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“You are a hard-ass.”
“I’m what?” Azalea’s back went ramrod straight as she twisted to face Jewel, who had a Cheshire cat grin on her lips.
“You’re a hard-ass.” Jewel grinned more widely if that was even possible. “Your class is the one class last year that never sent anyone to the principal’s office.”
“I…” Azalea stopped to think that through. Jewel was right. She hadn’t had any issues with her students the previous year. They’d been a decent bunch and the dynamics in each of her classes had been well balanced. She also made it clear what the rules were and how she would not tolerate disrespect of anyone.
“See? You’re a hard-ass.”
“I am not,” Azalea mumbled, focusing on the books in her hands. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. No one had ever told her that before. She prided herself on being a good teacher, one who connected with her students year after year. Her goal was always for them to walk away from each day having learned something, even if it was a small something.
Jewel let out a light giggle, and it sent a shiver up Azalea’s spine. “You’re known as the teacher who doesn’t hand out A’s.”
“Well, yes, I’ll agree with you there. You have to earn your grade in my classroom.”
“Right, but you’re also known as the teacher who is not to be messed with.”
“What does that even mean?” Azalea’s head spun. Jewel was always full of gossip, and she was going to have to decide if this was going to be a portion that she believed or even wanted to deal with. It had taken her years to figure out who she was as a teacher, and she didn’t exactly want to change that this far into her career. She could retire next year if she wanted. She didn’t, but twenty years—that number hit her smack in the face again.
Jewel dropped an empty box onto the floor before grabbing another one and setting it on a chair so they could reach inside it easier. “It means the kids like you, but they also know you’re not going to be their best friend. You want to teach them and see them succeed, and you’re not going to go easy on them simply because you can.”
“Well, I suppose they’re right, then.”
“Yeah, unlike me.”
Azalea spun on Jewel then. “They see you as easy?”
“They see choir as easy. I’m not sure they see me as easy.”
“I’ll have to think about that.”
“To be fair, choir is easy. Band and orchestra are harder. Pep band is only for the die-hards.” Jewel gave a self-demeaning shrug. “The kids aren’t wrong. It’s a decently easy A if they need it to boost their GPA.”
“You’re being too hard on yourself. Music adds so much to life and learning.” When she glanced over, Jewel’s cheeks were pink and her thin lips parted. “What?”
“The same could be said about science. Both are foundations.”
“Yeah.” Azalea continued to look deeply into Jewel’s eyes. There was something else there that Jewel wasn’t saying, something she was holding back on. Like her breakup with Brady, there seemed to be something hidden that Azalea couldn’t quite put her finger on.
“Enough talk about school,” Jewel bristled as she set out some more books. “I’ve had some hits on those dating apps.”
“Have you, now?” Azalea moved into the new conversation topic with ease. She was used to Jewel skipping from topic to topic when she got uncomfortable. In fact, it was a method they both used often when they wanted to avoid something.
“Yes, and honestly, looking through some of the profiles is just sad.”
“What do you mean?” Azalea grabbed the order forms and started stacking them on the ends of the tables. She was only half paying attention to Jewel as she moved around the room.
“Well, I either know them, or they know people I know, or like you said, it feels like a blind date with no connection.”
“Hmm.” Azalea finished her stacking and went back for the book title labels Mary had wanted this year. She handed Jewel the tape and fished through the papers to match the right label with the right book. “And are you going on a date?”
“I guess. I’m talking to someone, one person, and we might go on a date. Sometimes I think it’d just be easier to date you.”
Azalea stiffened. Every nerve in her body fired at once, and the pain was stark and surprising. It took her a minute to look up at Jewel, but Jewel’s dark brown eyes were focused directly on her as if she was waiting on some kind of answer. Jewel couldn’t know, could she? Azalea had been so careful, so vague about everything.
“Why would you say that?” Azalea finally asked, her heart racing. She was pretty sure she was as pale as a ghost, and she struggled to make any kind of lingering eye contact.
Jewel cocked her head to the side. “We already spend just about every weekend together, and I like spending time with you. We do everything together. You’re fun, you’re sweet, you’re passionate about teaching, and I know you. It’d be so much easier to just fall in love with my best friend.”
