Not Yet (34 page)

The ballroom of the local Embassy Suites was decked
out in decorations. The prom committee had done a wonderful job.
Hundreds of white balloons hung from the ceiling. Each table was
decorated in white and gold with coordinating balloon centerpieces.
The chairs were covered in white with gold bows on the back, and a
sparkling disco ball rained colored lights onto the dance floor. It
was everything a prom was supposed to be.

Tables of finger food were laid out, along with a
bowl of punch. There was an ice sculpture of a couple dancing and a
chocolate fountain in the corner surrounded by goodies to dip. No
one seemed interested in eating, though, as the seniors ran in,
screaming and hugging each other as everyone checked out one
another’s tuxedos and gowns.

“You’re looking good enough to eat.” Ford sauntered
up in a badly fitted, cheap suit and my stomach rolled.

“I wouldn’t even waste your time. Move along.”

“I see you’ve decided not to take my advice. That’s a
shame. Just know I’ll be watching you and your ‘friend’ real close
tonight. Maybe it’s time to place a call to the school board? Or
channel two news? Everyone loves a story about a sinfully gorgeous
teacher who takes advantage of her hot headed, misguided student.”
Ford ran a hand down my arm and I jumped back.

“You need to back off right now. I’ve got a mind to
call the school board on you, Ford.” Dean stood behind Ford,
looking classy in his tuxedo but disgusted with his teacher.

“Or what, Goldsmith?” Ford turned to Dean with an
arrogant snarl on his face. “Little shitheads like you don’t scare
me.”

“You should be scared, Ford, because I heard the most
interesting story. Turns out Stephanie’s cousin, Jennie, substitute
teaches occasionally at school. She told me you and she got it on
in your office. Is that true? ’Cause that sounds like some classic
pink slip stuff to me.”

Ford swallowed and glared at Dean and then me. But he
stayed silent.

“Walk away, Ford. Walk away now,” Dean barked and I
chuckled. My, my how times had changed. From the beginning of the
year when Dean had been driving me crazy and Ford intimidated him,
to Ford spreading rumors and Dean standing up for me. How many ways
could I be wrong about people in such a short time?

“Thanks.” I smiled gratefully at Landon’s best friend
and he shrugged.

“No problem. Just doing my part. He hurt you and he
hurt my boy. Not cool.” And with that, Dean was off twerking with
the rest of his buddies. I couldn’t hold back my laughter watching
them. They loved to create a buzz, but they were actually really
good guys.

I was anxious to see Landon and know he was here and
feeling okay. I also looked around excitedly for Amy. She was
beside herself with joy over this night. We had spent many lunches
talking about her dress, shoes, makeup, hair, and the corsage her
mom had ordered for her.

I was so proud of her for attending on her own. Amy
had a strength of character that others without any “challenges”
lacked. Meeting her had been the best part of my time at Zionsville
Academy. One of my favorite songs from Maroon Five,
Love
Somebody
, the one that had gotten Trevor to jump in the water
with Landon, came on and I started to dance in place while I
watched the seniors flock to the dance floor.

As I waved to a few seniors I taught, people’s
attention were drawn away from the dance floor. Dean stopped
dancing with his date, smiled, and saluted to someone walking in. I
arched my neck, looking past the crowd to see who was entering the
room, garnering all this attention.

It was Landon. He looked dapper in his black tuxedo
and silver tie. His hair was gelled to a spiky perfection and, best
of all, he was smiling in that sinfully delicious way I loved. But
it wasn’t until I saw his date that I really knew, once and for
all, how much I loved everything about the
man
Landon
Washington had become.

Looking prouder and happier than I had ever seen,
albeit a bit nervous, Amy clutched Landon’s arm. He leaned down to
whisper to her and she grinned, waving to the room. They were truly
the most wonderful couple I had ever seen and the sight of them
stopped the entire ballroom. There wasn’t a sneer or a joke, not a
laugh or a gasp, just the welcoming eyes and faces of teenagers who
finally realized that being cool was more about how you spend your
time on this earth than how you look doing it.

Wiping my eyes, I hurried over. “Amy, you look
stunning!” I kissed her cheek and took in her floor length, tight
pink satin gown. Her blond bob was curled and pulled up into a bun.
She wore sparkly glitter on her face and shoulders and bright pink
lipstick.

“She’s the most gorgeous girl here.” Landon smiled
warmly at Amy and then looked at me with sparkling eyes. “You, of
course, are the most beautiful woman here.” I grinned as he looked
at me from head to toe. His eyes darkened in the way that made my
pulse race and I took an involuntary step back.

“You did so good, Land. So, so good,” I murmured as
my eyes continued to well. He saw the pride on my face and
nodded.

“Amy, will you dance with me?” Landon asked.

“Sure!” Amy giggled, and Landon escorted her onto the
dance floor.

