Running Into You

Chapter 26

Henry

Sunday morning I wake to a text message ding on my phone. I reach over and pick my phone up to peek at the screen.

Emma: She knows call me.

I jolt up in bed and drop my phone on the floor. As I bend over to pick it up I bang my head on the night stand. I cuss and grab my phone. With one eye open I call Emma.

Without a hello she starts talking, "Henry, she knows. We're on our way there now."

"What? Here?" I tug the blankets off my legs and swing them over the bed to stand up.

"Yes, we'll be there in twenty minutes."

20 minutes!?! I look around the apartment at the clothes strewn all over the place. There are food wrappers and water bottles all over the kitchen. "Why is she coming here?"

"It was the only way I could talk her out of calling the authorities."

Authorities? Who are the authorities? I haven't done anything illegal. "Who are the authorities?"

"The principal."

"Oh, shit." It might not be illegal, but it will defiantly get me fired and maybe my teaching certificate.

"Yeah, so get dressed and clean up your apartment."

I hang up and jump in the shower and wash as fast as I can. I get dressed hurriedly in a pair of jeans and a polo shirt. It can't hurt to look nice, but maybe I'll look too old. I take the polo shirt off and put a college T-shirt on. I get a trash bag and start stuffing it with every bit of trash in the apartment and run downstairs barefoot and across the parking lot and throw it in the dumpster. I then run back up stairs and grab my laundry bag and cram it with all my dirty clothes and shove it under my bed. I make my bed hastily. I look out the window and see her getting out of her SUV. My heart is pounding. I pace trying to calm myself. I go back in the bathroom and put on more deodorant. I hear a knock at the door. I take a deep breath and walk quickly to the door and open it. I see the red head from the 5k. She has her hair in a ponytail with a pair of jeans and a blue flowery blouse on. Her lips are pierced and her eyes are slanted as she stares at me. I can feel the hostility radiating off of her. She takes her hand and opens the door wider and walks past me. Emma comes in behind her with her head bent. Once they're in I shut the door and turn around to see what waits for me.

"What the hell do you think you're doing with my daughter?" Emma's mom asked sternly as soon as I'm turned around.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean for any of this to happen," I plea standing there frozen. My heart is pounding and I can't seem to take in enough air.

"Then explain it to me. She tells me you're her P.E. teacher. Did they not teach you at college that you're not supposed to fraternize with the children?" she tilts her head and looks at me like I'm an idiot.

"Ma'am, with all due respect, she's hardly a child." I try to reason with my hand turned out to Emma trying to get her to see.

"Don't tell me my child is not a child." She raises her voice and yet she's still not quite yelling. It some how makes her seem more frightening.

"But, she's eighteen. She'll be nineteen in six months," I beg trying to get her to see reasoning.

"Do you think that makes it okay? She's still your student."

"I know ma'am. I know that that's a problem." I feel defeated.

"A problem? No, this is not a problem. This does not happen. Did you groom her?" She points her finger at me accusingly.