By the start of the next week, Charlotte's pursuit of Becky hadn't left the circle of people who promised to keep the topic to themselves. If anything, it was business as usual when Monday came around.
After a few weeks of being able to sleep as late as she wanted, Alexa Bliss could barely get herself out of bed to get up before seven in the morning. She silenced her phone alarm and slipped out from under the covers without waking Dean. Her dreariness hadn't settled in until she tried assembling a quick breakfast that would hopefully hold her over for the beginning of her busy day. Alexa rubbed her tired eyes with her fingertips, yawning, and chuckling to herself; Her excitement for the day was far more powerful than how tired she felt.
Today was Alexa's first day in student-teaching. After three years of schoolwork and tests and long nights studying, it was her turn to judge and grade students based on their ability to do just that. Of course, it wasn't exactly like that at all. Though it was her first day and Alexa was nervous about starting, she was beyond thrilled about pursuing her dream nevertheless.
Alexa finished the rest of her bagel while she started the shower. After a quick cleanse, she put on a fuchsia button-down shirt and a black suit jacket over the top, with a pair of black dress pants completing the ensemble. Alexa tied her brunette hair in a tight bun on the back of her head. She took a deep breath, staring herself in the eye through the mirror. She smiled, fighting nerves but feeling fulfilled she finally got to officially start her journey in teaching.
"Wow..." Alexa heard her fiancee from the door to the bathroom. She peeked over her shoulder, then smiled bashfully at the soft look in the boy's eyes.
"How do I look?" Alexa asked, smoothing her hands over her jacket.
Dean, with a soft smirk, scanned his eyes slowly over Alexa's anatomy several times without saying anything. Alexa knew her boyfriend was just checking her out, but her anxiety crept up on her when he didn't answer right away.
"Babe?" Alexa said with a breathy chuckle.
Dean blinked. "Sorry," he muttered. "I was thinking about somethin'."
Alexa approached her fiancee. "Yeah? What's that?" She asked, sliding her hands over Dean's shoulders and kissing his cheek.
Dean shrugged. "Our future. Stupid lame shit, as usual." He said, trying to play off how proud he felt in Alexa.
"Tell me," Alexa insisted with a smile.
"I'm just so proud of you," Dean said, bringing his girl closer to his person. "All the stuff you've been through, and you're still going after your dream. You look incredible, by the way. Not just because you look amazing in these clothes, but you're literally glowing. I can tell you're excited, and I'm excited for you. I know you'll kick ass today."
Alexa's lips parted, her teeth showing a little with a grin. "I love you," she cooed. "Thank you for having my back this last year. I know you still get down on yourself, but I really wouldn't have made it this far without you. You saved my life, Dean. I know you know that."
Dean nodded. "Yeah, and it still freaks me out to picture what things would be like without you constantly on my ass about showering and eating my greens." He quipped, baiting a tiny giggle from his girlfriend.
"You'd have an iron deficiency and probably look like Pig-Pen," Alexa teased.
"You're not far off, babe," Dean figured.
Alexa narrowed her eyes, her smile growing a little. She said, "Come on. I know you wanna make some comment about how my butt looks or something."
"I was going to refrain from that today so you don't accidentally swear in front of the children," Dean returned.
Alexa laughed, then stopped gradually. "Oh shit, I hope I don't actually do that." She said.
"That would be bad, babe," Dean pecked his girl between the eyes. "So what is your mission today?" He asked.
"I am helping Ms. Tessmacher's third-grade class this semester at P.T. Barnum," Alexa told, taking Dean's hands in hers as she spoke. "I'm meeting with her early to go over the lesson plan for the day and anything else she'll need to tell me."
"Dude, I'm nervous and I'm not even the one teaching," Dean said.
Alexa nodded as she began speaking. "It's different than teaching Kindergarten, but part of my degree requires me to teach one semester of K-through-three, then a semester of four-through-six. I've heard third grade is pretty laid back compared to the earlier grades, but they have to learn typing, and cursive, and things like that."
Dean looked his woman directly in the eyes, offering a gentle smirk. "You'll do great," he assured. "You were born to be the prettiest teacher in the school district. All those other teachers are gonna be so jealous that a college student is a thousand times the teacher they are."
"Thanks, baby," Alexa cooed, pecking Dean on the lips. "You're gonna pick me up for lunch, right?"
"Of course," Dean confirmed. "We'll eat. You'll tell me how the first day is going. I'll try not to stare at your boobies."
"Aha!" Alexa exclaimed. "I knew you were gonna say something about what I'm wearing."
"I'm sorry, Miss Alexa, but I think I need detention with you so you can punish me in private," Dean said.
Alexa rolled her eyes. "You are lucky you're the love of my life."
"I know," Dean casually shot back, before wrapping Alexa in a hug.
Dean often wished he was better at expressing his feelings with words. He knew today was huge for Alexa and she was insanely excited to start her teaching career, but he felt like he wasn't showing her enough praise with just his words alone. Dean had already been trying to think of a way to celebrate Alexa's first day as a student-teacher, he just couldn't decide what that entailed. He figured surprising her with her favorite lunch and maybe a mini-cake from Nitros would be up to standard for his future wife's big day.
"I love you," Alexa said with a kiss. She started for the door, speaking over her shoulder as she went. "I will see you later. I'll text you when I'm ready to be picked up for lunch, ok?"
