Charles Hayes was a tall man in his fifties with steel-gray hair and an expression that gave nothing away. He smiled at the class and took a seat at the back of the room, clipboard in hand.
Rachel's stomach dropped when she realized it was her unscheduled classroom evaluation. She knew it was going to take place sometime this semester, but in the chaos of everything else happening, she couldn’t believe it was happening on a day when she wasn't at her best.
She taught the rest of the period hyperaware of Mr. Hayes's presence, of every word she said, every interaction with her students. And worse, Terrance Bogdin was in this class. Normally, that wouldn’t be a problem, but ever since she’d talked to him about his behavior with his girlfriend, he’d been wary. And at times, churlish. He sat near the front, and Rachel could see the tension in his shoulders, the way he kept glancing at Mr. Hayes and then back at Rachel.
He was nervous, which made Rachel nervous. Which made the whole lesson feel stilted and off-balance.
When the bell finally rang and the students filed out, Mr. Hayes stood and approached Rachel's desk with a smile that was probably meant to be reassuring but only made her anxiety spike higher.
“That was a good lesson,” he said. “I'll have my written evaluation to you by the end of the week.”
“Thank you,” Rachel replied without dropping to her knees to beg for a redo. As soon as he left, Rachel sank into her desk chair and pressed her fingers to her temples. Second period. She had to pull it together for the second period. She made it through the next two periods on sheer force of will and the muscle memory of teaching. By the time lunch rolled around, Rachel felt wrung out and exhausted.
She was gathering her things to head to the faculty lounge for lunch when David appeared in her doorway.
Rachel's stomach tightened. She hadn't seen David since their awkward dinner conversation about Jack, and the last thing she wanted right now was another uncomfortable encounter.
“Hey, Rachel,” David said, stepping into the classroom. “Got a minute?”
“Sure.” Rachel set down her bag and leaned against her desk, trying to look casual. “What's up?”
“I wanted to talk to you about some of my boys,” David said. His tone was friendly and conversational, but something underneath it made Rachel's instincts flare.
“Okay,” Rachel said carefully. “What about it?”
“I checked grades, and two of my wrestlers have D’s in your class. I wanted to know what they could do to get those grades to a B this week.”
The question hit Rachel like a slap. “What?” Rachel kept her voice steady. “Um… why would you ask me that?”
David's expression shifted, his jaw tightening. “I work hard at this. I've built that team from nothing. We're on track to go to states this year, maybe even win it all. I'm not about to have anyone fuck it up now.”
Rachel felt cold settle in her stomach. “I assume you’re talking about Chuck Mendez and Dell Kellum. They do have D’s in my class due to work not being turned in and their low test grades. If they are both willing to stay after school, they can get the unfinished work done and retake one of their tests to earn a higher grade. Until that happens, they continue to keep a D.”
“What's the deal?” David's voice rose slightly, his frustration bleeding through. “You start dating a cop, and now you act like we have to follow all the rules?”
“Who I’m dating has nothing to do with this situation,” Rachel protested, her own frustration rising to meet his. “I’m doing my job, have talked with both boys, and am satisfied they know what they need to do to bring their grade up.”
“You being such a hard-ass could mean the difference in my boys winning,” David snapped.
“You’re a teacher,” she retorted. “Do you just change grades because someone asks you to?”
“This isn’t changing a grade that they won’t earn, as soon as they do the work,” he argued.
“When they do the work and it’s graded, then I can change the grade… and only then!”
David drew himself up, looming over her. She stepped back, refusing to be physically intimidated.
“You could cost us the season. Do you understand that? I've worked for years to get where I am. I have parents riding my ass to make sure their boys get scholarships.”
Rachel straightened up, her spine going rigid. “I think you should leave my room. If not, then we’ll take this discussion up with the administration.”
David stared at her for a long moment, his face flushed with anger. Then he turned and stalked out of the classroom, leaving Rachel standing there with her heart pounding and her hands shaking. She sank into her desk chair and pressed her palms against her eyes. What a day… and it’s only half over.
Rachel pulled out her phone and stared at Jack's contact photo. The desire to talk to him was so strong, like reflexes returning after a long hiatus.
But she had afternoon classes to teach. Rachel took a deep breath, stood, and walked to the faculty lounge to eat. She could do this. She could hold it together for a few more hours. Surely, her day couldn’t get any worse.
By the time the final bell rang, Rachel felt like she'd been through a war. Robbie’s normal joking personality was much more subdued. Ben barely smiled, and even Carson appeared distracted. And none of them wanted to meet her eyes.
