August 1-3
Connor stood in his new classroom he was really nervous he had set up a parent teacher conference so he could meet all his new students. He had recently moved to Georgia from Boston. He loved working with young kids, helping them grow into great adults.
Connor, nervously fumbled with his tie, he hated waiting he was so nervous, to be here. His friend Shane, told him about the job after Connor told him he needed a change. Shane thought it would be a good change for him to change his pace, to get out of the crowded noisy city to a warm sunny, quiet town….so far Connor liked it. The only thing that worried him was his "alternative life style"- he was openly gay and it was never a big problem in Boston, but he had a feeling people around here would not be so open to it.
Connor turned when he heard the sound of little feet coming into his classroom. "Hi there" Connor smiles squatting down coming eye to eye with a little girl with eyes as blue as the sky, and hair that was wild. "Hi my name is Mr. MacManus, what's your name?" he asked.
He was surprised when the little girl grabbed his hand and shook it "Charlie Dixon" she says looking back at the lady that was with her.
"Charlie Dixon it's so very nice to meet you" he said standing up, facing that woman that had brought her in shaking her hand. "Hi Mr. MacManus I'm Carol" the woman says.
"Very nice to meet you, you and Charlie feel free to look around." Connor tells her.
"Charlie if you want you can see if you can find your seat, your name is on your desk." He says looking back at Charlie.
"Otay" she says, he could tell she was very excited.
"She loves school, she is so excited to start."
"That's great I like hearing when students like school."
"Mr. Manus" he hears, Charlie say his name, he turns to see Charlie looking at the tank in the back of the classroom.
"Yes Charlie?" he says smiling making his way back to the back of the classroom.
"You have a turtle?" she asked smiling up at him.
"His name is Murphy, he is the class's turtle, which means that we will all take turns feeding him every day." Connor tells her.
"I get to feed him?" She asked, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Yes you do when it's your day to feed him" Connor answers her showing her the food and the calendar of who got to feed him on which day, showing her, her name.
"Did you find your seat Charlie?" Connor asked.
"Yeah" she answers going to her seat.
Connor was taken by surprise, how forward the southern people were as Carol asked him if he had a wife or a girlfriend. "Um no" Connor smiles thanking God that the other students and parents started coming in. Connor spent the next three hours, meeting his students and their parents, every child that came in all seemed to like the thought of being able to feed the turtle. He would have to call his twin and tell him how popular he was.
After the last child had left, he cleaned his classroom and decided to go to the store to finish getting supplies he needed, and he had been invited over to Shane's house for dinner which he was very thankful for ….he didn't feel like cooking tonight. He packed up his bag, and shut off the lights and left the school, he had rode his bike, but he would need his car, so he could get stuff he needed. Before getting on the bike he called Shane to see what time he wanted him there.
"Hey Shane"
"Hey Conn, how are ya?"
"Good, what time do you and Andrea want me there" he asked.
"Next 20 minutes" Shane answered.
"Damn, okay I can go to the store after."
"Or you can pick up beer and go tomorrow," Shane suggested.
"Or I can do that see ya in a few" Connor laughed hanging up his phone. He climbs on his bike and heads to his house parking his bike and getting his car, heading to the store to get beer. He was greeted by Andrea when he came through the door. "Hey there preggo how are ya?" Connor smiled kissing her cheek, giving her the flowers he had picked up for her.
"Aww such and Irish gentleman….I am good about to bust but good" She smiled.
"Where's that hardheaded husband of yours?" Connor asked putting the beer into the fridge.
"In the back yard, he's got the grill going" she says handing him the steaks to take out with him. Connor took the steaks and two beers and headed to the back yard. "Hey brother" Shane says takin the steaks from him laying them on the grill. "Hey brah'der" Connor answers opening both beers "here" Connor says handing Shane his beer.
"So how did your conference go?" Shane asked closing the lid on the grill.
"Good, all the kids seem to really like the turtle" Connor answers going to the table and chairs.
"Murph will love that" Shane laughs.
"So have you met anybody yet?" Andrea asked coming out to sit with them.
"Yeah, I went to the local gay club up the dirt road there" Connor laughed.
