Chapter 3

She looked up to see John's uncle coming out of Principal Doyle's office.
A little part of her mind contemplated the older man before her, silver hair but lean and fit. The family resemblance was undeniable.
The bigger part trembled. She knew he was in the Air Force, what would he do to her? She tended to forget that John was a teen because he acted so much older but the rest of the world didn't see it like that. They only saw a teacher taking advantage of an under aged student.
"Hi, I'm Jack O'Neill, John's uncle."
He seemed friendly, offered her his hand.
John had told her she could relax regarding Jack but it was one thing to hear it and another to get a friendly greeting after hearing from everybody else what a disgusting pedophile she was.
She shook his hand and felt a little better.
What would happen now, what would she do, what would John do?
"So, I think we three will have to have a little talk."

In the end they landed at Jack's.
Patty didn't want to go home and be assaulted by angry parents or contacted by her disappointed family and friends.
John's was the next place they would think her to be so that was out, too.
Jack's house felt homey and with Patty seeing the destruction that was her life it helped to make her feel at least a bit better.
She felt even more better after she drank a bit of the Irish coffee Jack made her, heavy on the Irish.
Before she was even able to sort her thoughts in any kind of resemblance he had already everything under control with just one phone call.

"Carter, it's me. I need a check on Patricia Keener, currently employed at the Colorado Springs High School as math teacher. She needs a new job, not in a High School. Doesn't have to be a school at all, look at what she qualifies for and make a list.
And Carter?
She's out for having an affair with a student, so everybody who will not take her knowing this can be kept of the list."
A short moment of silence on the other side. "The student, we are talking of John, Sir?"
"Yes, it's John."
"On it, Sir."

And that was it.
Instead of having to search for what she could do and who would take her despite what was now known somebody else would do this work for her, with just one little phone call from Jack.
Next was a call to make sure somebody would drive John's motorcycle and her Volkswagen Beetle here to his house before somebody got the great idea to vandalize them on the school parking lot. She hadn't even thought of that when she got in the truck, just happy that she didn't have to drive herself in her state of mind.
Before she had even time to think he managed her future employment, her car and had food delivered with an effectiveness that was nearly scary, and reminded her of John.
All that was missing was their planned talk. She had a feeling she would need that pizza.