Sorry, it seems like I lost a little bit of steam on updating. Every single one of my professors thought it would be okay to assign projects due at the same time. I have two more and then finals, but I'm going insane so I'm squeezing this update in. If it sucks I'm sorry! WWE owns all you know, I own those you don't.
Jessica's POV
I ran my hair through my extremely knotted hair. My TV set was on and I'm pretty sure I'm on my third tub of ice cream. I stared at Phil Brooks' face as he continued to trash talk me, John, and our relationship. He had reported that I was under review, with a meeting set for well, now tomorrow. I had also learned from the news that they would also call John in, and every single student. To top it all off, parents, like Phil Brooks, would be watching.
I put my empty tub of ice cream next to the others and stood up. Every one of my bones cracked as I walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water. While pouring my glass the door bell rang. There was no hard pounding, which means it wasn't John. So far this was the longest he's gone without trying to kick my door down.
I walked over to the door and looked out my peep hole. I saw a woman, around my age, with a scarf around her head and big black sunglasses covering her eyes. Who the hell was this woman? My phone rang and I once again ignored it. My answering machine came on and soon Sam Orton's voice filled the room.
"I know you're in there, Jessica. OPEN UP!" she said as she knocked on the door again. I rolled my eyes and opened the door.
"Oh my god." She said, putting her hand in front over her mouth. "You look…"
"I know." I said, turning my back to her and walking into the house, she followed.
"Sweetheart, you can't live like this." She said.
"I know, but I don't feel like doing anything. I just sit here and watch this asshole." I said, gesturing to the now screaming Phil Brooks. Sam reached down and picked up the remote turning the TV off, cutting Phil off in the middle of his sentence.
"You really don't need to hear that, he's just an angry parent…well an angry guy overall." She said sitting on the couch, pushing the blankets I had been using aside.
"Well he's an angry parent that enlisted the help of your husband." I said, sitting next to her.
"Randy refused." She said, unwrapping the scarf from her head.
"He did? Why? Do you know how much Phil was willing to pay him?" I asked, surprised that Randy didn't take the case.
"He did offer a lot. But, there's no amount of money Phil could have offered Randy to go against his friends. Jess, Randy is going to that meeting fighting for you." She said, I let out a small surprised gasp. Randy was going to be my lawyer at the meeting, without me even asking.
"Sam I…" I started but she cut me off.
"Don't say anything." She started, "Randy believes that there is nothing wrong with you and John dating, he's going to fight as hard as he can so that you can keep your job." I pulled Sam in a hug and repeated
"Thank You" over a million times.
"You're welcome." She said smiling, "Now go shower you smell." She said. I laughed and bounded up the stairs to go clean myself up.
~Monday Morning – West Newbury Elementary School - 9am – The board room
I sat in front of the Board, my eyes resting on Principle Guererro, a disapproving look on her face. Beside her was Assistant Principle Brad Maddox, who was always stepping on the Principle's toes, a much sterner look on his face. Beside the board, sitting in a jury like fashion, was the parents from my class. Of course Phil Brooks sat front and center, with parents like Paul Heyman, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns. Sam was also among the parents, sitting with Maryse and Mike Mizianin. The parent that surprised me the most was Elizabeth Herbedeu- Cena. The fact that she had the nerve to show up today made my blood boil.
"Are all the parents in attendance, minus ?" Vickie spoke. I swallowed the lump in my throat when she said John's name. He was here, but we weren't allowed to see each other. The parents mumbled "Yes"
"Okay, we are all here today to discuss the issue at hand with Ms. Irvine. Ms. Irvine, is there anything you'd like to say before we review your performance this year?" she asked me. I looked to Randy as he stood up.
"Principle Guerrerro, Ms. Irvine believes that she…" he began.
"HOLD ON!" Phil Brooks stood up. I groaned inwardly. "She cannot hire a lawyer to help her! We're not in court." He said.
"You were going to hire me." Randy shot back.
"That's if the school didn't do anything. It looks to me that they've done something, don't you think Mr. Orton?" he fired back. Randy growled as Mr. Maddox spoke.
"Mr. Orton, Mr. Brooks is correct. I'm sorry but you'll need to leave." He said.
"I may not be able to be here as a lawyer," he started shifting his gaze from Brad to Phil, "But I can still fight on her behalf as a parent." Phil's face fell. Randy smirked.
"Very well," Both Brad and Vickie spoke at the same time. Vickie looked to Brad and continued speaking, "Mr. Orton, you may join the other parents." Randy walked over to where is wife was, his eyes nearly coming out of their sockets when he saw Liz.
