Chapter 10

Although vacation ended and school began the following Monday, any thoughts of normalcy returning to my life vaporized. As soon as I rolled from the small bus’s rattling metal lift gate into a waiting crowd of students, their heads turned to track me. Well, Shayna. With her eyes gleaming, Shayna moved like a queen, weaving through smiling admirers.

A few who leaned in, arms outstretched, were hesitant since she wore no guide dog harness, nor vest, nor pack. Instead, only the leather collar with which she’d arrived what seemed months ago adorned her. But one nudge of her soft fur, and they all smiled before petting her. Eyes glimmering, and shimmering tongue arcing from her panting mouth, Shayna was in heaven.

Even Beth and Nina, the neighbors I’d barely glimpsed before, stopped their very important boyfriend-related discussion with the other hot girls to wander closer and watch us. Well, they watched Shayna. I doubt they were glancing at me.

At first my heart slowed when Shayna sniffed at them, but she did not pull a Cindy and continued trotting, keeping alongside as I entered the building before the bell. Like others with a documented need for additional time, I had twenty minutes to get to class before the rest of the kids were allowed inside. As Shayna’s soft footfalls tapped on the tattered tiles beside me, I moved the chariot down the darkened side corridor towards my homeroom.

Not too weird, right?

Yeh, well. As soon as the wheels clunked over the threshold into the room, normalcy did a backflip and warped once more. Oh, it was the same rows of well-worn wood and metal student desks facing an old gray steel teacher’s desk and a series of white boards, one of which was electronic. The far wall had windows looking out over the rain-glistening grass and trees, beyond which was a main road. The other walls bore maps, posters of science and history. And yes, my dread foe—math.

But school for all of us in the class had actually changed just before spring break. Several days after she’d left on a gurney, the principal said Mrs. Danforth would be okay once they sorted out her heart meds, but we doubted we’d see her again. Not that we minded, since our new teacher was Ms. Richardson.

Ah, Ms. Richardson! The cause of much twisted and exceedingly detailed speculation among us boys. By far the prettiest faculty member in our school, the rookie teacher moved with incredible grace, like a dancer. Which sparked many of the fantastical arguments we’d had over her after-school activities.

While she spoke in a low, melodic voice, she also had a haughty, almost regal air, and seemed aloof. The sleek, dark-skinned woman often wore her long black hair in loose coils, draped down over her shoulders and toned back. Every inch of her was a “dangerous curve,” as dad would say.

No sign of a wedding ring. All of us had checked.

All of which meant nothing could keep the overactive imaginations and desperate, wasted hopes of hormonal teenage boys at bay. Hence, we all wondered. Last month, I’d scored the latest intelligence coup while wandering past the teachers’ lounge. A pair of men were still staring at the corner she’d only just disappeared behind.

While Mr. Kincaid, an older, dark-haired science teacher, was scratching his head, the other, a younger, fit guy I didn’t recognize, maybe a new coach, was rubbing his chin.

“No boyfriend either?” Mr. Kincaid said in a hushed tone.

“Nope.”

“You think—”

The young guy laughed. “Not a hope in hell, Kincaid. She apparently isn’t interested in anyone around here.”

“Well”—as Mr. Kincaid’s shoulders drooped, he emitted a lengthy, whistling sigh—”that’s a real pity.”

“Ain’t it though. Gorgeous girl like that.”

So, just as I rolled into class, there she was. Ms. Richardson. “Miss Aloof.” “Miss Not Interested in Anyone.” Yet, no sooner had Shayna waltzed into her room than the woman’s face lit up with a beaming smile. With sultry dark eyes gleaming, she strode from behind her desk while palms smoothed down a flower-print orange and red sundress. Like much of her wardrobe, it was a bit shorter and showed quite a lot more cleavage than other teachers thought appropriate. I’d also caught that nugget. But we boys loved her for it.

“Well, well. Who is this little cutie, Kyle?” she said in a rising voice. For a millisecond, Ms. Richardson’s gaze flicked to me before returning to Shayna.

Who, after a cursory sniff of the air, ignored her. Instead, Shayna only sat beside me once I’d rolled to a stop. Playing her role as guide dog? Being behaved? After only a quick glance at me, Shayna dragged her tongue around her muzzle before watching Ms. Richardson come closer.

When Ms. Richardson bent down, my blood pressure spiked. Yessiree, she possessed magnificent cleavage. And an even more magnificent straining red lace bra. As I struggled to breathe, engulfed by her flowery perfume, she smiled and held her hand out as if to touch Shayna. But, like the others, she hesitated before looking at me.

