“Yeah,” Tanner answered brightly. “See, Sloan thinks she’s better than anyone and everyone. She’s saved, you know. A church type. And you know how sanctimonious and so clean-you-can-eat-off-of those types are.”
“Really? I didn’t know that.” Mrs. Knight inched closer to Tanner’s desk.
“And Sloan is the worst of all. She used to be a slut, as the kids call it nowadays. Then she found Jesus, and now we are all supposed to forget about her past.”
Mrs. Knight bit her lip. “Interesting.” She studied him over. “How many times did she turn you down?”
“Excuse me?”
Mrs. Knight spoke slower. “How many times did Sloan turn you down when you begged to sleep with her? Obviously, she did, or you wouldn’t be making fun of her so much.”
Ouch!
Sloan opened her eyes, taken aback by Mrs. Knight’s comments in a good way. No one had ever talked to Tanner that way. In fact, Sloan couldn’t remember any other time a teacher had said anything like that to anyone in class. Mrs. Knight was very smart too. She had turned Tanner down a few times when he was being drunk and stupid.
Everyone in the room waited for Tanner’s reply. “You can’t talk to me like that. My father’s on the school board.”
“Yes, I know your father. Had lunch with him just the other day during School Board Appreciation Week. He asked about you. A very nice man. A man who would hate to know his son was acting like a bully in my classroom.”
“You can’t say things like that to me.” Sloan had never heard laid-back Tanner, who would fit more in California than Tennessee, have such an edge to his voice. She pulled her pencil toward her with her toes. She grabbed it and sat up quickly. This exchange was better than a soap opera.
“And you can’t say things about Sloan or anyone else for that matter. Do you understand, or do you need more convincing?”
A noticeable ahhh went through the room. Who would have thought that little Mrs. Knight could be so intimidating?
“No, we’re good,” Tanner mumbled.
“What’s that? I didn’t hear you.” Mrs. Knight leaned farther down.
“I said we’re good,” Tanner grumbled bitterly.
“Good.” She smiled and turned back to the white board to finish writing their assignment for the night.
With Mrs. Knight’s back turned, Tanner glared at Sloan with an expression she’d never seen on his normally jovial face. Hatred would be the word to describe it. Hatred mixed with something she couldn’t place.
Darcy patted him on the shoulder and whispered something in his ear. Whatever she’d said made Tanner stop staring her down and kiss Darcy on the cheek. That clinched it. She didn’t trust Darcy any more than she could throw her.
Ray placed his hand on Sloan’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “It’ll be okay.” He whispered in her ear, sending chills down her arms. She told herself that she’d have the same reaction if anyone breathed in her ear, but she knew it wasn’t true. Ray was different. “Tanner’s just being Tanner.”
A few minutes later, the bell rang and everyone got their bags together. Sloan stood up and turned so she wouldn’t have to look at Tanner. She could feel him glare though. Drove her nuts.
Sloan had more important things to think about. “Have you heard from Aaron?”
“Haven’t checked,” Ray said as he pulled out his cell from his jean pocket.
How could he not have looked? If it had been her, she’d have checked every five seconds. “He texted about thirty minutes ago.”
Thirty minutes? Lord, please help her not choke him. She could have known who her stalker was thirty minutes ago! Way to go, Ray.
“What did he say?” she asked impatiently.
Ray read the text. “He wants to know when we have lunch. And if we can meet him outside on the yard to eat.”
“He has to wait! He couldn’t have just told you?”
“Guess not.” Ray fixed his thumbs over the keypad. “Can you meet him at lunch?”
“I can meet him now if he can,” she said impatiently. They needed to get this show on the road. No sense dragging it out.
Ray’s thumbs worked overtime. He put the phone back in his pocket and motioned for Sloan to move so they could go to second period.
“I can’t focus, you know,” she said. “I have to know.”
“I know, but I also know Aaron. Better than you do.” He averted her eyes. “And I know he won’t tell you what he knows until he’s ready. And I also know it must be something important for him not to text. He has to work tonight so he’s missing sleep to eat lunch with us.”
Sloan didn’t like the sound of that.
Before she could say anything, Ray shrugged. “Then again, maybe he just wants to see you again.” He walked past her and out the door before she could catch up.
She had no choice but to follow to see what Aaron texted back.
“Miss Bridges,” Mrs. Knight called from her desk. Sloan looked out the door and back at her, really wanting to catch up with Ray. “Can I see you a minute, please?”