Page 22 of Substitute for Love

He pursed his lips. “You’re going to torture me, aren’t you?”

“Yep.” She laughed then turned toward him. Avery got in her car and drove away, only giving him a honk and a wave. She couldn’t believe she had flirted with one of the hottest, nicest, most fidgety guys she had ever met and left him hanging. Avery was so quiet in high school, it was a miracle Marshall noticed her, though Claire must have pushed him along.

Before she said yes to Gabe, she’d need to figure out if she was ready for a date, semi- or otherwise. Plus she wasn’t sure she had anything to wear. And she wasn’t about to go buy something.

After she pulled into her driveway, she opened her phone and found several missed texts from Claire.

CLAIRE: Talk to hot janitor today?

AVERY: Oh yeah. Gonna dance with him at the Fall Fling. By the way, do you have a dress I can borrow?

CLAIRE: For reals? You’re taking this subbing thing very seriously.

AVERY: It probably won’t last long. Interviewing for a library job.

CLAIRE: *whispers* So exciting.

AVERY: I like books, okay?

CLAIRE: And I like muscular guys, so yeah. By the way, when are you coming to workout? I have a friend discount. Free.

AVERY: Soon. Promise.

Maybe if she got the library job she could head to the gym before work. As a sub, she barely had energy left to do anything besides come home and help Mom.

Chapter 7: Avery

Wednesday, August 27, 7:35 AM

Water bottle, check. Whistle, check. Bright purple tennis shoes, check. Athletic shirt, check. Yoga pants, check. Now this was a great way to dress for work. She had never really liked PE in school—all the sweating, dressing down in the locker room, awkwardly playing sports. By high school, though, Claire had gotten her into the gym and Avery loved lifting weights and going to yoga classes. Hopefully subbing in PE would be manageable.

Certainly, with Gabe, it would be. Knowing he’d be there with her was the only reason she agreed to sub for PE at all. It was one thing when the students were sitting down, but how to control them when they were running around?

She pulled into the same parking spot as yesterday—Gabe’s truck wasn’t in sight.

Inside, Doreen handed her the sub binder. “Want to leave your purse up here, dear? You don’t want to be lugging your stuff around the gym today.”

“How thoughtful. Yes, thank you.” Avery handed her purse to Doreen, who placed it in a cubby behind her. She headed out to the gym, which was in the same building as the band and choir rooms. It was nice to know where she was going today, even if she was unsure about how class would go.

The empty gym echoed as she walked in then she sat on a bench against the wall. She opened the sub binder and read the instructions. This time of year, gym was done inside, since it was too hot in Phoenix, even in the morning. All of the students were to run a few laps around the basketball court, stretch, thenbreak off and play whatever games they wanted in various areas of the gym: pickleball, shoot hoops, volleyball.

Avery took several deep breaths. With her twenty-five students and Gabe’s twenty-five students—mass chaos. A few students trickled into the gym on their way into the girls and guys locker rooms, then returned to the gym. They gathered into small groups in each corner of the gym. Avery’s introverted self was taking over. Where was Gabe?

More and more students gathered and finally the bell rang. Avery waited while the announcements blared over the speaker, mostly about the Fall Fling and stuff going on with sports teams and after-school clubs.

Time to take roll. How the heck was she supposed to do that? The kids were everywhere.

“Hey!” Avery called in her loudest voice, which cracked. “Everyone gather.”

Only a handful of students turned, but the rest kept on chatting with each other. Heat rose in Avery’s neck. How was she going to do this? She looked down. Oh yeah, she had a whistle.

She was about to blow it when the metal gym door slammed behind her.

“Laps for five minutes!” Gabe’s voice boomed. “Starting in four… three… two… one… go!”

The students grumbled, but they followed his instructions. There he went again, saving the day. Avery shut her eyes and sighed. She told herself he was trying to be helpful. But she didn’t appreciate him assuming leadership the second he showed up.

He stopped right next to her, panting.

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