TORI'S POV
I look at my phone to check the time and see that it's already 7:20. Ugh I knew I shouldn't have let Trina drag me into the mess with her boss. I'm rushing around trying to get my outfit put together before I start getting ready when my phone goes off.
"Hello?" I say while still running around trying to get ready.
"Hey chica." I can hear André smiling through the phone which makes me smile.
"Hey Andre."
"Are you okay cause you sound like you're being chased by a serial killer."
"I'm not being axe murdered just trying to get ready before eight." I say pausing to look under my bed for my heels.
"Ohh I see Tori's got a date." Andre practically sings sounding like an eight-year-old.
"What? No I don't I'm going to a concert with J- umm some friends." I say quickly hoping he wouldn't hear my slip up.
He did.
"Tor how long have we known each other?" He asks and I can already tell what's coming.
"Since high school." I sigh back already given up on attempting to get anything done during this conversation.
"Exactly you weren't able to lie back then and you still can't lie now. So why don't you tell me who you're going to concert with and why you think you have to lie to me about it."
Crap, I hate lying to anyone about anything but I especially hate lying to Andre. Should I tell him? I mean him and I have been friends since high school, and we've always told each other the truth without any judgment.
"If I tell you, you have to promise to not over react." I say quietly already freaking out over how he will react.
"Come on Tor you know you can tell me anything."
"Just promise me you won't freak out okay?"
"I promise I won't freak out, now tell me what's up."
I sigh before answering. "I'm going to a concert with Jade and some of her friends." I say in one breath hoping he understood me because I don't think I can say it again out loud.
"Wait you're going to a concert with who?"
"Jade." I say barely above a whisper.
"I'm sorry did you just say Jade? As in Jade West one of your students!" He practically shouts.
I wince; I knew I shouldn't have told him! Andre is a cool guy but even he knows that I shouldn't be doing what I'm doing.
"Yeah that Jade West." I say trying to keep the uncertainty out of my voice. Maybe If I stay calm and act like it's not a big deal he'll calm down.
"Are you crazy Tori? You can't just hang out with your students on the weekends it's against school rules! I mean come on we had to sit through that two-hour long seminar about the seriousness of maintaining healthy student teacher relationships; and this Tori, isn't healthy."
"I know I know okay! I know that this goes against all of the rules we were taught and I could get in serious trouble if the school found okay I know!" I say practically screaming.
"Then why are you doing it Tor? You realize you're risking everything here right? Why are you risking everything you worked so hard for?" his voice changes and I can tell he's trying to calm me down.
"I don't know Andre; I guess… I guess I just want to be there for her you know? Girls like her are the reason I wanted to become a teacher in the first place. She puts on this act at school but I can tell that's not who she really is. She is so smart but none of her other teachers would look past the front she puts up long enough to see just how amazing she really is. I look at her and I see part of myself, I just want to be there for her Andre as her teacher and as her friend. I know it's against school rules but no one else has given this girl a chance to be something more, and I want to be there for to help her learn and grow and let her know that I actually care about her and what she thinks and what she is capable of doing." I sigh, feeling like a weight has just been lifted off of my chest, even though I know Andre doesn't approve it feels good to not hide this from him anymore.
"Tor I get it, I really do; I understand that you're just trying to do what you think is right for that girl and that your heart is in the right place. Hell I think there should be more teachers like you who care enough about the students to be there for them the way you are but you have to be careful. Not everyone is going to understand why you're having such a close relationship with her, I know that nothing is going to happen between you two but you have to understand the way it would look to other people seeing a teacher spend time with her student outside of school on a weekend. Especially a student like Jade West."
"What do you mean a student like Jade West?" I ask sounding way more defensive then I meant to.
"You know what I mean Tor, I'm not judging her but the girl doesn't have the best reputation. She's part of the reason we had to have that two-hour long seminar about student teacher relationships!"
I start pacing trying to keep myself calm, I hate when people assume who a person is just because of their reputation or what they have done in the past.
"I know that she has a bad rap around the school but that isn't who she really is. I've seen the real Jade West and it isn't who she pretends to be, the girl who has gotten suspended for almost everything under the sun is just an act. She is so much more than the person she pretends to be Andre."
"Okay Tor if that's what you think then I believe you, but you still have to be careful. Even if she is a different person than who she pretends to be no one else knows that, when people see you and her spending more and more time together they aren't gonna know why you're really doing it or what you guys are really doing; all they're gonna see is Jade West with the hot new teacher at school and you don't want that."
I sigh; I know he's right I know that if people see us together they are going to think the worst.
"I know that, I know when people see us together all they're going to think is that it's just Jade West being Jade West; and I'm just the stupid teacher dumb enough to fall for it. But I don't care what people think, I know the truth and that's all that matters to me as long as I'm helping her."
I look over at the clock and see that its already 7:45. Crap!
"Andre I really want to finish this conversation with you but Jade is picking me up at 8 and I still have to get ready." I shout as I grab my clothes and sprint to the bathroom.
"Okay, just remember what I said! Be careful."
"I will I promise, I gotta go I'll call you tomorrow." I say hanging up before he can respond.
I rush to get my clothes on so I can start on my make-up and hopefully have time to finish it before Jade gets here, I really don't want to have to keep her waiting.
I'm putting on my mascara when I start to think about what Andre said about Jade.
"I know Jade is very flirty but that's just how she is, she's like that with everyone." I say out loud.
I try and concentrate on finishing my make-up but all I can think about it Andre's warning to be careful around Jade. I trust Jade and I know that nothing would ever happen between her and I, but maybe her flirting isn't just innocent.
If that's true, then I certainly shouldn't be going out with her tonight. I should call Jade and tell her that I can't go with her tonight, that it's too inappropriate, that I'm her teacher and she is my student and that is it. But I don't, I continue doing my make-up, if anything I'm putting in more effort than before.
"God what am I doing?" I ask out loud not expecting an answer but one would be nice.
This is crazy I'm trying to look good for a student! A female student at that! I start to panic, why the hell am I trying to look nice for my student? Especially a student like Jade West. Oh god I sound just like Andre.
I look at myself in the mirror as if my reflection is going to magically start talking and give me an answer as to why I'm acting this way.
Since when do I care whether or not I look nice for Jade, or whether or not she thinks I look nice? I continue to panic for the next ten minutes before I finally begin to calm myself down.
I'm over reacting, she probably doesn't even think of me in that way.
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and start laughing at myself. Oh god I can't believe I let Andre make me believe that Jade likes me like that! I let myself get worked up over nothing, Jade doesn't think of me in any other way than as her teacher and hopefully as her friend. And even though I'm a 23-year-old grown woman I still need people to like me, especially the friends of my friends.
I smile finally calm after my little freak out, I finish my make-up just as Jade texts me telling me she's outside. I take one more look at myself in the mirror before grabbing my purse and heading out the door.
