School Days, Rule Days

*Note to readers: This story has two endings. The first stops with the PG-13 version. Readers who want to find out what happens in the bedroom can find the adult version right after the new couple make their way toward it.

*****

"Shay? We both know your father isn't coming back. Missing him is one thing but letting it affect your life is another."

"I understand all that, Mom. It's not so much that I miss him—although I do. It's just that I'll never understand how someone can do that to his family."

"I'm not excusing what he did, honey. I can only tell you that sometimes men who turn 40 start to feel like their life is slipping away. They believe their youth is gone and they may never be happy. So when a younger, very attractive woman starts giving him the attention he wants, well..."

"She's barely older than me and that's the part I don't get. How could anyone be attracted to someone that much older than them? Doesn't that seem...unusual?"

Erin Kimball smiled and told her daughter, "Honey, I'm not gonna lie. Your father hurt me terribly. I didn't even see it coming to be honest. I knew something was wrong. He was restless and well, without going into detail, no matter what I did, he just wasn't interested in me...like that...anymore."

"Mom! Eeeew! I do not want to hear about that, okay?"

Erin most definitely wasn't going to share those kinds of details with her daughter, but it had been over eight months she'd been with a man and before that, it had been two months. Her husband had no interest in her because he was getting everything he needed from her soon-to-be replacement.

Shay, of course, was never going to tell her mother that she'd lost her virginity to Jeremy that summer or that after a few clumsy attempts, she learned that making love was a most pleasant undertaking.

Shay Kimball was 18 and tomorrow was the first day of her senior year at the same school where her mom had been a guidance counselor for the last 15 years since graduating from college. Shay had a very good chance of being the class valedictorian and now that her father had traded in her 37-year old mom for another woman—no, a girl—who was barely 21, she would need to earn an academic scholarship if she wanted to go to college herself. Being 18, her father had no legal requirement to support her anymore, and since he moved out just after the holidays some seven months ago, he hadn't sent his daughter a dime. He rarely even called and when he did, she didn't feel much like talking to him and that was killing her because she had always been daddy's little girl.

Shay was one of the three best looking girls in school, but unlike the other two, she wasn't interested in cheerleading and parties. She was a bright, serious girl with a very good head on her shoulders.

"Okay. Message received. You won't have to hear about it, Shay. Besides, we've got to go. I need to be in early to set up for registration. It's gonna be crazy busy. And honey? I'm really glad you decided to hang out with me today."

Shay smiled and said, "Well, since Jeremy and I broke up, it's not like I've got anyone fun or cool to hang out with, you know."

"Careful or I'll put you in Mr. Craig's chemistry class."

"You wouldn't dare!" she said as her eyes narrowed and her lips drew tight.

"Don't push me," her mom said feigning a dire warning.

They walked into the gymnasium and Erin began looking around. "Okay, let's see where they have me sitting this year." She saw the long row of tables set out for registration and began searching from left to right. She first notice a table for the social studies teachers. Next to them were the English teachers, then math, science, and...there it was. Guidance. Right next to chemistry.

"Shay? Look where we're at. Your dream may come true!" she teased.

Shay saw where her mom's place was and rolled her eyes. Mr. Craig was about a thousand years old and about as much fun as having the flu. "Oh...my...God," she said. "Okay, well I'm definitely sitting on the other side of you. Just in case." She shivered at the thought of old man Craig trying to engage her in conversation. He was not only older than dirt, he was...creepy.

Erin sat her things down and Shay pulled out her iPod and put in her earbuds then turned on her iPad and busied herself with looking at stuff 18-year girls look at. Several minutes later she heard her mom talking to someone in a tone of voice that told her she should look up.

"Oh, okay, so you're Mr. Garvin. I knew we'd hired a new chemistry teacher. I'm Erin Kimball. It's very nice to meet you."

"My pleasure, Erin. Please call me Adam."

"With pleasure," Erin said with an exaggerated amount of enthusiasm.

Shay looked over next to her mom and her jaw dropped. "Oh...my...God!" she said again. "That man is gorgeous!" She elbowed her mom, waited for her to lean close then said quietly, "Who's the male model?"

"Oh, that's our new chemistry teacher, Mr. Garvin."

"I don't see a wedding ring," Shay said as she gently rubber-necked to look his way.

