Page 11 of Substitute for Love

Curiosity and her rumbling stomach got the better of her. She opened all the drawers of the teacher’s desk: paper clips, lotion, random pieces of paper, a phone charger. Oh! A few granola bars. But they looked old and probably not worth chewing.

A knock came at the door and Avery hurriedly put her shoes back on and rushed over. It wasn’t Gabe, was it? Her heart skipped a beat.

“Hi. I’m Mrs. Hillard from next door. I thought you might want to know, there’s free food in the teacher’s lounge today.”

“Oh, you are a lifesaver. Where is the lounge?” she asked.

“Come with me, I’m heading there myself.” Mrs. Hillard walked quickly, probably like all teachers who didn’t have time for anything. She was probably in her fifties, with a long comfydress and sneakers. Avery made a mental note to only wear sensible shoes to school from now on.

“So, what do you teach?” Avery asked.

“World History. Well, I try to, anyway.” Mrs. Hillard smiled. “What’s your name, dear?”

“Miss Williams.” Avery pointed to Mrs. Hillard’s shoes. “I’m going to follow your example and wear better shoes next time.”

“Oh, so you’re coming back? That’s great!”

She smiled. “It’s challenging for sure. It is a transition time for me. I’m hoping to get something more permanent.”

Soon they were in the teacher’s lounge, which was basically half the size of a classroom, filled with teachers and paper plates of sandwiches, chips, and veggies. Everyone was either drinking from coffee cups or soda cans.

Avery got in line behind an older male teacher. “You new here or a sub?” he asked.

“Both,” she responded. “First day subbing.”

“Brave soul,” he said as he picked up a plate. “By the way, I’m Mr. Fletcher. And I don’t think I could be a sub.”

The comment caught Avery off guard, as she assumed substituting would be an easy gig for someone with real teacher training and experience. “Really?” She also grabbed a plate and picked out her food. “But you teach for a living.”

“True, but the students don’t trust the subs, so they act worse around them. They don’t have time to develop a relationship with them. Unless you’re Mr. Manwaring, the eternal sub. Ah, speak of the devil.”

Gabe came through the door and got in line right behind her. Suddenly, the room became even more crowded. The closeness of him excited her and made her nervous. She was acutely aware of every tiny movement she made. Avery didn’t know whether to smile or pass out.

“I recommend caffeine for the afternoon. Lots of it,” Gabe said.

She chuckled but kept facing forward. Even without turning around, his closeness emitted energy. Gabe smelled like sunshine and citrus. Avery closed her eyes and absent-mindedly took a deep breath to savor his scent. “So even you get tired, huh?” It was easier talking to him while not having to look at him.

Mrs. Hillard announced, “Hey, I heard Mr. Manwaring here saved the day for you in third period. Is that right, Miss Williams?”

Avery froze, her hands gripping her plate tightly as everyone in the room stared at her, probably about 15 or more people.News traveled fast around here.“Uh, yeah. He’s a true hero.” Good grief. Why did she say that?

“Oh yeah? What happened?” Mr. Fletcher asked.

She turned and looked at Gabe in a panic, who lifted his eyebrows in response.

“It was nothing,” he said. “Kids were out of control, I stomped around like a goofball, called them on their crap, then helped them see the light.”

That version of the event was really humble. Totally unlike Marshall if he did anything for Avery. Which hadn’t been very often, but he always made sure to glorify himself if he had.

“Nice work,” another teacher said.

Even experienced teachers were impressed with Gabe the Hero Sub. Of course, because he was naturally amazing. Was it possible for Avery to be jealous of his humilityandheroic personality?

Avery was so self-conscious, she debated whether she should sit at the table with the rest of the teachers or head back to her classroom. More than anything, she wanted to escape and be alone. But she felt awkward grabbing food and leaving,especially since she’d have to dodge quite a few teachers simply to reach the door.

She took the only seat left and was digging into her food when the teacher next to her got up and left. Gabe was leaning against the counter munching on chips. Would he stay there or come sit next to her?

Sheesh, Avery.It’s not like she was in high school right now. Well, technically she was inahigh school, but she wasn’t a teenager. The truth was, Avery didn’t trust herself. That’s why she was so concerned if Gabe was going to come sit next to her. She needed to train her brain to not care about Gabe or where he was standing or what he was going to do next.

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