May 11 202X

09:13

@modthebod: @all I’ve got confirmed news. Sandra’s doing part-time teaching in some small town. Here’s the pic.

@mr-drake: goddamn I’m hot for teacher, man. she makes me wanna go back to school. if i coulda, i’d go to that school and pretend to be her student just for a peek of that ass.

@sansan4ever: ?!?! She’s teaching?! Holy shit, I never imagined that. What’s she doing there anyway? Is she like on hiatus? Not coming back? I’m like filled with questions.

09:17

@modthebod: I don’t know yet. So far

09:19

@mr-drake: ?

09:20

@sansan4ever: hey @modthebod? You were saying?

10:02

@modthebod: Shit sorry. Couldn’t check phone. I was going to say so far it seems like she’s going to be there for at least a month. I’ll keep you guys informed. Gotta run.

 ~ ~ ~

“She’s starting today, right? Sandra?”

“Yeah.” Sitting in the driver’s seat, Elise nodded. “I got a text from her last night saying that she’s settled in.”

“That’s good.” Will flashed his wife a smile as he rummaged through his briefcase to check that he had all his papers.

Watching him from the corner of her eyes, Elise chuckled and shook her head. “Will, everything is in there. I saw you pack it this morning.”

Will shut his briefcase with a click and placed it on the floor, sandwiched between his black boat shoes. He gave Elise an adoring look and leaned over to peck her cheek. “What would I do without you?”

A grin spread across her face and she gave him a light punch on his shoulder. “Oh stop it.”

Settling back in his seat, Will swept his bangs back from his boyish face. “So this Sandra. You guys go quite a way back, right?”

“Yeah, since we were ten actually.” She hummed as she reached for the cup of coffee sitting in the holder, careful not to let it stain her immaculate dress shirt and pants. “We haven’t been in touch for a while but we used to be close back then.”

Will rolled up the sleeves of his Henley shirt and propped his elbow on the car window. He studied Elise. “How’s she like?”

She turned her head and gave him a look that said ‘Not again’. But when he turned on his disarming smile coupled with what she called was his irresistible dimples, she sighed and gave in. “Sandra’s… a mixed bag.”

“In what sense?”

“When I first knew her, she was the kind of girl that didn’t get noticed. Quiet, kinda geeky, but happy, I guess. After she and her mum moved out to her current place, she grew more withdrawn.”

Elise rubbed the back of her neck and Will noticed the troubled look on her face. “Then she started blossoming and guys began to pay attention to her. She did a complete one-eighty turn after that. That’s when we grew apart.”

She turned to look at Will. “You’ll see what I mean when you see her.”

He smiled and ruffled her short pixie-cut hair. “Hey, it’ll be fine.”

“In the worst case, you can always send her to me for counseling,” he added in a light, joking tone.

Elise let out a bubbly laugh as the tension in her body subsided. The school was coming up to the right and as she eased the old family car into the compound, she regarded her husband with a warm expression. “Thanks, honey.”

Will squeezed her shoulder in response before looking out the windshield to the school courtyard. Throngs of children were streaming through the front gates and into the white single-story building. His gaze traveled over the multitude of uniformed girls and boys until it settled on a tall, slim woman standing at the entrance.

The woman was wearing a tight pencil skirt and a peach blouse that hugged her figure, exposing a little cleavage in the process. Long, wavy hair complemented her oval face and full lips. It was no wonder that the older boys were ogling her as they walked past.

“Is that Sandra?” he asked.

Elise looked up from parking the car and pulled the brakes. One glance at the woman and she chuckled. “Yes, that’s her alright.”

“Well, let’s go welcome our new art teacher then.” Will winked at Elise as she cut the engine.

As they got out of the car, the woman known as Sandra noticed them and waved. She walked - or it was more accurate to say sashayed - over, which Will noted, seemed to be a practiced gait.

“Elise! It’s been so long,” she exclaimed as the two women embraced.

“You look too glamorous to be a teacher, Sandra,” Elise teased and the two of them burst into laughter.

Once the giggles died down, Sandra assumed a serious expression. “Honestly though, thank you so much for taking me on part-time, Elise. I owe you a lot.”

