Mr. Iero

Chapter 10

*Ashley*'s POV*

I looked at the woman and then back at Frank.  Babe? Babe? He had a girlfriend? Or was that his wife? Or fiancée?

I didn't even know what to say, but Frank apparently did.  "Oh, yeah.  This is just a student of mine.  She was just dropping off a paper.  Jamia, this is Ashely.  Ashely, Jamia."

Jamia gave me an awkward smile, probably because she wasn't expecting to be meeting one of Frank's students in his home on Christmas day.  I took a stress-filled breath and then stood up, shoving the card back into my bag.  "I should get going.  I have to get home so that I can go to church soon," I lied.  I sped out the opened door and tucked my hair behind my ear as I passed Jamia.  I heard Frank call me from behind, but I just kept walking.

When I went out to my car, I saw that Jamia's car was behind mine.  I got into my car anyways and threw my bag into the passenger seat.  Right then, Frank came out, wearing a pair of boots but no coat.  He had his arms wrapped around himself and was rubbing his sides.  "Hey, Ashley!" he called, running over to my door.  "I can explain that."

I rolled down my window.  "Okay," I said in an annoyed way.  "Explain."  I wasn't even sure why I was so upset.  It wasn't like Frank and I were in a relationship or anything.  He was just my teacher.

Frank sighed.  "I- I didn't know how to tell you.  I didn't want you to get angry or jealous-"

"Jealous?" I asked.  "Oh trust me, the last thing I am is jealous!" I shoved the keys in and put my car in reverse, starting to back up and drive back in so that I could try to get around Jamia's car.

"Ashley," Frank said, "I was going to tell you when you told me about - you know - but then I thought it would just stress you out even more."

I stepped on the breaks and then looked at Frank.  "Wait, when I told you that I was pregnant? That was just a few weeks after school started."  Frank nodded with a guilty look on his face.  "How long have you been going out with her?"

Frank bit down on his lip and gave me an apologetic look before answering.  "A couple of years."

Completely shocked, I looked at Frank wide-eyed.  "You disgust me," I spat at him, starting to roll up my window.

"Hey," he defended, "you're just as guilty as I am."

I gritted my teeth, not wanting to shout for his whole neighborhood, and possibly Jamia, to hear.  "You," I pointed at him, "had the intention of cheating on your girlfriend.  I was just messing around.  If you had actually cared about her, this," I pointed back and forth between us, "wouldn't exist.  Now don't talk to me ever again, and go back to your precious girlfriend."

I started to back up, but Frank kept following my car.  "Well what about school on Monday-" I cut him off by laying on the horn and backing up the rest of the way out of his driveway.  He slapped his hands over his ears and made a startled expression.

I drove home in tears.  When I got home, I took my coat off and threw it to the ground near the door.  I crossed the kitchen, not noticing my mom and dad in there, and pressed my palms against my eyes.

"Honey," I heard my dad say when I was just over half way across the kitchen.  "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I muttered, continuing walking.

"What the hell?!" I heard my mom say.

I let out a breath to try to calm down, but then turned around and snapped at her, "What?!"

"That!" she pointed at me from the other side of the room.  I looked at her confused, but then saw my dad, who looked more disappointed than angry.  "Who did that?!" she yelled