"Now, Ms. Irvine, is there anything that you, yourself would like to say?" she asked me. I looked to Randy who nodded. I stood up and began to fight for my job.
"Mrs. Guererro, Mr. Maddox, members of the Board, I have done nothing wrong to deserve this review. I have not treated any of my students unfairly, and I do not play favorites. I love all my students and I want them all to succeed. My personal life has not once gotten in the way of my teaching." I said. "You can even look at their results on the recent state test. Not a single one of my students got under a 3."
"Ms. Irvine, we will look into that as well as interviewing students for your actions during school time hours. Now, who started this relationship, did you make a move on Mr. Cena, or did he you?" she asked. I swallowed hard. Do I throw John under the bus and say I did it, or do I tell the truth? I thought to what John might say if they ask him this question, he would say he did it.
"Mr. Cena did." I said, shakily.
"And you went along with his advances, though you knew it was wrong?" she asked again.
"Yes, I didn't want a chance to be truly happy slip by me." I said.
"So you risked the well being of your students?" she asked.
The meeting continued like this for another hour before they let the parents weigh in on what should happen. Of course Phil Brooks, along with my favorite Liz Herbedeu- Cena, led half the parents in wanting me fired, while Randy led a surprising amount of parents that nothing should happen to me, as nothing had happened to their kids.
"Ms. Irvine, you may leave the room, and we will call you back in when we have reached a decision. Mr. Henry can you please escort Ms. Irvine out, and bring Mr. Cena in." Vickie spoke.
"Ms. Irvine." Mark Henry, head of security at the school, addressed me, gesturing to the door. I walked towards door and led to sit in a chair outside the principal's office, like a kid in trouble.
~John's POV~
I walked into the board room, immediately feeling a lot of eyes on me. I sat down behind a table and waited for the chatter, which was probably about me to die down.
"Welcome Mr. Cena. I am Mrs. Vickie Guererro, the principal and this is Mr. Brad Maddox, the Assistant Principal." She said, stressing the assistant part.
"Mr. Cena we are here to ask you about your rather inappropriate relationship with Ms. Jessica Irvine, a third grade teacher here at the school." Brad started.
"Ask away, I have nothing to hide." I said confidently. There was nothing wrong with what Jessica I and were doing.
"Mr. Cena did you make any advancements on Ms. Irvine?" Brad asked me.
"Yes, I did. I sent her flowers for staying with Anthony when my babysitter quit and then I asked her on a date at parent teacher conference night." I said.
"Did you know that dating your sons teaching is morally wrong, Mr. Cena?" Vickie asked me.
"Morally? Yes. Legally? No, you cannot tell your employees who to date and not to date." I said.
"Mr. Cena, did you pursue a relationship with Ms. Irvine to ensure academic success for your son?" Brad asked me. Is this guy serious?
"Absolutely not, my son is capable of achieving academic success without my help." I responded. The meeting continued like this, with them trying to make it sound like I was only dating Jessica so my son would do well in school. I'm sorry but who would do that? The kicker was that Phil Brooks kept jumping up saying his son would cry everyday because of the favoritism from Ms. Irvine towards Anthony. While that was entertaining, Liz was even better.
"My son is Anthony Cena." She started, "it pains me that John would subject him to this," she paused, a few tears rolling down her face. "I felt betrayed when John left me, but this is the ultimate stab in the back, sabotaging our son's success." She finished. Phil sympathetically rubbed her back in support. I laughed, I didn't mean to, but I did.
"I left YOU?!" I asked, the anger from my divorce finally getting released. "Oh no, sweetheart, you left me AND you left your son! You want to say that I screwed him up? Look in the mirror and then tell me who put our son through more pain." I finished seething. I stood there staring holes into her. I was so mad, I barely heard Mrs. Guerrero end our meeting. Soon the security guard came and escorted me out. Much to my surprise, he led me to Jessica, who was sitting in a chair, her head in her hands. I walked over, calming down instantly and took her into my arms.
"It's going to be okay babe. Don't worry." I whispered to her as she cried into my chest.
~3rd Person POV – Student Interviews
The parents once again chattered while Ms. Irvine's entire third grade class was ushered in. They sat in rows and Mr. Maddox called them up one at a time. Most kids said that Ms. Irvine was a nice teacher and always helped out who ever needed it. Tiffany Mizianin said that Ms. Irvine had skipped her lunch one day to help her read better. Kids like Peter Cesaro, Amanda Riley, and Bobby Daniel, had nothing positive or negative to say about the young teacher. Then came Nate Brooks, Gregory Heyman, Lisa Reigns, Elizabeth Ambrose, and Isabella Rollins.
