Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 111089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 555(@200wpm)___ 444(@250wpm)___ 370(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 555(@200wpm)___ 444(@250wpm)___ 370(@300wpm)
Instead, I reflected on it some more before taking it up with Kendra the next time we had a moment together in the teachers’ lounge. “Do you mind if I run something by you?”
“By all means.”
“If you thought a kid in your class was struggling with their sexuality, what would you do?”
She eyed me oddly.
“I’m sorry. Not the best way to word that.” It seemed I was perpetually fumbling whenever it came to Kyle Forsythe.
She continued eyeing me like I’d lost my mind.
“Okay, no need to make me feel like a freak over it.”
She burst into a laugh. “I’m kidding, James. I know what you meant. Who is it?”
“Considering the subject, I’d rather not say. I feel like this student has shared a lot with me in confidence.”
“That’s fair.”
“They’ve said something that leads me to believe they could be bisexual.”
“It’s high school. Who isn’t? Sorry. Last joke. I’ll be serious now.”
Although, her sense of humor was part of what had helped me open up with her over the other faculty members.
“This kid said some things that make me want to let them know it’s fine if they are questioning their sexuality, and that there are resources available. At my old school, we had an LGBTQ+ program with other student peer support groups and teachers involved. Kind of lax over here, and not in a good way.”
“Our school does lack a lot of the programs, compared to the Kensington Heights high school, for one.”
“I just mean, it would be nice for a kid like him, if that’s what he even meant.”
“Oh, so it’s a guy?” She took a moment, as though surveying her thoughts for a suspect.
“Kendra, please.”
“No, no. I won’t try to make a guess…Kline Walker…”
I eyed her curiously before she said, “I’m kidding, James…unless it’s him.” She winked, making me laugh again. “You know, maybe we should chat more about this sometime outside of school. Maybe over dinner?”
“It’s not that important.”
Her mouth dropped open, and her pupils wandered the room. I couldn’t tell what I’d said, but it definitely hadn’t been the right response. “Wow,” she finally managed to get out. “I can’t tell if that was a cruel rejection or if you’re just that oblivious since you’ve been off the market for the past five years.”
She’d totally thrown me with that one.
“What? Oh. Oh.”
“Don’t. God, you can just say no, and we’ll act like I didn’t say anything.”
“That’s not why I’m acting this way. It took me by surprise. My mind just…hasn’t even been there lately. But I’d like that.”
The nervous tension she’d been caught up in moments before dissolved as a smile slipped across her face. “Really?”
“As much fun as it is eating microwave pizzas every night…”
She cringed. “Don’t even tell me that. How about you come over to my place this Thursday, and I’ll make you pizza the old-fashioned way? That sounded like a euphemism, but I really do mean pizza.”
“That would be great.”
“Good. Now that I’ve conned you into a date, back to this student…”
“Oh, I’ll figure it out,” I said, more than slightly thrown by her asking me to dinner.
“If you do want to run anything by me, text or call. In the meantime…” She checked the time on her phone. “I should get over to the copier for those quizzes I need to print before class.”
“Of course.”
A date. I was really going on a date?
In all the times I’d been chatting with Kendra, I hadn’t detected any interest, but…I’d been similarly oblivious with Sheila before we’d started seeing one another.
In general, I was fairly oblivious about these things.
Kendra and I made plans during the week before meeting at her place on Thursday evening, when she said it’d be easy for her to get a sitter for her kid. We worked together, making chicken Alfredo pizza with a gluten-free crust, enjoying the sort of conversation we might have had throughout the week. It was a nice enough night, so when it was ready, we ate at a table on her back porch.
“That student you mentioned the other day,” she said after taking a sip of her iced tea, “have you discussed anything with him yet?”
“I’m not in a huge hurry, but I am seeing him this weekend. I think it could be good to break the ice.”
“This weekend?”
“He does this H4H stuff with me. I mentioned it once, and he showed up. Seems to have taken to it.” I took a bite of my pizza.
“You don’t think he’s attracted to you, do you?”
“What? Oh, no. Not at all,” I spit out, my mouth still full of pizza. I took a moment to swallow. “Why would you say that?”
“Obviously, I didn’t offer to make you pizza because you’re nothing to look at.”
My face warmed. “Well, you’re very attractive too.”
“James, sometimes you’re like a robot. No woman wants to be called attractive. If you call me handsome next, I’m kicking you out of my house.”