He brought Nancy with us in the car to keep him company for the lonely ride home. I couldn't trust that the housekeeper would keep her mouth shut about us smuggling a dog and its owner without my parents' permission. So, I agreed to it. I spent my time copying my highlighted notes in the morning traffic. The town felt livelier today as more cars crowded the street.
"Are you making multiple copies of the same note?" he glanced at my lap full of papers.
"I told you I had a business deal," I kept on scribbling.
"You're a resourceful young lady, you know that?" he praised.
"Whatever gives me extra pocket money," I mumbled.
As we drove closer to the school gate, he gave me his phone, "Here, put in your number and miscall it. Give me a call and I'll wait at the pick-up point."
I packed my notes and he dropped me off at the lobby. He blew me a kiss and said, "Have fun, sweetie!" in a high-pitched mom voice. I looked around to make sure no one saw. I would've died of embarrassment. How did he gather that much courage to act the way he did? Perhaps he had no shame to begin with.
"Yo, Atherton!" Nathan's voice echoed down the hall.
"As promised," I handed him a piece of my copied note.
I began to run my errands and circled the school to distribute my highly anticipated cheat sheet. I met some of them in the toilet, I slipped some in lockers, we had a secret handshake and exchanged the cash and paper with each other. I had just finished my last delivery when Mrs. Hill called my name.
"Ms. Atherton."
"Yes?" I turned to face her as I slyly pocketed the $5 bill.
Crap! I thought. She must've seen the transaction. Maybe she had been following me around to catch me red-handed.
"You think you can outsmart me, don't you?" her sharp eyes pierced my soul.
I'm so busted, this is the end of me. I would be lucky to only get a detention. I chewed on the inside on my lips as the suspense between us grew stronger. My client had fled the scene, leaving me alone with the sinister English teacher.
"Don't play dumb. It specifically mentioned 'No inappropriate imagery' on the school dress code guide," she pinched the sleeve of my shirt.
"I'm sorry?" I was genuinely baffled.
"It has five skulls on a cross. Do you think your shirt would emanate a respectable image for the juniors and parents? What message does it convey? It has the word "Guns" on it. Does it bring pride for you to wear it?" she bombarded me with questions, but my eyes were stuck on the lipstick stain on her teeth.
And yes, it brought me pride to have a good taste in music, you hag.
"No, ma'am," I lowered my head to show remorse.
"I would have to ask you to change before I can let you in my classroom," she held her head high with smugness.
"But class starts in ten minutes," I couldn't believe her guts.
"Then you better hurry," she smiled devilishly.
I ran across the hall to toss my bag in my locker and dashed downstairs; disregarding the hall monitors yelling for me to not run. I whipped out my phone and dialed Julian's number.
"Hello! Didn't realize Ms. Einstein could finish her exam before it even began. Did you get kicked out of class?"
"Julian! I'm in desperate need of your help! My bitch of a teacher dress-coded me for wearing a cross on my shirt. We don't have a lost and found. I don't know anyone else that I could borrow a shirt from. Please tell me that you're nearby," my speech was almost inaudible.
"Woah, woah, slow down. I'm just out the gate, Nancy was being picky about where she should take a leak. I'll be there in a sec," he hung up.
I paced up and down the lobby until I caught the sight of Julian's car. As soon as he saw the distraught on my face, his face mirrored mine. I jumped in the car and hyperventilated.
It had always been a weakness of mine when things didn't go the way I had planned, and the alternative solution depended on another person's kindness. I struggled to reciprocate my gratitude.
That was why financial transactions were my forte. The result would always benefit each other and felt just.
I was still struggling to catch my breath as I looked at him for a solution, "I have five minutes to make it to class on time."
Suddenly he took off his shirt in one swift movement and handed it to me. He sat on the driver seat in my school premises shirtless. I had never seen such a view.
'Excuse me?" I tried not to stare.
"C'mon then! Hurry up if you wanna make it," he pushed the shirt in my open hand.
"Here?'
"The window's tinted for a reason Jake Jr.!" he pointed at the window behind me.
I raised an eyebrow at the exclamation, "Do you get naked with people in this car all the time?"
"That's not what I meant, just put it on already!" now he was more concerned than I was.
"Look away!" I scolded.
I changed into his shirt and handed him mine. I jumped out of the car and ran as fast as I could to the exam room. As soon as I stepped inside, the bell rang. Mrs. Hill hid a smug grin when our eyes met. I took a seat next to Rachel who was sporting a turtleneck to hide the evidence of her adventures with Rick.
"Why are you so breathless? Is that a new shirt? You're never late to class," she whispered.
"I'll tell you later," I tried to catch a breath.
"No way! Did you sleep with him? Jade! Tell me all about it!" she gasped.
I shot her a dirty look as the invigilator walked closer to our desks. Her facial expression suggested that she wouldn't stop bugging me until I explained everything to her. That shirt was supposed to be bringing me luck. If you count seeing Julian's bare chest and the $35 in my pocket lucky then I guess it was worth it. I hoped the day would get better.
I kept getting whiffs of Julian from his shirt. It actually helped me remember the dialogues and notes I had read the night before. He even left his scent on the spot where he had laid on my duvet. I finished my essay way faster than I had anticipated. Most of the class were done with their exam papers by the end of the second hour.
Even Mrs. Hill was struggling to keep her beady magpie eyes open. That old crone. Rachel and Rick kept on signaling heart shapes and kisses at each other. If I had to see them shoving their tongues down each other's throats near my locker again, I think I would actually puke.
The bell rang at last. Our teacher race-walked out of the class, clacking her mules on the wooden floor. Students flooded the hallway and poured out to the parking lot. Rachel held my hand down and waited until everyone was out.
"I'll meet you at the basketball court, love ya!" she waved to Rick.
"Can't wait, girly," he winked.
"Piss off already!" I chucked my pencil case at his head.
He dodged it and it hit the classroom door behind him.
"So, tell me about this guy! He's so cute!" Rachel mentioned excitedly.
"It's not like that!" I denied.
It took me about 15 minutes to explain it to her just for her to ignore my whole narrative. She insisted that either one of us had feelings for the other. I reminded her that I had only known this man for 24 hours and I would know if I were to be romantically interested with someone of the opposite sex.
"That solves it then," she sprang to her feet.
"What? How? Did you not hear my argument?"
"You clearly know that you're not attracted to him, right?"
I nodded.
"Then it only meant one thing. He's into you, Jade! C'mon. He's older, has a lot of friends, sacrificed his sleep, paid for your meal, tried to make inside jokes!"
"Okay, you're giving me a headache."
"You gotta introduce me to this man. I need more evidence to approve of your relationship," she held my chin.
"Forget it, I don't have time for boys. I'm acing my exam, get my diploma, move out with Jake, get a part-time job, and finish my degree to support myself," I swatted her hand.
"But Julian can take care of you too!"
"Go to your prince charming!" I pushed her away as we walked out of the class.
"C'mon Jade! We could finally go on a double date."
"You have other friends, Rachel. And maybe try rubbing tobacco around your neck; it repels leeches," I signaled to her exposed neck.
"Fine! Text me when you're home. Bye!"
I scrambled to my locker to look for my phone in my bag. Then I realized that I must've dropped it in Julian's car when I swapped shirt with him earlier. Dammit! I kept doing reckless and clumsy shit today. I went downstairs to the lobby in hopes that I could borrow someone's phone to call my own. Maybe he would pick it up then.