Chapter Text
Starting a new job was like the very first day of school. You tried to get your bearings, make friends and stay under the radar of your teachers. It should have been easy. Yet, as Tina Kennard walked the hallway of West Coast High in the company of her new boss, Phyllis Kroll, she couldn’t help but to feel anxious. She had been hired as an English substitute teacher when her predecessor had to take her maternity leave early because of a high-risk pregnancy.
The principal of the school was a talkative woman and Tina did her best to keep up with her chatting, while trying to find landmarks to find her way back. If she had bread, she would be this close to sprinkle it behind her like Little Thumb. She had left her messenger bag in her classroom and Phyllis was now taking her to the teacher’s lounge, taking turns in the never-ending corridors. The young substitute was starting to sweat with stress. Dammit, she would get lost before her first class began. At least, she knew that the room was on the same floor. She was starting to hesitate between calling this high school a spaceship or the Pentagon.
They met a group of people coming around a corridor and Tina realized after a second that they were all grow-ups and her new colleagues. There was a peppy blonde named Alice who taught history, Dan a middle-aged man who taught psychology and the math teacher, Henri something. The rest, she couldn’t for the life of her remember any face or name. The men stayed in the background but the blonde stepped forward and started babbling about all the things she would show her around school and how they would become fast friends. Damn that was overwhelming! Fortunately, Principal Kroll got her out of there firmly but with an amicable smile.
“She’s something, isn’t she?” The elder woman commented fondly.
Tina smiled politely in return, her shy personality taking over as she wondered to what extent her new boss was testing her—or if she even was. The blonde teacher was trying to replay the face and name of each person she had met to remember them and not be so awkward when Principal Kroll took her through an open door. Goddamn! That was the teacher’s lounge? Tina had barely enough time to look around before her boss led her further into the room.
“Ah, perfect.”
She hadn’t noticed before, but there was another woman in the room, pouring herself some coffee. Her back was to them, but Tina was mesmerized by the curly brown hair already. She wore a grey blazer, black pants and even from behind her heels seemed impressive, making her look even taller than she already was.
“Excuse me, Bette.” The woman turned around and Tina forgot to breathe for an instant when her face came into view and her eyes met hers. “Meet our new English substitute teacher, Tina Kennard. She will be with us until the end of the school year. Tina, Bette Porter,” Principal Kroll introduced them.
Bette extended a hand for her to shake. “Nice to meet you,” she said and damn did her voice sounded fruity.
“Hi, nice to meet you,” Tina managed to say, hating how weak she sounded.
She shook her hand and felt awfully inadequate when it came into contact with the dark-haired woman’s soft skin and firm yet gentle grip. Was that an acceptable handshake? If she crushed her hand it wouldn’t be good, but a limp handshake was even worse. Dammit, she could only hope that her palm wasn’t sweaty. Bette released her hand after a few seconds, her polite smile still in place. Tina’s hand felt weirdly cold all of a sudden.
“Bette is our resident basketball coach and PE teacher. We’re expecting to bring back the trophy home this year,” Principal Kroll explained giddily but still keeping her posh ways.
Bette scoffed lightly. “We’re hoping for it anyway. Hopefully, this year we can ward off bad luck.”
“Maybe Tina can be your lucky charm,” their boss countered, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.
What the…? Her mouth opened like a goldfish at the inappropriate comment and since she couldn’t keep her eyes off Bette, Tina realized that her smile was frozen in place, like she would have retorted something if it wasn’t the woman signing her paychecks.
Phylis’ phone rang loudly in the room and she squinted at it to see the caller before scoffing in dissatisfaction.
“Bette can you finish the tour with Tina, please? I have to deal with my ex.”
She was already walking out, not leaving much choice to the poor woman.
“Me? Um… okay.”
“Grand. See you lovebirds,” Principal Kroll said before turning around suddenly. “Tina, welcome. If you need anything, just ask Bette.”
She winked and left the room, leaving Tina with a lot of thoughts. She felt like she had just been fed to the big bad wolf except Bette Porter didn’t seem threatening. She held a dangerous appeal, that was for sure, but she didn’t seem like the villain of the story.
“Don’t pay attention to her, she does that when she's had too much caffeine in the morning,” Bette stated, rolling her eyes a little. “By the way, do you want some coffee?”
She motioned to the two coffee machines on the counter.
“I’d like some, thanks.”
