Chasing Miss Conner •NEW VERSION•

VII

Seven

"Are you ready to go?" Genny's voice could barely be heard over the crazy loud chatter of students as everyone hastily fled from the room. I nodded, glancing towards Miss Conner for a moment. She was shuffling the papers at her desk, her reading glasses adorably perched on her nose.

"Yeah." I mumbled, disheartened for a reason I couldn't find.

I packed up my things and slung my backpack over my shoulders, making my way to the door. "Miss Daniels, stay for a moment please." Her voice stopped me in my tracks.

I shot Genny a deer in the headlights look.

"I'll wait outside." I glared daggers at her for her betrayal. She sent me a small smile and flew out the door.

"I wont keep you long, I just wanted to talk to you about your phone use in my class."

My eyebrows drew together as I stared at her. Really?

"I understand the first week of school is crazy, but I don't tolerate the disrespect of phone use in my classroom. If you have an emergency you can always let me know, but otherwise don't let me see your phone. The next time I do, it goes to the office for the day."

My stare grew incredulous. "Isn't that a little extreme? Class had barely started." I fought down the urge to shiver as her eyes narrowed on mine. I barged on, the stress from my father's text and the incident with Caleb this morning making my tongue loosen and my overconfidence to skyrocket. "What is this about exactly? Because I don't think I deserve the attitude you're giving me."

"Its about you disrupting my class Shay. The policy in my syllabus clearly states no phone use."

This conversation was absolutely ridiculous and she was one hundred percent over reacting.

"Yeah well I call bullshit." Shock and anger snapped across her face, but I kept going, my emotions getting the better of me.

"Wanna know who I was texting Miss Conner? Since its such a big deal? It was my father. The father that cheated on my mom and left his five year old daughter in the dust because he didn't want to deal with her hospital bills or thousand dollar treatments that were to come the twelve years after he left." Angry tears burned in my eyes. "I just found out he's in Seattle and wants to see me. Why? I don't know. Right now I cant think past the urge to punch him in the face for everything he's put us through. So excuse me for being disruptive."

"Shay." Sympathy and apology danced in her eyes but I turned and shoved open the door. I was done talking and the last thing I wanted right now was her sympathy.

The rest of the day was a blur as I struggled to pull myself together and push all my emotions aside. I went to history and math and tried to pay attention but my heart wasn't in it. I felt bad for snapping at Miss Conner but not bad enough to regret it. All she had to do was tell me that she didn't want me using my phone in class, but she had to go on and on about it. It's not like I wouldn't have listened. I don't know how she hasn't caught onto the fact that I literally hang on her every word.

"Alright spill." Genny growled, cornering me by the cubbies in the art room. The room was nearly empty, as we'd been the last group to clean up our station. "What?" I snapped, not in the mood to be interrogated by two people in one day.

"You've been in a shitty ass mood ever since you came out of Miss Conner's room and its pathetic. What's going on?" Her expression turned hard, letting me know that she wasn't going to let this go.

I glanced at the room, uncomfortable with the students that still lingered. "Come on." I grabbed her arm and pulled her into the hallway, ducking into a somewhat secluded spot by the elevators. I sighed, scrubbing a hand over my face. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh I'm sorry, did I say I cared about what you wanted?" She snapped back at me. "You drug me all the way over here, and now you're telling me you don't want to talk? Cute."

Her words caused me to pause and that pause helped me realize that I was being a dick. "I'm sorry okay? I shouldn't have snapped at you. Miss Conner really pissed me off earlier and that coupled with Caleb and the stress with my dad-" Genny interrupted me, sputtering incredulously."

"Your dad? I thought you said you hadn't talked to him in years!"

"I haven't. He sent me a text while we were in class. That's why I wasn't paying attention to anything she was saying. She completely freaked out about my using my phone so I kind of went off on her a little bit." Realization lit across her features, then softness.

"Ah man. That really sucks. Did you respond?" I shook my head. "No. I don't think I want to either. He hasn't talked to me in 12 years, Genny. So why now?" I wiped at the angry tears that appeared in my eyes, annoyed with my emotional self lately.

Suddenly I found my faced pressed into a leather jacket and the faint trace of smoke clinging to my nose. I stiffened in surprise, not expecting Genny of all people to hug me. She held on tight though, and eventually I let myself relax into her embrace. "I'm sorry all this crap suddenly hit you. It wasn't fair for Miss Conner to go all postal on you like that, and it wasn't fair for your dad to text you after ten years of radio silence."

"Yeah." I mumbled as I pulled back, wiping my eyes. "Thank you."

She smiled. "I know my ego is the size of Texas, but underneath all this sexy is actually an intelligent, loving, human being."

"Ok Amy Schumer." She gasped and shoved me lightly. "I'd be offended but Amy Schumer is hot as fuck so I'm going to take that as a compliment."

I laughed and shook my head, becoming serious again. "Whatever you say. But really, I am sorry for snapping at you. I shouldn't have done that. Thank you for listening to me even when I was being a bitch." She bumped my shoulder gently.

"I get it, and you're not alone. I know I'm not the most open person on the planet, but I get what you're going through. It sucks ass, and if you need someone to talk to about it, I'm always here."

I smiled. "Buuuuuttt if you really wanted to repay me, you can buy me a coffee at Starbucks?" Laughing, I reached around her to push the button on the elevators.

"Sure thing."

Genny and I parted ways when we walked out of the school, but we promised to meet up in an hour at Starbucks. I headed home to change, opting to scrub my face free of makeup, tired of my oily skin. I changed into some baggy grey sweats and a black tank top, my favorite red, grey, and white flannel thrown over my shoulders. I knew mom wasn't going to be home for a while, and it was only like four o'clock but I left her a note anyways.

I grabbed my phone and my keys and headed out.

Hey guys! I know this chapter is a little shorter but I think it's coming along beautifully! We got to see a little more Shay and Miss Conner action ;)