A Believable Performance Pt. 02

West couldn't stop thinking about Jess.

He laid awake at night thinking about the things she said, the sounds she made, the way she felt, the way she tasted and the way she looked at him. He was basically floating the entire weekend.

His parents came home to find him asleep in his room. It was out of character for him to retire before nine o'clock but they assumed he'd had a long day. Which, of course, was very true.

Monday rolled around and West was back at school going through the motions. Diego walked next to him as they changed classes.

"You wanna tell me what happened on Friday?" he asked.

West chuckled. "Things happened."

Diego threw his arm around his shoulders and drew him in. "Things?"

He smiled. "Yeah. Things."

"Come on, man. I need details. Next time you need me to cover you, I might say no."

"Okay, relax. It was just some action. Nothing serious."

Diego took a long look at him, like a proud father. West shook his head and pushed him away.

"Ah, look at you. Making someone's cheeks sing!" he said with a boom.

Students passing by turned their heads. Mr Jones peeked his head out of his classroom ahead.

"Mendoza!" he yelled.

Diego winced and ducked his head. West shook his head and nudged him into Miss Bennett's classroom. The rest of the class filed in and took their seats.

Miss Bennett wore jeans, leather boots and a turtleneck sweater. West shifted in his seat, eager to make eye contact and flash her a sly smirk. He knew why she covered her neck.

She didn't look his way at all. She greeted everyone and dived into the lesson.

The air was different. She blazed through the work and the class was quiet. She didn't crack a joke or make any witty comments. West stared at her long and hard, hoping she'd at least flick her eyes over him. When she did, she glanced over him like he was another face. Something was definitely wrong. He figured he'd check on her when the bell rang.

"Before we carry on, I need to know who's coming to see me this afternoon," she said. "I only have six slots but I'll be available throughout the week."

More than six hands shot up and West cursed under his breath. All of them would eat away at the time he had with her. Diego raised his hand too and leaned toward West. "I think we should show her our piece, see what she thinks."

West nodded but he did a bad job hiding his frustration. Diego leaned in closer to see his face.

"You okay, man?"

"Fucking fantastic."

"Weston!"

The chatter died down and all eyes fell on him. That must've come out a little louder than he thought. Shit. Miss Bennett paused and scowled at him.

"Watch your mouth," she said.

There was nothing playful about her tone. It stung.

"Sorry," he said quietly and looked away.

She carried on recording names and time slots for the week. Diego put the two of them down for the last slot of the afternoon.

West wasn't present for the rest of the period. The bell rang. Diego had to tap his arm to remind him to close his books and get up. The class shuffled out and West walked straight toward Miss Bennett. Diego grumbled and followed him.

"Miss Bennett," he said.

She sat down at her desk with a sigh and looked up at him with a touch of softness in her eyes.

"Yes?"

"I...wanted to apologize again for swearing."

She nodded and glanced at Diego hanging around behind him. Then she turned to her laptop. "You'll be late for your next class."

West snapped his head around to look at Diego. "I'll see you at English."

He gestured to the door. "Then let's go."

"I'll see you at English," he said with more emphasis.

Diego gave him a puzzled look but he backed away and left. West turned to Miss Bennett and took a step closer. He blocked her off from anyone walking by her door and opened his hand to her. She glanced up at him and smiled meagerly. She laid her hand in his and he rubbed his thumb over her fingers.

"Is everything okay?"

"No," she whispered.

West's heart skipped a beat. "Talk to me."

She pulled her hand away and tucked a strand of hair out her face. "I can't. Not right now. I've got a lot of work to do and you need to go to class."

"Okay. Diego booked us for the last slot today. We could talk then."

She nodded and sighed. "I hope so."

"See you then, love."

She cracked a wide smile, as much as she tried to hide it. She covered her face when she blushed. West was happy he could cheer her up. He straightened his tie and flashed her a smile before he made his way out.

"West."

He stopped at the door and turned around. She hesitated. Then she mouthed, "I love you."

He smiled and bumped into the doorframe on his way out. He caught a glimpse of her laughing.

The following periods were a blur. Though he was warm inside after chatting to Miss Bennett, he had no clue what could've been bothering her. THat left him uneasy. He tried to focus in his classes to take his mind off things.

