Ky
Too late. You’re already mine.
Yeah, suffice to say, I’m falling hard and fast for one Colt Madden.
“Is your boyfriend okay?” My head jerks up, and I realize that the break between periods is over, my next class having already filed in as I mooned over the words he sent me.
“Sorry, what?”
“Your boyfriend,” Adrian says. “Didn’t he get hurt?”
“He didn’t get hurt,” Simon mutters. “Someone hurt him. My dad says the ass—” His eyes come to mine and he winces. “Er…my dad says the player who hurt him may get arrested.”
I fucking hope so.
But that’s yet to be determined.
“Colt is doing much better. He’ll be out for a month or so, but he’s fine. Now. Let’s get down to more fun things, namely history.”
Good-natured groans fill the air but I don’t acknowledge them, just fire up the projector and start telling my story. Today it’s about the fall of Rome and as it often does, the drama and stories of bravery and battles and corruption and love keep my kids entertained until the bell rings.
“Remember to keep working on your projects. They’re due on Friday,” I call as they hurry to pack up and rush out the door.
“Ms. C?”
I look up from my attendance (I’m terrible about remembering to put it in on time) to see Adrian standing in front of my desk. “What’s up, bud?”
“Will you give this to Colt?” he says, dropping the folded paper onto the surface. “I made it for him.”
Get Well Soon is inscribed on the front, along with a hand-drawn picture of a hockey player.
“This is really good, Adrian.”
He shrugs. “So will you give it to him?”
I nod. “Of course.”
“Thanks, Ms. C,” he says, grabbing his bag and running out of the room.
And God, that does my heart good—to have him here, to see him happy, to see him running.
I carefully tuck the card away, and then my next class is shuffling in, and I’m resetting my slides, preparing to talk about Rome again and all of its idiosyncrasies.
Which has me smiling and snagging my phone.
Kylie: How often do you think about the Roman Empire?
Colt: *almost immediately* I don’t know, like a couple of times a week.
Colt: Is this official research, Teach?
Kylie: Maaaaybe.
Colt: If so, apparently I’m the weird one. Because “real men” think about it daily…if not hourly.
I snort.
Kylie: Good to know.
