Free Chemistry Lessons by Rebecca H Jamison

chemistry, and what was the other?” He pulled a paper from
his pocket and unfolded it. “Oh yeah, computer tech.”
    Computer tech? She had been looking forward to teaching that class
herself. “So Mr. Moore gave you mostly advanced classes.” She stopped to read
through her schedule. She hadn’t been able to focus on it before. “That must
mean, I have,” she read from her revised schedule, “biology, earth science, and
health.” She stomped her foot. Why hadn’t she checked her schedule before she
told Mr. Moore she was fine with the changes? Health was her least favorite
class, and Mr. Moore knew it.
    “That wasn’t what you expected,” he ventured, rubbing at the back of
his neck with one hand.
    Jade passed by with the other foreign language teacher. Rosie put on a
happy face and introduced them to Destry. But as soon as they were out of
ear-shot, she groaned. “I hate teaching health.”
    “I don’t mind teaching health if you want to trade,” he offered.
    The last thing she needed was another talk with Mr. Moore today. She
was already itching to throw a potted plant. “No, I can handle it. I’ve taught
it before.” She pushed back her shoulders and headed down the hall again. “Come
on. I’ll show you where to find the curriculum guidelines online. My classroom’s
just down the hall from yours.”
    “I already figured out which one is yours,” he said, limping along
beside her.
    “So Phil showed you around?”
    “No, I looked through the little windows in the doors. Yours is 107.”
His playful words took the edge off her anger.
     “How’d you know?” she asked.
    “The solar system mobile in the corner,” he said, as if that explained
everything.
    She and her grandma had made the solar system mobile out of Christmas
ornaments and iridescent paint. There was no way Destry could’ve known it was
hers. He’d just made a lucky guess. “And the fact that it’s the only other
classroom with lab tables,” she said, drawing out her syllables. “That didn’t
give it away at all?”
    “Not at all.” He winked, sending a jolt of . . . something through her.
    Surely, it wasn’t attraction. She would never be attracted to a guy who
couldn’t even choose the proper footwear. She pulled out her keys as they
turned down the back hallway. There was no reason to feel like she was
betraying Tanner. She and Destry were co-workers. Besides, he wasn’t at all her
type.

Chapter 6
     
    Destry followed Rosie into her classroom and paused in front of the
rainforest mural on her back wall—complete with frogs, snakes, a jaguar, and
spider monkeys. “Impressive. Did you paint this? Or was it your students?”
    Rosie opened the laptop on her desk. “I tutored a freshman last year,
and her mom painted it to thank me.”
     “You must be some tutor.” He turned to survey the rest of the room. “I
don’t see any aquariums or guinea pig cages.”
    “I have enough animals to take care of at home.” She scooted a chair
over beside her desk. “Have a seat.”
    He sat down but kept his eyes above the whiteboard, reading the quote
in vinyl letters. Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried
anything new. “I had that same quote by Einstein on the wall of my office
in Philadelphia.”
    She wondered how many quotes he had on the walls of his office. “You
know Jade Harris, the Spanish teacher we met in the hall? She gave me that for
my birthday last year. It’s my favorite quote.” Turning her laptop for him to
see, she said, “Here’s where you can find the curriculum guidelines.”
    He skimmed through a few lesson plans and grimaced. “This doesn’t seem
very inspiring.”
    “You can teach it anyway you want—in any order or method, but the tests
are standardized. Whether or not the administration approves is another story.”
Since she’d taught all the classes he was going to teach, she passed him a
thumb drive containing the files for each class. “It might help to look