During lunch, he found Diego sitting at their old spot. It was under the shade of a big oak tree with roots thick enough to sit on. He greeted him with a fist bump and they opened up their lunches.

"You've been acting weird today. You wanna tell me what's up?" Diego asked, sipping from his juicebox.

West munched on a sandwich. "Trouble in paradise, I think."

"Oh. Is it the girl from Friday?"

"Yeah. Looks like there might be a problem but I don't know what it is."

"Okay. Who is it?"

"I can't say."

Diego leaned in. "Is she a minor?"

"No! What's wrong with you?"

"Then you can tell me. I won't call the cops."

They both laughed.

"But seriously, I can't say who it is. We're still figuring things out and it's better if we keep things quiet."

Diego chuckled. "Here I was thinking it was a hit-and-run type of thing. This seems a lot deeper."

"Yeah," West said. "I didn't expect it to turn out the way it did because now there's feelings on both sides."

"Is she the one?"

"Are you being serious?"

"Yeah. I want that for you."

West didn't expect his sincerity and found himself half-blushing.

"I appreciate that, brother. I'll get back to you on that one. Still too early to tell," he said.

Diego slapped his arm. "Yeah, you will. Are you okay with showing Miss Bennett the scene today?"

Their performance was a scene out of a comedy play that West found and Diego thought it was hilarious. They'd gone over it enough times to learn their lines. All they needed was to get the finer points down to make it solid.

"Yeah. What do you think of her?"

"Miss Bennett? I mean, she does get pissy when she's upset but she's okay. Like, she's cool. I know you're in love with her so I won't even ask."

West laughed slightly harder than he expected. "I wouldn't call it love. She's good at what she does and I appreciate that."

Diego shook his head at him. "You know what? Call it whatever you want. I see right through you. You've got a type, obviously. I prefer a woman with more..." He made a gesture like he was lifting a dumbbell with both hands and he showed the strain on his face.

"I get it, thanks."

Diego laughed and slapped his arm. They ate and joked around until lunch was over. West put his head down and soldiered through the rest of his periods. When the bell rang for the last time, he and Diego hung around Miss Bennett's classroom. She was busy inside with a group of juniors flooding her with questions. Some of the seniors in their class joined them by the door and they chatted while they waited.

The juniors left Miss Bennett alone and she came outside to address everyone.

"Let's go outside. Too many farts in my class right now," she said. She gestured for the seniors to follow her.

She led the group to the school's rear courtyard, a popular area during lunch. Everyone took seats on the benches and tables and Miss Bennett called up the first act. Two boys performed their scene with Miss Bennett and the rest of the class as audience. West wasn't paying attention to them. He watched Miss Bennett. She was in her element. She broke their scene down and stepped in to show them how to improve their short scuffle to make it look more convincing. The rest of the class watched and some of them took notes as she turned around to explain what was working in their performance and what wasn't. She did that for every act booked for that afternoon.

By the time West and Diego were next, she was spent and no one stuck around to watch anymore. She rolled her sleeves up and flapped the hem of her jersey to cool off.

"Isn't it too hot for a jersey?" Diego asked her.

West pressed his lips down to hide a smile.

"It is but I've got a bad rash on my neck that I'd rather not show the world," she said, scratching her neck to sell it.

Diego nodded and turned to West. "You ready?"

"Always."

They ran through their scene in front of Miss Bennett but they could tell she was distracted. She wasn't even looking at them.

"Ma'am?" West asked.

She snapped her gaze to him. "Sorry. You've got a good piece. No need to change it." She took a seat on a bench and buried her face in her hands. "Sorry, boys. I'm tired and I've got a lot on my mind."

West clenched a fist against his leg. He wanted to sit next to her and put his arm around her but he couldn't do that in front of Diego.

"What's on your mind exactly?" he asked.

"Yeah, maybe we can help you out," Diego added.

"No, it's something I have to make a decision about. This might be my last year here," she said.

"In the school?" Diego asked.

"In the country."

Diego raised his eyebrows and West felt cold.

She shrugged. "I don't know yet. I'd like to go home for a while and think about things, spend time with my parents and sleep in during the week."

"I'd say go for it," Diego said. "God knows teachers need a break."

"It's not so simple anymore. I met someone here and I really don't want to leave him behind."