Dean grinned. "Hey, babe?" He called after his wife.
Alexa paused at the door. "Yeah?" She asked.
"I love you so much and I'm proud of you," Dean said.
Alexa smiled brightly. "I love you too, Dean. Maybe you can pick something up for supper later?"
"Well, that makes my plan a little easier," Dean thought. "Sounds good, baby," he said out loud.
Alexa blew her beloved a kiss and left the apartment. Dean, scratching his head tiredly, headed back to his bedroom to try and fall back asleep.
Alexa pulled into a parking spot outside P.T. Barnum Elementary. When she killed the engine, the realization of the situation finally hit her: She was about to experience her first day teaching a classroom full of students. There had been days where she did observations, and she'd interacted with students plenty of times, but nothing to this level yet. Everything in her college career was based solely on this moment. Someday, she'd have her first day as a full-time teacher, but for now, this was the pinnacle of everything Alexa had worked for in the past four or so years.
Alexa made eye contact with herself in the rearview mirror. She smiled at herself, then, with a quick deep breath to settle her nerves, stepped out of her dad's pickup, and headed for the front entrance of the school.
Barnum Elementary wasn't unfamiliar territory for Alexa, but she hadn't seen much more than the Kindergarten classroom. If this wasn't her very first day, she'd probably just look for the classroom on her own, but she stopped by the front office to sign-in just so security wasn't wondering who the strange brunette woman was wandering the halls looking for a specific classroom.
"Good morning, sweetie," the older woman sitting behind the front desk greeted Alexa with a soft smile; Alexa quickly read the nameplate on her desk: "Vickie Guerrero". "What can I do for you?" Vickie asked.
"I'm Alexa Bliss; I'm here from Stamford University for Ms. Tessmacher," Alexa told in an upbeat and joyful tone.
"Oh, wonderful!" Said Vickie, excitedly, as she typed at her computer's keyboard. "Ms. Tessmacher should be in her classroom. I will send her a quick memo to let her know you're on the way. Do you know where her room is?"
Alexa shook her head before responding. "Not really. I know my way around here, but I'm not sure which way the third-grade classrooms are."
"Sure, no problem," Vickie pointed towards one side of the school. "Grades K-through-Two are on the West side of the building..." Vickie pointed in the other direction. "Three-through-five are on the East side. Miss Tessmacher's room will be at the end of the second hallway. If you walk out into the parking lot, you went too far."
"Thank you so much," Alexa said goodbye with a smile and took the directions to the appropriate part of the school.
Alexa found navigating the school a little easier than she did the last time she was there. She came upon an open area leading into three different hallways; Two to her right and one straight ahead. Alexa felt a little childish having to read the hand-written in crayon labels hanging from the ceiling, but she chuckled to herself when it was clear that a student wrote it.
Each classroom had a sign taped to the door with the teacher's name. Alexa followed the hall until she reached the end. To give her a better idea that she was in the right place, the student-written "Ms. Tessmacher" construction paper sign confirmed she'd arrived at the correct classroom.
Alexa rapped her knuckles against the door as she stepped into the room for the first time. She glanced around the room, taking a quick survey of everything. The front of the room had twin dry-erase boards with pull-down maps suspended above them. Instead of desks, the student seating was long black tables; Each table had two name tags taped to the surface. The teacher's desk sat against the back wall next to a bookcase full of children's books. It was a typical looking classroom, but Alexa didn't spot the teacher herself during her survey of the scene.
"Hello?" Alexa called out.
"I'm here!" A voice called out from the back of the room. Slowly, a middle-aged woman stood up from behind her desk with a cup of coffee and a partially eaten breakfast sandwich in her hands.
"Are you Ms. Tessmacher?" Alexa asked, walking up to the desk.
"I sure am!" Ms. Tessmacher confirmed, her tone upbeat but with hints of sarcasm. "Sorry about that. I was getting caught up on my shows before class started."
Alexa glanced behind the desk; There was a beanbag chair and a laptop tucked away in the corner, meaning whoever was sitting in it would be unseen by anyone casually looking into the room.
"That's actually pretty cool," Alexa said. "Do you sit back there so people think you're not here?"
"Usually, no. I like to feel a little relaxed before class starts," Ms. Tessmacher explained. "But, it is a good way to avoid having to hold a conversation before I've had my morning coffee."
"I like it," Alexa said with a laugh.
"How can I help you this morning?" Ms. Tessmacher asked, taking a seat in her desk chair.
"I'm Alexa Bliss, your student-teacher from SU," Alexa revealed.
Ms. Tessmacher nodded slowly, a sudden guilty look overcoming her face. "Ah. I've just told teaching's future that I like to hide from students and faculty. That's wonderful." She said.
"No, I know exactly how you feel," Alexa said. "I'm a total jerk to my fiancee until I've had coffee."
"Well, I'm glad we're off to a good start then," Ms. Tessmacher chuckled. "You'd think I'd have my shit together after twenty years of this. That's what they told me back then, anyway."
"Twenty years? Are you serious?" Alexa asked. "I seriously wouldn't have guessed you were much older than me."
"Ok. I'll put 'liar' next to 'coffee drinker' and 'punctual' in my review of you today," Ms. Tessmacher joked.
