Page 27 of Further To Fall

Carter welcomed each kid in with a high-five or a funny handshake. “Come on in, everyone. If you normally sit in the first row, your desks are on the side of the classroom today. Like I told you yesterday, today is a special day because Mr. Lyons is here to talk to us about self-defense. Now, let’s give him a warm welcome and show him how much we appreciate him being here.”

All the kids began to clap, with varying levels of enthusiasm.

I stepped forward, and my eyes swept over each of the faces looking back at me. “Hi, guys.”

“Hi, Mr. Lyons,” they answered. Clearly, Carter had been teaching them manners, as well.

“I’m really glad to be here to talk to you today. We are going to cover a lot of different situations, and it’s important that you pay close attention so you don’t miss any important details. And if you all do a good job listening, then you just might get to see Miss McCarthy kick my butt at the end of my talk.” I grinned over my shoulder at Carter, whose lips had pursed.

This sent the kids into fits of laughter, but once they were under control, I launched into my spiel. I covered how to handle school bullies, gang members, and finally if someone at home was hurting them. In each scenario, I gave them examples of who they could go to for help, and how they could recognize a safe resource. I then rewarded them with having Carter show them how to break a few different holds and get away. They got quite a kick out of their teacher pretending to knee me in the balls. I ended with a recap, asking, “Who can give me an example of a safe person to go to if you need help?”

A small girl in the second row tentatively raised a hand, and I pointed to her. “A policeman.”

“That’s right. A policeman or woman is a great resource. Who else?”

A boy in the first row shot up his hand, and I nodded in his direction. “A teacher. Like Miss McCarthy.”

Bingo. “You got it. Teachers are a great safe place. I happen to know that Miss McCarthy is pretty darn cool, and she cares about you all a lot, so you can always go to her about anything at all.” I noticed another boy, seated on the side of the classroom, whose eyes had become downcast as he stared at his shuffling feet.

Carter stepped forward. “That’s right, you can always come and talk to me about anything. I’m here before and after school and during lunch. Let’s all thank Mr. Lyons for coming in today.”

“Thank you, Mr. Lyons!” echoed throughout the classroom.

“Mrs. Woodward, the secretary, is going to stay with you while I walk Mr. Lyons out. Can you help her get the desks back into formation?”

The students immediately got to their feet, chattering with one another as they moved desks around.

Carter made her way to the door and opened it to a gray-haired woman with a warm smile. “Thanks for keeping an eye on them, Joanne. I’ll be back in five.”

Joanne patted her shoulder. “No trouble at all, dear. Take your time.”

Carter and I started to make our way down the hallway when she paused and grabbed my arm. “Thank you so much for doing this, Austin. Everything you said was great, and I think the kids really liked it.”

“I hope it helps them.” Over Carter’s shoulder, I spotted a face in an open classroom door staring us down. Kyle.

Carter must have seen a scowl on my face because she turned to see what I was looking at. Immediately, Kyle’s face broke into a smile, and he waved. She returned the wave and then turned back to me. “What’s with the angry face?”

I slung my arm around her shoulders and started walking again. “I really don’t like that guy.”

She tilted her face up towards mine. “Who? Kyle?”

I felt my jaw tighten. “Yes, Kyle. He’s a creeper, and he wants in your pants.”

Carter let out an exasperated sigh as I pushed the door open and we were greeted by bright sunlight. “He does not want in my pants. He’s my friend. You’re just being overprotective as usual.”

As we reached my car, I turned to face her, looking at the smattering of freckles painted across her peaches-and-cream complexion. She was pure innocence. “Just be careful, okay? I know you don’t have that much experience, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Carter’s body visibly stiffened, and I instantly knew I had put my foot in my mouth. “How do you know that?”

I rubbed the back of my neck and swallowed. “Liam might have mentioned something.” Carter scowled. “Don’t be mad at him. He was just trying to paint a picture to show me how wrong my impression was of you.”

“And that picture just had to include my level of sexual experience? Geez, what is it with guys and virginity?” There was nothing I could say to that. Carter’s gaze traveled to her shoes as she began shifting her weight from foot to foot. “Look, it just isn’t something I want the whole world to know. It’s personal.”

I reached out a finger and lifted her chin so she had to look at me. Her skin was petal-soft against my calloused fingers. “It’s not the whole world. It’s just me. I would never judge you by how many guys you have or haven’t slept with. In fact, I think it’s great that you’ve waited.”

Carter’s cheeks turned pink. “It’s not like I’m waiting for marriage or anything. There just hasn’t been the right person or the right time. I just never felt ready.”

I cleared my throat as I tried to empty my mind of thoughts of Carter letting anyone have that part of her. “I think that’s good. You should listen to that voice telling you to wait. The guy you give that part of yourself to should be worthy of it.”

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