Chapter Tags: nerves, anxiety, fluff, hints of pervertedness, suggestions of inappropriate thoughts towards underage girls, mentions of smut, v. mild sexual assault (like super mild, Idk if it is SA I’m just being safe)
Chapter WC: 2304
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Your POV
“And finally,” Jensen’s voice carries across the staff room as the knots tighten in your stomach. “I got news this morning that Emma had a beautiful baby girl named Faith, both of them are doing fine. We will be getting together a gift hamper to send to her in congratulations, if you’d like to donate towards it or add something to the card, just go and see Michaela. But more importantly, Emma is being temporarily replaced by a new face: Y/N Padalecki.” There’s light applause around the room as you force a nervous smile and raise your hand to wave at the group. “Y/N graduated from Williams with honors,” he almost boasts, which only makes your cheeks flame up hotter. “I’m sure some of you may recognise her from her time here as a student. A lot has changed in eight years, and I’m sure you’ll make her feel very welcome.”
Jensen initiates another round of applause and you mouth a thank you at people around the room, before heading towards the coffee machine to busy yourself. Only ten minutes left before you’re going to head to your classroom to set up.
“Hey.” You jump a little when you turn around and see Jensen standing quite close to you. “You’re gonna be great,” he reassures you, reaching out to squeeze the top of your arm softly. “I can make some free time this morning if you want me to observe some of your first classes?”
“Are you kidding?” you scoff slightly, “that would make it worse.”
Jensen laughs softly, nodding his head in agreement. “Understood. Well I’m here if you need me.”
He squeezes your arm one last time and then slips away, and you catch Jeff’s eye as he starts to head towards the door. You offer him a weak smile, but he looks away and leaves, which only makes you feel worse. But you can’t be worried about Jeff or Jensen or anyone or anything else from your past right now, you’ve got a class to teach.
“Don’t forget to think about what you want to bring with you next lesson,” you remind them, “have a great evening.”
As the busy chatter between the girls sparks up you take a deep breath, glancing towards the back of the room and catching Jensen’s eye. You turn around and focus on cleaning the board, and by the time you’re done, the girls are gone and it’s just you and Jensen.
“I thought I told you not to observe me,” you smirk softly, focusing on tidying your desk. You’re feeling a lot more relaxed now that your first day is over. Each class got easier to teach, especially because the girls seemed to like you, and one even approached you and told you as much, which was exactly the kind of confidence boost you needed for the day.
“Well, I had to be sure my instincts were right. I didn’t interview or vet you the way I usually would a new teacher, had to be sure you were actually teaching them English and not how to shorten their skirts.”
You roll your eyes at his joke and don’t comment, knowing he’s got every right to check in on you. You’re just glad he waited until final period to do it.
“Plus,” he adds, prompting you to glance up at him, “I haven’t seen you since this morning. Was hoping to catch you at lunch,” he notes.
You bite your bottom lip softly, now focused on putting all your pens back in the pot neatly. Your mind wanders to the very reason you stayed in your classroom all day; Jeff.
“It’s been a busy day,” you excuse, shrugging him off. “Barely had a moment to myself.”
Jensen stays quiet for a moment, and you steal a glance at his face to see if he’s bought your lie, but his lips are pursed slightly and there’s a small frown on his face that tells you he doesn’t believe you.
“Don’t isolate yourself, Y/N,” he warns you gently. “You’re never going to make them realise how much you’ve grown if you never let them get to know the new you.”
You nod your head, pretending that’s the reason you’re avoiding the staff room like the plague. But the way Jeff blanked you this morning is the only thing truly weighing on your mind. You don’t really care what people think of you. You’re hardly going to be here very long, and you’re here to work, not make friends. But every time you think about Jeff you just feel a heavy sense of guilt. You were a different person back then, granted, but Jeff doesn’t know that, and you honestly don’t blame him for hating you for the rest of your life. Now you’ve matured you can see how reckless and stupid you used to be. Lying to men about more than just your age was a dangerous game to play – one that got you into more trouble than you’d care to admit. Trouble you’re still in with Drew.
“It’s been a big day,” you remind him. “I’ll try to be better tomorrow.”
“Hey,” Jensen calls out softly, stepping a little closer. “I just want you to like it here, I don’t want you to shut yourself away, that’s all. You’re doing amazing, I already know that I made the right call hiring you, sweetheart.”
You smile slightly at his words, happy to have your boss’s approval, especially after feeling like your first day has gone so well. Maybe Jensen’s right, maybe you are cut out for this, after all.
“Have a good weekend, girls,” you call out, smiling as they start to gather their things and head out of your classroom.
You sigh happily as you slump down in your office chair and glance around to check the classroom is empty before pulling out the top drawer of your desk and retrieving your cell. You shoot Drew a quick message to let him know that your first week has been a success, and look up from your screen when you hear someone clearing their throat in your doorway.
You smile at the teacher who pokes his head around your door and invites himself in.
“Mr. Green, hi,” you welcome.
“Y/N, it’s David now,” he reminds you with a wide grin.
“Of course, David, what’s up?” you prompt.
Mr. Green had been your math teacher, and he was one of the few that didn’t write you up to Jensen for your uniform or bad attitude. You’d always gotten the feeling that he was one of the teachers that was desperate to be liked by his students.
“It’s Friday, and every Friday most of us teachers head to the bar on the corner of fifth for a few drinks, y’know, to welcome the weekend in. Wanted to see if you were up for it?”