Alexa laughed. "Seriously. I would've guessed thirty-five at the oldest."
"I turn forty-seven in December," Ms. Tessmacher said.
Alexa nodded. "Oh, wow. I never would've guessed." She said.
"Well, I appreciate that, Alexa. But kissing ass does not get you extra points," Ms. Tessmacher said light-heartedly.
Alexa smiled and nodded. "Of course. I'm very excited about today."
"To be honest, I was a little skeptical about you when SU told us they were sending over a student-teacher to work with me instead of sending her over to Frank Alvin Gotch Elementary," Ms. Tessmacher explained. "The last girl they sent here from SU wore track pants and a hoodie her first day."
"Oh, wow," Alexa said. "What happened to her?"
"She teaches second grade here," Ms. Tessmacher said.
Alexa furrowed her brow, mildly concerned about the news. "Oh..." She muttered.
"Thank you for dressing professionally," Ms. Tessmacher continued. "Presentation goes a long way with students as they grow and develop. If you show up dressed like a sorority girl, these kids will look at you more as a babysitter than someone trying to teach them. But if you try to push them too hard, they won't work to the best of their abilities. That's why I'm the only teacher in the district that doesn't do testing on Fridays. Everything gets done by Thursday, then we have something I like to call 'Half-day Fridays'. Basically, I come up with some kind of theme for the end of the week. Usually, it's 'pajama day' or we'll watch a movie the kids choose. The first part of the day, we'll do some classwork, then after recess, we watch a movie or play some kind of game."
"Does that work well with them?" Alexa asked.
Ms. Tessmacher nodded. "No student of mine has scored lower than seventy percent in standardized testing since I started doing it." She said.
"That's incredible," Alexa praised. "Why doesn't every teacher try doing that? It sounds foolproof."
"I've gotten shit from teachers and parents for years because of it," Ms. Tessmacher sighed. "It's 'unprofessional behavior' to order pizza for the students more than once per semester. Nothing I can do about it though. How about we go through the lesson plan and get you an idea of what to expect this semester?"
Alexa smiled warmly. "Let's do it." She said.
Since his beautiful bride-to-be was occupied with pursuing her future in teaching, Dean Ambrose wasn't sure what to do with himself. He went to class like he was supposed to do since he was in college now; The only thing that could keep his attention for more than a few moments was Professor Rogeau's class. Between that and following a light workout recommended by Sandow to help build the strength in his knee, Dean wasn't sure where to go to help kill some time until he met with Alexa for lunch.
Walking aimlessly through the quad, Dean texted Roman and Seth.
What are you fuckers up to? -D
Class... -R
I'm two minutes from walking into class -S
Prudes. Do you wanna ditch and come hang out? -D
It's the second week of classes. How are you skipping already? -S
I'm done for the morning. I'm just bored -D
Sucks to suck, bro -S
Fuck you. Maybe we can hit up Roadie's later? -D
Sure -R
Yeah, that sounds cool -S
Dean tucked his phone away. With nothing else to occupy his always active mind, SU's residential 'concussion artist' made his way across campus to a place he figured had to have some kind of excitement going on. Taking the steps two at a time, Dean let himself into House BPO. Bootiesworth wasn't waiting for him as he would've during a party, but Dean wasn't really expecting the silent butler to be there anyway.
Dean wandered into the kitchen. Luke Harper, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, and Chad Gable were sitting around the kitchen island; Curtis Axel was sitting at the table with Darren Young, while Kevin and Sami were standing near the island talking to the others.
"Well, look who it is," Kevin said, taking the room's focus to the arriving Ambrose. "So you are good enough to hang out here when we don't have a meeting."
Dean shrugged. "Figured I should liven up the party a little."
Sami popped the top on a fresh beer and handed it to Dean. Despite it barely being ten AM, Dean accepted the beverage.
"So what's new?" Dean asked the room.
"Just talking about the rush event this Thursday," Kevin spoke.
Dean nodded. "That's the big recruiting party, right?"
"You're smarter than you look, Ambrose," Gallows said with a snicker.
"Yeah, you can get a few more eyes on BPO since you're shit at doing it on your own," Sami chimed in.
Dean smirked. "That's why Christian put me in charge? Instead of y'all with your charming personalities?"
"He's got a point there, hoss," Anderson said with a laugh.
Kevin nodded. "It's pretty important this party does well. More important than the Labor Day party." He said, drinking from his bottle of beer. "I shouldn't have to tell you to attend, but I'm sure 'little miss ZBZ' wants you to bring attention to her house."
Dean shook his head. "All is fair in love and war." He said.
Everyone in the room had a good laugh at that.
"What about you guys?" Dean asked the pair seated at the table. "Anything exciting?"
Axel shrugged. "Not really. You know about as much as I do, man."
"He hasn't been laid in a year," Kevin hassled, baiting a few laughs from the others.
Axel chuckled. "I do alright."
"Really?" Dean asked. "Are you seeing anyone?"
"Uh..." Axel shot a quick side glance to Darren, then nodded his head. "Yeah, I am. Real hotty too."
"Atta kid," Dean said with a chuckle. "Invite me back on your show and we can shoot the shit about our ladies."
Kevin spoke up. "Anyway, back to the party. We can't fuck this up, alright? Fuck, we can't fuck up any party we throw this year. That's why I came up with a theme for this year."
