The Struggle of Ms. Carter (rewritten)

Chapter 9~

Ms. Carter's p. O. v.
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The class went well and my students remained engaged during my lecture which was nice. But expected of the seniors. The bell just rang for the end of fourth hour and it's just Payton and I again. It had been about two weeks since the first day and we'd managed to sift through all the papers the previous teacher didn't bother to categorize. Today I decided to finally get into making the room my own. Although in all honesty I didn't really need Payton here, her company and conversation was just well appreciated.
I gave her a bunch of trim and other decorations and told her to go wild with them as I finished up making next month's schedule.

I hear my stomach growl at me and tried to remember what I ate today.
I got so wrapped up with my classes I forgot to have something for lunch.
I hear her chuckle a little.
"Hungry?" She asked amusingly and I smile back.

"A little, I guess I forgot to have lunch. I'm too busy try to prepare for next month so I won't be falling behind."

I lean back in my chair and cross my arms with a sigh, taking a break from the schedule.
"I must've forgot to bring a fruit cup or something for lun"- before I could finish my sentence she interrupts.

"A fruit cup is not a proper lunch." She says sternly, stopping what she's doing dead on.
I take your posture in. She was standing up toward the file cabinet with trim in one hand and tape in the other, now turned fully in my direction. I was surprised she got so serious—I'm guessing there's a personal connection there.

"I know that, I just don't always remember when I'm going through my day."

"Does that happen often?" She asked curiously. I know she meant well but—

"Aren't I supposed to be the teacher here?" I said jokingly and readjusted my body forward to rest my chin on my fist. She smiled a dashing smile and held up her hands in surrender. I pushed my fringe out of my eyes and watched her a bit more. The cabinet is pressed against the wall, next to the door. So she walks over to my desk and I'm caught off guard when she pulls up a chair and places it on the left side of me, facing me. She then goes to her bag, leaning against the cabinet, grabbing it before coming back over to me and dropping it near her chair. She slumps herself in the, plastic, blue chair and crosses her right leg over the knee of the other. Holding it in place with her outstretched left hand.

"I thought we could talk. Seeing as we have (she checks the watch on her right hand) about 25 minutes." She smirks playfully at me so I smirk back.

"And you've managed to finish all of that work? All right now? Plus your homework?" I ask seriously questioning her.

"I can show you if you don't believe me." With narrowed eyes I decided to believe her...this time. So I shook my head and turned back to my schedule, then back to looking at her. I guess this could wait so I sighed and leaned back in my chair again.

"You always think so much?" Her sly smile teased me.

"It just so happens that I do ma'am. And you? You don't?"

"Mm I don't know. I don't think so unless I'm daydreaming or something. Do you consider yourself much of a daydreamer?"

"I think all English teachers are that way. We're natural dreamers. We grew up reading books and imagining ourselves into them." I shrug standing up and stretching then turning around to sit on my desk that way. She takes this as an opportunity and by the time I realize she'd moved, she's already sitting in my chair. I can't even be mad.

"Well played." I say.

"Awww are you mad at me?" She can barely finish that sentence because she can't nearly stop laughing enough to.

"Yes. It is a 'rule' that I shouldn't be letting you steal my seat."

"Oh this one? The one I'm sitting in currently?"
"Yes that one exactly." She grins at me and crosses her legs again, pretending to get comfortable. I watch her with narrowed eyes and pretend to be angry.

"Okay okay I'm sorry." She finally removes herself so graciously from my seat and I'm quick to steal it back.

"Haha. Oh the bell's about to ring, do you wanna go early since you finished everything?" I'm looking at the clock in the back of the room.

"Nah bay leaf can wait five minutes, plus he might beg me to stay over. His parents have movie nights whenever they've been at the hospital for more than a few days. They're doctors and take a lot of extra shifts." She explains.

"Bay leaf?" I try raising my brow but I can never seem to make it look cool. She smiles.
"It's my nickname for Bailey, he's my best friend." I give a sly smile.

"Oh just friends?"

"Huh? Oooh no. Absolutely not dating. We both very clearly don't swing that way."
She's half sitting on a desk in from of mine with her hands interlocked in her lap. I'm confused so I furrow my brows together and look at the time again before grabbing my satchel placing it on my desk as I'm standing.

"What do you mean 'swing that way'?"

"Well he's gay, and I'm into women."
I'm so stunned that I don't even know what to say. I've never had a student tell me that before, then again this is only my first year.

"Oooh wow. Ok yeah. See I get it now."
I should mentally slap myself so hard.

"It's alright you would've found out as my teacher sooner or later, better to clear the air now so you can get to know who your students are." She's so right.

"You're right. I just..I have a question. Or questions. If that's alright with you." I look at the time again and decide to my better judgement, whatever it is I want to come out of my mouth, shouldn't. It's best to save it. Although she gives me a look of curiosity I shake my head and blush knowing I'm probably getting to personal. My bangs settle again covering half of my sight when I look up.
"Never mind." I smile a little.
She stands noticing the time as well.

"Y'know what, it's okay. I understand, usually people don't like to answer questions like that. But I will. Feel free to ask, anytime."
Just then the bell rang and she nodded to me, her face clearly genuine about what she said and I nodded back generously.

"See you tomorrow."

"You too."

And with that I was left to pack up my satchel and head to my own car. When I got to mine I could see Payton walk up to a thin, brown skinned, boy dressed in the hoodie she wore yesterday. I'm guessing that's Bailey.
She ruffled his hair and he groaned pouting like a child, and she chewed him out for sitting on the hood of her car. Which I admit is really nice.
I decided it would be creepy to watch them drive away so I started up and started driving toward my place, realizing just how hungry I am.
Pizza it is then.

If you've noticed—I can't cook.