Page 36 of Jain

“It’s not class A, Harls. Calm down.”

I handed the box to Kate, who burst into another flood of tears, and I wondered if I was going to have to piss on the stick for her.

At least that would guarantee a negative result. I thought to myself as we walked back into the house.

Chapter Fifteen

Iwas exhausted.

I’d been up all night at Kate’s, trying to soften the blow that a positive pregnancy test had crashed into her world.

Kate had finally fallen asleep around four AM, with sobs still racking her body. Her parents were away at a conference, and I knew she didn’t have anyone else. She refused to come to school, and I’d managed to get home, change for school and finally make it into Math class on time. I felt spaced out.

Was Arden the father?

It sure looked like it.

I tapped my pencil on my lips, staring at the Math problem on the board like it was written in upside-down Japanese.

There was just nowayI could do that today.

I spoke with Sarah briefly this morning, and she told me Harley had told her the news. We were all a little shell-shocked, but Sarah promised me she would do the late shift with Kate tonight.

My mind drifted to Mr Silver, and I felt a yearning deep in my stomach. Whenever he was around, I felt calm, yet flames burst whenever our skin touched. I was sad I didn’t have English today, but I guessed it was probably for the best.

He was my teacher, and I was his student.

At first, I’d thought I’d imagined it, but last night confirmed I hadn’t.

As I left the canteen, I remembered that he had my phone number and hadn’t used it. Probably too busy with his romantic evening—

“Ms Martin?”

I stopped in my tracks, the same voice I had imagined in my mind for the past twelve hours ringing in my ears.

“A word, please?”

I turned to see Mr Silver holding the classroom door open, gesturing for me to walk through it.

Holy fuck, he’s hot.

I turned and walked through the door as it locked behind me.

“Sir did you just—”

“Jain, I’ve thought about you all night.”

I was paralysed with shock when he pushed his hands through his hair, gazing at me over the rim of his thick glasses. I fell into the seat beside me, vaguely aware of my bag dropping to the ground.

He pushed the table back, sitting on the desk in front of me, his finger tilting my chin up to his.

“I need to know something,” he whispered, and I nodded, willing to tell him anything in the world he wanted to know, vowing if he didn’t know it, I’d find it out. His eyes looked tired as he pulled his glasses off. I couldn’t breathe when he gazed at me, his fingers lacing with mine as I trembled. “Are you pregnant, Jain?”

I let out a surprised squeak before laughing with relief.

“God,no. Not that I’m aware of. The test was for Kate, and you know she has slept with Arden—”

“I don’t care right now, as long as it’s not you.”