"Dappers and flappers?" Dean asked.
"That's in a few weeks, so no," Kevin said. "I thought of this last night. What's that movie with the black-haired chick walking out of the pool and she takes her top off? It's an iconic scene."
"Fast Times at Ridgemont High," Dean said.
Kevin snapped his fingers. "Yes! I was watching that the other day, and I thought, 'why don't we have a party like that?'"
"Girls with their tits out?" Gable asked.
"I mean, like, swimsuits and shit," Kevin explained. "We have the thing at the lake and we announce a 'swimsuit contest' for it. That'll bring in a lot of attention from everyone."
"Or get us to shut the fuck down," Sami said. "Promoting a party where women show off their bodies in twenty-eighteen will get us our asses kicked before it gets people to come."
"Then you come up with an idea!" Kevin shot back.
"Won't help you get laid any faster if you disrespect women," Sami fired back.
"Jesus," Harper muttered with a chuckle.
"I get plenty, ok?" Kevin said in his defense. "Sami is just mad he has customs or he'll burn in hell."
"None of that is correct, but you further prove my point, Kev. So thank you," Sami said.
"I bet you a hundred dollars I can get laid more than you," Kevin challenged.
"That escalated pretty fast," Sami sarcastically put. "You scared I'm gonna accept that challenge?"
"You know what? Even better," Kevin walked out of the room. A moment later, he returned, wheeling in a giant dry-erase board.
"You just have that sitting around the house?" Dean asked.
Kevin started dividing the board into separate columns. He began writing down names on the board, eventually making it obvious he was listing every active member of BPO currently enrolled at SU.
"Ambrose, help me with your memory shit and tell me if this is everyone," Kevin spat over his shoulder.
Dean read the list of names a few times over before nodding his head. "Yeah, that's everyone." He confirmed.
Kevin faced the room. "Every time we get something, you write it down on the board. The winner gets to plan the 'End of the Year' party."
"Holy fuck!" Anderson exclaimed. "Kev, you're out of your fucking mind."
"All this because I said you can't get laid?" Sami chuckled.
"You're goddamn right, you fuck," Kevin shot back. "Sex is worth five points. Blowjobs are..."
"Three points," Dean said. "Handies count as one."
Kevin started writing down the scoring rules on the board. "In a bed doesn't count for anything. Someone else's bed gives you an extra point; In a car is 'plus three'."
"Public should be ten," Gallows added. "Outside should be five, but in the woods or some shit like that."
Kevin continued jotting down the scoring prompts. "What else?"
"Threesomes?" Axel asked.
"'Plus one hundred'," Kevin pointed his finger at Dean. "Starting this morning. Last semester doesn't count."
Dean shrugged. "Oh well..."
"Plus twenty-five if you hit the trifecta," Sami suggested. "Do all three in one spot, that should count for something. All at once though, not individually."
Kevin nodded. "Ok, that should be everything then. Anything before third base doesn't mean shit. Anal is a multiplier; double your score."
Axel took the marker from Kevin and wrote a '17' next to his name. With a smug grin, he handed the marker back to Kevin.
"Fucker," Kevin muttered.
Braun Strowman shuffled into the room. "What's up, boys?"
"You're just in time, big man," Dean told. "Huge bet going on. The winner gets to plan the party at the end of the school year."
Braun read over the dry-erase board. "Uh... why are we doing this?" He asked skeptically.
"Because Sami is an asshole," Kevin said.
"Got anything to add to the board?" Dean asked Braun.
Braun observed the words written for a moment. Taking the marker from Kevin, Braun raised his hand to the board. After a moment of adding the numbers in his head, Braun wrote down a big '30' next to his name.
"Goddamn!" Gable exclaimed.
"My man," Dean praised with a chuckle.
"How?" Kevin demanded, swiping the marker from Braun's paw. "How did you get thirty points since this morning?"
"Sarah and I went on our morning run and... made love at one of the walking trails," Braun specified.
"Trifecta plus five for outdoors puts him at thirty," Sami pointed out. "Right, Braun?"
Braun sheepishly nodded his head, earning a few congratulations from his fraternity brothers.
Kevin set the marker down. "Alright. While you all figure out your scores, I apparently have to go re-plan a party for Thursday." He announced, before ducking into the chapter room.
"He's cranky he's already losing," Sami said.
Dean chuckled and polished off his beer. Braun mentioned playing video games in the living room; Dean elected to join him, following the colossal man into the front room with Gable, Axel, and Darren.
Morning workouts were a key way of preparing for the upcoming season opener for SU's women's volleyball team. Getting up early to work out with the team wasn't Charlotte's favorite thing in the entire world, but with all the pent-up aggression she'd been building up for a few weeks, she really needed a way to harness her energy before she blew a gasket.
Charlotte finished a set of dumbbell curls. As she exhaled sharply, setting the weights back on the rack, she realized just how good a workout felt afterward. The constant persistence of random paparazzi, everything with Becky, and her father's trial starting in a matter of hours had Charlotte's head in a vice so tight she was certain it was doomed to pop from the pressure. Alas, that wasn't so, and Charlotte was keen to finish her workout so she could go back to her apartment and run a hot bath and probably open a bottle of wine so she could forget about the world for a few hours, it barely being ten AM be damned.
