After School

[Ms. Aliah Latini] September - Wednesday - 3:15 p.m.

[Ms. Aliah Latini]

September – Wednesday – 3:15 p.m.

Megan stood at the doorway of Ali’s classroom. A devilish smile was on her face. In one hand, Megan held a slender wine bag, and in the other she had two plastic wine glasses wiggling in between her fingers. “Well, bonjour Ms. Latini,” she sang playfully. “It’s the end of the first day back at school and do you know what that means?”

“It’s our annual back-to-school toast,” Ali said smilingly. Ali was sitting at edge of her wood desk that she had placed in the back-center of the classroom facing the whiteboard. It was an easy view to see who was cheating on tests because with the student’s backs turned towards her, they wouldn’t know when she would be watching or not. To her student’s dismay, she would always be watching.

Megan sashayed in the room holding up their afternoon celebration; her slim figure swaying over exaggeratedly at the hips left and right. Megan then handed Ali the plastic glasses. Megan then pulled the clip out of her bun and whipped her hair about in a seductive manor. With hair matted and wild, Megan over gestures a wink. “Life’s a party darling, so let’s celebrate,” Megan said it her best upper-class accent.

“Indeed it is,” Ali said putting the glasses on her desk. “Shall we get this party started then?” Ali hands Megan a cork screw she had hidden behind her. Megan takes out the red wine from the bag and uncorks it. The women laugh and giggle at the popping sound. 

Ali then held up the plastic wine glasses to Megan; giving the glasses a little wiggle to signal it’s time to pour. Megan pours half a glass into each, and eyes Ali. Ali raises a brow, and Megan gleefully fills both glasses.

The two women took a couple of chairs at one of the large rectangular desks in back of the class room, just in front of Ali’s desk. The two lay back in their seats, legs crossed, mirroring each other in a lax state. “To a new school year!” Megan sang out loud while raising her glass.

“To a new school year.” Ali’s repeated less enthusiastic, but none-the-less excited. The two then make a fake ‘ting’ sound while touching glasses before sipping their wine and fitting themselves with laughter.

Ali and Megan said nothing for a couple of minutes. Ali was enjoying the wine. It was sweet with a light fruity taste; the way she liked it.

A “Hey Ms. Latini. Looking hot as always.” broke their silence.  Nick’s dirty blonde head was poking in from outside. His long bangs slightly covering his right eye. Ali’s eyes widened and she almost spat up the wine in her mouth. Megan raised her glass to the young man with that devilish grin from earlier. Nick gave Ali a wink and his head disappeared. Ali then gave a deep swallow of her drink.

“If I was ten years younger—” Megan started to say.

Ali interrupted Megan, responding with her own quick wit. “He would still be too young for you.”

“He’s legal ain’t he?”

“He’s sixteen. Turning seventeen in a couple of weeks.”

“Close enough.” Megan smiled.

“May I remind that you are getting married Ms. Johnson.” Ali said emphasizing her words slowly.

“There is no harm in looking is there?” Megan said lifting her nose and taking sip of wine.

Ali mimicked Megan’s movements. “Just don’t touch.” The two paused for a moment. Their glasses still at their lips and locked in a stare. “Well, not before me that is.” Ali cracked a smile through her glass and the women laughed.

When the women stopped, Coach LaCoste was leaning in the door way. “Look at you two party girls. I see that the ‘No Alcohol on Campus’ rule is being well enforced.”

“I won’t tell if you won’t.” Megan raised her glass again.

Ali just hid behind her plastic glass. Her mind raced like a harlequin romance novel at the sight of Calvin LaCoste. She then brushed it off her mind and blamed the wine. She was never into Calvin, or his muscles, or the fact he was doctor, or his playboy smile, or that he was handsome in every way. Ali did wonder why a man like him chose to teach at a high school. She always thought he was wasting himself as a teacher. But to his, his own, she always thought.

Calvin laughed a little. “I have some business to attend to. You ladies enjoy your afternoon, and don’t get caught.” Calvin turned to leave, but paused to look back. “By the way, next time you ladies are going to celebrate the new school year. Let me know.” He then gave the ladies a charming smile and left.

Minutes passed as the women chatted about their summers. Ali went to visit her parents in Ohio. It was very humid compared to California. “You don’t walk to your car, you swim,” She told Megan. “People here make the mistake of saying that when it’s hot out it’s also humid. No, they’re wrong. It’s the sweat on their skin. California doesn’t get high humidity. It’s just hot!”

A sudden crash was heard echoing in. A familiar voice was swearing from the building down the hall. It was Nick. The two ladies looked at each other with surprise and confusion.

Ali continued telling Megan about her father’s cancer scare, which ended up being strange pimple on his butt, and her younger sister’s wedding. It was a garden wedding that got rained on. Rather than freaking out her sister laughed about it and continued the ceremony. Everyone got soaked, but it made for a nice memory and a better reception. By the end of it all, everyone was on make shift slip n’ slides and throwing mud around. It was unconventional for the mother of groom, who sat in the limo the whole event, but Ali’s little sister was the kind of girl that would always turn the worst outcome into the best. A trait that Ali tried to do many times, yet couldn’t muster enough self-confidence to do so.

Nick passed by Ali’s classroom again. He was mumbling something bitterly. After awhile Calvin passed by too; his head was in the clouds like always when she sees him.

The orange light of the afternoon was flooding the classroom. The bottle was empty. Ali was a little buzzed. Megan got up from her seat and slipped the bottle back in the wine bag. The two women then said their short good-byes till the next day and wished each other good luck on a new school year. Ali was then left alone in her empty room. The two plastic glasses stained from the red wine stood standing on the table next her. Ali gave a deep sigh. She looked out her window. Her face bathing in the afternoon glow.