The Teacher

Straight A's

I woke up sticky from my own blood. I was surrounded by dried blood. I went into the bathroom painstakingly slow. I was weak and I didn't know how I was supposed to attend class today without breaking down in front of everyone or showing my arms. Or even carrying my stuff there. I'll manage. I always do well on my own. I showered even slower than I walked. I towel dried myself then got dressed in a pair of huge baggy sweatpants and the baggiest sweatshirt I owned. I put my hair up in the best sloppy bun I could without ripping the scabs on my arms open. I didn't bother with makeup because what was the point I was just going to end up crying it all off anyway. I trudged into class looking paler than a sheet. I let my bag fall off my shoulder making a big thud and had to use both hands to pull the chair from my desk. It still barely budged. Mark pulled my chair out for me. "Listen to me, Wynter. I didn't kiss her. In fact I got her fired for kissing me. I even showed her the ring and she still climbed on top of me. I love you and I always will. You are the only one for me." I just kept writing down whatever nonsense was on the board and he kneeled in front of me so that he was the only thing i could see. I looked at him. His cheeks were sunken and he had bags under his eyes. He didn't have dog hair all over his suit which means he wasn't even cuddling with Chica. He looked a little beat up. "Don't do this to me babe. Don't do this to us. We need each other like fish need water." He said making a really bad analogy. I fought back a giggle and shook my head. "No. You're lying. Ms.Witaker is right next door teaching a class right now." Mark shook his head. "She was forced to put in her two weeks. They pulled the tape from the camera in my room. I can show you if you'd like." He said with all the seriousness in the world. I nodded. He pulled it up n his computer and I watched the whole scene play out. He wasn't lying. Everything was true. She came onto him. Anger flared in my chest and I wanted to kill her. What a whore. "I'm going to kill her" I looked at him. With fierce need to have my hands around her throat. He chuckled. "Yeah go kill her hon, you couldn't even pull out your chair this morning. By the way, whats up with that?" I immediately looked down at my hands which were resting in my lap. "U-um nothing I just don't feel good." I knew he could tell I was lying. So he took my arm and pulled my sleeve up. He immediately saw the dark lines going down from my wrist to my elbow. "Oh baby. Why? Why would you do this to yourself? Over me? Babe, I'm not worth this. You shouldn't hurt yourself over anyone let alone me." I chuckled at his stupidity and swiped away a few tears that were threatening to fall. " You dont understand do you? You are the only person I have ever loved like this. And that is saying something because I have had a new boyfriend every week since I was thirteen I'm in my 20's now. So that's a lot of dudes and not a one of them has ever meant a fraction to me the way you do..." I said smiling. He leaned over my desk and kissed me. Just then the door swung open. "OH MY GOD IS THIS YOUR FIANCEE MR.FISCHBACH?" Ms.Witaker walked in and shrieked. Then a smug smile spread across her face. "She looks like a ghost what do you even see in her?" I took a hit. But I stood up. Mark, like a good fiance defended me and didnt realize my trip over to where she was standing. "She only looks like a ghost because you kissed me like the slut you are." Mark growled. "I might look weak now but wait til I do this." I balled my hand into a fist and punched the shit out of her. "Maybe next time you'll think twice before kissing other people's fiancees" Her nose started bleeding and she ran off to find the principal I bet. I turned to Mark. "Quick punch me." He looked at me like I was mad. Out of my gourd. "Wynter what the hell no!" I scoffed. "Do you want me to get kicked off the curriculum?" I asked. He looked pensive still. "Come on... I promise I'll like it." I winked and mark punched me in the jaw. I fell over but it didn't hurt. But it was enough to bruise instantly especially since I still looked paler than a ghost. Mark knelt down and asked if I was ok. I nodded and just then the principal and Ms.Witaker walked in with a tampon shoved up her nose. "Wynter Dean did you punch this teacher." Time for my theater class to pay off. "Mr. Kjellberg Oh my God no! She hit me first. She saw me talking to Mr.Fischbach and got mad. She hit me first see?" I showed him my jaw and he looked at Mark for confirmation. "Is that what happened Mr.Fischbach?" Mark nodded. "Ms.Dean was talking to me about self-harm she can show you her wrists. She only felt comfortable with me to talk about it but when Ms.Witaker walked in she saw me hugging Ms.Dean here and went ballistic. We both know she thinks we are together when I have never expressed any interest in Ms.Witaker." Mr.Kjellberg nodded. "WHAT?! ARE YOU REALLY GONNA BELIEVE THAT BULLSHIT STORY? SHE IS OBVIOUSLY LYING!" Anne exclaimed. Mr.Kjellberg walked over to me, examined my face which was obviously a fist mark. "This will be the deciding factor." Mr.Kjellberg said to all of us. "Ms.Dean, If you were talking to Mr.Fischbach about self-harm you must have harmed yourself. Did you?" I nodded my head trying my best to look shaken up and shy at the same time. "May I see?" I pulled up my sleeve grateful I wore a baggy sweatshirt. He saw the dramatic cuts on my wrist and stood up. "Do you mind telling me why." I shrugged. "My mom died. I havent been handling it well." Mr.Kjellberg gave me a hug. "Well I think its good that you can talk to Ma- ahem Mr.Fischbach. Don't let bitches like Ms.Witaker take that away from you." He coughed and stood up. "Ms.Witaker. Pack up your things. You are being immediately terminated from your job here. Assaulting students is not okay and also a horrendous thing to do. Especially with what she has been. Ms.Witaker looked absolutely livid. I felt bad that she lost her job but then again she deserved to. I watched her leave sadly. Mr.Kjellberg helped me up and gave me the rest of teh day off in apology for what has happened and for feeling bad about my mom. "No I need to pass this class. I am trying to be a doctor and if I can't pass this class then I am going to give up. There is no reason to keep wasting money on a class I cant pass." Mr.Kjellberg looked at me funny. "You have passed the last four years. I was confused as to why you kept taking the class over and over again. Did Mr.Edwardson give you a failing grade every year?" He asked. I looked at him. "Yeah, all my report cards said F in Bio." Mr.Kjellberg chuckled. "Welp looks like I gotta recompensate you for four three years of Biology. This is gonna be a shit ton of work and we will get you your money back on this year too. Also I am gonna unenroll you. You don't need this. You are a very intelligent young girl. You passed all of your classes with flying colors, you had a perfect 4.0 GPA. 100% in every class. Mr.Edwardson was a dick-wad anyway. He didn't retire I fired him then he retired anyway. I hugged him tightly then hugged Mark. "We can be together now." I whispered into his ear. He smiled. "Yeah we can..."