"Uh, Shay? I believe he's a little too old for you. However, I will say for the record, I have no problem with dating a younger man so I'm not going to say anything more," her mother said as she turned back to take another look at the hot new teacher. "Or at least I think I'd enjoy it if one ever asked me out," she said qualifying her statement.

"Mom? Geez! What's the matter with you?" Shay said shaking head.

"Me? I'm not the one checking out a guy ten years older than her."

Shay just grunted a loud, "Ugh!" at her mom's comment and went back to her iPad but not before sneaking one more look his way.

A series of kids came and went at both tables. Most of those who saw her mom wanted to change classes before school started. Two of Shay's friends begged her mom to let them move to Mr. Garvin's class from Mr. Craig's. "Sorry, girls. No can do. There's no compelling reason to move you."

One of them said, "Have you seen Mr. Garvin? Have you seen Mr. Craig? If that's not compelling then nothing is."

"I feel your pain," Erin told her as she handed her back her schedule unchanged.

"Speaking of schedules, Mom. Where's mine?" Shay asked.

"Oh, suddenly you're interested in your class schedule? What a coincidence. Weren't you the one who told me several times you didn't care who your teachers were as long as you got the classes you wanted?"

Her mom started looking through a stack of schedules and said, "I was gonna give it to you before we left. I guess there's a compelling reason why you want it now."

"Mom!" she said again as she snatched the paper from her mother's hand. She took a quick look at the classes: AP Calculus, AP history, AP chemistry. When she got to chemistry she closed one eye then looked next to it for the teacher's name. If it said 'Craig'... She saw G-a-r-v-i- and n. Yes!

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best mom ever!" she squealed as she hugged her mother.

"I put you in there before I knew the new teacher was Dr. Dreamy." That's what they called the handsome doctor on a popular TV show that had been on for years.

"He is dreamy," Shay agreed.

After an hour or so, Shay noticed another student behind the tables where no student should be. He walked over to Mr. Garvin and said, "So how's business, Adam?"

"Not too bad, Cam. And it's Mr. Garvin at school, okay?"

Erin and Shay were both looking at the new kid and this time it was Erin who whispered, "Oh, my God! Who is that? He's as dreamy as Dr.—Mr. Dreamy."

"Mom...you're a regular perv. What's gotten into you lately?" Shay teased.

Erin wanted to badly to say, "Nothing's gotten into me lately and that's the problem." Instead, she just enjoyed the view.

Erin said, "Adam? Who's this young man?"

"Oh, sorry. Erin, this is my younger brother, Cameron. We mostly call him Cam. Cam, this is one of our guidance counselors, Ms. Kimball, and to her left is her daughter, Shay, who's also a senior this year."

"Nice to meet you Ms. Kimball. He peeked around her head and looked at Shay and said, "Hi, Shay."

Shay was dying to know who these handsome brothers were, where they were from, as well as how and why they'd ended up here. She didn't have to wait long for the answer.

"Cam and I have mostly been on our own since our parents were killed by a drunk driver five years ago. I'm not only his brother but his legal guardian. We have a middle brother who just graduated from West Point and who's learning to fly helicopters. So it's really just the two of us. Mutt and Jeff, Calvin and Hobbes."

Cam spoke and said, "What he means by guardian is he's the warden." Cameron smiled so everyone knew it was meant as a joke. "Naw, he's actually a pretty decent guy. You know, for a chemistry geek. He won't tell you this, but he earned a masters in chemistry in less time than it takes most people to get a BS. But did he use it to make any decent money? Oh, no. He went into teaching. No offense, Ms. Kimball, but teaching isn't exactly a moneymaker."

"Guilty as charged," Adam said. "I do love chemistry, but I don't much love corporations and the way they rape people and the environment. I want to do something to help people, not just make money."

Shay craned her neck around her mom and said, "Well, I think that's very admirable, Mr. Garvin. I love chemistry, too, and hope to do something with it to make a difference and it won't be by working for some corporation, either."

Erin sighed and said, "I can tell you this. If I had any other options, I wouldn't be teaching. Okay, a guidance counselor but still, same difference. I'd take a corporate job right now if it paid six figures."

"Here, here, Ms. K! If I can get an athletic scholarship and make money playing football someday, I won't think twice about taking that big, fat signing bonus," Cameron said.

Erin offered him a high five which he accepted while Adam just shook his head and looked past Erin. He caught Shay's eye and said, "Speaking of chemistry, I see you're in my third period class, Shay. I've also heard you're a very good student."