"Smartass" Andrea laughed.
"Sorry." "No I aint met anyone, let me tell ya it was much easier to spot other gay men in Boston…..I don't think there are any other gay men around here"
"Yes there is… you just don't know where to look" Shane says causing the other two to look at him with a bit of surprise.
"How the hell would you know how easy it is to find gay men?" Andrea asked making Connor laugh. "Yeah….are you uh trying to tell us something here Shane?" Connor asked.
"Oh shut the hell up the both of ya…no I just say that there is gay men here, hell Braxton you know the fire fighter, he's gay" Shane tells them.
"What….mm did you say fire fighter?" Connor says.
"Looks like you have piqued his interest there Shane" Andrea laughed.
"Is he single …..and is he a bottom or a top?" Connor asked knowing that it would embarrass Shane.
"I think he's single…..and don't know what the fuck that means …it's probably a sex thing and I don't want to know" Shane says throwing his hands up. Connor laughed at how fast Shane's face got red "well it's nice to know I'm not the only gay man in town" Connor smiles.
"Shane how about you talk to Braxton, see if he would like to come over for dinner, you guys are friends right?" Andrea asked.
"Yeah we are" Shane answers.
"Yeah how about you do that" Connor says smiling at him getting up and going to the grill, to check the steaks. They were done, he puts them on their plates as Shane joins him to help him with the food.
The three eat their dinner and the men drink a few more beers before Connor deciding that he had, had enough. "Okay you two I have to get home, I have to go shopping get some more stuff for my classroom." Connor says hugging Shane and kissing Andrea on the cheek. "Set up that date with the firefighter" Connor yelled back at them as he made his way to his car. He really wasn't looking for a relationship but it had been a long time since he had, had any fun. Connor finally gets home and gets to bed a little more excited about the decision to move.
August 2nd
Connor got up and jumped in the shower, after getting dried and dressed he decided to call his brother. "So the kids love the turtle, I have in my classroom….his name is Murphy" he laughed
"It's all in a name brah'der" his brother laughed.
"Well I just wanted to tell you how popular you was, but I got to go but we will talk later" Connor says.
"Sure thing I'm glad they like me" Murphy laughed.
Connor hangs up his phone, and goes to the kitchen, cooking him some eggs. He eats his eggs as he looks at his roster again trying to recall faces with the names. Most he remembered but not as much as he the little blue eyed girl Charlie Dixon, he could tell that she had a wild streak he could see it in her eyes.
He studies his roster a bit longer, before deciding it was time to go to the store. He picks up his wallet and heads out to his car. Connor pulls into the parking lot of the store and gets out his car, he had also decided to pick up Andrea and Shane something for their baby girl that should be coming any day now.
Connor goes into the store, first heading to get the household items he needed. He picked up, bleach, and laundry detergent, and dish washing liquid. He then pulled his list of what else he needed for his classroom out of his pocket. He makes his way to the art supplies. He still needed paint and pipe cleaners and other stuff he needed for a few of the art projects he wanted to do with the kids.
As he walked to the aisle, he spots a very very handsome man looking at pencils. Connor chuckled to himself as he watched the man who looked like he was debating between pink and purple pencils. Connor grinned to himself telling himself to calm down because there was no way a man like that was gay….hell he was the type of man that would have very strong negative opinions on being gay.
Connor put his paint and pipe cleaners in his cart and headed back to the baby clothes. He was debating on what outfit to buy when he felt little hands on his leg. "Mr. Manus" he heard the bright voice of the blue eyed girl that was in his class.
"Hi Charlie" he smiles squatting down so he was face to face with her.
"Look at my bagpag" she squealed turning around showing him her backpack.
"That is great Charlie" he smiled as she turns back around.
"Do I get to feed Murphy morrow?" She asked.
"I'm not sure we will have to check tomorrow in school okay?" he smiled at her.
"Otay" she says running to the side of the cart where the same woman who brought her in to school the day before.
"Sorry, she seen you and she wanted to show you her backpack" Carol says.
"Oh that's okay, you guys can talk to me any time you see me." He smiles.
"Okay, well we will let you get back to your shopping" Carol says.
