Classroom Affairs

Chapter 1

    Mr. Michael Phillips called his students' names as he read down the list of people attending the trip. As each of them raised a hand or called our "here" Josie sat and patiently waited for her name. When she finally heard his voice call her name, she smiled and lifted her hand slightly. Michael nodded and struck her name from the list.

    When he had finished taking attendance, Michael sat across the isle from Josie. The bus's engine roared as they pulled out of the school parking lot around 7am. As the time ticked by, the bus grew louder with the chatter of the other students. Josie's friend, Natalie, had dropped out if the trip at the last minute, so Josie sat alone in the front of the bus.

    Josie pushed her headphones over her head and turned the volume of her music up until it completely drowned out any background noise. She looked out of her window as she watched the familiar town pass by. Every so often, she would catch her teacher either looking at her, oe out her window. She didn't think anything of it, but she caught herself staring at him a few times.

    By the time they got to their hotel in DC, it was dark outside. They had stopped for dinner on the way there, so all they had to do was get settled into their hotel rooms. Once they all unloaded their bags from underneath of the bus, Mr. Phillips handed out the key cards to their rooms. Most of the students shared rooms with their friends, but Josie had a room all to herself.

  She walked into her room and began to unpack her things. She pushed her clothes into the dresser drawers and put her make-up and such in the bathroom. The only thing that didn't get put in a drawer were her dresses, which she hung up so they wouldn't wrinkle.

    It was oddly chilly in her room, so Josie turned the thermostat up. She held her hand in front of the vent for a few moments, but only cold air came out. Josie sighed in frustration. She walked to her bedside table and picked her phone up. After she dialled Michael's phone number, she waited patiently for him to answer.

    "Hello," Michael said through the phone.

    Josie smiled when she heard his voice and rocked back and forth on her feet. "It's Josie," she began, "and it seems that the heat is broken in my room."

    Michael smiled and nodded, "I'll be right over." He hung up and walked out of his room after checking what room Josie was in. He chuckled when he saw she was right across the hall. He knocked softly on the door and waited.

    Josie jumped slightly when she heard him knock so quickly. She let him in and he laughed lightly at the startled look on her face.

    "I'm right across the hall," Michael said softly. He walked over to the heating unit and pulled the vent cover off. He looked at the wiring and reached into the unit to move some things around.

    Michael flinched and pulled his hand out of the heating unit. There was a cut om his palm and it was bleeding. Josie turned on her heels and walked into the bathroom to retreive some bandages. She came back out and grabbed Michael's hand to wrap it.

    Michael pulled his hand back and grabbed for the bandages, but Josie pulled them away and smirked. "I'll handle it clutz," she said playfully. He allowed her to wrap it a few times before trying to pull them from her. She pulled back, matching his strength with each pull. They both laughed at their petty game.

   Michael finally tired of playing and pulled the bandages as hard as he could, pulling Josie with them. Her breath caught in her throat when she realized that she was laying on top of him. She quickly stood up and walked away from him.

    Michael stood and cleared his throat as he straightened his shirt. He replaced the heating vent and walked out. Josie stood dumbstruck by what had just happened. She changed into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and climbed into her bed. It was late and she needed some quiet time to think about what had just happened. She dismissed the ordeal as a fluke, he was her teacher, it meant nothing. She nodded at her thoughts and closed her eyes.

    Meanwhile, Michael walked into his room and leaned against the door. Stop, she's your student. You

can't think of her that way, he thought to himself. He sighed and layed down in his bed. He tried to sleep, but found it impossible with his mind wandering like it was. He sat up and turned on the TV. Of course, at this hour, there was practically nothing on. He sighed and layed back down and spent the night tossing and turning.