Chapter Two.5

Major plot change/update: Dr.Wayne will have glasses. He will also be ****'s **************** the following chapter will also be updated.

Here I am at the bar, drinking away my disastrous first day as a nerve-wrecking awkward practicing teacher with no one to supervise me. I don't have a drinking problem, it's the live band that gets me to come back here. The alcohol is just a convenient drink to have on hand.

"Lian..." someone greeted me, someone I expect to be here. I warmly smile at the tall and handsome Dr. Wayne, biology professor and in-charge of the laboratory as well as being the school doctor. He has a Ph.D, and he really doesn't have a reason not to work at a hospital, but he chose to be in Carvalle.

His hand landed on my back, as he order a round of shot for us. "Again, Mr. Miller? Should contact Alcoholics Anonymous for you?"

"I don't do this all the time, Dr. Wayne," I roll my eyes. "It's just... it tastes good, alright? I'm not walking out here to faceplant on the sidewalk drunk."

He stuck his eyes on me as if examining a worm inside my eyeballs. "You are better outside the school than in. There's a spark that's nonexistent when you're teaching."

"That's my make up, I'm using Fenty's highlighter..." I made him laugh even though this man probably doesn't know what Fenty is. It's weirdly charming how his temples wrinkle when he laughs, this man is a man. "I don't wear make up in school, the girls tend to pick up on it and I don't want anyone to know I'm gay."

"Am I special because I know?" He leans toward me, which may have made me very obvious when looking at his lips.

"No, Dr. Wayne. You're just nosy," I snark at him before taking a shot. "That's my last one, I'm feeling tipsy."

"And?" He handed me another one. "I have a car, I'll drive you home."

Is the doctor... seducing me? I'm not against that, he's a fine piece of man. 6'3, or 6'4, I know he's just taller than me. He has veins on his clearly muscular arms and he carries himself professionally but at the same time aware of his dashingly good looks. Those rectangular clear-rimmed glasses don't help my case.

"Sure," I say as I took the shot.

The next morning,

"Guys, we have to cover one chapter by today so we don't fall behind. Can you—don't throw the book out of the window!" One was lifting up a girl by her err. "I—please put her down before you get sexual assault allegations..."

They don't listen to me, nobody cares. Who would want to listen to a teacher who didn't even bother concealing his eyebags and greasy hair? I no longer looked pretty, I didn't do my make up today. I just woke up with a hangover, ate, get dressed and go to school. How could I even teach if they won't bother to see me as a human? I looked down at the floor, stuck and surrounded by the noise of thirty kids. When suddenly...

"Ya'll shut the F*CK UP!" Jade stood and yelled out, slamming his hands on his own table. I stared at him with wide, fearful eyes especially when he angrily glared at everyone.

"I didn't come here to stay stupid and uneducated like y'all and depend on daddy's trust fund for the rest of my life. F*cking open a book and not your mouths—especially your d*mn legs, Tiffany." He angrily pointed to a girl. "Talk about Stanley cups one more time and I'll shove one up that loose hole you sell to your daddy's friends for extra allowance."

Jade... my mouth twitches for a smile, eternally grateful for his help. But then, Tiffany ran out of the room. "Poor girl, is she gonna be okay?"

"Nobody cares about her... not her friends, not her parents, not her dog. The noisier they are, the less attention they get from their parents," Jade sit back down and puts his feet up the table, shaking a hand at me. "Now talk faster so we can go to lunch early."

I find myself smiling at him, because then I can do my job without a problem. "Please turn your books to page 394. We'll study one chapter today."

However, I can't help but yawn the night away.

"Didn't get any sleep, Mr. Miller?" Asks Jonah, leaning into his table as if to make way for his tail to wag.

I dismissively say, "Yeah, a bit tired, but..."

"It's my fault, you've been running around my mind. I volunteer as your pillow, then."

Some girls who heard gasped at the line while I just feel a bit of embarrassment. I hate pick up lines, and the fact he said something so cheesy is...

But I politely laugh it off, "Funny, Mr. Deveroux. I can see why a lot of girls fall for you."

The next morning, Jonah Deveroux would not leave me alone. "Good morning, class... let's proceed to the next lesson in the syllabus, yes?"

"What about our homework?" Jonah raised his hand.

"Jonah!" The class reacted in unison. I sort of laughed when I'm reminded that I also hate that one student who reminds the teacher of homework—I was a student back then, too.

So I tell them, "Don't worry class, you have until lunch time to finish it. Thank you for reminding me, Mr. Deveroux."

Jonah replied by making a heart with his arms over his head with a sh*t-eating grin. Is this boy seriously flirting with me? I know he's just a year younger, but I'm teaching the class right now and it's very awkward. Uhm, I'd rather not have a student flirt with me. Especially one I slapped years ago when both of us were students.

Still, since he's the Class President I have to employ his help to grade my papers. He happily volunteered as if he was a serial killer in the Hunger Games.

"Thank you for helping me, Mr. Deveroux," I clear my throat awkwardly, "You didn't really need to do this, but it's extra points for you."

"Thanks... anything for a pretty fella."

"Huh?" My face broke upon hearing what I thought I heard.

"Uhm... uhh, pretty... awesome. Yeah, I know it's not easy being a student teacher without the supervision of a real teacher. N-not that you're not a real teacher, I mean... uhh, a registered teacher—"

"I know what you mean, Mr. Deveroux..." I didn't know Jonah can stagger on his words. It's kind of cute, I'm not gonna lie. But he still called me out about being a student teacher. Maybe I'll call him out, too.

"I can understand your emo twin may not have a girlfriend, but I can't help but wonder why you don't have one. Every girl is constantly trying to get your attention." You're just a playboy.

"Not the lesbians..." Jonah joked, "I have someone I like. I haven't told them just yet."

Huh? He's lying. A playboy like him, crushing on someone? Unlucky girl. "I can't imagine why you won't tell her. If you get rejected early, it's easier to move on. Let it marinate without confessing, and it'll bother you until you do."

"What about you, Mr Miller? Are you uhh... are you married? Or do you have a girlfriend? Someone you like?"

My eyes looked at this blue ones and imagined a pair almost exactly the same. "I may... have feelings for someone. Small crush, it's no big deal."

"Who is it, can you give me a clue?" He showed me his dimple which might makes some panties dropped, but I don't wear panties.

Besides, I can't tell him I have a crush on his brother. The one that actually cares by saving me all those times. The one riding a sexy super bike and walks into the classroom carrying a helmet. Oh gosh, Jade is a dream—"I shouldn't. There's no chance they will like me, anyway."

"What's your type of person then?" Jonah asks, the nosy little—"Maybe if you tell me, I'll be more confident in confessing to the one I like."

I just sighed as I look at my papers. "I'm a fan of romance literature... so I'm heavily attracted to complex characters. Those with a hard exterior, but deep down they care, they're soft. Those who look scary and act so tough, but inside he's soft... I think that's my..."

Did I just use HE? Oh my god, I outed myself! He's gonna use my sexuality against me! "Uhm... yes, that kind of person is my type."

Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice the little pronoun slip. I rehearsed this as a closeted gay boy; if one questions about my use of neutral pronouns, I was willing to say it's because I love a person by heart, not by their facilities. Would that still be gay?

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