Ulysses Grant Magnet High School for the Performing Arts was buzzing. The rumor around school was that during Spring Break a new Lit teacher had been hired. And that she was very easy on the eyes.
Amy Juergens happened to have this mysterious new teacher next. The heavily pregnant fifteen-year-old took out her World Literature of her locker and placed it in her bag. Suddenly her two best friends, Madison Cooperstien and Lauren Treacy appeared by her side.
"You ready for Lit?" asked Madison bouncing up and down excitedly, "C'mon I don't want to be late."
"Madison you hate Language Arts," said Lauren giving her friend a look.
"Yeah, plus it's kinda hard to move quickly these days," added Amy placing a hand on her extremely swollen stomach.
"I know I know," replied the redhead poutingly, "but I really want to see our new Lit teacher. The rumor around school is that she's an old friend of Mr. Molina."
"Hey Amy can I carry your bag for you?"
The three girls turned to see Ricky Underwood, the school player and the father of Amy's baby, standing next to them though his eyes were trained firmly on Amy.
Now both Lauren and Madison knew that Ricky had "fallen in love" with Amy but since during the year he'd also "loved" Adrian Lee, the school slut, and Grace Bowman, the perky ultra-Christian blonde so they were a little skeptical about his intentions. Though to be fair he'd come to them first to ask permission…sort of.
"I know I've done some really crappy things in the past," he'd said looking and sounding sincere, "but I really do want a relationship with Amy and our son. I do love her."
So the two had relented by putting him on a kind of probation. He couldn't tell how Amy how he felt (not yet anyways) nor could he have any inappropriate contact with her (kissing, sex ect…). He would have to live by the creed (chaste) actions spoke louder than words. So far he'd been doing incredibly well but Madison and Lauren were still wary, Ricky was a phenomenal actor.
Amy blushed and murmured, "No I've got it, but thanks."
"Amy c'mon be smart. The baby's gonna come any day now. You really shouldn't be carrying all these heavy books," said Ricky exasperatedly reaching for the bag.
"Ricky I told you I don't need help," replied Amy defensively.
The drummer sighed but backed off. "Look I know you don't need my help but I want to help you. I just want to make sure you and the baby will be fine. That is my son you're carrying you know."
He said the last part with a smile and Amy found herself softening under its wattage.
"Fine but are you sure you aren't going to be late? I have Lit and it's all the way on the other side of the school."
"That's no problem I have Lit next too actually. I think we have the same teacher."
"Really?" asked Lauren in surprise, "Why would juniors and freshmen share the same Lit class?"
"It's an elective," replied Ricky a little nonplussed (he'd forgotten Lauren and Madison were still there), "Since we got a new teacher they decided to make a new class that was open to all grade levels."
"So we're all going to have class together?" asked Madison a little apprehensively. She had a nasty feeling that some other kids (like Adrian, Grace or even Amy's ex Ben) would be in their class as well. Amy nodded and handed Ricky her bag of books.
Silently the quartet made their way to class though Ricky kept conveniently close to Amy. Outside the classroom they ran into Jack Pappas, Grace's old boyfriend. He gave them all a friendly smile and said, "Hey guys. Looks like we have the same class together cool. Hey Amy how are you feeling?"
Amy smiled at the football player and muttered, "Fine thanks."
Ricky put a possessive arm around her waist and said pointedly, "C'mon we want to get good seats." With that he steered his baby-mama into the classroom leaving the others behind.
Jack merely chuckled and said, "He's got it that bad eh?"
Lauren nodded and said, "Yeah he does…he's even willing to put up with our probation terms to prove it."
"I take it Amy has no idea?"
Madison shook her head. "No, we're not going to say anything until she says she has feelings for Ricky."
"You do realize this could blow up really fast right?" said Jack glancing over his shoulder towards where Ricky and Amy were, "I mean messing with a love…pentagon is never smart."
Before anyone could say anything else the one minute warning bell rang and the three of them entered the classroom. Inside the room were not only Ricky and Amy but Amy's ex-boyfriend/husband Ben Boykewich, his friends Alice and Henry, and Adrian and Grace.