"I'll see you tomorrow at school Charlie" Connor says waving at her.
"See you morrow" she smiles.
Connor watched as they go down another aisle, Charlie talking the whole way. Connor turned back to this outfits finally deciding on a cute little pink onesie that said something about having the best uncle. As he headed to the checkout aisle he called Shane and Andrea inviting them over for dinner, he said he would pick up something….anything they wanted. Shane wanted tacos, and Andrea wanted Chinese she had been craving it Shane tells Connor. Connor got of his phone and paid for his stuff. He got into his car his mind wandering back to the handsome guy picking out pencils…..he shakes his head trying to get him out of it. He starts his car and heads to the restaurants and got the food and headed home. Shane and Andrea were already there, he got his stuff out of the car and headed in.
"Honey I'm home" he says as he comes through the door, Shane and Andrea coming into the kitchen.
Oh my God that smells so good." Andrea says taking the takeout box from Connor.
"My niece is gonna have a good taste in food" Connor grinned handing her the present "here I got her this today" he says.
"Let me tell ya my baby girl is gonna never go naked with her uncle Conn, buying her clothes every time he goes to the store."
"Hey gotta make sure I'm the favorite uncle" Conner smiled.
"Trust me uncle Conn you will not have to worry you will be her favorite everything" Andrea laughed sitting down at the table. They all sit down at the kitchen table and eat their food, Shane telling him he had talked to the fire fighter and he was in fact single and he was coming over to the house for a cookout that weekend.
"Oh I can't wait to meet him….it's been way too damn long" Connor smiles at him.
"Far too much information brother" Shane says.
"Really I have heard you two going at it" Connor says.
"Oh trust me you are not the quietest one during sex" Shane tells him.
"Hush the both of ya" Andrea says between bites of her food. "So are you ready for school to start?" Andrea asked.
"Yeah can't wait to get back at it" Connor answers.
"Well we should get out of your hair, so you can get ready for work…..thanks for dinner." Shane says taking his and Andrea's plate to the sink.
"Yeah I guess I'll see you this weekend, do you need me to bring anything?" Connor asked.
"Just the usual" Shane answers.
"Beer it is."
Shane and Andrea get up and head to the door, Connor walks them out their car "see ya this weekend" Connor says.
"Thanks for the outfit I'll add to the 100 that you have already got her" Andrea laughs.
Connor laughs as he made his way back in his house, he does the dishes and gets his bag ready, he couldn't believe he was nervous about school starting the next day he felt like he did when he was in high school.
Connor tried to shake his nerves as he climbed into bed. It didn't take long until his mind wandered back to the guy in the store…secretly praying that he was the Braxton that Shane was talking about, Connor could see him as a fire fighter. And that was exactly what he saw as he fell asleep, the guys from the store in a fire fighter outfit….barely in a fire fighter outfit.
August 3rd
The next morning Connor reluctantly woke up to the sound of his alarm clock….he rolled over looking at his clock five in the morning….yep back to this he thought pulling himself out of bed. He stumbled into the kitchen turning his coffee pot on heading to the bathroom, he stood looking at himself in the mirror, he looked like hell, he brushed his teeth, and washed his face running his fingers through his hair.
He went back into the kitchen and drank his first cup of coffee of the day, gathering up his stuff he would need for his class, he heads into his bedroom grabbing a pair of slacks out of his closet throwing them on, along with a white button up shirt and a bowtie, digging around finally finding his suspenders, he fights with them but finally gets the on.
He checks his watch after slipping it on, it was almost time for him to leave, he goes back into the kitchen pouring the rest of his coffee into a travel mug he grabs his stuff and heads for the door.
He pulls into the parking lot of the school, and heads in greeting his fellow teacher and the principle who wished him good luck on his first day.
Connor goes to his classroom, putting the stuff away that he had bought, he gets his coffee and drinks more of it until he hears the sounds of children coming into the school, he smiles putting his coffee on his desk before going out to the hallway greeting his class.
"Do I get to feed Murphy" the blue eyed little girl asked as she came through the door.
"Let's go check Charlie" Connor smiles following her into the classroom.