Honor Student

chapter Four

I sat in my car replaying everything that had happened today. I cannot believe I was stupid enough to get high in school. I was praying Mr. Honor would not tell anyone, but I was certain my secret was safe with him. Still, I could not stop thinking about what he said about being in trouble. What did he mean exactly? As the parking lot cleared out, I started my car to leave. I cranked the radio and sang along Crimson and Clover as I made my way to my Aunt’s house.

I pulled into the driveway cursing myself for agreeing to a girl’s night out with the very girls who used me as a scapegoat. I could not entirely blame them. I was just as guilty for what we did. Besides, had I not done it I would have never gotten to spend extra time with Mr. Honor.

The house was empty and I was glad no one was around to ask me twenty questions about where I was going. I slipped into the shower to get ready for the movie. I stayed under the water, daydreaming until it ran cold. I wrapped a towel loosely around my chest and went to my bedroom to find something to wear. Most of my belongings were in boxes so I had to do a great deal of digging before finding something suitable. I decided on a little black dress and black heels. After getting dressed, I carefully curled the ends of my hair. By the time I was done applying mascara I looked at least a few years older. I sat around listening to music and cleaning the house to kill time. When it seven o’ clock I figured it was a safe to leave. By the time I got to the theater and we got our snacks it would only be a short wait for the movie. I jumped in my car and began backing out the driveway as headlights filled my rearview mirror and a horn beeped. I threw my car into park and sighed loudly. My Aunt pulled her car alongside mine.

“Where ya’ headed?” She asked, as her male passenger looked off, seemingly uninterested and completely wasted.

“Heading to the movies, don’t wait up.” I called over the engines and smiled.

“Oh, we won’t!” She replied and her cheesy grin made me nauseous. I rolled my eyes and backed the rest of the way out of the driveway.

Finding the movie theater in the dark was a lot harder than I had anticipated. I had to text Claire and Becka several times before I finally saw the great big theater sign along the side of the highway. I made three passes around the parking lot before I found an available space. Everyone had come out to see the new horror flick Slash. I suddenly felt self-conscious about my dress and wondered if I should leave quickly before anyone saw me. I could claim my car broke down or ran out of gas. It was too late. I spotted Becka and Claire making their way across the parking lot waving at me to get my attention. I reluctantly got out of the car and straightened my dress.

“Stop tugging at that! You look great!” Becka reassured me. She was wearing a similar outfit in deep purple.

“Thanks.” I said shyly, tucking my hair behind my ear.

“What am I, chopped liver?” Claire asked from behind us, half-joking.

“You look great, Claire!” I said, shooting her a smile. She smiled back and I knew she was just being insecure. She was very much like me in that way. We waited in line outside of the building to get our tickets.

“Do you have that new teacher, Mr. Honor?” Becka asked me but did not wait for me to answer. “God, he is f*cking hot!” she said fanning herself. I smiled and nodded my head.

“His eyes” Claire added and I bit my lip and waited for the line to move. After a few moments of gushing over our teacher, they finally changed the topic to clothing, another subject I did not like to talk about. Luckily, the line was moving quickly and we were able to get our tickets and move inside to the next line for our snacks. When all was said and done we had spent over twenty dollars apiece, but Becka and Claire assured me that it would be worth every penny.

Most of the moviegoers were hanging out in the lobby so we were able to score some good seats near the front. I always preferred to sit in the back but Claire insisted that the closer to the blood and guts you where, the better. The lights dimmed and a hush fell over the crowd as the previews started to play. It took an entire fifteen minutes before the movie started, but Becka and Claire had made a list of all the new movies coming out that we would have to go see.

When the movie finally began, the room fell completely silent. Within a few moments they would all be screaming, myself included. My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest. This was worth every penny and I was glad I had decided to come.

An hour into the film I excused myself to use the restroom. The line curved out of the door. I played on my cell phone and stepped forward as the line moved oblivious to my surroundings. That was until a woman’s giggles broke my train of thought. I glanced up to see a man and a woman locked in each other’s arms. He was kissing her neck and she playfully smacked him on the chest. Just as I realized I was staring the man and woman were kissing each other passionately. His eyes opened and my heart caught in my throat. Mr. Honor was staring back at me and I could not look away. My face burnt red but his gaze held mine. I bit my lip as jealousy bubbled through me.

“Your turn” A teenaged boy called from behind me. I glanced back at the bathroom and saw that the line had completely vanished in front of me.

“Sorry.” I replied and stepped into the small room. I splashed some water on my face hoping it would magically make the blush fade from my cheeks. Of all people to catch making out at the movies, I would have never guessed I would see Mr. Honor. I went to the bathroom and waited around a few more seconds before heading back out the door. I took a deep breath and pulled it open, glancing to the side of the hall quickly. He was gone. I breathed a sigh of relief and headed back into my theater.

“What took you so long?” Claire asked as she handed me back my popcorn and candy.

“The line was crazy.” I replied, but did not elaborate on what else was crazy about it. I sunk deeper into my seat and tried to get back into the movie but my thoughts would not leave him. His burning gaze locked on mine for what felt like an eternity. There was something very creepy about our encounters but I could not get enough of him. Unfortunately, someone else already had him. I spent the next half of the movie trying to imagine what she looked like. She had dirty blonde curls that cascaded down her back and I assumed she was probably in her early twenties. She was no doubt gorgeous if she could hold his attention. My cheeks heated again as I realized she had not held his attention. His eyes were locked on to mine. Butterflies filled my stomach as I thought about what it had meant. In reality, I knew it probably did not mean anything. Perhaps he was embarrassed by seeing a student out of class while in such a compromising position.