Page 79 of The Teacher

“I’ve come back to talk,” I say.

She glares at me, and I see her tears have quickly changed from ones of sadness to ones of anger. “The time for talking is long gone, Skipper. You can’t say anything to me that’ll change what you did last night. I don’t want to hear anything from you. I don’t care what kind of talking you want to do.”

“No, listen…”

“No, you listen, Skipper. Can you, for once, imagine the pain you’ve caused someone else? Do you have any empathy in you at all? My heart’s been hurting since you fucked my best friend all those years ago. And now you’ve torn it out of me again. Again. Do you know how much of an idiot that makes me feel?”

“I wouldn’t know,” I reply. “But please, just listen to me…”

“No, you wouldn’t know. You’re always so perfect with your charm, and your smile, and your beautiful body. I bet you’ve never felt like an idiot in your life. And that’s why I’m not going to listen to a single damn word that comes out of your stupid mouth.”

That stings.

She’s wrong. I have felt like an idiot before, like a big idiot. The day I cheated on her. When I thought I’d lost her forever. That’s when I’ve felt like an idiot, like the biggest idiot on the planet.

“Sandy, I’m not here to talk to you,” I say calmly. I don’t want to inflame this any further.

“Then why are you back?”

“I’m not here to talk to you, I’m here to talk to the principle of Poseidon’s Academy.”

Sandy blinks, mouth agape, as she soaks in this new information. She doesn’t expect me to say this, that I want to talk to Mr. Brown. “What?”

“I know I can’t explain what happened last night with just my words, so you’ll have to see for yourself.”

“What are you talking about? I saw what you did last night, I saw what you were up to with Becky with my own two eyes. I saw your face between her tits.”

“Let me show you otherwise.”

“Show me what? Nothing you can say will change what I saw.”

“I would like you to come into Mr. Brown’s office with me and listen to what I’ve got to say,” I reply softly.

“No.”

“Please.”

“I said no.”

“Hear me out on this, Sandy. Trust me.”

“I can’t trust you,” she says. “Not anymore.”

“I know, but just come into the office and at least see for yourself.”

“Go back in there? I can’t.”

“Please, just see what I’m here for.”

Sandy shakes her head sadly.

“I’ve been fired, Skipper.”

No.

I hang my head. “I thought you would be. That’s a shame.”

“Just a shame? They’re firing me because you’re not investing in the school. They’re blaming the entire financial ruin of the school all on me, so thanks for that. Thanks for ruining my life. And Miss Tweed even has photographs of us two together.”