She held eye contact with West. He took a deep breath and looked away. Diego mulled her words over.

"How special is the guy?" Diego asked.

"Very," she said.

"And how important is going home?" he asked.

"Extremely. I can't emphasize that enough."

They were quiet for a time.

"What do you think?" Diego asked West, patting his shoulder.

Miss Bennett turned to him. "Yes. What do you think?"

"I don't know enough about the situation to give you any advice, ma'am. But I do think you should talk to the guy before you decide anything."

"Of course," she said, flashing him a tiny smile.

They cut their time together short. Miss Bennett promised to give them a proper session the next day. Diego was fine with that and rushed home. West stayed behind and sat next to Miss Bennett.

They watched the sunset in silence.

"You told me to talk to the guy before I decide anything," she said.

West sighed. "The guy wants to know why you want to leave."

"I came here to follow my dream of being an actress. I spent four years at a drama academy and I thought the next step would be the Land of Opportunity. Maybe I was naive or just stupid but I thought if I really wanted to make it then I had to be bold. Step out of my comfort zone and jump into the deep end."

"How did that go?"

"About as terribly as you can imagine. My parents gave me a big cut of their savings so I could focus on the dream. I needed to get a place to stay, transport, professional headshots, an agent, equipment to make reels and, of course, I needed to go audition as often as possible. I gave it my all and, after four years, I had to put the dream on hold before I starved."

West scanned the area briefly and put his hand over hers in the small space between them.

"My life started spinning out of control. I went to bed with a glass of water and I nearly got evicted. That's why I ended up working as a barista of all things. And then I met my ex-husband and you know how that story goes. I thought things were going to get better when I married him. Even my parents were excited for me but I still found a way to let them down...and myself."

She released a heavy sigh and gripped his hand.

"Now I'm a teacher in a small town high school. All my dreams have come true."

She chuckled dryly. West tasted the bitterness in her voice.

"I'm sorry, Jess."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry to my younger self. If I knew I'd end up like this, I never would've left. Maybe I would've done something else with my life."

West let her hand go and lowered his head. "I don't want to tell you to stay."

"I've still got a few weeks to decide. And a part of me wishes you'd made a move sooner."

"Sooner?" he asked, surprised. "What if you turned me down and reported me for harassment?"

She chuckled but there was a purr in her voice. "I've had my eye on you."

The mood shifted.

"Wish we had a room right now," he muttered.

She smirked and stood up, brushing her hand against the inside of his thigh. That got a reaction under the fabric.

"Come carry my bags for me," she said, tilting her head to the school building.

West paused for a few seconds before he felt comfortable to stand. He and Miss Bennett headed inside. He took her bags and followed her to her car. There were too many students and teachers around to consider jumping into her trunk again. He laughed at the thought.

"What?" Miss Bennett asked.

"Just thinking about the 'boot.' The experience is definitely up there among the wildest things I've ever done."

"I wonder what else is up there."

"Fucking my teacher, maybe."

"Weston," she said in a low voice. "Careful."

He smirked and stared at her, recalling every last detail. He imagined she'd done exactly the same. They turned away from each other to maintain the innocent facade and waved at Mr Jones when he drove by.

West dropped her bags in the trunk and closed it with a heavy heart. Miss Bennett smiled as she watched him.

"We are not doing that again," she said.

"I know but I'd do it again if I could do you again."

"Like this?" She pulled the collar of her jersey down with her index finger. He saw the dark red marks. The marks he made.

"I'll surprise you."

She pulled her collar up. "We'll see."

"We could see this weekend," he said.

She leaned against her car. "You sound like you have a plan."

"I do. Are you free?"

"Maybe."

"Where do you stay?"

"West."

"I won't show up in my uniform. I'll just be a visitor who's coming by to deliver something."

"And what might that be?"

"Dinner."

Her brows shot up and her lips curled into a smile. "So it's a date?"

"No, it's dinner."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay. Dinner. I'd like that."

"I want us to enjoy the time we have...while we still can."

"I know, love."

A breeze fluttered her hair from behind. The sun blazed the corner of her eye. He admired her. She blushed as she held his gaze. A strand of hair blew into her mouth and she blew it out.

"That was cute," he said.

