Language of Love

Irratus

    On Tuesday, there's going to be an assembly. It's a 4 on 4 basketball game between the grades. It's supposed to last for two hours, so I don't have to teach two of my classes.

     My class has to come early because I'm doing scoreboard. When we arrive, I see the teams warming up, Courtney at the DJ booth and the principal running across the gym frantically. In a few minutes, Fitz walks in. He is given a whistle. He must be reffing. The two teams, red and blue, stand up I try not to laugh. The blue team doesn't even have a shot. The 4 red players are each at least a foot taller than each of the blue players. Soon, the rest of the classes come in. The game begins, the red team scores immediately. This is not a fair game. After adding point after point to the red team, Dr. Molton jumps in. I laugh, he's not very good. After I add two more points to the red team, Fitz throws me his whistle. He jumps in and is much better than Dr. Molton.

    He scores the first point for the blue team. I blow the whistle and they go back to starting position. I hear a couple of-of girls chatting behind me.
     "He is so hot." One girl says. I wonder who they are talking about. My guess is the blonde guy on the red team. He is nice looking, I would have liked him in high school. I realize which one they are talking about when the next girl speaks.
      "I would die to blow into that whistle." She says. Fitz. They're talking about Fitz. And I'm holding the whistle.
      "Look at him play." The first girl sighs.
      "I wonder if he has a girlfriend." A new voice comments.
      "He's got to, there's no way a guy that hot doesn't." The second girl says. I try not to laugh.
      "I heard Katie tried to hook up with him." One says. I listen closer.
"What? He's a teacher." A girl questions.
"Apparently he like said no, but was totally into it." The girl says.
"Do you think he'd actually hook up with her?" Someone asks.
"Totally." She answers.
"I wish I had him. I'd so be sleeping with him." The first girl says.

I have a sick twisted feeling in my stomach. I know what he wants from me. He isn't even waiting, he's just going along with other girls. High schoolers, too. After the assembly, I walk up to him.

     "Here's your whistle," I say, a little snarky. He raises an eyebrow.
     "Hey, thanks for filling in." He says, sincerely.
     "You're welcome," I say in a contrasting tone to his. He gives me a confused look as if to say "what did I do?"

    I ignore him the rest of the day. After school, he walks into my classroom. I look up and sigh.
   "What is your deal? You were fine this morning. What happened between then and now?" He asks. I scoff.
    "Come on, Fitz! You're sleeping with a student! I know we didn't say we were exclusive, but really, a student?" I remark. He looks offended.
     "What on Earth are you talking about? I'm not sleeping with anybody!" He says. I roll my eyes.
      "Don't play dumb, I heard like four girls talking about it during the assembly," I say. He looks worried.
     "So you are sleeping with a student," I conclude.
    "I'm not. A girl approached me the other day and tried to get me to sleep with her. I said no, but she just told me to think about it. Clearly, she got the wrong impression." He explains. I want to believe him, I do.

      "And you didn't tell me, because..." I ask.
     "I was going to walk in here, but there was a crying girl. I didn't want to interrupt." He says. It makes perfect sense. It also sounds like excuses.
      "Okay, well I have to go," I say.
      "Let me take you home." He says.
      "No." I decline.
      "Gray...." He says.

      At home, I contemplate the whole thing. He denied the whole thing and had logical reasoning, but I still can't trust him. I've been waiting to see his faults, this is it. He can't be perfect, right? This is the part where he isn't perfect.

✿✿✿✿✿

     "What do I do?" Fitz asks his four roommates. They all think, knowing he didn't sleep with Katie.
     "You could give her time to air out. Maybe she just needs to think it out?" Rob suggests.
     "I can't do that, she'll convict me guilty," Fitz says.
     "Okay, call her. Right now, we'll help you with what to say." James answers.
     "Fine," Fitz mutters and dials her phone number.

      "Hey." She answers.
      "Hey. Look, I'm sorry. I should have told you." Fitz says.
      "Yeah." She says.
      "Can I see you?" Fitz asks.
      "Yeah, you can come over." She says. He grins.
      "I'll be over." He says. Fitz hangs up and high fives one of his friends.

✿✿✿✿✿

      I open the door and Fitz stands there, looking at me. I can forgive those eyes for anything. That's why I tried to avoid him. I don't say a word. I pull him in. I kick the door shut and press my lips to his. He slips his hand up my shirt.
     "No," I say. He steps back, no longer touching me.
     "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..." He says. A tear falls from my face. He looks at me, I take another step towards him.
      "I need to tell you something," I say, closing my eyes to stop the tears.
      "Yeah? What is it?" He asks.