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"Well, we'll pass along that recommendation, but you should work on getting proof. I'm sorry to put pressure on you, but this could turn into serious allegations."
"I understand."
"We're behind you, Jake. Just fix it."
"Of course, sir."
I left and went straight to my classroom. How was I supposed to prove who was doing it when it could be anyone?
3
MOLLY
"I'm not saying he's not a buzz kill, but maybe he needs to get laid." My friend Becca cackled, throwing her slender neck back, curtains of her blonde hair tossing over her shoulder. She was the reformed mean-girl type turned school guidance counselor. We got on well enough, but she could definitely be a little catty.
Laney, my closest friend and fellow English teacher, added, "Who doesn't? But you know he's not the one-night-stand type. Hard to picture him with anyone. That man is wound tighter than a drum. But I bet he bangs just as well."
The three of us sat on top of desks in my classroom eating our lunches. I snorted at Laney's comment and nearly choked on my sandwich. Laney was Becca's opposite in every way. She was more introverted, except when it was just the three of us. She was short, with a jet-black pixie cut and horned-rimmed glasses. Something about her practically screamed that she wrote vampire erotica on Wattpad.
The only thing anyone seemed to be talking about today, including my friends, was Jake Kingsbury's love life. Word around the teachers' lounge was that he initiated conversations with pretty much every single mom and female teacher signed up for online dating in our town. But who knew if it was true.
I smiled softly, ignoring the pang I felt. Out of the three of us, I was the one who went head-to-head with him the most since we both represented the middle school teachers on the curriculum committee. But the phrase “middle school” hardly applied in a town where there was a single school housing K-12.
"That's not true," I said uncertain of why I felt the need to defend him. "I'm sure he laughs. His daughter is in my seventh period and she's amazing. Funny and bright. I can't imagine she got that way on her own."
The truth was sometimes it wasn’t too hard to imagine what Jake looked like letting passion get the better of him. It was his intensity that made him hot. But as soon as he opened his mouth, it was like he was wearing a neon sign flashing, ‘Go Away.'
Becca raised an eyebrow and glanced at Laney, whose brow crinkled.
"You can't be that good looking and perpetually single without being substantially damaged." Becca said, snapping her fingers as she continued. "Red flag."
I laughed. "Maybe, but I like to think it's just his way."
"Oh, it's his way," Becca snarked. "But I guess, in a pinch, he could be good enough for a little Netflix and chill.”
Laney nodded. "I mean, look at that ass. Maybe we should set up profiles just to see what all the fuss is about."
"Laney!" Mid-bite, my sandwich hung in suspense as my mouth gaped open. "Always the quiet ones."
She giggled and blushed. "Although what happened with his ex Natasha was pretty messed up," Laney said slowly, eyes cast down as if the guilt of gossiping about Jake had found her too. Both Laney and Becca grew up here in Sycamore Valley, only leaving to attend college. In my six years here, they’d been a lifeline. People think cities are intimidating ha—try small town America, where everybody knows everybody and their grandma’s business. As a transplant, I might as well have been an alien. It wasn’t that the people in town weren’t warm or friendly, it was just that everyone treated me like a tourist. But Becca and Laney had invited me out for drinks after my first orientation and we had been thick as thieves ever since.
I opened my mouth to ask about Jake's ex, but the bell rang, and they both hopped to their feet, packing up their lunches and checking themselves for crumbs. I tossed the rest of my sandwich back in its container as the first few of my fifth period kids trickled in.
"See you two later." They both smiled and waved, walking out together.
When the bell rang again, I closed the door and walked to my desk. As always, I started the lesson by going around the room and taking attendance. The next two periods flew in a blur of composition lessons and repeated lectures about not having phones in class. Seventh period was my favorite class of the day because not only was it the last period of the day, but it was the honors class. It was a pretty well-rounded group of kids who enjoyed reading, writing, and the like.
Today they were taking turns reading their journal entries. I usually try to make Liam, the class clown, go first. He was the kind of kid who was bright but goofed off, so no one took him seriously, which was a shame because he was very talented and creative.
"Okay, Liam, read us your entry."
He sighed heavily, then began. "My mom and dad were hanging pictures at midnight again. Mom is an interior decorator and is super passionate about her work. But it is so annoying. I just want to sleep, but no, they have to hammer so hard the wall shakes, but my mom was happy about it because she was screaming, yes, yes, —"
I clapped my hands together, hoping I could stop this before it got too far. "Okay, that's enough. Thank you, Liam." I gave him my best I'm onto you dagger eyes and moved on. A few others shared their entries. Hailey, who always volunteered to share, didn’t. She seemed strangely subdued compared to how she’d been on the ride to school.
She had her long hair braided today and wearing a black tank top and ripped jeans, her red Chucks the only pop of color.
"Okay, Hailey. Your turn."