Before Shay could answer for herself her mother chimed in saying, "That's an understatement. Shay has a 4.0 average and her sites set on a pre-med major next year. We're all very proud of her."

"We? You and your husband?" Adam asked innocently as she was still wearing her wedding ring.

Erin's smile faded as she said, "Um...her father and I are separated but yes, he is very proud of her, too."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stir up any kind of..."

"No, it's okay. We're getting by just fine. Life goes on, as they say," Erin said bravely.

"How about you, Adam? Wife, fiancé, girlfriend?" Erin asked not so innocently.

"No, no, and no," he replied. "I was pretty serious with someone last year, but that's definitely over. We just moved here from Pullman so we don't really know anyone yet."

Erin smiled and said, "Ah, a Washington State Cougar. Not many of those here in Husky territory. Well, you know us, so you know at least two people now, right? So...welcome to Washington and to Auburn High School! Hey, maybe we could all get together sometime for dinner or whatever."

Adam looked at his little brother who shrugged before saying, "Okay, sure. Let's do that."

Cameron waited for his older brother to finish speaking before saying, "So Adam...I mean, Mister Garvin. Who's this Mr. Craig? I've got him for chemistry."

Cameron saw Shay put her hand over her mouth and stifle a laugh. "Was that funny?" Cameron said with a puzzled look on his face.

Just then Mr. Craig turned around as though he'd just been woken from slumber and snorted, "Who called my name?" His glasses were askew on his large nose and his thin, gray hair looked like Albert Einstein's only there was a lot less of it.

Cameron looked back and Shay and rolled his eyes. Erin stifled a laugh and Adam just smiled. Everyone now knew who Mr. Craig was.

The laughter stopped when the sound of a male voice shouting angrily caught everyone's attention. "I want my fucking diploma!" the voice said.

Shay leaned closer to her mom and said, "Isn't that Terry Adler?"

Erin strained to see then told Shay, "Yes it is. Looks like Mr. Young's got his hands full."

James Young was a very large, very imposing man physically but as kind and gentle as they came. He was a former Marine who'd recently earned his doctorate in education and had been the school's principal for the last two years. He also happened to African-American which was something virtually no one even noticed

"Terry, we gave you every opportunity to earn your diploma last year. Your teachers and I bent over backward giving you one chance after another to turn work in late, to make it up, or even do alternatives to traditional assignments. You chose not to do any of those things. My hands are tied."

Adler was extremely agitated. He was wild-eyed and frothing at the mouth when he shouted back his reply, "Well you and the rest of your fucked up teachers can kiss my white ass! I can't even get a job without my diploma and you're the asshole who's keeping me from getting it."

Dr. Young didn't raise his voice but spoke firmly. "No son, I'm not the one preventing you from getting that. You did that all by yourself. Actions have consequences and..."

"Fuck you, you fucking N****r!" he screamed. "There's gonna be hell to pay around here for this shit." He turned and pointed wildly at the teacher tables and said, "All of you N*****r-loving assholes are gonna pay for this."

By this time, the campus security officer was standing next to Dr. Young. He was also African-American and he bristled when Terry Adler drop the N-word. Dr. Young held out his hand asking for restraint as former student stormed out of the gymnasium.

Dr. Young turned and calmly told everyone, "It's okay folks. Sorry for the ruckus. Everything's fine." His smile and calm demeanor were very reassuring after such a disturbing event.

"Who talks like that these days?" Shay said.

"Evidently, Terry Adler," her mom replied. She knew Shay was as shaken and upset by the incident as she was, but they both knew if Dr. Young could take that kind of abuse personally they could deal with seeing it from the sidelines.

A week or later, Erin stopped by the teacher's lounge to check her in box and grabbed a stack of papers. When she turned around, Adam was standing behind her waiting for her to move.

"Adam! Oh, my gosh. You startled me," she said as she spun around and came face to face with him.

"Sorry, Erin. I don't usually have that effect on women. I guess I'm gonna have to work on that."

Erin stepped aside and took a deep breath. No one else was in the room so she said, "Listen, I know we said we might all get together sometime. Would you and Cameron like to have dinner with us this weekend by any chance?"

Adam grabbed his paperwork and said, "I'll have to talk to Cam, but that sounds great to me. I'll let you know what he says today, okay?"