Tina moved closer as Bette finished pouring coffee in her travel mug, before shutting it tight. Was it crazy that she took the time to admire her hands? Elegant, long fingers, her light brown skin flawless. Bette put the coffee pot back on its base and reached for a paper cup on the top shelf in front of her. Then, she took the coffee pot from the other machine and poured some in it.
“I’m not worthy of this machine?” Tina joked before she could stop herself.
A smirk appeared on Bette’s lips even though she wasn’t looking at her, too busy with her task. Once she put the coffee pot back, she slid the cup toward the blonde and finally explained herself.
“This is the normal coffee,” she said, pointing at the machine on the left. “This is the coffee for complicated days,” she explained with an arched eyebrow, clearly implying that Tina would still be up at 3AM if she drank this.
“I see.”
“We have sugar here and milk in the fridge. It’s a shared space but if you put a tag with your name on it, people are not supposed to take your stuff.”
Tina joined Bette in front of the big American fridge with her paper cup in hand.
“Not supposed to?” She repeated with a chuckle.
“When you meet Alice and if you befriend her, you’ll find that she has very little sense of boundaries.”
The answer was grumbled, but the blonde could hear the affectionate tone. If she hadn’t, the way Bette’s lips curled at the corners was telling. Gosh, the room seemed brighter all of a sudden.
“I met her, actually. She seems nice.”
There was a twinkle in the brunette’s eyes as she observed her. “She loves babbling, rambling and gossiping. But yeah, she’s nice.”
It was seriously crazy how much Tina liked Bette’s gaze on her little person. She was playful and warm and yes, incredibly beautiful. The dark-haired woman took a sip from her—strong—coffee and Tina noticed only then that her travel mug was in the colors of the school—green and yellow—, with the logo on the front and some text that she couldn’t make out because Bette’s hand was covering it partially.
“It’s tradition for your colleagues to gift you one after you spent a year here.”
Tina blushed at being caught. Damn sly, Kennard, she thought. “Oh, really? What’s yours?” She said, affecting a happier tone.
Bette turned the travel mug in her hand so she could read the text. “I’m THAT teacher the kids from last year warned you about”. She couldn’t help it, Tina snickered upon reading the inscription. She apologized but fortunately, it didn’t ruffled Bette’s feathers the wrong way. As a matter of a fact, she was quite amused herself.
“So you’re a little bit bossy, then? Makes sense, you’re a basketball coach after all.”
“I have my reputation.”
Bette’s smirk was as teasing as Tina’s tone. The blonde might not realize it but she was flirting. At least, from the few seconds she had spent in her company so far, the dark-haired beauty felt like the new substitute teacher wasn’t aware of it. Or if she was, it was a complete one eighty from her apparent shy personality when they had been introduced. Bette couldn’t decide, but she was intrigued, definitely.
“Are you ready?” She asked, wanting to check which theory was true.
“Yes,” the blonde said with a bright smile.
Fuck, she was pretty. She almost looked to innocent for her taste, but there was something about her that seemed to draw her in. The dimples maybe or her hazel eyes.
Bette led the way out of the lounge room and showed Tina down the hallway of the ground floor, where teenagers were starting to fill the corridors. She had the first term free, hence why Phylis had judged good to offer her as a tour guide. Bette hadn’t want to admit to her new colleague that their boss had been trying to marry her off to any attractive female that crossed her path. Technically, she was taken. However, the relationship she was in was an open one, a situation that didn’t suit her. She was a one woman kind of person and knowing that she wasn’t even her girlfriend’s primary was provoking a deep dissatisfaction in her.
She tried to map out the place for Tina, but she could see that she was overwhelmed. She was young, twenty five, twenty seven years old at most. Bette hoped that she would be able to hold her own in front of her classes. Teenagers could be a pain. She tried to crack a few jokes to get her to smile and the blonde seemed to relax.
Tina realized that Bette was a big deal in this high school. Almost all the kids they passed by greeted ‘Coach Porter’ respectfully, some with apprehension in her eyes. Oh, she was definitely one to be wary of. She was just the weirdo at her side, the teenagers would glance at her before turning their attention to Bette immediately. She even saw two boys nudge each other playfully before one of them nodded at her like he was from the hood: “What’s up Coach Porter?”.
Bette rolled her eyes, unimpressed. “Jackson, try not to burn down the chemistry lab next time,” she drawled, not faltering in her steps.
Tina heard snickers behind them as the boys friends taunted him. She glanced at Bette and found a smug expression on her beautiful face. Sensing her eyes on her, the tall brunette turned to her.
“You gotta teach them early on, less they start stepping all over your authority.”