What did I know? I mean, technically Shayna was a mobility assistance dog, but we were safe, and she’d never ignored me. Hell, even as she had devoured my mother, her tail had thumped against my chair to ensure I was still present. And though I’d received no training, Shayna apparently knew everything. Then again, Shayna was being silent and, after Cindy, the strange calm surrounding her had my teeth on edge.

“Go ahead, uh, Ms. Richardson.”

Even as her smile broadened, her eyes narrowed, having spotted my longer glance deep in the front of her lightweight dress. The male teachers were right–what a pity. However, she never caught my gulp as Ms. Richardson was already running her dark green nails through the thick fur of Shayna’s scruff.

And still Shayna did nothing.

Actually, she did less than nothing. After dropping free of Ms. Richardson’s dangling fingertips, she crumpled to the floor and curled up beside me to lick her paw. With a quick sigh, Ms. Richardson rose. Although her brows crinkled and she pursed her lips as if about to comment, she only brushed her hands down her shapely hips while staring at Shayna.

“She’s probably just, um, tired,” I muttered while meandering my gaze up those enticing flowers to catch her confused and saddened expression.

“Oh, okay. I’ll, uh...” Without finishing her sentence, she turned to walk to her desk.

With my hormonal teenage boy’s eyes locked on the rhythmic swish of her skirt, a deep ache grew in me. As air hissed from my shaky lips, I shot a glance at Shayna, who only now looked up at me. In her iridescent irises, the faintest gold swirls had appeared.

So, perhaps that first morning back in school was not as abnormal as it could’ve been. However, the tension had my limbs vibrating when Shayna shifted her gaze to Ms. Richardson, writing on the board. As she drew her tongue along her muzzle, it came to me like a rifle shot. Shayna was waiting. For something. Something I didn’t understand. Yet.

Even as another hitching exhale skipped from my lips, the bell rang. As loud voices and dashing footsteps approached, the school day began in earnest. Like an unwelcome habit, the same old routine cranked up and my days blurred as they trudged towards the hopeful promise of summer vacation.

On the home front, exactly a week after getting Shayna, my mother, far quieter than usual, was flitting about the house. Almost as if nothing had happened, my parents had spent the weekend around the pool. Why “almost?” Well, whenever they thought I wasn’t looking, they shared odd, watchful glances. Also, several muffled conversations had dissipated at my approach. Even Shayna appeared calmer than normal. Well, I mean quieter than I’d noted in the entire single week we’d owned her. If I wasn’t moving, she was curled up and sleeping.

As was the new norm, my parents were much more, hmm, vocal, whenever they made love. Which had become a nightly occurrence, not normal, and sometimes right after she’d arrived home from work, definitely abnormal.

In addition, while dad may not have known what had happened between my mother and me, he was around a lot more in the evenings. Combined with the fact that I was already waiting outside for the morning bus before my mother awoke, other than a passing swipe of her hand or a quick peck and slash of tongue into my lips, things cooled between us. To be honest, that conflicted me. While there was no question it’d been wrong, yet ... Yet, it was also so wondrous. Magical. The most sensuous experience of my young life.

Likewise, after school, physical therapy was the same as ever. Sorta. Cindy was avoiding me. Other than quick glances from across the room, she kept her distance while working with other clients.

As always, Jake, Cindy’s smiling guess-he-still-is-her-boyfriend, greeted me with cheerful comments before handing me off to other technicians. To be fair, some of them were almost as good-looking, and all as smart, so overall I had no complaints.

Even as I tensed at each initial encounter, Shayna made no moves towards the other therapists. Instead, we both tracked Cindy every time she appeared. Whenever I caught Shayna’s eyes, they gleamed. Again, with hints of swirling gold.

Neither of us wanted anyone else. Except, I mean, come on, I hadn’t a snowball’s chance in heck. Far more likely that Jake had listened to her, and she was getting what she needed from him. In any event, I sure wasn’t gonna ask him. And it was obvious Cindy wasn’t coming anywhere near us, so I couldn’t ask her. Not that I’d have the guts to, anyway. I’d gotten away with whatever I’d done twice, but ... Well, I wasn’t that crazy.

Yet.

Back at school, the drudgery continued. An endless routine of lectures, tests, and papers dragged into a second week. Each morning, Ms. Richardson would greet us while sauntering nearer. As much as I enjoyed the closer view, every time she reached to pet Shayna, all she’d received was a single sniff. With the same sad and confused expression, Ms. Richardson would return to the front of the classroom just before the bell summoned the same sleepy-eyed horde of students into her room.

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