promiscuous girl::MICHAEL JACKSON

Chapter 11

SATURDAY

I was sitting on the couch in the front room as my mom was in the kitchen cooking dinner. My dad was coming home from his business trip for his company. It was always quiet when he wasn't here so I enjoyed it. As soon as my dad got home I was put to work.

"Layla," my mother called. I paused my show on Netflix, The Vampire Diaries, and walked to the kitchen, elbowing open the door. I hummed to let her know I was there. My mom wasn't young but she acted like it, she was more my sister than a mother. She threw a crumpled ball at me and turned to face me, clapping her hands together.

"So," she started as I began to open the ball. "I'm missing a lot of ingredients but I need you to get them. What ever you spend, I'll pay you back double," she nods. I look at the list and grumble as I walk out. "Why doesn't she look before she starts."

Dried Basil
Oregano
Ricotta 25%
Parmesan 2x
15% fat beef
Dried cranberries
Cranberry sauce
Chocolate chips 2x
White chocolate chips 2x
Perrier water 2x
Granola
Rolled oats

Seemed like I'd be going to Sprouts...

|After Drive|

I walked into the store in old track shorts and a sweatshirt. I had a bonnet on so I put my hair in Clementine styled puffs which were just 2 that were low at the back of my head. I looked like trash to sum it up.

By now I had gotten all of the ingredients but looking for white chocolate chips were a chore. I rolled my eyes, going up and down the sweets aisles in the store. I had seen one lady in the 13th aisle where the graham crackers were, she'd been there for a while. As I turned into the aisle for what felt like the fortieth time, she looked up and smiled at me.

"You seem lost," she said to me, focusing back on looking for her crackers. I laughed slightly as I stared at her. She was absolutely gorgeous, I was jealous. She was darker skinned, her skin seemed to glow. "You do too, I can't find white chocolate chips," I pointed out. She gave out a quick laugh and shook her head.

"I just don't know which one Michael is gonna want. And he disappeared somewhere," she drifted off.

"Michael?"

          "Yeah, you think you've seen him. You really can't miss him-"

"Hey Janet, I finally found the marshmallows," he says, appearing behind us. I recognized his voice immediately. He walked next to her, studying my face. He has a girlfriend. Liking my teacher was bad enough, but liking a teacher whose girlfriend was gorgeous and I had nothing on was worse. AND I looked like crap...

He had a girl this entire time. This was so embarrassing.....

"Lux," he smirked. I looked down at my basket and nodded. "Mr. Jackson," I said slowly. Janet's face lit up and she looked between us. "You're Layla, his student! Hi!" She said, holding her hand out, I shook it but still looked away. The list that was in my hand was snatched out quickly, I immediately looked up to Mr. Jackson who held the crumpled up paper.

"She's looking for whites chocolate chips," Janet mentioned. I just hoped that she wouldn't mention how many times I had to wander the aisles. What if he saw me! Shit....

He hummed and walked further down the aisle and picked up a box. Once he put the box him my hand with the list neatly folded on top, I groaned.

He giggled in response and leaned down to where I could see him since my head was tilted down. "How many laps did you do?" He asked me. I threw the box in the basket and put the paper in my pocket. I was angry at myself and over everything at this point.

"Thanks for the help, sir," I said quickly. I took the hand held basket and turned around on my heel, walking away from the aisle and checking out.

All I'd ever be was a freak student who'd flirted with a teacher that had a perfect girlfriend.

|At Home|

"Sev," I say as we laid on the floor of pillows and blankets. I had called her over after the trip to the store but she didn't know yet. We already had dinner and my father still hadn't come home even though it was 10 and the flight landed at 6. He called to say that he had a freak and random meeting and wouldn't be home for a while. He put everything before family.

She hummed as she took out an earbud of hers. I signed and rolled over right next to her. "Mr. Jackson," I said which made her immediately sit up. "What about the hottie?" She smiled. I told her all about how I ran into his girlfriend and he saw me and that I was wearing what I was wearing now, she laughed at that, and how gorgeous she was.

I didn't tell her how I felt. She couldn't know that I liked him. She didn't know she even though I trusted her, I couldn't embarrass myself like that.

"Let's see if we can find his Instagram," she suggests, her phone already on the app. I sighed in protest, not in the mood to stalk a teacher. After a few clicks and taps, she was on his page. I scooted closer to her, feeling like we were in middle school again.

She basically lived at my house at one point. Half of my drawers were hers so that she'd have clothes whenever she didn't feel like going home. Her parents were fighting and in the middle of a divorce but that was difficult when her mom was pregnant, only to find that was only Sev's half brother... I enjoyed having her around for 7th and 8th grade, I loved it and she became my sister at that point.

Sev lives with her father now which makes her really happy and she's sad she has to leave home for college. But ever since freshmen year we couldn't have been closer. She was scrolling through his pictures and maybe only two were of Mr. Jackson. He took pictures of nature, animals, busy streets and traffic, and sad scenes.

Then Sev came across a photo that was captioned family and his arm was slung over the same girls shoulder. They were all darker skinned so either he married her or they were all best friends. It was probably her family...

I rolled over on my back with a pillow over my face. I could hear Sev drop her phone before she spoke. "You act like you like him," she said nonchalantly. I shook my head best I could under the pillow. "No, it's just that I embarrassed myself really bad," I sighed. I got up and jumped on the bed and Sev did the same beside me after turning off the ceiling light. I turned on the bedside lamp and got under the covers. It was past 3 in the morning. "I'm going to bed," I mumbled, putting in my earbuds and turning on music.

|RECAP|

That whole weekend Layla was angry. She was angry at herself but the more and more she went through countless moments not shared or things she never caught, the more she got mad at Mr. Jackson. Over time the closeness they felt and the near kisses and hugs and very awkward moments weren't random, even if he didn't mean it the way she felt it. It still happened.

And at this point, she didn't know what to do. Should she switch and go to the Writing Comp 3 class on the local college campus or stay in his class? He'd probably forget all about the grocery store scene and if she left him alone, all about her too. But she didn't want him to forget her.