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As summer gets closer, it gets harder and harder to get the kids to pay attention. Pretty soon, once state tests are over, it’s all but impossible to do anything productive in between all the requests to go outside.
Gregory doesn’t want to give in, even though the weather is beautiful. He’s a new teacher, and he feels like he has to set an example, like he has to earn his spot among the teachers here at Abbott.
But then he spots Janine’s class out front and he finally tells his class that they can go out after they finish their math lesson.
The class gets through math with more enthusiasm than Gregory has ever seen from them, and then he brings them outside, wincing when Barbara steps halfway out of her classroom to investigate the noise in the hallway. She watches him as he passes, not exactly smiling, but he wonders if she noticed that Janine is outside too.
Nothing’s going on there. He and Janine are friends. He’s dating Taylor. Barbara knows all of that. But sometimes, Gregory gets the feeling that Barbara knows something he doesn’t. Like there’s some secret that he should know, but he can’t quite figure out what it is.
It looks like Janine is busy teaching a lesson, and Gregory feels bad all over again that he’s just letting his students run around to let off some steam, but Janine doesn’t seem to mind. It’s one of the things Gregory admires most about her: she is completely focused on her students and her job, no matter what.
“So, what have we learned about deciduous trees today?” he hears her ask, smile shining brighter than the sun as she holds up a leaf from the tree that overhangs the parking lot.
“They have leaves that fall in the fall,” her class chants back at her.
“Very good. And what about coniferous trees?”
“They have needles that stay all the time.”
“Great job!” Janine says, beaming at them. “Now, I think I see Mr. Eddie’s class is out here too. Why don’t we take a break for fifteen minutes and then we’ll go get lunch, okay?”
Her class cheers and takes off to join Gregory’s, and Janine comes over to stand beside him.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asks, staring up at him with those wide eyes that have drawn him in from the first time he saw her.
Gregory blinks and swallows, trying to figure out what his face is doing and make it stop. “Like what?”
“I don’t know, like so intense.” She draws out the syllables, smiling at him like it’s no big deal. For some reason, his heart thumps extra hard at that thought.
“That’s me. Intensity Gregory.” He winces a little, since it doesn’t totally make sense, but Janine just laughs, the sound light and free and lovely.
“Sure. What brings you outside?”
“Saw you were out here, thought it seemed like a good idea. I didn’t think to tie in science class, though.”
Janine smirks. “Guess you still have some things to learn from us veteran teachers.”
“Guess I do," Gregory says, chuckling.
“Good thing you decided to stick around.”
Gregory nods and nudges her a little with his shoulder. “Hey, you too. I’m glad you decided not to move away.”
Janine blinks, and Gregory swears he sees tears welling in her eyes. “Me too. I couldn’t leave Abbott. I couldn’t leave the kids.”
“Totally. Can’t leave these kids.”
They stay there, watching their classes run around and play in the sun, and Gregory tries not to look at Janine, in case whatever was happening on his face before happens again. Too soon, it’s time to go in, and Gregory wishes he could spend the rest of the day out in that bright sunlight.
For the kids, of course.