She pushed him away and smiled. She climbed into her car and rolled the window down. "I should go before you make me do something unbecoming of a teacher."

He laughed. "Sure. I still need the address though. And your number."

She gave him a long, serious look.

"Please be discreet, okay?"

"Always."

She gave him her number and address. She waved at him before she drove off. West watched her leave and sighed like all was right in the world.

He walked home with a bounce in his step, playing a song in his earphones. He danced along the pavement, mouthing the lyrics. When a car drove by, he pointed and winked at the driver. It was a beautiful day.

That night, he laid in bed with his phone in his hand. His thumb hovered over her name. Would it be okay to call her? He remembered she had work to do and he didn't want to wake her if she was asleep already. He also didn't want to smother her because he finally got her number. He groaned and rubbed his face.

"Fuck it."

He made the call. She picked up on the second ring.

"Yes?" she said.

"Hey, beautiful."

He could've sworn she was smiling on the other side.

"Hey, love."

"Are you in the middle of something?" he asked.

"Not right now. In fact, I was hoping you'd call."

"Is something wrong?"

"No. I...I wanted to hear your voice. I miss you already."

"I miss you too. I wish I was standing right behind you."

"Well, you might have that chance soon. I can't tell you how excited I am to see you again."

He smiled. "I can't wait to have you to myself for a while."

"Do you have something in mind?"

"Only a lovely dinner between friends."

She chuckled. "Between friends? Interesting."

"Aren't we?"

"I think the whole boyfriend-and-girlfriend thing is a bit overplayed," she said. "So yes, we are friends. Good friends."

"I like that. And I hope you'll like what I've got planned for us on Friday."

"You haven't let me down yet."

"Yet?"

"Kidding!"

They had a laugh.

"Listen, West, as much as I'd love to listen to you laugh, I need to go. I've still got work to do."

He sighed. "Alright. I enjoyed our little chat. Good luck with everything."

"We'll have plenty of time for more little chats soon, love. Sleep well."

"Good night, Jess."

"Good night, West."

There was silence between them for a time, like neither of them wanted to hang up right away. The silence lingered.

"Hang up, please," she said with a light laugh.

"See you soon."

"Good night, love," she said. "Last time."

"Good night, Jess."

He put his phone away and laid down, content. He thought about the preparations he needed to make for their dinner and he thought of her. He hoped she thought of him too.

"If this is still a dream, I don't want to wake up," he whispered to the ceiling.

The next day, he was back at school, renewed. He tried not to let thoughts of Jess distract him. There was still plenty of work to be done before finals. Assignments were stacking with back-to-back due dates. Even Miss Bennett added one to the pile, though she softened the blow with a smile and a joke.

He and Diego got an afternoon with Miss Bennett to polish their scene. She was all business and West was fine with that.

"I'm like Antonio Banderas and West is like Denzel Washington. We're a winning combo," Diego said to her. Then he jumped onto West's back.

"I'm sure you are," she said with a laugh. She grabbed their script and sat on the desk in front. "The stage is yours."

West never expected Diego to take acting very seriously but he was surprised to see him shine when he was on stage. Comedy was his bread and butter and it was easy for West to bounce off his energy.

Diego became Frederick, the nephew of a rich earl, and West his valet, Cooper.

"Cooper! Come here at once! I believe I'm expiring," Fredrick said, propping himself up on wobbly arms.

Cooper entered bearing a tray and a bracing tonic. "Not quite, sir. It would seem you arrived home in an impaired state late last night."

"Such theatrics, Cooper. The very fact that I came home by myself should prove I was well above 'impaired.' Now help me up and give me something for this headache." Fredrick flopped back onto the floor and slapped his forehead.

Miss Bennet giggled.

"Of course, sir."

His valet hauled him up to a sitting position before handing over the tonic. Fredrick gave him a knowing smile.

"A bit of the old corpse reviver, eh?"

"Indeed, sir. Leave not one drop."

He gulped it down and his eyes bugged out briefly. His body jerked and he jumped to his feet. Cooper pulled the corners of his lips down to prevent undue embarrassment of his employer.

"Quite a kick to this one, I must say."

"It is one of my own concoctions, sir."

Fredrick whipped his gaze to his valet. "Cooper, why do I feel as though I should be remembering something?"