Lesson Learned {Student Teacher Romance}

Chapter 38

Going back to the Green River Community College campus feels weird after a month-long break from classes.

Nothing is different, and yet, everything is about to change.

The trees have been stripped of their foliage and now stand naked, their sprawling branches outstretched like spindly fingers. It's not raining, but there's a bite in the air.

It's the day of my final exam and I've got five minutes to make it to my desk on time.

I scurry along the familiar paths while my stomach pitches nervously.

In two short hours, I will have all the required credits for my AA, and the quarter will officially be over.

The exam should be easy. There are forty multiple-choice questions and one essay.

I can practically smell the anxious energy in the room when I arrive. Everyone is settling into their seats and getting their supplies out but Keira's head pops up as I near our shared desk.

She gives me an encouraging smile that I try and return as I take my seat.

A few other girls have noticed me and they're staring like I've broken out in polka dots.

The girl I nicknamed Blondie on our first day of English class nudges her deskmate and whispers something inaudible to get her to turn around.

They share a knowing look before swiveling their heads to the front of the class where our proctor is getting ready to administer our exam.

"That was weird," I mutter as I pull out my pencil case.

"Who?" Keira whispers. "The peanut gallery? Ignore them."

I wish it were that easy, but my classmate's curious glances and snide looks that linger just a little too long, have piqued my intuition.

"Do you think they know anything?" I hiss.

Keira looks up briefly, "Nah, how could they?"

I texted Keira as soon as I knew I wasn't coming back to school, so she was aware that Mr. Benedict was letting me finish the quarter from home. She also knew that there were unresolved feelings between Will and me, but I never told her about our make out sessions (for obvious reasons).

The proctor stands up to introduce herself while calming the room to attention.

She's a shrunken older woman with frizzly cinnamon hair and rosy cheeks, but I can tell she's a no-nonsense type. Her shrewd eyes are watching all of us as she passes out our exams.

Thankfully, the questions are a breeze, which gave me plenty of time to plot and write a thoughtful essay.

With time to spare, I'm done and double-checking my work. Then, I walk it up to the front.

When I turn around to face the door to class, I feel lighter.

I'd worked for so long, and this was it. I was done with my AA!

This was a major milestone and I wanted to appreciate the enormity of what I'd managed to accomplish in spite of all the obstacles in my way.

Then I saw Blondie eyeing me from her desk.

She had a nasty glint in her pretty blue death stare that froze my blood to ice water. The base of my spine tingled ominously.

Something told me to get the hell out of there, so I jogged up the stairs to grab my bookbag and skedaddle.

To walk off the bad energy still rippling through my body, I headed for the Student Union building to buy myself a celebratory latte.

Our class is one of many taking their exams today and the bustle of the quad gives me some much-needed breathing room.