Out of the Woods | ✓

35 | once upon a time... in hollywood

Jensen woke up the morning of the field trip to Walker Studios assuming that everything was going to go to plan. Meet for the bus at seven in the morning. (Jensen was even more unenthusiastic than her students about that meeting time.) The ride would take twenty minutes—every second of which would include a stunning rendition of I Know A Song That Gets On Miss Rhodes' Nerves. Which it didn't. But they could try.

Everything had gone swimmingly. Every kid was there on time and the bus was loaded swiftly. Liberty took a seat at the back with Jensen so they could see everything. Jensen texted the number she'd been emailed that morning to let them know they were on their way and would be at the studio soon.

As they were unloading the bus, Jensen and Liberty did their best to keep everyone in order for when the intern walked out. Even though they were tired when they showed up for the bus, somehow they were wide awake while standing outside the studio. Convenient. It was like trying to wrangle mosquitos in a fisherman's net. In other words: fucking impossible.

Jensen could've chalked it up to end of the year excitement; but she knew some of them had their yearbooks in their bag and were hoping to snag someone's autograph while they were there. She didn't have the heart to tell them that the studio was still technically being built and they were going to be the first people from the general public in there.

"Miss Rhodes."

Jensen drew in a deep breath and looked at Katie. "Yes?"

"I thought you had my back."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I wore sweats because you said Miles Fox wasn't going to be here," Katie said.

"He's not—" Jensen started.

"He better not be—" Liberty said at the same time as Jensen.

"God, I look like a fucking slug," Katie continued, trying to brush her hair with her hands. "Is this a prank? Are you pranking us?"

"Miles is in London."

"Then his intern should play his twin in a movie about hot twin brothers," Katie said. She pointed a finger over Jensen's shoulder.

Jensen turned on her heel. And walking out of the building was, absolutely, in the flesh and definitely not in London, Miles Fox. "What the hell?"

Miles did up the button on his blazer as he walked over. Eyes on the ground momentarily before throwing on—god damn—that famous Hollywood smile. "Good morning, Northside. How are we?"

There were a few mumbled replies. Jensen was certain she would wake up and it would be six o'clock in the morning, her alarm blaring. And she could get ready again to show up at the school for seven. But no matter how hard she pinched her arm, Miles was still standing in front of her. In that fucking rose shirt that Jensen had last seen on his floor. What was he playing at?

Miles tucked his hands in his pants pockets. Eyes lingering on Jensen longer than anyone else. As he spoke, his eyes kept darting her way. "Hope it's all right I'm here. Hopped on the wrong plane, you know. Accidentally flew here instead of London."

"Bullshit!"

"Hey." Jensen snapped her fingers at the student. "Behave."

"It's cool, Rhodes," Miles said. And Jensen's heart beat a little louder. "It's definitely bullshit." Miles smiled at the scattered laughs that came from the students. "But it's not bullshit that my intern has been paid to take the day off, so I hope I'm an all right replacement."