"Hey," Sasha Banks greeted the troubled blonde with a polite smile. "Do you mind giving me a spot?" She asked, gesturing at the weight racks behind them.
Charlotte nodded her head. "Yeah, no problem." She muttered, staring absentmindedly at the floor.
Sasha wanted to get out of her workout as quickly as possible. On top of not getting much sleep the night before, Sasha just wanted to go back to her apartment and relax for the day. Maybe it was a dumb cliche to hate a Monday morning, but the start to her week was off to a bad start thanks to an argument with Woods. Word had gotten around the Sigma Nu house about Sasha's same-sex fling during Summer break. Most of the Greek brothers poked fun in good spirit, but the polite banter rubbed Woods the wrong way. A verbal fight ensued between him and Sasha, mainly based on them not being a couple so Sasha should be allowed to do what she pleased, but Woods stuck on the idea that Sasha should stay exclusive to him since he'd been doing that since the school year started. Sasha knew she was partly in the wrong, but refused to cave and stormed from the fraternity house.
"You ok?" Sasha asked.
Charlotte nodded her head stiffly. "Yeah... well, no, but I don't wanna really talk about it."
"I know the feeling," Sasha said with a heavy sigh.
"School is bullshit?" Charlotte asked.
"No, Woods and I got in a fight because of that... thing I did over the Summer," Sasha said.
"Oh, the church girl," Charlotte concluded, nodding slowly. "Right. Why's he pissed about it now?"
Sasha rolled her eyes. "The guys were buggin' him about it, so he flipped out on me."
"You aren't together though," Charlotte pointed out.
Sasha threw her hands in the air. "So you see how stupid this all is!" She said with a dry chuckle.
"Yeah, that seems dumb," Charlotte muttered.
Sasha felt a little better getting some of her frustration out in the form of shit-talking her boyfriend/lover/fuck buddy/whatever the fuck Woods was. She felt like continuing her tirade but stopped herself when she noticed Charlotte staring at the floor.
"Tell me," Sasha insisted calmly. "I'm gonna keep asking until you spill the tea, Char."
Charlotte chuckled but shook her head. "Just the shit in my life is piling up. Becky, my dad's trial, it's just... ugh, I can't take it sometimes."
"What's wrong with Becky?" Sasha asked. "I thought she was deciding between being with you and Sonya?"
"She was until Sonya told her that I was kissing this one bitch who was giving Becky shit," Charlotte retold, recalling her last few weeks. "I wasn't, but Becky believed Sonya since Sonya is a controlling, manipulative piece of shit. So now Becky won't talk to me and hasn't talked to me since I talked to her the other day."
Sasha crossed her arms against her chest. "That's bullshit. What the fuck is Sonya's deal?"
"It's because Becky was still into me when they got together," Charlotte said.
Sasha shook her head. "Still. It's bullshit. What did you talk to Becky about?"
Charlotte sighed. "I, uh... told her I was in love with her."
Sasha felt a twinge of jealousy in her chest. Even with the end of their relationship, and everything that came after, Becky was still going to be Sasha's first love. The fact that another girl shared those same feelings with her made Sasha feel like she was competing for Becky's heart all over again, but she quickly reminded herself about their current relationship and pushed the thought away.
Sasha was conflicted about how to feel, but she found herself smiling gently at the news. A soft smile that she normally would have if she had just heard some heartwarming news, which was odd since Charlotte was talking about declaring her love for Sasha's ex.
"You did?" Sasha asked.
Charlotte nodded. "I did." She sighed.
"What did Becky say?" Sasha asked. She tutted her tongue. "Knowing Bex, she probably took you out to dinner to celebrate, and then you guys... well, what else would you do after you told her that, right?"
Charlotte sighed again. "You would think so..."
Sasha's smile fell. "Is she still with Sonya?" She asked.
"As far as I know," Charlotte said. "I told her how I feel and she hasn't spoken to me since."
That, for some reason, sparked a fire in Sasha's heart. At a different time, Becky told Sasha that she loved her and Sasha ran. She hid in her room, waited until dark, then snuck into Becky's room and had sex with her. The following events were so long and convoluted that it gave Sasha a headache to think about; If she were to write this story down, it would take at least a year to correctly write it all down in the correct order.
The part that made Sasha angry, was how it was making Charlotte feel. Because Becky went through something very similar a year prior, why would she want Charlotte to go through the same experience? Declaring love for a girl you'd grown close to in a short amount of time was exactly who Sasha and Becky were. Now it was Charlotte in Becky's shoes, and Becky was the one breaking hearts? As ironic as her frustration was, Sasha felt heartbroken for her teammate.
Charlotte finished her thought. "Whatever. I just wanna get this workout done. I'll spot you quick."
Sasha nodded, but she'd been so far in her own head that she only heard parts of what Charlotte said.
"Yeah, sure," Sasha said, though she was piecing together a plan she suddenly thought of.
"And that is why we add four plus four to get eight," Alexa explained, drawing out a math equation for her classroom full of students staring at her. "It's just like four times two. When multiplying by two, you just add the number you're using and add it to itself."
A boy with curly brown hair raised his hand.
Alexa turned her attention to the student. "Yes, Avery?" She asked.
