Page 86 of Home: Posy 5

"I remember Wyatt Black very well," she told me with a chuckle. "Although he never took any of my classes, no one could teach here andnotknow him. Congratulations. I'm sure life with him is anything but boring."

"Thank you, and that's very true." With a big grin, I nodded.

Then the bell rang, thank the Goddess. Thoreau tore out of the room to meet his besties for "Talian" class, and Grey walked me to second period, which was geography. He waited there with me until Peri showed up, and I thanked him.

"No worries, luna." He shrugged and moseyed off.

"Girl, it's all over school that you're married to Wyatt!" Peri chirped as she ran up to me.

"Already?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Rumors fly fast here. And Reau? Oh my Goddess!Everyone'stalking about him!"

She dragged me to a pair of desks at the front of the room, and we arranged our supplies as we chatted. She giggled as I shared Thoreau's crazy answers to the icebreaker, and she told me all about how hard Algebra II was.

"I mean, we have homework already!" she moaned. "Homework on day one!"

"We didn't even talk about math," I teased her.

"Lucky!"

Geography seemed like it was going to be an interesting class since we'd be learning where places were in the world. The teacher, Mr. Allen, was an elderly human with a droopy, wrinkly face like a bloodhound and a gruff voice, but I could see behind all that to the soft, kind heart underneath it. He handed out single-subject spiral-bound notebooks and explained how to set them up as interactive workbooks. Then we completed an activity where we had to match world landmarks with their titles, then glue the pairs into our notebooks.

I didn't know any of the landmarks, which made me feel bad and stupid, and I was twisting my fingers together nervously when Mr. Allen walked by to check on our progress.

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't know these places," I whispered when he stopped by my desk.

"Mrs. Black, correct?" When I nodded, he grunted. "Your husband and his brothers gave me all of these gray hairs. I had pure black hair before they came through my class."

I lifted my eyes to meet his, surprised that he wasn't fussing at me for being too dumb to be here, and found a tiny smile displacing all the wrinkles around his mouth.

"Do youwantto know these places?" he asked quietly.

"Yes. That's why I chose to take this class. I want to learn and not be ignorant about the world around me. I want to be able to talk about places and sound intelligent when I do."

"Then you will be my best student because you have something few of your classmates do. What do you suppose that is?"

"I'm not sure, sir." My eyebrows drew together as I thought. Then I ventured, "Thewantto learn, maybe?"

"Yes, Mrs. Black." His eyes were kind as he stared down at me. "That is not something I can teach anyone. That is something that has to come from inside, and I believe you have a lot of that want, don't you?"

"Yes, sir, I do."

I was almost desperate to become as knowledgeable as I could so I didn't embarrass myself or, more importantly, my mates.

"For now, copy Ms. Barlow's answers. I have learned all I need to know about you with this exercise."

Not quite sure how to take that, I only nodded and did what he said.

He's kind, I linked Peri as she moved her desk closer so I could make my answers match hers.

Yeah, and he's impressed with you.She giggled.I don't think he gets too many seniors with a thirst for knowledge. Most of us are over school by now and just want to complete the last few requirements we need to graduate with the least amount of effort possible. Then there's you, a little sponge just ready to absorb anything anyone wants to teach you.

I shrugged, my cheeks tinging pink. I knew she didn't mean anything negative by it; she had no clue what it was like to grow up as I did. The more something was denied to you, the more you longed for it, whether that thing was love or safety or knowledge.

Or all three in my case.

Thoreau's, too.

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