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“Maybe we can shake things up today and get our grades early?” I shimmied a bit, to emphasize the shake portion of my comment. And so that he’d look at my boobs.

“I wouldn’t be so eager to get your grade today, Miss Hunter.” He turned back to the board.

“Ooooh snap,” a guy on the other side of the room said.

What that guy was missing was that this was sexual banter. Apparently Mr. Halifax was into public shaming. I wondered how far that went? Like...spanking with an audience? God I couldn’t wait to see this afternoon.

I started drumming my fingers on the top of my desk. But the clock refused to go at a normal pace. It started ticking even slower.

I wasn’t going to make it. I needed Mr. Halifax’s fingers on my skin like I needed air to breathe. And if I couldn’t have that, I at least needed his eyes on me.

“Mr. Halifax?” I said and raised my hand.

He turned around. “Yes, Miss Hunter?”

“Sorry, can you repeat what you just said about that last equation?”

“Were you not paying attention?” He glanced down at my desk where I’d forgotten to even pull out a pen. Luckily Scarlett had chucked a pencil at me. I lifted it. “I just missed that last bit.”

He shook his head and explained it to me. Staring deep into my eyes. I was pretty sure I was melting into my chair.

He turned back to the board and kept going.

I looked over at Scarlett.

She chuckled and shook her head.

And seven hours later it was finally time for Mr. Halifax to hand out the tests. Fine, it was like 20 minutes. But it felt like an eternity.

“How badly did you do on this thing?” Scarlett whispered to me.

Mr. Halifax was in the farthest row away from us, taking his time. I wondered if his heart was racing as fast as mine was.

I turned to Scarlett. “I think I got a B-.”

She laughed. “That’s not even that bad. He really called you out during class.”

“It’s called sexual banter.”

“If you say so.”

“I do.” I stole another glance at Mr. Halifax. He was one row closer.

“So when you’re getting this extra help after school...are you going to make your move? Or are you still waiting until the Christmas Eve Eve party?”

The Christmas Eve Eve party was only a week and a half away now. It almost seemed bearable. I shrugged. “I guess we’ll see how today goes. I might be his girlfriend by then.”

“Well, good luck,” Scarlett said. “Try your best not to get him fired.”

I laughed. “I won’t.” I think it would actually kill me if I couldn’t stare at him every school day. Ogling him was one of my favorite activities.

And when I knew for sure he was mine? It would just make the whole thing so much better.

Mr. Halifax slowly made his way down our aisle.

He finally reached the back row and handed Scarlett her test. “Great job, Miss Hunter.”

Scarlett smiled at the big A on her paper.