Teacher's Pet

Chapter 22: A Fresh Year, Part 2

Lisa shook her head, pulling Jennie down onto her lap. The brunette accepted the new position with a weary sigh and leaned against her, an arm looping around the older woman's waist.

"What did she say after that?" The woman hesitantly asked.

"To sum it up, she wasn't happy and said that all I needed was to find a nice boy. She accused me of having these feelings towards women because of lack of dates, I'm pretty sure." The brunette scowled.

It was utterly ridiculous that Sunny had even suggested that. It wasn't exactly surprising though. This was Sunny after all and those words said were quite often.

Those assumptions. It was just like being back in Mr. Nam's class again.

"Of course she did..." The teacher sighed, her eyes closing.

"I didn't care that she said that, really. That wasn't what made me just up and leave." Jennie's voice wavered as she thought of the real reason she had left. It was the statement that killed her hope for them. Those three words that struck her in a sore place, reopening old wounds.

"What did she say, Jennie?" Lisa tightened her grip, forcing the brunette closer to her. Jennie gratefully accepted the comfort and curled up slightly.

"It may sound silly saying it out loud but..." She sucked in a shaky breath, a single tear shedding from her eye. "'Maybe I will.'"

"What do you mean?"

"She said that when I told her that she should just send me back into the foster system." Jennie cracked.

"Jennie..." Lisa immediately pressed a kiss to the top of her head, her hand rubbing in circular motions on Jennie's back.

Jennie had told her of the times that she had come out to her foster parents and they had just sent her back. And all the other times that they had sent her back. It was the most painful of memories, being rejected from family after family. Eventually she gave up hope and remained numb. She wouldn't let herself get attached.

But that's what she did here. The Lees were sweet, kind, warm and welcoming and she thought that she could trust them. She thought that she could trust that they wouldn't send her back because they didn't seem the kind of people. They didn't seem to be the kind that judged.

Oh, how wrong had Jennie been?

She had completely read Sunny wrong. She had sworn that the sweet, pixie-haired schoolteacher wouldn't be so harsh as to say something like that, nor react the way that she had.

It was a depressing thought.

Another home.

Another family.

Gone.

Would she ever find stability?

That was a question she asked herself every day. Lisa seemed to be the only light of hope twinkling in the far off distance. She could find home in Lisa. She could find stability.

But would it last?

Would Lisa be willing to stay with her wherever she ended up?

"Why the hell would she say such a thing? That was terribly inhumane." Lisa hissed the words angrily, her brows furrowed together as she stared at the wall across from her with molten eyes.

Jennie nearly squeaked at the ferocity in her stare. It was rather terrifying.

"I don't know..." The brunette admitted, snuggling closer to her lover to get that look of her face. "And as I left, she didn't stop me, she just said if I walked through that door that I should plan on never coming back."