"Great," Erin replied. "So how was your first week here? Any problems?"

"All of my classes are really good. My AP class in fantastic and Shay is head and shoulders above everyone else in there, by the way."

"I'm so glad to hear that. She really does love math and science, but chemistry is by far her favorite. My only understanding of chemistry is the kind that exists between men and women." She paused then said, "Based on the way my marriage ended, I may not even understand that too well."

Adam laughed and said, "Well, I can tell you this. You're a very attractive woman, Erin. Whenever you're ready to jump back into the dating pool, you won't have to spend a lot of time there if your goal is finding another husband."

Erin smiled and told him, "Well, thank you, kind sir. Coming from a man as handsome as you are, that's very encouraging. So if Cameron agrees, can we tentatively say Saturday at 7pm at my house?"

"Sure. That sounds nice. Can I bring anything? A bottle of wine maybe?"

"I'll be making blackened salmon so if you'd like to bring a bottle of your favorite white, that would be great."

"Cam has football practice right after school, but I'll check him with tonight. Any chance I could get your number, Erin?"

She smiled devilishly and said, "Just hand me your phone."

That Saturday evening, Shay came downstairs wearing a very nice dress and heels. "Wow! Look at you!" Erin said to her daughter. "We must be having someone over for dinner you find very...interesting."

"Mom!" Shay said loudly. "It's not like that. Cameron and I don't really even know each other. I'd dress nicely for anyone coming over the first time."

"Okay, if that's what you say, honey," he mom said as though she was pretending to believer her daughter.

"Well, I'm not the only one who got all dressed up. When's the last time you wore that?" Shay said pushing back. Erin was wearing a very classy twin set and skirt along with a pair of her own heels.

"Well, I am single now...almost. And it can't hurt to make a good impression, right?"

Shay moved close to her mom and said, "I think someone is crushing on the hot, younger, new chemistry teacher."

Shay hadn't seen her mother blush in...forever...but she was indeed flushed around the neck. "I know you and Dad aren't divorced yet, but if, well, you know...you guys like each other—I'm okay with you going out. Just sayin', okay, Mom?"

Erin stopped what she was doing and said, "You know, you are so mature for your age, honey. Thank you for saying that. It means a lot to me."

"Mom?" Shay asked. "Have you ever dated a younger guy before? You know, before you and Dad, I mean."

Erin tilted her head, thought for a moment then said, "Hmmm. Well...I went to my senior prom with a junior named Toby Andrews. I haven't thought about that in years. But other than that, no, I don't believe I ever have. Why?"

"I dunno. I was just thinking about Dad and his new...bimbo girlfriend. He's 42 and she's like 21 or something, right?"

Erin sighed and said, "Yeah, that's about right, sweetheart. But as they say, the heart wants what the heart wants, right? We can't really help who we fall in love with, you know. I mean, in a case like that, we can and should try and fight it with our head, but the heart usually wins out. I'm not justifying what your father did to us, Shay. I'm just saying I can understand."

"So...if Mr. Garvin did ask you out...would you go out with him?"

"Well, let's wait and see if that happens first. He's probably got a ton of attractive women his age pursuing him already."

"Yeah, I could see that, for sure," Shay told her mom.

"And what about Cameron? Would you say yes if he were to ask you out?"

"Yeah, maybe. Well, I guess I would. Okay, probably," she replied.

"You guess? Honey, I've been a guidance counselor for going on 15 years. In all that time I've seen maybe—maybe three boys as handsome as Cameron. I know we adults aren't supposed to notice, but when they're that cute? Come on. Even teachers are human beings after all."

"Really?" Shay said with feigned surprise. "Teachers are human? Is that what you're trying to tell me, Mom?"

"I know it's hard to believe, honey, but yes, some of us are. And then there are those like Mr. Garvin who are just...yummy."

"Mom!" Shay said playfully just as the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Shay said as she nearly ran to the door. She stopped, smoothed her long, dark hair then opened it.

"Mr. Garvin, Cameron. Hi! Come in, please," she said with the biggest smile ever.

Erin was right behind her daughter and greeted both of her visitors along with Shay. She and Adam hugged briefly and politely as he showed her the bottle of wine he'd brought with him. She took and said, "It's still very cold. This is perfect. Thank you, Adam. Come on in. Dinner's almost ready."