Chapter One
-EDWARD-
The classroom siren pierces through the hallways of Clear Creek High like a wake-up call to teenage zombies. I straighten my "Don’t Trust Atoms, They Make Up Everything" t-shirt and brace for impact. Within seconds, the unmistakable odor of teenage boys and stale gym clothes invade my nostrils. The ancient ceiling fan whirs uselessly overhead, doing nothing but circulating warm air around my classroom. This is one downfall of being a high school teacher, though not as bad as what Tommy has to put up with during his sports lessons. I, on the other hand, have other challenges.
Jonas scrapes his chair back and plops into his seat, his gangly frame folding like a paper clip. He fumbles through his worn backpack and draws out what was probably once a pristine piece of paper, now resembling something that's been through a washing machine. That kid wouldn't know presentation if it danced on his desk wearing a lab coat.
I run a hand through my short hair and walk to the front of the class, my dress shoes clicking against the linoleum floor. Most of the kids at Clear Creek High are fantastic students and eager to learn, their fresh faces turned toward me with varying degrees of interest. But my most dedicated student isn't here today.
Where is Angus? I glance at my watch and scratch the day-old stubble on my chin. Should I start without him? He's usually not late, but we have a lot to get through today.
I clear my throat and clap my hands, the sound echoing off the science posters that plaster every available wall space. "Attention everybody, I have a special announcement to make and we've got an exciting day of planning."
Jonas holds up his crumpled piece of paper, bits of fluff clinging to the edges. His red hair sticks up like he's been conducting static electricity experiments. "Sir, don't you want us to hand in our assignments first?"
I nod and smile, already dreading the stack of papers I'll be grading tonight. "That's fine, Jonas. We'll collect them at the end. I'll put the results in your student portal by tomorrow."
That's the one thing about being a teacher—all the after-hours commitment. It can't get done during class time. A huge reason why I don't have much of a dating life. I haven't had time to think twice about that since moving here and settling in, getting used to the new school and students, the way things are done here in Clear Creek. The town where everyone knows your business before you do.
Although there was that one time when I dated Sarah, which you could barely call dating—two dates which were interrupted on both occasions. It was enough to put me off dating for a whole year. I'm reluctant to try again after that experience, but it worked out well for Tommy, who weirdly enough, was the one who helped me get the date in the first place. He’s married to Sarah now, so at least one of us is doing well. I shift on my feet and try not to think about how Tommy's constant happiness makes me feel like I'm missing something.
Angus rounds the corner, snapping me out of my thoughts. Into the classroom he strides, followed by his mother, who appears quite flustered with strands of honey-brown hair falling about her face. She has the same sharp blue eyes as her son.
"Sorry sir, for our lateness. My mother's car had a flat tire, but I knew what to do, sir." Angus puffs out his chest. "I found a YouTube video and converted my potential energy into kinetic force, if you know what I mean, sir. Pushing down at forty-five-degree angles with the correct torque to undo those nuts and bolts and I had it fixed in no time." Angus gives me a salute as if he's reporting to an army officer, his school tie slightly crooked and his uniform more pressed than any other student's.
Being on the spectrum, he's fascinated by science and a top student. His quirky ways of explaining things always bring a smile to my face. The way his mind works is like a complex equation that somehow makes perfect sense once you understand all the variables.
He glances over his shoulder to his mom, whose cheeks are flushed pink from either the morning rush or embarrassment—probably both.
"Isn't that right, Mom? That's the reason why we're late. Tell Mr. Wheeler."
She nods and nervously tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her blush deepens. "Yes, it's true. Angus said you’d want me to clarify the story."
I frown for a beat—I would have trusted Angus's story. He's only a few minutes past the bell. I understand he likes routine, so this might upset him to be late.
Morning sunlight from the windows catches the turquoise flecks in Sophie's eyes. Maybe she has green eyes, not blue. I blink and focus back on the conversation. "That's fine, ma'am. These things happen. Is everything okay now?"
"Yes." She fidgets with the strap of her leather shoulder bag.
"Excuse me, sir, sorry for my rudeness. I didn't introduce you to my mother, which society expects correct introductions," Angus says, his voice taking on that formal tone he uses when reciting facts. "This is my mother, Sophie Ann Mellor. Age: Thirty-Four. Height: 5 ft 4 inches, and her marital status is single. She hasn't been on a date in—well, 423 days, sir."
Sophie's eyes go wide and her jaw drops. Her freckled button nose scrunches and releases, making her look younger than thirty-four. Why am I noticing details I shouldn't as a teacher?
Is Angus profiling his mom like he’s a dating app? "That's a very detailed account," I say, tugging at my collar, which is somewhat too tight. "Unnecessary but detailed nonetheless."
Sophie mutters under her breath, her words barely audible over scraping chair legs from restless students. "Angus, he doesn't need to know my personal information. It's about your lateness, not family statistics."
Angus rolls his eyes, his expression so logical it almost hurts. "Yes, mother. Don't say anything inappropriate in public." He shrugs his shoulders. “But I'm only stating facts.” He makes his way to his seat, his movements rigid as he arranges his books at perfect right angles on his desk.
I'm left in an awkward situation as Sophie shifts uncomfortably near the doorway. My stomach does a weird flip-flop thing that has nothing to do with the coffee I grabbed from the coffee truck this morning.
I feel bad for her to leave on this embarrassing note. "Do you want to stay a while and watch what happens in class? We have a special announcement to make which will mean a lot to Angus. Something we're planning for this semester."
