“Why not?” Kaylie asks. “Sorry to say this, Mr. C, but for an old guy, you’re a hottie.”
“I’m not that old,” I mutter. “And that’s definitely not appropriate.”
“My bad.” She grins, looking as unapologetic as Rachel did last night.
Inwardly, I groan. Now that I’ve let Rachel into my thoughts, I’m not getting her out again, just like last night, when I was trying to fall asleep.
“Why don’t you want to fall in love?” Steven wonders, pulling me back to the discussion.
“To clarify, I never said I don’t want to, only that I have no plan to do so.”
“I’ve seen Ms. Chan checking you out in the hall,” Bryce offers.
“I doubt that.”
“What about Ms. Singer?” Kaylie asks eagerly. “She’s cool, and single too.”
“Being single is mandatory,” I concede. “But we should get back to the lesson.”
“But talking about your love life is so much better,” Kaylie laughs.
“If you would like to know,” I pause, realizing how many boundaries I’m about to cross, but unable to turn back. “I have a date tonight.”
“Ooh.” As one, the class leans forward in their desks.
“She’s a friend of my sister’s, so I’ve never met her—”
“A blind date?” Amal demands.
“Do people still go on blind dates?” Steven wants to know.
“That puts way too much pressure on the first impression.” Kael shivers.
“Your sister set you up?” Bryce adds. “Dude… not cool.”
“I have low expectations for the date,” I admit.
“But no! You need to go in thinking positive, thinking that she might be the one,” Amal exclaims.
Amal—my Amal thinks that?
“What if I’ve already met the one?” The question pops out without being a fully formed thought. “Never mind.”
“No, no,” Kaylie cries. “Who was the one?”
“I’m not sure…” I scrub at the back of my neck, wondering if any of this is going to get back to their parents. Do kids still tell their parents about what they learned in class anymore? Would the parents even understand?
Probably not. “I met my neighbour last night,” I say slowly. “She… shouted at me. She seems very unpleasant.”
Kaylie actually claps her hands. “Opposites attract. That’s the best kind of love.”
“I think friends-to-lovers is,” Kael argues.
“What about love at first sight?” Amal wants to know. “What would your dopamine levels be if you fell in love with a person at the very sight of them?”
Thankfully, the question can be a segue back to the lesson. “Trust me, there was no love at first sight.”
“How do you know?” Kaylie demands. “Are you acting strangely? Any unusual behaviour?”
