Death of the Perfect Girl

9- The Perv

Mr. Pearce

He is the hot teacher. The teacher that the principal allowed to teach at the school even though his age is not too far away from the age of the students. He's twenty five and the girls at the school think that that means he's around their age and capable of dating them. They think that he would because they're supposedly irresistible. And those who have tried, have all failed, because Brody Pearce is not that kind of fairytale teacher. He reminds them that teaching them is his job and that student teacher romances are pedophilic and illegal. The rejected girls decide to make rumors spark. "Pearce isn't the nice teacher everyone thinks he is. He's a pervert."

***

     Brody Pearce sat at the front of the class with his eyes on his phone. They lifted and he looked at the girl who stood reading. Her pupil bounced from word to word, staying on the big ones for too long. He tried his best to hide his annoyance, taking deep breaths and looking to the corner of the room.

The girl finished reading the paragraph and smiled at him, hoping for some praise.

He stared at her, in his mind wondering why she was smiling.

"You didn't read in a way to be proud of. God, what am I doing here?" 

"Thank you, Diana."

The girls nervously sat down.

"Jenna, next paragraph," he cleaned his nails with the page of his book.

There was no reply.

He sighed and looked at the ceiling then he looked at her. "Jenna?"

She folded her arms. "Is there a reason why you only choose girls to read?"

Mr. Pearce looked at his hands. "Jenna, not today, please? The dialogue is from a girl's point of view."

"And you assume I'm a girl because-"

"You look like one," Charlie said from the back of the classroom.

"Excuse me?" Jenna turned back to him.

"Stop giving the man a hard time. For once, damn it."

"How about you mind your own business and not tell me what to do?"

A girl shook her head. "Honey, right now you're everyone's business-"

"How am I everyone's business?"

Mr. Pearce slammed his hand on his forehead and sighed squeezing his eyes shut. He looked over at Sadie who sat two rows down.

She gave him a sympathetic smile.

He smiled back.

"You're in everyone's business because you're always offended by anything a person says. All Brody-"

Mr. Pearce sat straight with furrowed brows.

"-wanted you to do was read the book. Whether you identify as a girl or a jungle wilderbeast-"

Everyone laughed.

"Right now, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you read the book."

"Uh," Mr. Pearce gulped. "Could you not call me by my first name-"

Jenna groaned. "I would've read the stupid book if he hadn't used gender identity as the reason for me reading-"

"The living, breathing Tumblr everyone. Get a good look at her-"

"For the last time, today, I AM NOT A HER-"

"BE QUIET," Sadie shouted. "I'll read." She grabbed her book and stood.

Mr. Pearce let out a sigh. "Thank you, Sadie."

"No problem," Sadie smiled then she began to read.

Jenna looked at her then she looked at Mr. Pearce with squinted eyes.

***

The class ended and Sadie slowly packed her bag, staring at Mr. Pearce.

Jenna threw her bag over her shoulders and glared at Sadie.

Sadie walked to the front of the classroom. "Mr. Pearce?"

He looked up from his phone. "Sadie," he smiled pushing up his glasses.

"I-uh...," she tapped her nails on his desk and gulped. "I wanted to know if I could come by tomorrow morning to go over my lines."

He nodded. "You can come by anytime, Sadie. I will always be here."

"Thank you." She touched his hand then walked out of the classroom.

Jenna followed her. "Sadie."

Sadie turned around. "What?"

"Mr. Pearce is not your companion. He's a grown man."

Sadie furrowed her brows then she snickered. "Okay?" She walked away.

Jenna squinted at her.