Impossible Dreams Ch. 02

*18+ characters and situations are completely coincidental.

At the sound of the code yellow, I proceeded to close the door, lock it and shut the blinds. Now as much as I was following protocol, I was concerned about the optics of just myself and one female student. At least the students could keep working. But then the next six words I heard changed my life forever.

"Mr. Fratelli, we need to talk."

Confused and with a matching look of bewilderment on my face, I proceeded to answer Dottie. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes and no."

"I want to ask questions but I don't wish to pry while sounding eager to jump to conclusions."

"It's okay," she said. The last thing I wanted was to make this awkward. "I don't know if you've noticed or not. I really hope you did, but I really like you." I was beside myself. She actually said it, granted she had the comfort of privacy in the moment. My mouth in mild gape, I just stared at her in stunned silence. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry."

"No, don't be sorry, Dottie. I've had plenty of girls crush on me. But I just never would've guessed you. And believe, me I'm actually flattered. But , I am still a teacher and you a student. It would be risky on my part and disreputable on yours. As much as my hide is on the line, I don't want you to get hurt. That happened to my only ex because they made fun of her dating me because she was nerdish. She wouldn't even open up to me after the fact. I never found out who it was and it ruined our relationship and she never got over how hurt she was by those jerks. Even if I wanted to be in a relationship with you, I couldn't let the same thing happen under these circumstances."

"Oh, I guess I'll go back to my work then."

"No, no, no, hey. Cheer up! Listen, I didn't say we didn't have a future or anything. I mean I may not have ever though of you that way before but there is some things that you don't know. For one thing, you're one of my favorite people. Even without you trying to flirt with me, you're a wonderful person. For another, your beautiful smile lights up the room - and it always puts me in a better mood. I can't even get that from women my age. But most importantly. I'm not ready to see someone. I wanted to be fairly well off so that I can take care of my significant other and hopefully a family."

"Wow, you're a noble man Mr. Fratelli."

~~~

When he opened up to me, I was just in awe of him. And it was then I realized, he really is more than just a hottie. He was a catch. If only I had been a few years older. He really was as wonderful as he was to the rest of us at the school.

"I appreciate the sentiment. But I'm just doing what any decent man would."

"But it's true!" I insisted. If I wasn't already amazed by him, he astonished me even more.

"If I'm being honest, you've grown on me the past say five months. I'll tell you what. Graduation is in a few weeks, right? Maybe within a month of then you and I can have a longer chat than this, hey? But maybe, we can explore us when you turn 21."

Did I just hear that right? A He would actually go on at least one date with me? Maybe I'm jumping the gun a touch, but just there I was about to faint.

"Really?"

"Really. I'm a man of my word, Dottie. Scouts honor. Cross my heart and hope to die. If there's anything I am, loyal is my middle name. Not a word of this to anyone, understood?" I was so excited that I jumped up out of my seat and I hugged him. He didn't even resist like he might have before this conversation. My heart was still racing that I broke our embrace and kissed him. I was starting to wet myself just in that moment. After that four seconds of bliss came more surprise. He kissed me back! Even if for only half as long.

"I'm sorry. That was out of line from me. Even though you shouldn't have I'm more at fault."

"Why? Just when I thought..."

"Hold up. What if Principal Moribucco had barged in. You know that she has to check on ALL the rooms when code yellows and reds are winding down, right? How would that have looked? There is plenty of time for us to explore our feelings. Three weeks isn't that long."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"It isn't about being right. It's about patience. Let's get back to this project, shall we"

~~~

I can't believe I just reciprocated that easily. I'm never one to react purely based on emotion - not even with my ex. Inside, I felt humiliated that I could let myself be that vulnerable. That's just not who I am. That made me realize just how powerful passion is. I guess these long ten years made me just yearn to be with anyone. I never realized just how much I missed being in a relationship.

...

As the graduation ceremony came to a close and the reception was about to begin, we got to the exiting procession heading for the mezzanine. Everything went without a hitch - including a look back from Dottie towards myself and Lorraine Wolski who just so happened to be sitting next to me. Everyone congregated in the great hall of the opera house in the heart of downtown's theatre district. and well organized event for a smaller private school on a relatively small budget, I must say. Many of the students had summer clothing underneath their graduation regalia. Even though it was almost sunset, it was still 85 degrees outside - seasonably warm for our part of the country in late spring.

"Mr. Fratelli! Mr. Fratelli," shouted a few voices, it was Dottie and a few of her best friends. "Could you sign our yearbooks?" Even when I was in high school, I was asked by the bundle. I was a popular loner of sorts - not that I didn't have friends, but I was more like on everyone's outermost circle. I just didn't have my own group of friends, just some individual ones from each circle. Which was not a bad place to be.

"I'm proud of you ladies."

Abby Hindman replied first "It's exciting but not as important as which one of us will change majors first!"

"Yeah we got a bet of which of the four of us will make it without changing majors," said Bella Wu.

"Ladies, I'm sure you will all do just fine." I always referred to the girls as ladies. I always tried to set the record straight with the students freshman year about what my expectations as a sub were. Some though not all came from cultures where how to act in public and such weren't atop the priority list of behavior at some of the elementary schools they came from if they didn't learn at home. That could be why some of them liked me, to be quite honest It may have been more attention that some of their classmates gave them.

"Who do you think will change first," asked Constance Redfeather.

"I'm really not at liberty to say. Both because things can change in a flash and because I really have no idea." I knew Abby would be the first to change majors, she might change majors as she did boyfriends. "If you'll excuse me ladies, I'm being summoned." I didn't entirely tell the truth, but I wasn't fibbing either. This was a building I knew rather well and I'm a private person when using "the facilities" and there was one that I was well aware of being secluded from most of the function. But not before I motioned to the person who was beckoning me to chat that I'd be a moment. Little did I realize I should have been expecting company.

~~~

I know someone had wanted to carry on different conversation with Mr. Fratelli, but I wanted to stay back to inquire about our previous conversation. I saw him make a gesture suggesting that whoever was looking for him was going to have to wait, so I decided to follow him. If I didnt know any better, I would have guessed this theatre was a city and Fratelli knew all of the back alleys like a cabbie in Midtown Manhattan. I almost got lost a couple times, but finally got to the finish line: a private restroom. I thought about how to pretend that I got lost so I wouldn't seem creepy or anything, but there was unfinished business to tend to.

As I pretended to be exploring this section of hallway, the door opened from behind me. My presence evidently got him caught off-guard. "Oh, I didn't know you were back here. Did I scare you?"

"Just a little, I'm not used to other people being back here."

"How do you mean?"

"I have a family member from the other end of the state who has won a few Grammys. Whenever she's in town, we get to stay backstage. I've also seen my fair share of concerts."

Wow, that's amazing!"

"She's a little out there, but still family."

"Can we continue our convo from a few weeks ago?"

"What specifically?"

"When to meet up."

"I did kinda promise that, didn't I... Well I'll tell you what. Here's my business card. You have access to my personal number which I give out sparingly. The crossed out number is for the office at my other job in Boston."

"You're going back there?!"

"I mean I gotta pay the bills and it's only full time during the summer, fall, and early winter. That's why I was only here from January this school year. If you're ever lonely, or need to talk to someone call me or use Facebook or Insta messenger, which you should reach out to me on also. And yes, you can call me Nick now"

"Okay, Mr. Fratelli." I said coyfully.

"Stop that. You know what I mean."

"I have a secret. But I'm not gonna tell you until you get back in that bathroom."