Free Indisputable by A. M. Wilson

sounding throaty and a bit rough, before leaving the room
and closing the door behind me.
    Tatum is standing across the hall, leaning against the
brick wall looking at me, almost as if she’s studying me.  I cross the
small walkway to stand in front of her.
    “Is this a game to you?” Credit to her for not
flinching away from me.  She holds my gaze steadily with her own darkly
lined hazel eyes.
    “No, it’s not a game.”
    “Then why were you on your phone after I asked you to
put it away?”
    “I don’t know, why were you on your email looking at
porn?” she throws back at me. 
    Frustration flares inside of me, but I keep my hands
loosely at my sides, trying to not give away any sign she’s getting to
me.  And for fuck’s sake, she’s getting to me.  I don’t know whether
to shake some sense into her, or grab her and kiss her senseless. 
    Uh, what? Let’s leave that thought right
there.   
    “I wasn’t.  And it’s none of your business what’s
on my email.”
    “What would Mr. Stephenson think?” she threatens me,
the glare in her eyes betraying her contempt.
    “Don’t threaten me Miss Krause.  Do not forget
that I am your teacher this afternoon.  You may be in my class now as my
aide but later you will be my student, and you will not disrespect me in class
again.” 
    “I’ll be finding a new class,” she says, and I can’t
help but feel a pang of guilt.  I’m the only teacher of the college level
calculus class.  There isn’t another comparable class for her to
take.  I don’t know her well enough to be certain, but any senior taking a
college level class usually has an agenda.  It would be foolish for her to
change her plans on my account.  
    “Don’t sacrifice your education because you don’t like
me.  You’re enrolled in my class for a reason and it’s probably a good
one.  If you can be on your best behavior, we’ll get along just
fine.  You can be dismissed for the rest of this morning’s class.  I
expect to see you later.”
    “Whatever,” she says, already turning towards the
staircase. 
    “Miss Krause?”
    “Yeah?”
    “Leave the phone in your bag.  If I see it again,
it will spend the next two weeks in my desk drawer.”  I’m pretty sure
she’s giving me the bird as she walks away.  I let out the sigh I’ve been
holding in for the past twenty minutes and take a moment to calm myself, in
more ways than one, before finishing up my first class of the day.

CHAPTER SEVEN
     
    Tatum
     
    On my mad dash down the stairs to escape Mr. Ryan, I
ran myself right into the school principal, who was oh-so curious about my
first day as a TA.  I completely forgot to apologize for yesterday’s
drama, and Mr. Stephenson demanded I make a public apology first thing sixth
period and that he would be attending. 
    I’m still contemplating switching classes, but Mr.
Ryan was right.  I do need calculus and he is the only teacher for that
class.  I made it my priority this year to take as many classes for college
credit as possible to save some money on my generals.  If all I accomplish
is an AA degree, it’s better than nothing, and having 30 plus credits under my
belt will save me almost a year of schooling and student loans. 
    My phone buzzes for what feels like the thousandth
time this morning, breaking my thought process.  I don’t need to look at
it to know who it’s going to be.  
    You still haven’t answered me.  We
getting together tonight? 
    Can’t tonight.  I have to study.
    Never stopped you before ;) Just for an
hour.
    Sorry, no can do.  Maybe later this
week.
    I doubt I’ll have homework tonight, but I don’t want
to see him again so soon.  I silence my phone so I don’t have to read his
reply.  Wyatt and I have gotten together maybe once a week in the past, if
that, but lately he’s been much clingier than usual.  He texted me all
through second period, trying to get me to meet for lunch today, which
subsequently led to Mr.