Running Into You

Chapter 9

Emma

At school the next day I barely listen to my teachers or take notes during my first two classes. The whole time I am staring at the clock waiting for third period. When finally it gets here I half skip, half run to class. I have been wondering all day if he is going to ignore me again or what his new reaction to me is going to be now. When I walk into the gym lobby I look over at the computer desk and he looks up at me with a huge grin. I look around to see if anyone else sees him looking like a goofball. Nobody else is looking over at him. I make myself walk slowly to his desk and duck down to whisper to him, "What are you doing?"

"What? Am I not allowed to be glad to see my students? I am a very good teacher you know."

"Uh huh, from what I can tell you make your students teach themselves while you sit in here looking at Facebook."

"Facebook huh," he says and flicks my chin, "I need to talk to you about something. In private. Can we talk after school?"

"I can't, I'm tutoring Caleb after school."

"How about after that?"

"I've got to go home, cook dinner, and do my homework."

"When is the next time you have free time?"

I look at him concerned about his persistence. "I'll be here tomorrow at around six. Why? What's this about?"

"I can't talk about it here," he says glancing over at the kids in the gym.

"Okay, I'll see you then," I say uneasily.

"Hey, there's nothing to be worried about." He smiles and squeezes my shoulder, but the smile is different. It looks forced.

Just then I see Caleb come in the door and he looks over at us. He walks off into the gym without saying anything.

"I'll see you in the morning, now run on."

I go take a seat on the bleachers and get out Tess of the D'Urbervilles one of my required reading books. I try to loose myself in the tragic, period romance, but my fretful mind drifts back to what he said about wanting to talk to me. I try to think of all the things he would want to say to me. To brace myself for the worse. I'm sure it's about how we shouldn't get involved. I try to convince myself that that's for the best and how I've been trying to convince myself that exact same thing since I met him. Finally, he comes in and blows his whistle his eyes are on me the whole time. I jump down and run off to the showers brushing by him on my way in. As I leave the gym he winks at me on my way out. I'm confused. Why he is flirting with me if he wants us to stop seeing each other and then I remind myself that he hasn't exactly said he wants to stop seeing me. 

After school I head to the picnic benches outside the lunch room where Caleb and I meet for his tutoring. There is a playground where elementary kids play during P.E. A few kids are out there now that live close by and use it as a park since our town doesn't have one. Today we are going over Literature. I get there before him and get his paper out, that I reviewed last night, to go over it with him. He comes over and drops his bag at our feet and sits down without getting anything out. I look up at him confused.

"So you and Coach Barnes, huh?"

"Keep your voice down. What are you talking about?"

"Don't give me that. I saw you two. Hell, everyone saw you."

"There is nothing going on with me and Coach Barnes," I insist, but avert my eyes away.

"Really, Em, you're going to lie to me? I have known you for five years now and I have never seen you act like this."