A warm smile made its way across Elise’s lips. She cupped Sandra’s hands in hers. “Don’t worry about it. Now come, let me introduce you to my husband, Will."

Will stepped forward and offered his hand with a smile. “Nice to meet you, Sandra.”

“Oh my, what a handsome catch.” Sandra gasped. She gave his hand a firm shake, the strong scent of vanilla from her skin teasing his nostrils. “It’s a pleasure meeting you, Will.”

Chuckling, Elise shook her head in disapproval. “Flirting as always, Sandra. Will’s our school counsellor, so you’ll see him around.”

“Meanwhile,” Elise gestured to the school building. “Let’s get you settled in.”

“Sure! I’m excited to see what has changed,” Sandra enthused. Flashing a sweet smile at Will, she followed Elise up the steps leading to the main entrance.

As he followed the two women into the building, Will watched his wife point out the major changes to the school. He kept a close distance, observing their interactions. Everything from their body language to the tone of their voices. He noticed Sandra’s fleeting gaze over the sea of bodies, her occasional touch of Elise’s elbow, and her lilting laugh at every little thing that Elise said.

Practiced. That’s how he would describe Sandra’s behavior. And that was probably why Elise had drifted apart from her years back. The two women couldn’t be more different, with Elise being a direct, no-nonsense type. Will allowed himself a little smile as he remembered his wife’s straightforward confession to him.

“And this is the new staff room.”

Elise’s voice broke through his thoughts. Will looked up to see them stopped outside the renovated offices. As they entered through the glass door, sprinkles of laughter greeted them, amidst low murmurs.

Elise introduced Sandra to her colleagues and Will noted once again, the same toothy smile Sandra had flashed him earlier. Combined with her bubbly personality, the small dose of sincerity injected in her expression won over her new colleagues.

Introductions were finished when a dry, hacking cough interrupted Elise mid-way through her speech. All heads turned to see a towering man with broad shoulders entering the office. Dressed in a wrinkled shirt that was only half-tucked in, his left hand clutched a pack of cigarettes which he stuffed into the pocket of his jeans. He wore the angry, confrontational expression of a gangster but when his fiery gaze landed on Sandra, it morphed into a lecherous grin.

Will gulped and prayed that nothing untoward happen on Sandra’s first day. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Elise’s shoulders stiffen as she regarded the male teacher. She forced a smile and beckoned him over.

“Bartley, meet our new art teacher, Sandra.” Elise’s professional tone hid a chilly undercurrent.

As Sandra wore her practiced smile and introduced herself, the male teacher cupped their hands together.

“It’s a pleasure to have such a beautiful lady in our midst,” Bartley drawled. His thumb traced circles on the back of Sandra's hand. “I would love to take you around town sometime.”

Sandra's smile wavered and Will caught a flicker of discomfort in her eyes. Before Bartley could make any more advances, Will gripped Sandra’s wrist and broke the handshake. “Thanks for the thought, Bartley. I think Elise needs to take Sandra through some administrative matters now.”

A scowl distorted Bartley’s face. He glared daggers at Will, his body tensing in preparation for a fight.

Elise’s sharp voice cut through the tense air. “Don’t you have a class to get to soon, Bartley? I don’t want to hear complaints about you being late again.”

Bartley shot Elise a dirty look before turning to leave. Grumbling under his breath, he stalked off to his desk.

“Sorry about that,” Will said. “Try to ignore Bartley. That’s the best way to deal with his kind.”

“Thank you,” Sandra murmured in appreciation. She folded her arms together, pressing the hand that was trapped in Bartley’s handshake closely to her chest.

Elise stepped closer to Sandra and ran a hand up and down her back. “If Bartley tries anything, tell me immediately, alright?”

Nodding her acknowledgment, Sandra gave a little smile. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“Good.” Elise wrapped her arm around Sandra’s shoulders. “Come then. I still have to run you through some things before you start.”

The two ladies bid farewell to Will before exiting the staff offices. As he watched them leave, he couldn’t help the sinking feeling of dread that more trouble was to come. God he hoped he was wrong.