“Don’t push me,” her mom said feigning a dire warning.
They walked into the gymnasium and Erin began looking around. “Okay, let’s see where they have me sitting this year.” She saw the long row of tables set out for registration and began searching from left to right. She first notice a table for the social studies teachers. Next to them were the English teachers, then math, science, and…there it was. Guidance. Right next to chemistry.
“Shay? Look where we’re at. Your dream may come true!” she teased.
Shay saw where her mom’s place was and rolled her eyes. Mr. Craig was about a thousand years old and about as much fun as having the flu. “Oh…my…God,” she said. “Okay, well I’m definitely sitting on the other side of you. Just in case.” She shivered at the thought of old man Craig trying to engage her in conversation. He was not only older than dirt, he was…creepy.
Erin sat her things down and Shay pulled out her iPod and put in her earbuds then turned on her iPad and busied herself with looking at stuff 18-year girls look at. Several minutes later she heard her mom talking to someone in a tone of voice that told her she should look up.
“Oh, okay, so you’re Mr. Garvin. I knew we’d hired a new chemistry teacher. I’m Erin Kimball. It’s very nice to meet you.”
“My pleasure, Erin. Please call me Adam.”
“With pleasure,” Erin said with an exaggerated amount of enthusiasm.
Shay looked over next to her mom and her jaw dropped. “Oh…my…God!” she said again. “That man is gorgeous!” She elbowed her mom, waited for her to lean close then said quietly, “Who’s the male model?”
“Oh, that’s our new chemistry teacher, Mr. Garvin.”
“I don’t see a wedding ring,” Shay said as she gently rubber-necked to look his way.
“Uh, Shay? I believe he’s a little too old for you. However, I will say for the record, I have no problem with dating a younger man so I’m not going to say anything more,” her mother said as she turned back to take another look at the hot new teacher. “Or at least I think I’d enjoy it if one ever asked me out,” she said qualifying her statement.
“Mom? Geez! What’s the matter with you?” Shay said shaking head.
“Me? I’m not the one checking out a guy ten years older than her.”
Shay just grunted a loud, “Ugh!” at her mom’s comment and went back to her iPad but not before sneaking one more look his way.
A series of kids came and went at both tables. Most of those who saw her mom wanted to change classes before school started. Two of Shay’s friends begged her mom to let them move to Mr. Garvin’s class from Mr. Craig’s. “Sorry, girls. No can do. There’s no compelling reason to move you.”
One of them said, “Have you seen Mr. Garvin? Have you seen Mr. Craig? If that’s not compelling then nothing is.”
“I feel your pain,” Erin told her as she handed her back her schedule unchanged.
“Speaking of schedules, Mom. Where’s mine?” Shay asked.
“Oh, suddenly you’re interested in your class schedule? What a coincidence. Weren’t you the one who told me several times you didn’t care who your teachers were as long as you got the classes you wanted?”