Avery scratched his head, an adorable look of bewilderment on his face, then spoke. "Catie and me wanna know if you're real name is really Miss Bliss."
Alexa smiled softly, trying hard not to join in the small wave of laughter from the other students. "Yes, Avery, that's my real name. Do you have a question about multiplying by two?"
Avery shook his head. "No, Miss Bliss."
"Ok, then we can..." Alexa trailed off when the bell started ringing. "Ok, it's time for lunch. We will keep talking about math when you all get back."
As the students filed out of the room, Miss Tessmacher rose from her desk. Alexa erased most of what she had written on the board, save for a few things she still needed to cover when the students returned.
"You're doing better than you think," Miss Tessmacher said. "Trust me. These little stinkers will walk all over you if they didn't like you."
Alexa smiled proudly. "You think so? I feel like I screwed up the whole time."
"You were great. Trust me," Miss Tessmacher switched subjects. "What are you doing for lunch? A few of us teachers like to gather in the Kindergarten room to talk shit about each other and gossip about whoever's not there."
"My fiance is picking me up for lunch," Alexa said. "But, I'll gladly join you tomorrow. I am allowed back tomorrow, right?"
Miss Tessmacher sounded a single laugh. "Yes, you are. I was able to get caught up on a few things while you directed the circus. I'm keeping you around as long as possible."
Knock Knock
A familiar face poked her head in the room. "Well, look who it is," Ms. Holly said, her gentle smile growing as she ventured into the classroom. "I hate to say it, but I forgot you were starting this week. I barely recognized you with that dark hair."
Alexa exchanged a warm embrace with the teacher she observed for last year.
"It's good to see you again," Alexa said. "I completely forgot to stop in and say hi this morning."
"Oh, you're just fine, sweetie," Ms. Holly separated the hug. "Are you coming with us back to my room? We like to shit talk all the other teachers while we eat sandwiches and complain about having no husbands."
"I've given her the rundown," Miss Tessmacher confirmed. "But the newbie has her hubby coming to get her for lunch."
"That's very sweet," Ms. Holly said. "Maybe tomorrow. Have you seen Hadleigh today?"
Alexa shook her head. "No, I haven't. How is she?"
"She stopped in this morning to say hi and gave me a hug," Ms. Holly explained. "She would be happy to see you again, Lexi. Track her down before the end of the day and say hi."
"That makes it sound like you have a hit out on her," Miss Tessmacher said with a chuckle.
Alexa bid farewell to the two older women. She stepped out the backdoor into the teacher's parking lot. Almost immediately, she spotted Dean's Highlander solely on his 'SU Football' number sticker alone, not to mention it stuck out like a sore thumb in a row of black Subarus.
Alexa climbed into the passenger seat of her boyfriend's car.
"Hey, you," Dean said with a grin, then leaning into Alexa for a quick peck on the lips. "How's your first day of school going?"
Alexa sighed happily, her eyes welling up with tears. "It's everything I've always wanted it to be," she said, wiping her tears away with her fingertips.
"Really?" Dean asked, his smile growing just by how happy Alexa looked. "I'm so freakin' happy for you. I can't even begin to explain it."
Alexa's cheeks were starting to hurt by how much she was smiling. "It's great, babe," she explained, recalling her day thus far. "I got there early, and Miss Tessmacher was hiding behind her desk drinking coffee and watching Atypical. So right away she's the coolest teacher ever."
"I was about to say the same thing," Dean chuckled.
Alexa continued. "Then the students got there. They seemed nervous about me teaching them at first, but they eventually started to like me. That's what Miss Tessmacher said anyway. One of the students thought my name was made-up, which was super adorable. The first thing in the lesson plan was a little Social Studies, which is basically just teaching them state capitols. Then it was Math, and we're learning multiplication."
"Can I sit in on a class?" Dean asked.
Alexa tutted her tongue. "Why?"
"I sucked at Math," Dean said.
Alexa shook her head. "Nice try, but you have that eidetic memory. You could remember an entire lesson plan with one glance."
Dean nodded. "You're probably right. Oh, I got you a little somethin' for your first day."
Alexa watched her soon-to-be husband reach into the backseat and produce a paper bag. Alexa sifted through the contents, pulling out a small plastic container.
"'Happy First Day Teaching, Miss Bliss'," Alexa read the cherry frosting on the fudge cake. She flashed her husband a bashful smile, then leaned across the console and kissed him deeply. "Thanks, baby. You're the best."
"You're teaching the future of this country, baby doll," Dean said. "You're the best. I just bought a few soft tacos and a cake."
Alexa narrowed her eyes, playfully skeptical at her fiance. "Jean's Tacos or Taco Pueblo?"
"Pueblo, duh," Dean said.
Alexa grinned. "Exactly. You passed the test..." the tiny blonde helped herself to the takeout bag in Dean's hand. "What about you?" She asked, chewing a mouthful of seasoned beef and cheese. "What did you do all day without me?"
"Went to class, then hung out at BPO for a little bit," Dean told. "Professor Rogeau is still the coolest dude ever. Kevin made us all do this stupid bet, but the winner gets to plan the party at the end of the year."
Alexa's eyes widened. "Holy shit! What's the bet?"
Dean snickered. "Who can get laid the most by the end of the semester."
