Free Shhh...Mack's Side by Jettie Woodruff

college parties, boys, and competing. That’s all she could see.
    That’s when he came there. That’s when he ruined everything . Or did we ruin it ourselves? Mr. Nichols was taking over the English department at our school. He wasn’t like any teacher I’d ever been around. He was young, and oh, so good-looking. I think every girl in school wanted him. If there was one who didn’t, it was because they were labeled as lesbian.
    Mr. Nichols had a longer hair style for a teacher, his clothes weren’t really what you’d expect to see on your English teacher. Casual Fr idays were the worst. Jeans on Mr. Nichols should have been illegal. His ass was mouthwatering, and every girl there looked at it, giddily making comments behind his back.
    “Stop it. You’re drooling. Jake’s going to see you,” I teased, watching Gia’s mouth part while Mr. Nichols walked past us. He smiled and kept moving.
    “Fuck, Mack. Why does he have to look like that?”
    “Come on. Let’s go look at his face for forty-seven minutes.”
    Gia lusted over Mr. Nichols like a crazy person. She made it very well known what she wanted from him. Not just to the other girls, but him as well. Gianna was very forward with her actions. I think Gianna became his favorite word. Mr. Nichols was constantly scolding her for her remarks. Gia didn’t care. She would bat her eyelashes and walk away with the last word, usually something sexual. When Gia told Mr. Nichols to shut her up, she meant it.
    “You’re going to get thrown out of his class. You do know you need it, right?” That’s the part I didn’t understand. Yes, Gia was good, Gia was really, really good at dance, but no matter how hard I tried to get her to understand how this all worked, she wouldn’t listen. I could do her homework every day and it wouldn’t matter if she couldn’t pass the class at the end of the year. I couldn’t take her test for her. She thought her looks and talent was going to get her what she wanted. I was trying to tell her it wouldn’t.
    This thing she had going on with Mr. Nichols was getting ridiculous. Her mouth never shut up about him. I didn’t understand it. She could sneak Jake in before either of her parents got home, do him, and be talking about Mr. Nichols before his truck was out of the driveway.
     
    “Good. Let’s wrap it up here, McKenzie. We’ll start with, college next week?” Lila questioned.
    I looked down at my phone. Wow. That hour went fast.
    “We never made it there. I’ve got to go. I’ll see you next week,” I said with a smile. I felt good. I felt really, really good. I was rested, I succeeded with the best Fashion Week layout in history, and I felt—hmm, like a load had been lifted. Normally, talking about me and Gia left me in a daze for few hours. I didn’t feel like that today. I felt whole.
    Although I knew it wouldn’t last, I embraced it with open arms. I’d take every good day I could get.
     

Just like it had two years before, Mr. Nichols’ parole came and went, and just like the last time, I almost wrote the letter. That part of my life was best left in the past. There was nothing I could do to change it. Trying to move on was the best thing I could do.
    I had those times in my life, the times like this where things felt like they might be okay. Work was great, things settled again, where they would stay settled until the Christmas edition. It gave me anxiety just thinking about it.
    Colton and I continued to grow into something. I’m not really sure what that was. He kept my secret, and in return, I’d ditch the medication once in a while. I didn’t just do it for him, but I did let him think I was doing it for him. It was more to benefit myself. I would get to where I couldn’t sleep, and then let Colton talk me into crashing. Of course I would be higher than most people have ever felt while I waited for the crash.
    “I’m going to go home and shower and pick up a few things. I’ll bring supper,”