Sound advice that wasn’t making Tina feel any lighter. It was her second job as a teacher, but her first in a high school. The previous time, it was in middle school in Arizona. Older kids were making her nervous. She felt like she was too young for them to respect her.
“I’m sure you will be great,” Bette said as they reached a quieter part of the school.
How did she guess? Or was she so easy to read? Anyway, Bette had a reassuring smile and Tina wanted to trust that she would. It was dangerous relying on someone else to gain self-confidence, but she was so stressed at the moment that she would take any form of support. She smiled gratefully and Bette’s grin grew bigger, making her eyes crinkle at the corners.
The dark-haired woman made them stop between a set of double doors and Tina took the opportunity to put her empty paper cup in the bin. They were in a quieter part of the school and it felt like they stood in a lobby. There was a large counter closed by an iron curtain and a whole wall was made of glass panels, with doors leading outside. She suspected it was the auditorium.
“This is the auditorium,” Bette announced indeed. “Wait here a minute,” she said as she opened the door cautiously and poked her head inside. “Ok, we’re clear.”
She held the door wider with her hip and grabbed Tina’s hand to pull her in behind her. She dropped her hand so she could close the door quietly and the blonde regretted the loss. This was unusual. This was completely foreign. Why in the hell was she feeling that way? It was just Bette, she guessed. There was something special about her.
Tina was so into her feelings that she hadn’t taken the time to admire the room. There were a thousand seats at least, far more than in her small middle school in Phoenix. There were town sets in the background as well as wooden chairs all over the place. Tina had a hard time recalling what play they could be rehearsing here. Some movement caught her eye and she realized that Bette was walking down toward the stage, her curly hair bouncing on her shoulders with every step. She followed, getting back to the present moment finally.
“What was that?” She wondered, thinking of how sneaky the basketball coach was acting.
Bette jogged up the stairs leading to the stage before answering.
“There is a slight possibility that I don’t like the drama teacher?” She offered with a coy smile that almost made Tina trip on her feet.
"Who is he? Or she?”
Bette extended her hand to help Tina on the stage. She was wearing heels but she didn’t need her help. Did it stop her from taking her hand just because she wanted to feel more of that soft skin? No. Once again, Bette released her as soon as her good deed was done. She sauntered further away on the stage, her heels clicking on the wood.
“It’s a she. Jenny Schecter,” she explained and the name sounded like a curse. “She’s more of a drama queen than a drama teacher…” her gaze turned hard and distant for a few seconds. She shook her head and looked at her again, the gentle expression back on her features. “But don’t let my opinion influence you, you might like her.”
“Would you judge me if I did?” Tina inquired, wanting to stay on her good side somehow, and not because she was scared of her like her students.
A teasing smile appeared on Bette’s lips once again. “I don’t know. Maybe a little.”
She couldn’t resist. The tentative ways of Tina Kennard were getting to her and Bette now felt sure that the young blonde wasn’t doing it on purpose. She seemed unsure of herself, yet bold at certain times. The tall brunette sensed an exhilarating feeling spread inside her that she hadn’t known for a while. Tina was giving away every vibe of the straight woman, but it wouldn’t deter her. She wanted to get to know her better.
Bette wasn’t really thinking about the tour anymore as she led Tina backstage, roaming through the costumes and additional sets.
“What did she do to you anyway?” Tina asked, full of questions.
Bette sighed, thinking about her complex relationship with the drama teacher. “Oh… Where to start? Let’s say that she wrote a play for the winter show last year that was inspired by her fellow colleagues and she didn’t have very nice things to say about me.”
Understatement. That bitch had been fucking awful and had not even acknowledged that the characters were warp versions of her fellow teachers. Well of inspiration my ass, Bette thought bitterly. Jenny wasn’t even a good screenwriter.
“Like what?” Tina insisted.
That little minx was very curious. “You’ll just have to ask her,” Bette teased with a wink. “But anyway, the play never happened because of some… other issues.”
Yeah, like the parents being opposed to the play depicting lesbian love to their poor, unassuming children. Honestly, Bette would have let Jenny organize her stupid play just so they could piss off these bullies and censors but Phylis had put the kibosh on the project after one of the parent had threatened to pull their donation out of the school.
“You’re not gonna tell me anything, are you?” The substitute realized, narrowing her eyes at her.
Even when she was trying to appear angry, Tina was as cute as ever. It was the dimples, Bette decided. Or her baby face. She did look really young. The dark-haired woman grinned at her and motioned for her to follow.