Alexa rolled her eyes to the ceiling, baiting a loud laugh from Dean. "Of freakin' course, it's that," she said, trying to be serious through her giggles. "Let me guess, you bought the cake so I'd give you head before I have to get back?"
"No, I know you love those cakes," Dean said. "Besides, Miss Holly might catch you gobblin' the ol' spaghetti canon."
"True," Alexa mumbled through her food. "How about this: We can fool around a little after supper. You're still cooking, right?"
Dean nodded. "Yep. Went and picked some stuff up. I think you'll like what I picked out."
Alexa said, "Depending on what it is will decide how far I let us go tonight."
"Well, in that case, it's filet mignon and lobster tail," Dean shot back sarcastically.
Alexa cackled heartily, nearly choking on her food. "Yeah, right. I'd rather you make something simple instead of breaking bank for something like that."
Dean took a few tacos for himself, deciding to dig in before his food got cold.
"You're kicking so much ass, baby," Dean said. "Seriously. I'm so freaking proud. I can't even begin to explain it."
Alexa pecked her boyfriend on the cheek, giving him another cheeky smirk. "Thanks, baby. I appreciate it."
ZBZ wasn't always full during the day. A few sisters occupied the massive estate, Becky Lynch being one of them, going about their day. Liv and Sarah were arguing over which movie they were going to watch next; Charly was stuck somewhere in-between the other two, being forced to listen to both arguments like she was the deciding judge; Bayley poked her head in for a moment to steal a bag of pretzels, and heading right back to her house when Liv started screaming about watching God knows what.
Becky sat in the kitchen, slowly working on a salad she put together for an early lunch. Sonya had left no more than a handful of minutes ago for a class, but the fiery way she made her exit was the reason Becky was staring at her spinach like it may just make her weep. According to Sonya, Becky had been checking out one of their ZBZ sisters while they were making lunch. Becky tried to assure her lover that she was doing no such thing, but Sonya was already out the door before Becky could get a word in. The sister in question, the perplexed Dana Brooke, hardly had the situation processed in her mind by the time Sonya left.
Becky poked at a cherry tomato with her fork using hardly enough forced to break its skin. This was the first argument she had with Sonya since the time she was playing video games at Dean's apartment; In perspective, that day really wasn't that long ago, but Becky thought that the fighting had stopped between her and her girlfriend.
Dana drummed her fingertips on the tabletop, trying to lose the awkward feeling hanging in the air. Her grilled cheese sandwich sat partially uneaten since the sudden confrontation with Sonya came out of nowhere and made her forget about eating.
Dana cleared her throat. "So, uh..." She began speaking, but then trailed off when she lost her train of thought.
Becky stopped lazily jabbing her food. "I wasn' checkin' ya out, lass," she said with a sigh.
"No, I know that, Becky," Dana said, hoping her kind words could talk her friend into feeling a little better. "I was just gonna ask about... class?"
Becky managed a dry chuckle. "Class, eh?" She said, flashing Dana a quick smirk.
"I'm assuming you don't want to talk about what just happened," said Dana, who flinched at the delivery of her sentence. She didn't mean to come off condescending or sarcastic, but she would understand if Becky felt that's where she was going with that.
Becky shook her head. "It's just..." The troubled young woman paused to chuckle and shake her head. "...shite. It's shite." She concluded, finally piercing through one of the cherry tomatoes with her fork.
"I get what you're sayin', Becky," Dana assured with a slight chuckle. "It's like walking on eggshells some days, right? You feel like, no matter what you do, the smallest thing might set her off?"
"Unfortunately," Becky confirmed, her voice low under her breath, hardly above a mutter.
"I know what that's like, sorta," Dana said, her eyes falling to her half-eaten sandwich. "I had a boyfriend like that back in high school..."
Becky remembered Charlotte talking about a late-night ride she had with Dana the year before. The two young blondes' apparent bonding was rough and involved a lot of tears and screaming, but Charlotte didn't go into full details. From the parts Becky heard, Dana had been through a lot in the last year years.
"I feel like a child mopin' about me problems," Becky said.
Dana shrugged. "But you're allowed to. No matter how big or small you think they are, they're your problems. No one is allowed to tell you how fast you have to get over them. It doesn't even have to be who you're dating right now..."
Becky caught the hint that Dana was referring to something going on in her life that wasn't alluding to a boyfriend she had in high school.
"Who are you talkin' about?" Becky asked. "Is it AJ?"
Dana shook her head. "No, not AJ," she clarified. "It's, uh... it's kinda weird to talk about..."
Becky was about to dwell deeper on Dana's problem, but she suddenly heard her name from the other room.
"Is Becky here?"
Becky's brow fell. The last thing she needed right now was a run-in with another person in her life with whom she shared a bed with.
Sasha Banks, a less-than-pleased look on her face, entered the kitchen through the side door.
"Hey," Sasha said to her ex, then eyed Dana and gave her a tight-lipped half-smile. "Hi, Dana."
"Hey, Sasha," Dana replied to Sasha while eyeing Becky's reaction.
Becky rolled her eyes. "What?" She snapped weakly, unable to give all of her energy into being upset with Sasha.
Banks clicked her tongue. "I need to talk to you..." She glanced at Dana again. "...alone. Please?" She asked.
"Why?" Becky fired back, finding the ability to be angry at Sasha creeping up on her. "Anythin' you have ta say you can say in front of me sisters."