"It makes me feel really bad about myself when I see Ms. Irvine ignore me when I raise my hand to answer a question. She always picks on Anthony to go up to the board, be captain for kickball, and he always gets to be her helper. It makes me feel like Ms. Irvine doesn't like me." Nate spoke, breaking many of the parents' hearts as he spoke. What no one noticed was that Phil Brooks had given thumbs up to his son once he finished his speech. The next couple of interviews were the same as Nate's with the added, "She just doesn't like us because we're pretty." From the daughter's of the town's special forces unit, The Shield.
Soon every student had been interviewed except Anthony. While every parent was waiting for him to speak, the board skipped over him, then stating that his testimony would be biased in favor of his father and Ms. Irvine. The student's were ushered out, back to the classroom while the board room broke out in arguments.
"FIRE HER!" Phil yelled standing up. The Shield, Liz, Paul Heyman and others stood up too agreeing with him.
"Did you hear Nate's story it was heartbreaking!" one parent yelled.
"I'm sorry did you hear what my daughter said?" Mike Mizianin asked standing up? "Ms. Irvine worked a lot with my daughter to improve her reading. She even offered to tutor her further, FREE OF CHARGE! On top of that because of Ms. Irvine's dedication, my daughter is now reading 2 levels ABOVE her grade level. She should keep her job!" he finished. Many parents rejoiced at Mike's statement.
"She's an excellent teacher! Who cares about her personal life!" another parent shouted.
"I do when it concerns my son!" Phil Brooks yelled.
"Your son's a liar Brooks!" Randy stood up, growling at the older man. "No other student's except for the kids of your friends said Ms. Irvine plays favorites."
"She should be punished Orton! It's against the rules to date a student's father." Phil fired back. Randy was about to lunge at Phil when Mrs. Guererro spoke up.
"EXCUSE ME!" she shrilled. Everyone stopped and looked at her. "While yes, what Ms. Irvine did was wrong, she is an excellent teacher and I can't afford to let her go."
"WHAT?" Phil yelled.
"Mr. Brooks you did not let me finish. While she is a good teacher she needs to be punished and I can't think of any other way but to fire her." Vickie said.
"You can't fire her!" Sam said, standing up next to her husband.
"What do you suggest we do Mrs. Orton?" Brad asked her.
"Let her keep her job," Randy started, "But she can't see Mr. Cena personally anymore." He finished hanging his head.
"What?" Sam whispered.
"Done!" Brad said. "Bring them in!"
John and Jessica walked in, tear stains down Jessica's cheeks.
"Mr. Cena, Ms. Irvine, we have come to a decision." Brad started.
"Ms. Irvine, you will keep your job." Vickie stated. Everyone could hear the sighs of relief that came from both John and Jessica.
"But," the couples head shot up.
"You can no longer date Mr. Cena."
~Jessica's POV
I had to grip the table behind me to steady my balance. I could no longer see John? How is that fair? How can they tell me who I can and can't see?
"When you are to meet with John for parent teacher conference in May, there will be either myself or Mr. Maddox, in the room with you two." Vickie finished.
I'm sorry, did they think we were going to have sex on the desk?
"Do you understand?" Brad asked us.
"Yes." We both mumbled.
"Good, you both may have a few moments to say goodbye." Everyone filed out of the room leaving John and I alone.
"It's not fair." I said to John, my voice cracking as he pulled me into his arms.
"Don't worry baby, they can't stop us from being together, Randy will fix this." He said rubbing my back. I continued to cry as we stood there in silence. Soon a knock came to the door. John pulled away a little and looked into my eyes.
"I love you, always remember that okay? I love you." He said.
"I love you too." I said. He leaned down and kissed me with as much passion, pain, and love he could muster. I came back with just as much force. I pulled away when Mark came back into the room, quickly leaving to go home and crawl under a rock.
~John's POV
I wiped some stray tears from my eyes and walked out of the board room to see Randy and Sam waiting for me.
"I'm sorry man." Randy said patting my shoulder.
"You have to fix this Randy. It can't be legal for them to do this." I said to him.
"You're not going to like what I'm about to tell you." He began, "But I'm the reason you guys can't be together."
"WHAT?!" I shouted.
"John it was either that or her job! I thought her job was more important!" Randy fought back.
"More important than our happiness Rands?" I asked him heartbroken.
"I'm sorry John, but if you didn't work out, she wouldn't have a job, she needs this. I'm sorry man." He said. With that Randy and Sam left me standing in the school lobby, alone.
Pretty heavy chapter huh? Next chapter we fast forward to June, to the last day of school. That will be the last chapter, and if I can write enough, there will be an epilogue. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!