both not wanting to go in. When we went in everything would change, whether for the better or the worse I didn't know. I knew all my parents wanted was for me to be happy, but breaking the law was something neither of them would ever condone.

"No," I sighed with a slight laugh. I would never be ready for this. Ben smiled weakly as his eyes met mine. Cupping my face with his hands he looked me directly in the eyes.

"Whatever happens, I love you and we'll get through this. We always do," he whispered and I instantly felt more relaxed. I knew nothing would put me at complete ease, but Ben was trying which was more than enough.

"I love you too," I whispered back as Ben pressed his lips to the tip of my nose. I gripped the back of his neck, holding his face close to mine, so I could press my lips to his.

Slowly I slipped out of Ben's car as he walked round from his side to join me. Our hands instinctively joined as we walked up the path to my house. This is the moment we had been waiting for. This was the time when we would finally be able to stop lying. As much as I had wanted this moment to come, now it had I had never felt more terrified.

As we climbed the steps to my front door I looked at Ben one last time before slipping my key into the door. With a click the door swung open and we walked in. There was no turning back now.

"Mum! Dad!" I called, my voice shaking slightly as I spoke. Ben squeezed my hand reassuringly as we waited for my parents reply. I knew he would be the one taking most of the heat today, yet he was the one who was being strong for me. He was always there for me. I didn't want that to change.

"In the kitchen," my mums voice responded. Audibly gulping I led Ben through to the kitchen where my parents were sitting around the table. They both looked up as we entered, their smiles faltering slightly as they looked at mine and Ben's joined hands.

With another weak smile, I stopped. "Hi, I'd like you guys to meet Ben," I whispered my voice barely audible. My dad frowned slightly as his tough dad act started while my mum beamed at Ben's presence.

"It's nice to meet you. Jenny has told me a lot about you," Ben spoke, his voice completely calm as he let go of my hand and stuck it out for my dad to shake.

Both my parents shook Ben's hand while introducing themselves before we took our places at the table.

"I have something I need to tell you," I said jumping straight in. I knew that if my parents started questioning Ben it would be a while before I could tell them and I just couldn't hold it in anymore. I needed to get this weight off my chest. "And I need you to hear me out before you react." The smiles on my parents faces were starting to falter now. I knew they were thinking the worst.

"I'm..." I started but my dad soon interrupted me. He was glaring in Ben's direction as he spoke.

"You're pregnant?" He spat, anger clear in his eyes. A grin pulled across my face as he jumped to that conclusion. Of course my dad would assume the worst. I wasn't actually sure what he would think was better being pregnant or being in a relationship with my teacher though.

"No dad," I laughed. "You need to let me finish," I said. I could see the relief flood through my dads body at my words. He was still staring at Ben but with a little less anger this time.

"You know when I was working this summer I started dating someone from the ski slope?" I started, to which both my parents nodded.

"Ben?" my mum said before her eyes moved to Ben and a light bulb seemed to flash inside her mind.

"Yes, Ben." My voice was still quiet as I continued to speak. "Well we dated the whole of summer, and then when school started we broke up." The moment was coming where I was going to have to tell them the truth.

"Yeah," my mum nodded along.

"Well we got back together before Christmas," I continued. Disappointment flashed across my mothers face. I knew she wasn't happy over the fact I had lied to her for so long. We had been back together for eight months and I had been lying to my parents that whole time.

"I need you to know that I love him. I love him so much and we tried to fight it," I felt the tears forming in my eyes now. I was a second from breaking the news and a lump in my throat was stopping my from speaking.

"Jenny?" My mum asked, her face the picture of worry as she saw my emotional expression. This was worse than I was expecting. I knew this would be hard, but not this hard. I honestly felt like I couldn't speak right now. Every muscle in my body was frozen into place.

Ben's thumb moving against the back of my hand was the spark of electricity I needed to start talking again. "We broke up because when I went back to school Ben was there," I paused. This was it. "Ben was my teacher," I finally blurted out.

My mother let out a shocked gasp as her hand moved to her mouth. She stared at me completely dumbfounded. My dad on the other hand had never looked more angry. If I thought he was furious earlier he looked a hundred times angrier now. His face was tense as he stared daggers in Ben's direction. Silence enveloped us as we waited for someone to say something.

Ben was the only one with the courage to do so. "When I met Jenny I thought she was at university. I never would have acted on my feelings otherwise."

"You need to be quiet!" My dad growled as he leaped up from his chair and pointed finger at Ben. His eyebrows were pulled together into a tight frown.

"Dad stop," I begged. I hated it when he shouted.

"This is unbelievable!" He cried as he threw his hands up into the air. "You should have reported this as soon as you found out," he continued.

"He wanted to," I replied, tears now streaming down my cheeks. Ben's grip tightened on mine, but for once it wasn't enough.

"Stay our of this Jennifer," my dad spat, not even bothering to look at me as he spoke. All his anger and attention focused on Ben.

"Why?" I yelled, anger now coursing through my veins. "This was as much my decision as his! I was the one who suggested we get back together, I was the one who wanted to keep this a secret, I was the one who wanted to break the law. Ben wanted to report it the first day back, he wanted to wait until I left school. So if you should be angry at anyone be angry at me." Glaring at my father, I had never felt so angry in my life. Ben didn't deserve to take the blame for this, I was as much, or more so, to blame for this as him. If he had had it his way, we would have told principle Williams the first day back to school.

"He was the one who took advantage of you. You weren't even eighteen," he said like Ben had stripped me of my innocence. Ben had done nothing of the sort, since we found out we had done nothing more than kiss, we had both made sure of that.

"Dad he didn't take advantage of me! We didn't do anything," I cringed slightly as I explained. This was the last thing I wanted to be talking about with my father.

After being silent this entire time, my mum chose now as her time to speak. "Calm down Alistair." Her voice was calm but I could tell she was angry. She too was on the edge of exploding and it was all my fault. At this moment in time I wish we had never told them. I couldn't see any good coming from this situation at all.

"Calm down?" My father growled. "Our daughter has been in a relationship with her teacher for the past eight months!" He shouted, as he turned to face my mum. She didn't even flinch as he unleashed his anger on her.

"I know that," she said. "But we need to calm down so we can think this through," she spoke through gritted teeth.

"There is nothing to think about. I am calling the police," my dad said as he stood back up from his chair. Panic flooded my body as my eyes widened. This couldn't be happening. My dad couldn't do this.

"Dad, please stop. You can't so this," I pleaded as I too stood from my seat and grabbed his wrist, trying to pull him back, trying to stop him.

"I can and I will," he said defiantly and I felt all hope slipping away.

"It's ok Goofy," Ben said taking my wrist and spinning me to face him. "He's right. What I did was illegal and if he wants to report me, he has every right to do so," Ben shrugged, a smile was on his face but I could see the fear behind his eyes. He was terrified of what was to come if my dad did report him.

"Dad please," I tried one last time. I couldn't let him do this. He couldn't take the man I loved away from me. My dad turned and continued towards the phone.

"I love you so much," I said as I turned back to Ben. Tears staining my cheeks as my arms wrapped around his body. He wiped away the endless stream of tears as his hands cupped my face.

"I love you too, so much. I don't regret any of this for a second. You were worth it," he said and like that I realised he knew we had lost. There was nothing we could do. My dad had made up his mind. It was over.



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AN: Comments and votes would be very much appreciated :)