Harvest of Friends
Chad Brewster
Chad never liked to admit when he was wrong, but he was glad that he was wrong about Miss Ingalls. She had looked like just a kid the first time he saw her walking up to the schoolhouse. His classmates joked and complained about how they were supposed to be taught by someone their own age.
However, it did not take long for the small group of students to realize that Miss Ingalls was not some girl playing dress up as a teacher. She was stern yet kind, enthusiastic yet well mannered and responsible yet helpful. One might have even thought that she had been teaching for years with how much she seemed to enjoy it and how well she carried herself.
Tommy nudged Chad's shoulder when he caught the older boy staring off across the room at a certain someone trying to help one of the other students with a math problem. "What're you lookin' at?"
Chad immediately swatted back at the question. "Mind your own business."
"Don't tell me you have a crush on teacher?" Tommy taunted in a tone that was a bit too loud for Chad's liking.
"Shut your mouth." Chad remarked with his teeth clenched, but then quickly sat right in his desk chair as Miss Ingalls glanced over to him and saw he was pretending to act like nothing had happened.
Chad hated to admit his own personal feelings. He always dreamed about becoming a doctor, but never wanted to express those feelings to his father. Now he was paying extra attention in class, but did not want to admit to himself that maybe he really did have a crush on Miss Ingalls.
Of course, she was still older than him and who would want to be with someone younger than they were?