This Is What Happens [student/teacher]

6: The First Day

I didn't realize how much of a shock it would be when I walked into Bryan's classroom, with him sitting at his desk, staring at his computer screen and typing away. It was enough to make me stop in my tracks and take a few shuddery breaths before I could continue moving. How could it be that the man I had kissed was now my teacher, my instructor? It seemed impossible, but there he was, slightly hunched over in his chair, his hair combed and a button-up shirt hanging tight on his fit frame.

This was going to be impossible, pretending I was just meeting him and that I didn't have feelings for him.

I was one of the first in the classroom for 7th period, and was thankful that no one had caught me staring, most likely because the only other people in the room were girls who were doing exactly what I had been doing - watching. When I finally took a seat in the second row - a safe distance that was close but not so much that I could touch him - he looked up from his computer and saw me. We both held each other's gaze until people walked between us, severing the cord that connected us. My heart was still racing, like I was facing a crazy ex-boyfriend that might murder me, when I saw him smiling slightly. It was just a large enough smile that I could see because I knew him, but to outsiders, he simply looked as if he were checking out his class. This relaxed me somewhat, knowing he didn't hate me.

Finally, the bell rang, and Bryan widened his smile so others could see it. There was a slight shuffling sound from people getting settled in, and he waited until the noise died down before beginning his speech. "Alright, everyone. Welcome to U.S. History. Obviously, I'm the teacher, and I want respect, all that stuff. You can call me Mr. Taylor, since that's my name, and we'll go from there." I half-listen to his syllabus-reading after he passes the sheet out, but just skim the paper to see the main points. It's not like I can't ask him something that I missed later tonight.

When his voice suddenly gets louder, I tune back into the conversation. "I want to learn all of your names, and I'm sorry if I butcher them, so correct me if I'm wrong." He goes through a few names, with each person replying, "here," and then he gets to mine. "Tiffany Hart?"

"Right here," I say, raising my hand up slightly, just so people don't get suspicious.

He nods at me with a smile, just like he's done to every other person in the class, but he bites his lip slightly, a reference I'm sure alludes to our kisses less than a week ago. I drop my gaze faster than you can say 'blush.'

He goes through a handful more of names, before finally announcing, "Alright, guys, everyone's here. Nice job."

A couple people in the class laugh, trying to get on Bryan's good side. I resist the urge to roll my eyes and instead smile, making a show of pretending to be interested so I don't look out of place. If I don't figure something out to tame the waters with Bryan, this class is going to be absolutely awful.

--

"So..." Bree sidles up next to me while I'm shoving my history book in my locker. "How was Mr. Hottie's class?" She winks at me as I turn to glare.

"Don't you have a boyfriend?" I remark, closing my locker and turning to see her start smiling like a fool.

"It doesn't mean I can't think someone's hot. Just that I can't do anything about it. And hey, we're not dating yet. Only going to a party to see if it'll work out." She holds her head high as she purses her lips.

"You act like it won't. Everyone knows he's gonna be the father of your babies." Bree starts blushing furiously and whispers, "Shut up!"

"Hey, if you can't take it, don't deal it out." I raise my hands in surrender and she shakes the comment off before starting to walk with me to my car, her ride home.