Misty groaned when her alarm sounded and rolled over as she threw her arm out to silence it. She snuggled back into her pillow and heard her bedroom door open, "Uh uh. Get up, Misty," She groaned again and rolled to look at her mother with a pout on her face, "That ain't gonna work on me," Misty nodded and finally set up. Her mother gave her one last glare before leaving the room.

The girl finally got up and located a long white skirt and pulled it on. She paired the skirt with a red top and her black boots before heading to the kitchen where her mother was. She grabbed a banana and yelled her goodbye as she walked out of the front door. Misty made the short walk to school and spotted Zoe near the front entrance. The girl smiled at her as she walked up and hugged her.

"Hey, Mist. It's been a while," The wild blonde nodded in agreement.

"I worked a lot over the summer," She had worked. It had been mostly to get away from home and from her parents. Her friend nodded and the two of them made their way to their designated homerooms. She took a seat near the back of the class and waited for the woman to pass out their schedules.

oooOOooOOooo

Misty met back up with Zoe at lunch and groaned when her friend said she'd gotten the best classes, "What's wrong with yours?"

"They put me in all the AP classes. It's not that I don't think I can handle 'em. I just didn't really wanna," Zoe laughed and they looked up when Queenie joined them at the table.

"Well. Did you get any fun classes?"

"I'm takin' that new gardenin' agriculture thin'," Queenie laughed.

"I'll never understand your obsession with plants."

oooOOooOOooo

Misty made her way to her last class of the day. She still had one more period but the school offered a study hall period to the students who were taking the advanced courses. The school had recently fixed up the old greenhouse that was on the school property and decided to put it to use. Misty grinned as she entered the building and took a seat at one of the stations in the room. She didn't expect many people to take the class and she wasn't disappointed when only seven other students showed up.

She looked up when the door opened and the teacher walked in. She was fairly young and was dressed nicely. Her soft blonde hair hung loosely around her face and her skirt and blouse looked great on her. 'She's really pretty.' Misty's eyes went wide at her own internal confession and she looked back down at the table top.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Miss Goode. I'm going to take roll and then we can get started," Misty grinned at the woman's voice and bit her lip to keep from smiling too widely.

oooOOooOOooo

When Misty arrived home, her mother was in the living room and her father was nowhere to be seen. Misty shuffled by her mother quickly and into her bedroom where she put her school books down and pulled her cell phone out. She had one text from her mother telling her to get home fast after school and frowned.

"Misty!" She got up at the woman's call and walked into the room where she was, "I'm goin' out. I don't know when your father will be home. Make dinner for him and clean up," She nodded quickly and watched the woman leave before she sighed in relief. She took a seat where her mother had previously been and sighed inwardly.

oooOOooOOooo

Misty had dark circles under her eyes the next day when she got up for school. Her mother had stumbled home late into the night and kept Misty up for hours. The girl was beyond exhausted but dragged herself out of bed and to school anyway. Zoe noticed and looked concerned.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just tired. Couldn't sleep for some reason," Zoe nodded before starting to talk about some show she had watched the night before.

oooOOooOOooo

"Do either of you have Miss Goode?" Misty looked up and nodded at Zoe from across the lunch table, "I can't figure her out."

"It's the second day of school, Zo. What's there ta figure out?"

"I don't know. She's just kind of uptight you know?"

"I guess," Misty furrowed her eyebrows. She hadn't really noticed anything like that yesterday. The woman had seemed completely at ease in the greenhouse, "I didn't really notice anythin'."

oooOOooOOooo

Misty decided to pay closer attention to the woman this time and when she walked in, she looked up at her. The woman was wearing black dress pants and a white blouse. She looked great. 'Hey. Stop that. She's a teacher.' She shook her head at herself and looked down at her station while the woman took roll. After that, she told them to just get to know the greenhouse and plants.

The students scattered throughout the room and Misty moved to the plants near the woman. Miss Goode seemed completely caught up in the plants she was pruning and Misty grinned at the level of care she showed to them. The wild blonde shook her head and looked back to her own plants. 'What does it matter anyway? She is who she is.'

oooOOooOOooo

At the end of the period, Miss Goode stood up in front of the class, "The school has decided that since this class could potentially take a little more time than what is allowed during the school day, I will be here Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after school," Misty noted the slight sarcastic tone in the woman's voice but she didn't seem upset that she would have to stay. She dismissed the class and Misty lingered slightly before making her leave as well.