Sophie fiddles with her earring and touches her cheek, which is still painted a shade of pink. The silver bracelets on her wrist jingle as she moves. "Okay, that sounds like a good idea."
I gesture to a spare seat at the back of the class, trying not to notice how her sweet musky perfume trails behind her as she settles in. The scent is a nice change from whiteboard markers and teenage pong.
I return to my position beside my desk and rub my hands together as I focus on the announcement rather than how Angus has interestingly stated his mother is single. I won’t read between the lines, like how he thinks she needs a date. Thankfully, Angus doesn't know about my dating status, or that would be all around school by lunch break. He's dreaming if he thinks anything could happen between his mother and me. It would be too messy for a parent and teacher to date in a small town where gossip is the very essence of life.
"Okay, class, the special announcement is … drumroll …” I pitter-patter the desk and get a smile from Sophie. “We’re entering a county science competition for the state of Colorado for all schools under two thousand students," I say, trying to keep my gaze from drifting back to Sophie. "We need to come up with a robotic invention. Every school has been given a government grant of five thousand dollars. The grand prize is new equipment for our science lab and possible scholarships for the future. This will be a great opportunity for us to brainstorm invention ideas and learn about budgeting and innovations. Who knows? If we win the competition, we might even be able to get sponsorship for something beyond that."
"But first and foremost, this is going to be a great project for team building—" Before I can finish my sentence, Angus's hand shoots up in the air as he flaps it enthusiastically, his uniform tie swinging with the motion.
"Sir, sir, I have an idea!"
I shake my head, amazed at Angus's fast processing. Surely, he hasn't come up with an award-winning idea so quickly.
Angus rattles off his concept for an environmental machine to sample soils and perform various tests. I try to look interested, but dollar signs dance in my head like those old cartoons. There's no way this could be possible in the short time we have, let alone fit into our budget, generous as it is. I glance at Sophie, and she's frowning and nodding—a mixture of encouragement while knowing this idea is impossible. Having worked with Angus for a while, I understand, I also need to be careful and sensitive to avoid a meltdown.
I smile and hold up my finger. "Thank you, Angus. That's a great suggestion—advanced, interesting, and useful. We'll put that down as one of the options. Now let's look over the criteria here." I glance at my notes before scanning the room. Several students appear quite interested, though Jonas seems bored already, doodling what must be rocket ships in his notebook margins. Talisha is writing something, probably ideas. She's the smartest student in the class, second to Angus.
"Do you have any ideas brewing, Talisha?"
She sits up straight, her pencil poised. "Yes sir, I do." She shoots a superior nod at Angus before meeting my eyes again. "I have a proposal which is much more realistic and under five thousand dollars."
Angus lets out an exaggerated huff. But Talisha ignores his response and sits taller, the fluorescent lights catching the determination in her eyes. "I'm thinking of an environmental solution as well, but more practical. Building on our simplistic worm farm, how about we use robotic science to discover a way of reproducing worm farm kits at a reasonable production price that can be distributed to other schools and family homes? This wouldn't cost too much and could have a local impact, making it more accessible to households and schools on a tight budget, plus educating them to use water and resources wisely."
I nod, although this isn't a unique idea, but it fits our budget and has growth potential. Talisha's parents are entrepreneurs and own several businesses, so it's no surprise she's thinking about how the project could have an ongoing potential after the competition finishes.
"Okay, so we have two ideas so far. That's a great start," I say, picking up a dry-erase marker and jot notes on the whiteboard. "As I was saying, we need to look at the criteria and keep these in mind as well as our budget. We have a whole semester to produce something, but I would like us to decide on the project within the first two weeks. This means a lot of research on your part—costing, resources, equipment. We can always change tactics, but if we have a consensus, we can move forward. The practicalities of building the robot will need most of our available time."
Sophie clears her throat, and her hand is up.
"Yes, Ms. Mellor?"
"Um, I have an appointment. Is it okay if I'm dismissed?"
I hold back a laugh. It's cute that she thinks she needs my permission. I can see where Angus gets his impeccable manners.
I smile, my neck heating up—a weird response. Maybe I'm feeling embarrassed for her. "Of course—"
"Mom has an appointment to get her legs waxed," Angus says all too loudly.
Sophie's eyes nearly roll back in her head, and now not only is my neck hot, but my whole face is on fire. Judging by Sophie's pink cheeks, hers is too. I jab my finger at the paper in front of me, trying to find another requirement or something in the criteria that I can focus on to relieve our mutual embarrassment. Little snickers come from the students.
I blurt out what I can barely focus on. "Point number two... let's get this hair—uh, handled."
Jonas snorts a laugh. Talisha and Annabelle cover their mouths, giggling. I tried to correct my sentence quickly, but it was too late. Sophie has already fled the room, the click of her heels echoing down the hallway. I mentally face-palm, taunting myself for being such an idiot. "Okay class, that's enough. Let's focus back on our project at hand."
Poor woman. She probably won't set foot on the school premises again, definitely not in my classroom. How can I reverse my stupidity? I guess she's used to Angus saying inappropriate things at the wrong time. When I glance at him, he's meticulously arranging his pencils by size, completely unaware of the havoc he's caused.
Hopefully, by the time we have our parent-teacher meeting later in the term, she will have forgotten all about it. Though the way my heart is still pounding in my ears, I doubt either of us will forget. I pick up my checklist and clear my throat. "Now, back to our robotics criteria..."
But as I review the requirements, my mind drifts to Sophie's mortified expression when she rushed out of the room. Great job, Wheeler. Real smooth. I need to make this right. How exactly am I supposed to do that?