Page 50 of Forbidden Lessons

“Hey, kid, you get that copy of Lucifer Effect from the library yesterday?” he asks when Miss Lee and I are in earshot, sliding my laptop over the table to me.

I’m focused on putting my laptop away. At least, it must seem that way to them as he pushes the remaining envelopes over the desk.

“No,” she replies coldly, snatching the envelope and shoving it into her AHC tote bag. “Some asshole took the last copy.”

She makes it sound intentionally spiteful. If she considers every form of bad luck in her life a purposeful slight by the universe, no wonder she thinks there’s a curse on her.

“Oof,” Kai says through a laugh, twanging the end of a plastic sucker stick against his teeth. Teeth he won’t have much longer if he keeps at the candy like that. “Tough break. Guess you’ll just have to go buy one. She needs it for the class, right, Sir? Make or break kinda situation?”

I straighten, giving each of them a long look.

Miss Lee’s staring in Kai’s direction, but her eyes are unfocused like she’s in her own head. Kai is leering at her, but when he feels me switch focus to him, he looks away.

I suppose I can’t chastise him for being human. Or male.

Miss Lee’s plump, heart-shaped face exudes innocence. And while her clothing is the furthest thing from complimentary, they do a poor job of hiding her juicy curves.

“Correct, Mr. Jordan. But Miss Lee seems resourceful. I’m sure she’ll find a way.”

Kai sits forward, pulling air through his teeth as he gives Miss Lee a pitying once-over. “Sure hope so, Sir. Be a pity seeing our one and only grant student fail because she can’t keep up with the rest of us.”

Christ, these students are all born with a chip on their shoulder.

If Kai had more to say, I don’t wait around to hear it.

Miss Lee chases along behind me as I head for the door, and I swear I hear Kai chuckle to himself.

Sadists and sociopaths and society’s outcasts.

If they paid attention in my class, my students would have run out of pages in their Activity Logs by now.

No wonder I find teaching so intoxicating.

Just like Miss Lee.

It saddens me that I’ll only be able to monitor her in class. Maybe the occasional chance encounter in the hall. This whole lecture, I’ve been planning how to study her up close.

Kai doesn’t know it, but he just handed me the perfect lure.

We step into the hall, and I slow down until she’s forced to walk beside me. She throws a nervous glance up at me and tucks her hair behind her ear.

“Mr. Jordan is right. It would be a tragedy wasting an opportunity like yours, Miss Lee,” I murmur, my voice meant for her ears alone.

She stiffens up, but says nothing. From the tight set of her jaw, it’s almost like she doesn’t dare.

“I’m heading out. If you want, I could pick up a copy of Zimbardo’s book for you.”

Haven looks at me, wide eyed. “You’d buy a book for me?”

“I’d beloaningyou the spare copy I have at home. In fact, had you mentioned you needed one, I’d have brought it to class for you. Pride comes before a fall.”

She quickly looks away, cheeks flushing ever so slightly. “I didn’t think you’d?—”

“Care? Because teachers are all closeted narcissistic sadists?”

“No! I mean, not all of them.Definitelynot you. But Mr. Santiago back in elementary school? Ask Kai. We thought he was an undercover CIA operative.” She laughs, and then cuts off the sound.

“You and Mr. Jordan know each other from school?”

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