Page 30 of The Teacher

“Two star-crossed lovers?”

“Yes, what’s your question, Mr. Deep?”

“I’m coming to it properly, give me a minute, Miss Finn. So, their families didn’t want them together and kept them apart?”

“Yes.”

Where’s he going with this?

He ignores my irate tone and glare at him and continues. “And Romeo kills himself when he thinks Juliet’s dead when she really isn’t?”

“Yes.”

“And then, finding out that he’s dead, she kills herself?”

“Yes.”

“So, what do you think would’ve happened if they didn’t kill themselves?”

Really, where is he going with this?

“What do you mean?”

“Say they didn’t kill themselves, what do you think would’ve happened?” Skipper asks. “Do you think that their families would’ve kept the two teenagers apart, even though they’re made for each other? But then, do you think they meet, like eight years later, and rekindle their romance? But what if Juliet blames Romeo for why they had to separate, even though they’re star-crossed lovers? What do you think happens then to our two heroes?”

Oh, you sly dog.

Skipper lowers his arm and shrugs at me. He winks.

He is simply unbearable.

He’s basically just gone ahead and ripped up my favorite piece of literature to use as a crappy metaphor for our own relationship. It is kinda funny, but also so, so infuriating. He’s so annoyingly cheeky to do that, it’s such a Skipper thing to do. He knows all the right ways to press my buttons.

And, deep down, I like it.

Ugh, Sandy. Stop it. Remember what he did to you.

He’s really on my nerves now.

Before I can say another word, the school bell rings, indicating the start of another period. The students all get up as one, collecting their things and heading out the door towards their next class as fast as their little feet can take them. I stand there in front of the whiteboard as the students stream around me to move towards the door, glaring at Skipper as he remains seated at the back of my classroom. He winks at me again and closes his notepad.

He's waiting for everyone to go.

When the last student leaves, Skipper leaps out of the chair and marches towards the door.

“That was interesting, Miss Finn.”

I dive in front of him before he reaches the door, standing between him and the hallway. He’s not going to leave that easily.

“Hang on one second, Skipper,” I say, folding my arms. “We need to talk.”

“Oh, do we now? I seem to recall you running away from me the other night.”

“I didn’t run away from you. I stormed out on you.”

“It looked like running away to me.”

“No, it wasn’t running away, and today wasn’t cool. You can’t just rock up and listen to my classes.”