As they danced to fast and slow songs alike,
classmates came over to greet them both. Several girls hugged
Landon emotionally. And even some of Landon’s football teammates
stopped to shake his good hand or clasp his shoulder, almost every
one of them telling Amy she looked beautiful.

Landon showed everyone in the room that night that he
had learned what was truly important in life, and he wasn’t afraid
to sacrifice his own interests for others. If I had ever doubted
Landon’s growth or maturity, I never would again.

The look of pure joy on Amy’s face as she danced,
ate, and laughed with Landon would stay with me the rest of my
life. As Prom wound down for the night, we watched Dean and
Stephanie being crowned King and Queen of the prom. I felt sure I
wasn’t the only person in the room to realize the real royalty was
Amy and Landon.

***

THE SENIORS WERE finished with classes as of
Prom, so the school seemed pretty empty the week leading up to
graduation. My freshmen students had begun to call themselves
sophomores and carried the swagger that came with no longer being
the babies of the school. As my last day of teaching ended, I
fondly said goodbye to my students. Packing up the final boxes in
my classroom, I was ready for my next journey.

“Ms. Harris?” Billy shifted back and forth in my
doorway.

“Hi, Billy. I’m so glad you stopped by. I wanted to
congratulate you on becoming a junior. And I wanted to say
goodbye.”

Billy looked around the room, avoiding any eye
contact with me. “I know. I wanted to say goodbye too and thanks.”
Billy studied his Velcro shoes as I walked over to him. I knew
Billy wasn’t comfortable with any touch at all; he wouldn’t even be
comfortable shaking hands, so I climbed onto the desk near him and
sat on top.

“Why do you want to thank me, Billy? I wanted to
thank you for being such a hard working team manager.”

The flush deepened on his cheeks. “I wanted to thank
you for the headphone idea.” Billy pushed his glasses up higher on
his nose and began to study the ceiling. “I really liked managing
the team, Ms. Harris. But, the noise was too distracting. You
figured it out and helped me. Not many others do that.”

I grinned as he continued to study the ceiling tiles,
no doubt counting them as we spoke. “No problem, Billy. I’m glad
you stuck with it. The spreadsheets you created for recording times
and distance are fantastic. I hope you manage the team next year,
too. I mean… what I really want to say is that I hope you don’t let
guys like Jared stop you.”

Billy shuffled his feet and nervously laughed. “I
won’t let him stop me. You know, even after that fight Landon and
Dean got the football team together to talk to me. They asked me to
be the varsity football team manager next fall. And, the juniors
that are now seniors—well, they swore to them that they would
protect me and not let me get picked on. So, I’m kinda like one of
the guys now.”

Then Billy slowly, painfully, forced himself to look
me straight in the eyes. “He really is awesome, Ms. Harris.”

I blinked back my tears, both from Billy’s great
effort to communicate with me and Landon’s gesture of protection.
“Yeah, he really is, Billy.” Attempting to swallow the boulder
sized lump in my throat, we waved goodbye.

As I watched him walk out of the room, I realized
Billy had taught me a lot this school year, too. Billy seemed to
know that he was picked on because people never took the time to
understand him. When he brought paper towels to Jared after Jared
had humiliated him in front of a crowd of boys, he showed all of us
that he was braver and stronger than the biggest athlete at the
school. He persevered through his personal challenges and was
courageous in the face of cruelty. Billy stood up, kept going, and
forgot about anyone that tried to put obstacles in his way.

I envied him.

The graduation ceremony would take place on the
football field. Hundreds of white folding chairs filled the field
and the stage was set up with a podium and balloons. The seemingly
endless spring showers were over and the day was glorious. The sun
was shining, puffy white clouds filled the blue sky, and the
unmistakable aroma of freshly cut grass filled the air. I arrived
in time to see the seniors in their caps and gowns, lining up in
alphabetical order for their big entrance. Families were saving
seats and taking pictures in groups all over the field.

I spotted the tall, blond Dean taking pictures with a
huge group of his tall, blond family. We waved and I looked around
for Landon. He was standing awkwardly next to his parents, who sat
rigidly in their seats, refusing to look at him.

Taking a deep breath, to gather my strength and
self-control, I decided to introduce myself. I was sure Landon
hadn’t said a word about me, as he was anything but close with his
parents, and so I assumed it was safe. I also didn’t care what
anyone else said anymore. This was it—May thirty first. I left
today for the beginning of my road trip to Cali. Principal Mahoney
had met me this morning and handed me a solid, positive
recommendation. We hugged and I felt sure I would be seeing him at
the next few holiday dinners with my mom…
Awkward
.

“Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Washington?” Two
disinterested parents turned to me with annoyance. I was fairly
sure they thought I was a student, probably one with a crush on
their handsome son. My pale pink sundress and pink ballet flats
made me look my age, unlike the professional attire I spent the
majority of the year wearing. I kept my hair in a ponytail since it
was hot and humid, and I would be driving for most of the day. They
would probably not predict I was Landon’s former teacher.