She made it through her study hall period and then left school excitedly. She worked at the local animal clinic on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school so that she didn't have to go home as soon. Working was the only reason that her parents would permit her to be out after school hours. She made the short walk and entered the building.

Misty was greeted warmly by the receptionist, Karen. She was a nice woman and she and Misty talked a lot. The wild blonde made her way to the back and put her bag down before coming back out to get to work.

oooOOooOOooo

She finally made it home and found the house empty. There was a note on the refrigerator that said her parents had gone out for the night. She shrugged and made herself dinner before sitting down to do the homework she hadn't completed in study hall. She finished about an hour later and picked her phone up to see a text from Zoe, 'Do you want a ride to school tomorrow? It's supposed to be storming pretty hard.' Misty grinned at the thoughtfulness.

'Yeah. Thanks, Zo. I owe you one.' She sent the text and got an immediate reply.

'No you don't. You're on my route anyway, Mist.'

oooOOooOOooo

Misty made it through her day and made her way out to the greenhouse. She entered the quiet building and walked over to the plants she had been working with the entire week. She heard the door open and looked up to see Miss Goode walk in. She smiled warmly at the girl before making her way to a station to place her bag down.

"Looks like it's just you," Misty turned to her.

"I can go if ya'd rather go home. Ya don't have ta stay just for me," The woman shook her head.

"No, Misty. Stay. I have to be here whether you are or not. This way I won't be so alone," The girl nodded and grinned over at the woman before turning back to the plant in front of her, "So, Misty. If you don't mind me asking, where are you from? I just noticed your accent and it's different than what you hear normally around here."

Misty turned and nodded at her, "I don't mind. My parents lived in this tiny community near the swamps when I was little and they both have the accent too. I picked it up when I started talkin' and then when we moved it just never went away," Miss Goode nodded, "I mean I can talk properly when it's needed. It's just easier not havin' ta think about it."

"I'm sure," The girl nodded and turned her back to the teacher again. She heard the woman approach and could feel her behind her as she looked over her shoulder, "You have a knack for this," Misty looked up at the woman who was standing above her.

"Yeah. I spend a lot of time with plants and animals," The teacher nodded and took a seat near the girl to tend to another plant that was on the same station, "I have a garden at home that I tend ta when I can get… time," The woman looked over to her strangely when she stumbled over her words but Misty was too busy staring intently at the plant before her. She furrowed her eyebrows but shook her head and looked away from the wild blonde.

"Well. I love greenhouses. They're always so warm and inviting. I can always fully relax," Misty nodded over to the woman.

"I know exactly what ya mean, Miss Goode," The blonde smiled warmly at her and looked back down. Misty watched her for a moment. 'Gosh. She's gorgeous. This is not good.' She shook her head and looked back down to her plant.

oooOOooOOooo

Misty looked down at her notebook and sighed. She'd read all of her assigned chapters for the week and didn't feel like working ahead. She closed her book and put it in her bag before standing and leaving to head for the greenhouse. She entered and looked around and only stepped into the room when she didn't see anyone else.

"Misty?" The girl jumped and turned at the voice and saw Miss Goode there with an amused look on her face and a potted plant in her hands, "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's okay. I didn't know anyone else was out here is all," The woman nodded.

"I was in the back. What are you doing out here?"

"Umm. I didn't feel like studyin'?" The woman grinned lightly at her, "Sorry. I know technically I'm not supposed ta be out here," The teacher shook her head.

"I won't tell if you don't," The girl nodded her thanks and smiled widely at the woman.

"Thanks, Miss Goode," The woman just nodded to her.

oooOOooOOooo

Misty stood when school ended and put everything away. She looked up and caught the woman's gaze, "Thanks again."

"It's fine, Misty. I don't mind my students being out here when they want to be," The girl nodded, "Headed home?" She looked up and looked shocked at herself, "I'm sorry. That was intrusive of me."

Misty just laughed, "Nah. It's fine. I'm actually headed ta the animal clinic. I work there on Tuesdays and Thursdays," The teacher looked up at her.

"Is that what you meant when you said you liked animals?"

"Sorta. I used ta bring wild animals home and at one point it got ta be a little much when my dad found a baby gator in my bedroom," Miss Goode's eyes went wide, "Yeah. He didn't like it either. They won't let me have animals so I do this," She nodded in understanding.

"Well. Goodbye, Misty. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Miss Goode."