"Oh, well this should be a fun class," said Jack sarcastically as the three of the entered.
Even though that group made up roughly half the class and none of them were speaking the room was still full of noise and excitement.
The final bell rang and still the new teacher hadn't arrived yet. The students waited for about thirty seconds then did what teenagers do best; they gossiped.
"I heard she's a nun," whispered someone to Ricky, "Like they brought her here because she was too strict in the convent."
"Yeah well I heard she use to be a man," whispered another girl, "you like a Transylvania."
"And I heard that she got caught in traffic and that's why she's a few minutes late," said another voice from the doorway of the classroom.
Everyone turned to see a tall woman wearing a conservative long-sleeved top, a few chunky bracelets on each wrist, long black wide-legged pants and black pumps. Her burgundy hair was put up in a messy bun with a thick headband over her head (though that didn't stop a few curls from falling down to frame her face). Her skin was dark but not like Adrian or Lauren and she had a smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks. Her eyes were dark and sparkled with energy and her lips were of medium fullness and quirked up into a half-smile-half-smirk.
"Hello," said the woman in a crisp British accent, "My name is Ms. Amoit and I will be you World Literature teacher." She sauntered into the classroom with the grace of Old Hollywood and the confidence of a supermodel.
She turned to the last girl to speak and said, "its transvestite dear, not Transylvania."
The class was silent, still taken aback from her abrupt appearance. Ms. Amoit sighed and restrained an irritated eyeroll. Finally Grace Bowman spoke up.
"Hi Ms. Amoit I'm Grace Bowman and on behalf of the entire school I want to welcome you to our town and our school."
The British woman smiled, Adrian on the other hand snorted. "Is there a problem Miss Lee?" inquired Ms. Amoit getting a predatory glint in her eyes.
"How do you know my name?" asked the Latina bombshell in surprise.
Her teacher smirked, "That's for me to know and for you to find out. Now back to my question…is there a problem?"
"Well yeah. I mean we don't know anything about you and you expect us all to bend to your wishes."
"Well Miss Lee considering I'm the teacher and you lot are a bunch of high school kids I don't think that's such an outrageous request but you do have a point. Today and only for today can you ask any appropriate questions you have about me."
Instantly Alice's hand shot into the air.
"Miss Valko?"
"What's your full name?"
Ms. Amoit's mouth twitched in amusement she then cleared her throat and said, "Fair enough. My full name is Laoise Shiri Amoit." As she spoke she wrote her name on the board. She put a set of parentheses between her first and middle name and wrote IT'S PORNOUNCED LEE-SHA.
Once she was finished she calmly recapped the marker and said, "Any other questions?"
Jack raised his hand next, "Where did you teach before here?"
"Addis Ababa," replied Lee nonchalantly. At her class's disbelieving look she elaborated. "I have a bit of wanderlust you see. I've lived in approximately eighteen places in my relatively short life. Moscow, Tokyo, London, Dublin, Cape Town, Sydney, New Delhi, Hong Kong, Beersheba, Auckland, Athens, Toulouse, Seoul, Nairobi, Cairo, Manchester, and Prague. I've visited plenty of others but this is my first time in the Western Hemisphere if you can believe it."
"You've never lived or even have been to the US?" asked Ben curiously.
Laoise shook her head. "I never had the desire before but now I'm curious about what this side of the Pond has to offer Mr. Boykewich."
The class was silent for a few moments before a soft voice spoke up. "Do you have any kids?"
Lee turned her dark eyes to Amy who seemed to shrink underneath the gaze of her classmates. The Lit teacher took in how she'd asked with her hand wrapped protectively over her stomach and the desperate hope in her eyes. The high schooler desperately wanted to know if it was possible, to have a glamorous jet-setting life-style and still have a child. The British woman also noticed the tightening in Ricky's jaw, it amused her how protectively jealous he was over Amy.
"Yes Miss Juergens I child, a little girl named Nevaeh," she replied softly giving the pregnant girl a warm smile, "She turned six last month."
Amy smiled a small weak smile. It wasn't much, but it was a start.