Page 76 of Atticus
“My dad’s a lawyer,” Summer Laine, Colton Laine’s little sister, announces with some smugness. “I asked him in a general way what would happen in a situation like this. And he said that if the school takes a teacher to court, they’ll lose on account of all the language in the legal contract. They should’ve either waited until BioNex rolled out a business-registration model or contacted the corporation once it was launched to switch it over. It happened literally two weeks after we got Atticus.”
“You guys actually researched all of this?” I’m at a loss—and incredibly touched. “Wait, what do you mean, contacted BioNex? Like, is there a limited time window?”
“Yeah,” Hoseok says as he chomps through his chicken sandwich. “I totally looked it up. Apparently all schools have a sixty-day window from the date of delivery to switch from personal to business registration.”
“Atticus never mentioned any of that.”
“Reminders would’ve been sent to somebody’s email. Probably the principal’s or the secretary. Unless he’s synced to them,” Summer says sagely, “he wouldn’t know unless he went looking for the information. And why would he? He clearly likes teaching with you best.”
“You’re all amazing little geniuses,” I say, wishing I could envelop them all in a giant bear hug. “Do you know that?”
A bashful silence falls over them all as they shuffle and shift around. Then, Jack speaks up.
“You’re the best teacher in this school,” he says. “The only one who actually gives a damn.”
“I’ve read more books this semester than I’ve read my entire life about ancient Greece, Rome, even Persia,” John says. “Some of them you didn’t evenassignto me. And it’s not even Christmas break yet. When I get to high school next year, I’m taking an AP Latin Class.”
“We’re gonna start a student petition,” Pearl announces. “And get Atticus back in your class where he belongs. We’re gonna talk about it at the fundraiser tomorrow night.”
“That could get you in trouble,” I remind gently. “You understand that?”
“Important things are worth taking risks for,” Jack says. “Right?”
My chest swells with gratitude, humility.This. This is why I teach. This is why it matters to me. This is why it’ll be difficult to leave St. Morgan eventually. I’m on the verge of tears, and for once, they aren’t due to betrayal or unhappiness.
“I don’t know what to say,” I reply, resting my hand on my chest. “It’s a difficult thing to do, standing up for what’s right when you’re outnumbered by wrongs. I hope your parents, your families, are as proud of you as I am right now. Thank you.”
“We have to try,” Lauren says with a smile. “Love is love.”
“She’s right.” Pearl giggles. “Weshipit.”
“Okay, how do you even know that word? That’s old school. Isshipcoming back? Really?”
The entire table bursts into giggles.
* * *
Fate is kind to me in the late hours of the evening. Atticus manages to slip away from Bryant around midnight and comes to see me. I quickly let him in, and we collide, his mouth finding mine and claiming it hungrily.
“God, I missed you.” I’m breathless when he pulls away, his fingers making quick work of the buttons on my blouse. I all but rip off his jacket. It’s been several days since he came to me last.
“I missed you too,” he murmurs, brushing his lips over mine again until I can’t take it anymore and kiss him hard.
He backs me toward the couch as we hurriedly undress each other in a whirlwind of passion. He pins me down on the couch and finds me already wet, warm, and impatient to have him inside me. With one swift movement, he thrusts into my pussy, pushing in hard and deep until I’m threatening to scream his name. He silences me with a kiss before I can, and when I come, he groans, coming with me.
After riding him through another two orgasms, my legs are jelly and I collapse into his lap.
That’s when I notice it.
“Oh, shit.” I pull away from him and stand, wobbling toward the window and shutting the blinds, absolutely mortified and cursing up a storm. “We had that open the whole time.”
I push one blind aside, peek anxiously out into the darkness, and see nothing. I’m hardly one to be voyeuristic. Foolish of me not to double-check everything before we got started.
“Goddamn it. Back in New Carnegie, all residential windows are private. You can only see out, not in. I forgot it isn’t like that here.”
“Come back,” Atticus beckons. “If someone got a show, they got one. I don’t regret a thing.” I all but flop back into his lap and he pulls me in close. “You’re a consenting adult. I was made one. I’m not your student. I refuse to feel sorry for this.”
My heartbeat flutters like a hummingbird. “I love it when you talk like that.”