“Oh, I’m not sure,” you excuse, the idea of sitting in a bar – one of the ones that you used to pick up older men with fake ID in – surrounded by your old school teachers, doesn’t really seem all that inviting, even if you do want a drink and some time that isn’t in your classroom or ex boyfriend’s house. “I’m swamped with grading.”
“You can spare an hour,” he insists. “You don’t want to burn yourself into the ground, believe me. All work and no play,” he chuckles, shaking his head disapprovingly. “C’mon, it’ll be fun.”
You sigh heavily, thinking about going back to Jensen’s where it’s still tense between you. Your relationship in school hasn’t been so strained, you think you have a different environment to thank for that. In school, Jensen is your boss and things can be amicable. But at home, you’re reminded of your past and everything painful that comes with that. At home he’s not your boss, he’s the ex you’re still in love with no matter how much you try to deny it.
“You know what?” you blurt out, “I’ll come.” You force a smile, deciding that sitting among a group of your old teachers, Jeff included, is the lesser of two evils right now.
“Great, we’ll have fun,” David smirks, flashing you a wink. “See you there.”
You tug on your pencil skirt, sipping your G&T tentatively as your eyes cast around the bar over the teachers you’re supposed to join, but you spot Jeff sitting at one of the tables in that area, and suddenly you’re not so confident in your decision. You take a deep breath and turn on your heels, about to head to another part of the bar before someone notices you, but you end up walking into David.
“Shit, sorry,” you laugh apologetically, thankful you didn’t spill your drink on him.
“We’re over there,” David points to the area.
“Oh, right,” you force another laugh, clearing your throat.
“C’mon, you can sit with me.”
You allow David to lead you over to the tables, and you politely say hi to anyone who welcomes you, sitting next to David and feeling like a fish out of water as everyone settles back into the conversations you’d disturbed. You continue to sip your drink, thankful to have some excuse to not talk, but David doesn’t take long to lean in and start up a conversation.
“Y’know, I still remember you in my class,” he notes. “Not a student I’ll forget in a hurry.”
You laugh awkwardly and nod, “Well, that was a long time ago now. I’ve matured.”
“I can see that,” David smirks, which makes you slightly uncomfortable. “I must admit, I’m a little disappointed that you don’t wear those short skirts anymore now that I can fully appreciate it.”
You’re too shocked by his words to reply, wondering if he’s just joking or if he’s actually being serious. The silence stretches between you for a moment, before he speaks up again.
“So, what made you wanna be a teacher?” he presses.
“Oh, my fiancé is a professor at Williams, it gave me the drive to wanna do that too. Help other kids realise their potential,” you lie.
Truthfully, that was all Jensen. You wanted to give kids what Jensen gave you; a reason and belief in yourself to do better. But bringing up Drew was a great way to remind this guy you’re not interested – if he is hitting on you, at least – plus you’re never going to actually admit out loud that Jensen is the only reason you’re even where you are now. That reminder is a little too painful at the moment.
“I wanna help kids grow up the way Drew helped me.”
“You really have grown up,” David agrees, nodding softly, a smirk forming on his lips. While David never said or did anything inappropriate with you when you were a student, the way he’s looking at you now makes you uncomfortable. Especially when he puts his hand on your thigh.
“I’m gonna mingle,” you excuse as you stand up almost immediately, more instinctively than consciously, and grab your drink, your eyes glancing at Jeff when you realise you’ve caught his attention.
Despite your history with the man, you find yourself gravitating towards him; the only guy that you really trust at all to not be a pervert.
“Hey, can I sit with you?” you ask him nervously. Jeff squints his eyes at you like he’s trying to work out if you’re being serious. “David was a little inappropriate,” you find yourself confessing.
“You think I’m dumb?” Jeff finally asks. You swallow hard, frowning at his question. “That worked once, sweetheart, won’t work a second time.”
You can’t believe how stupid you’ve been to use that line twice on the poor man, remembering faking being creeped out by a guy so you could sit with Jeff the night the two of you hooked up.
“I’m sorry,” you fluster, deciding it’s best you just go home now.
“Sit down, kid,” Jeff calls out, shuffling further along the bench.
You give him a tight lipped appreciative smile and slide yourself into the booth keeping yourself a respectable distance away.
“Didn’t think I’d ever see you here as a fuckin’ teacher,” Jeff tells you, grabbing his scotch and taking a swig.
“Me neither,” you admit. “But people change.”
Jeff just nods, and it falls quiet between you. You glance over at David who is still watching you and swallow hard.
“I’m sorry, Jeff,” you blurt out. “For what I did back then. I have no excuse, and there’s nothing I can say to make any of it better, but I am sorry. I was a kid and I was stupid, I didn’t realise just how fucked up that situation was.”
“You were hurting,” Jeff comments, spinning his glass on the table top.
“I guess I was,” you agree, nodding.
“It takes two to fuckin’ tango, sweetheart,” Jeff sighs. “I should’ve noticed you didn’t quite look twenty one. At least you were over eighteen,” he adds.
“Yeah, you got lucky,” you admit, feeling your cheeks heat up.
“I got real fuckin’ lucky thanks to Jensen knowing your history. The virgin thing was a nice touch,” he comments, sarcasm dripping off his tongue.
“I’m so sorry,” you groan, embarrassment flooding your veins.
“Let’s just forget it, yeah?” he asks, lifting his drink. “It happened, we can’t undo it, and nothing truly terrible came from it. So here’s to a fresh start.”
You clink your glass with his and take a sip, smiling appreciatively at him.
“So, why don’t you tell me how you ended up becoming a freaking teacher,” Jeff prompts, getting a little more comfortable in his seat.
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