Sasha cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah? Ok. You remember when we came back from Lake Wallenpaupack and you fucked me with that seven-inch-"
"Ok, I'll get up," Dana cut in, not wanting to hear where that story was headed.
Banks waited for Dana to collect her things and head for the door. The moment the door swung close, Sasha's focus was back on the Irishwoman with orange hair.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Sasha snapped.
Becky exhaled sharply. "Oh, lassie, you 'ave some nerve-"
"This isn't about me and you right now, ok?" Sasha spoke up, cutting Becky short. "What the hell is wrong with you? You're seriously going to put Charlotte through what I put you through last year?"
Becky furrowed her brow. "What are ya talkin' about?" She asked quizzically.
"Charlotte told me what happened," Sasha revealed. "Your Irish lass is too stubborn to see that Charlotte is freaking heartbroken because you ignore her and refuse to be with her."
"Where the fook is this comin' from?" Becky demanded. "Last time we were in t'e same room, you were actin' like a cunt and tellin' me off. Now I'm 'spose ta listen to you?"
Sasha bit her lip, trying to keep her mind clear from her frustration. She sighed, then sat at the kitchen table directly across from her ex.
"What happened last year when you told me you were in love with me the first time?" Sasha asked.
Becky thought for a moment, then chuckled dryly and responded. "Ya hid in yer room until dark and then..."
"Right. And then what?" Sasha asked.
Becky frowned. "You played around with me feelin's," Becky recalled. "You wouldn' come to yer senses fer a long time."
"How did you feel during that?" Sasha pressed.
"Like shite," Becky said.
"So how do you think Charlotte feels right now?" Sasha snapped. "You have the balls to put her through what you went through? I know that's not the kind of person you are, Rebecca Lynch. You are kind and compassionate and you are not going to sit there while Charlotte is crying herself to sleep because you won't talk to her."
"Erm, I have a girlfriend," Becky said.
"Who cheats on you!" Sasha snapped.
"You don't know what cheatin' is!" Becky threw back.
Sasha's jaw dropped. "Really?" She barked.
"Sonya isn't cheatin'!" Becky insisted. "She's not! She would never."
Sasha shook her head. "Becky, you need to listen to me, right now." she said. "I don't care that you and I don't get along anymore. Quite frankly, I was second-guessing myself while I was driving over here. I am telling you, and you have to listen to me, that Charlotte would never hurt you. Ever. When she talks about you-"
"I've 'eard this a million times already," Becky cut in. "I don' care. Charlotte had 'er chance and she lost. Then she went and kissed that Shayna girl."
"You are so fucking stubborn and it's honestly so frustrating," Sasha stood up from her seat but continued speaking. "You are not going to be happy with Sonya, Becky. Do you think it feels good telling my ex to hook up with my teammate? Because it feels fucked, but I can't stand to see you throw away something special like you threw us away."
"Get the fuck out!" Becky spat, standing up so fast that her chair toppled over.
"I'm not wrong just because the truth hurts your stupid fucking feelings!" Sasha yelled over her shoulder as she stormed for the door. "Listen to your fucking head, Becky! You know better than what she's telling you."
Becky stared a hole through the kitchen door, part of her wishing Sasha would burst into flames from the targeted focus. Unfortunately for Becky, Sasha remained in one piece.
Becky picked up her seat and went back to her lunch. Her blood was boiling, but her brain's gears were starting to turn. Maybe, and it pained Becky to consider the idea, but maybe Sasha was right in what she was saying.
A firm knock on her front door was the last thing Charlotte needed at the moment.
Her relaxing bath felt freaking amazing and her bottle of wine did its purpose when it came to being sweet and helping her forget about the day. Charlotte was into some sappy rom-com, wrapped up in her quilt on the sofa, so enticed by the work of both lead characters, that she felt actual anger when someone dared to knock on her door while all she wanted was some alone time.
Charlotte threw open her front door, ready to scold whoever had the gall to interrupt her one-person pity party.
To say Charlotte was shocked when Becky Lynch stood on the other side of the door would be an understatement. She inhaled deeply, ready to scream herself hoarse at the intruder, but her breath died the moment she locked eyes with her former best friend.
Time seemed to stand still. Neither woman said anything at first. Charlotte, her mouth dropped partially in surprise, watched the slightly shorter woman closely just to read the smallest of body movements, and possibly get an idea as to why she was here. Becky, her lips settled somewhere between neutral and an extremely light smirk gazed back at the woman who had complicated her world in more ways than one.
"Hey," Becky chirped, her gaze still as soft as ever.
"Uh, h-hey, Bex," Charlotte managed to spit out.
Becky peered into Charlotte's apartment, then locked her eyes on Charlotte again. "What are ya up to?" She asked.
Charlotte glanced back into her apartment. "Uh... just drinking wine and watching a movie." She turned back to her old friend. "Nothing that exciting."
"May I come in?"
The question almost didn't register in Charlotte's brain at first. She couldn't believe that Becky was here and not trying to pummel her already, but now she wanted to come inside?
"Sure," Charlotte agreed, standing aside to let Becky in.
Becky shuffled into the apartment, pulling her leather jacket off her shoulders. Charlotte, her eyes glued to the Irishwoman, shut the front door behind her.
