Teachers Pet

8: Chemistry

        Three weeks. For three weeks straight I managed to come late to class and avoid Mr. Pierce. It was working until Mrs. Burns asked him if art club could help with the play. He seemed hesitant at first but agreed after being guilt tripped. Art club always helped the drama department. It only made it harder to concentrate on my lines. I already had the unpleasant company of Dean burdening me, now I had to have Mr. Pierce walking past me and occasionally clearing his throat next to me. I wanted to say something, to say 'hi' or 'it's great art club can help'. Something along those lines would've been normal and not awkward. I couldn't get the confidence to talk to him though. Not after the whole pine cone drawing incident. What had he thought about that? And why did he smell like pine ever since? He had this woodsy smell that always made me think wrong things.

       "What am I supposed to do with this letter 'C'?" Cassie asked Mr. Pierce. She was holding up a yellow crescent, causing me to laugh quietly. She'd heard me anyway, looking more than confused. Mr. Pierce shook his head as he leaned against what was the makings of a tree. He was writing down things I could only assume were materials needed.

       "That's a moon you have there, Miss Fray." Cassie turned the moon over, not seeing it right away. When she did she made a tsking sound.

       "Well, it looks stupid," she told him. A girl at the end of the stage, hands blotted with yellow paint, looked up and frowned. I felt so bad for her, knowing she wouldn't get an apology.

       "I think it could use some craters maybe. That would probably help." The girl looked at me and then back to the moon in Cassie's hands. She seemed to consider my suggestion and then nodded at me.

       "Craters couldn't hurt. I'll work on it," she told Cassie. Cassie handed it to the girl while popping a very loud bubble. Mr. Pierce shook his head again as he went back to writing whatever. I don't think he liked Cassie very much.

       "Miss Fray. Why don't you go help with the backdrop for night. I'm sure they could use your helpful tips." There was an emphasis on 'tips' that was hard to miss. Cassie looked upset by that as she made her way to the back of the stage. The girl Cassie insulted seemed to smile at her little justice. I did too, unsure about how I felt mentally siding against Cassie.

       "Can we get back to rehearsing now?" I almost forgot Dean was here with me. We were sitting on stage with our legs crossed. I was facing him, trying to block his face with my script. I hadn't cared that it bothered him. "It's your line," he told me tiredly. I picked up my script, eyeing my part. The words were already burned into my brain. I read the heck out of the script. It was the only thing that kept my mind off of Mr. Pierce at night. I'd fall asleep reading this script. There was nothing else I could do that would clear my head.

       Tossing my script aside, I took pride in seeing Deans confused face. I knew my lines by heart. Josephine was a boring character who had a weak development. Leave it to Mrs. Burns to ruin an entire Victorian era with her garbage writing.

      "In time, I could learn to be without you. It doesn't mean I wish to though." It wasn't hard getting into character. This scene was all too familiar with me. Dean kept trying to keep eye contact while looking down at his script. He was using his finger to help him keep track of where he was on the page.

       "Is this it then? Am I so easily forgettable? Like some unimportant thought crossing your mind? Has my presence, all these long years... Has it burdened you? Was love not enough-"

      "You were always enough for me," I said. Dean stared at the page, his grasp on the script shaking a bit. I could see his eyes skimming quickly through the rest of the scene. He looked bothered and very uncomfortable.