“Come on, let’s go to the gym.”
She wanted to grab her hand again, but she felt like the blonde would realize that she was doing it on purpose. She couldn’t scare her off on their first meeting, it would be unfortunate.
A loud bang echoed through the auditorium and Bette peaked around the corner just in time to see Jenny trample down the stairs with her moody face, insulting someone on the phone.
“Oh no! Shit! It’s her,” she announced, rubbing her forehead as she prepared herself to confront the woman she despised. “Well, you’re going to meet her sooner than expected,” she attempted a joke.
Bette was about to make her way back on stage when Tina held her back by the elbow. She hadn’t thought before acting. All that she knew was that Bette didn’t seem to like this Jenny very much and she was inclined to avoid her as well.
“Wait! Come here!” She whispered, pulling Bette back toward her and dragging her behind some unused set in a corner, tall enough that it would hide them.
Tina landed with her back against the wall—literally—and Bette pressed snuggly against her. Fuck, she hadn’t thought about that. Her breath got locked in her chest or maybe it was Bette’s breasts pushing against her own. Fuck, she was hot like, her body was radiating heat. The blonde let her head fall against the wall, trying to regain control over her breathing surreptitiously. Dammit, Bette’s curls were in her face, her scent was everywhere, strong, almost masculine yet so sensual. Tina felt her body react in ways she hadn’t expected and she balled her hands into fists.
She closed her eyes, thinking it would help keep her calm but the hot breath against her neck, the strands of hair ticking her cheek, the slender body pushing against her seemed even more unavoidable. The blonde opened her eyes in time to see a black-haired lady with bangs and questionable outfit stomping backstage while cursing at the poor soul on the other side of the line.
“No, you fuck off Sally, I’m an artist, you don’t know shit about what you’re fucking saying!” Tina heard her yell as she walked by their hiding spot.
She felt Bette tense against her and, blame her nurturing instinct, but she gripped her hip with one hand and wrapped her arm around her with the other to bring her closer.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. This was heaven and this was her own personal hell. Bette was trying desperately not to crush Tina, but there was little space for them to hide and she feared that if she took a step back, the wooden set would fall, revealing their compromising position. Jenny would have a field day spreading rumors that she was fucking the new substitute on the wall of the auditorium on her first day. Fuck, how she yearned to be doing that right now!
She had put one hand on the wall above Tina’s head because she had no idea where to put it—she knew where she would like to put it, but it wasn’t an option—but the other was still holding onto her travel mug, so she was leaning against the blonde heavily, her forearm resting on the wall as well. Her muscles were so tense from trying to maintain as much distance as possible that she was scared to get a cramp attack. Shit, Tina smelled so good—a mix of flower and fruit—her body felt so good and now she was circling her back with her arm to bring her closer?! Dammit! Bette crashed against her, feeling their breasts push against each other and most importantly, feeling a gush of wetness soak her panties. Fucking hell, she needed to get away from her. Now.
Bette turned her head as best as she could given the situation and she fought very hard to ignore the fact that her nose grazed Tina’s blonde locks—lilac her sense of smell commented traitorously. Jenny was still screaming at the person on the phone, but the brunette saw her make her way to the girls’ dressing room—probably just so she could slam the door dramatically. Her theory was confirmed a few seconds later when the drama teacher screeched and slammed it behind her. Bette waited a few seconds more, body not relaxing in the least. One, because that witch was unpredictable. Two, because Tina’s body felt way too good for her to ignore.
“I think she’s gone,” she murmured.
Slowly, she disentangled herself from the English substitute, feeling her breathing go back to normal eventually. She was scared to meet Tina in the eye. If she decided to slap her in the face, Bette wouldn’t even be able to hold it against her. She moved out of their hiding place, making sure not to knock the wooden set over.
Tina took a deep breath to fill her empty lungs. Goddamn, her hands were trembling and she knew it wasn’t because she was scared of Jenny coming back. She glanced at Bette tentatively but the other woman was not even looking her way. She didn’t know what took over her brain in that moment—certainly not a shot of intelligence—Tina reached for her free hand and tugged her toward the stage.
“Let’s go,” she said, the huskiness of her own voice surprising her.
She needed to shake this feeling off. But first, get out of there before being caught. They padded out away quickly, but making sure the sound of heels wouldn’t betray their presence. Once on the relative security of the carpet path leading to the exit, they broke in a jog and didn’t stop until they reached the double door.
And all along, Bette’s hand had stayed in hers, like two fools in love running through a field.