Chapter 12: Classroom

_I love you, but there are things I don’t need to know. – Athos_

A few days after Evie was released from the hospital, her men, brother, Athos, Camille and Priscilla helped to finish setting up her room. Per the teacher’s plans, the walls had already been finished with her pink and gray checkerboard pattern on the floor. The guys of the club had assembled chairs and desks. The tops of the desks were covered with her chosen contact paper

The white shelving units were covered with black chalkboard paint and the shelves with contact paper. Sticks made her a custom desk and her men bought and assembled a chair.

The men arranged desks while Camille and Priscilla organized shelves. Since they had her for their history class last year, they had a rough idea of how she would want it. And their teacher sat at her desk typing with only one hand if they had any questions.

“How are things going with Leo?” Camille asked quietly.

Priscilla looked around before grabbing the next few books that were going on the shelf. “He was really great while he was at the Shack.”

“But?” her friend asked.

She shook her head. “It’s not really a but…”

“But it’s a _something_.”

“I don’t know. It’s nice to say I have a boyfriend, and he’s great. He’s been helping Sheree learn her lines for the community play and said that we’ll be there for opening night. The others all love him.”

“What about you?”

“I really don’t know. I don’t think I’m going to be like the guys and find my soul mate in high school.”

“Not objecting to it?”

Priscilla chuckled. “No.”

Ink came over to them as they emptied the box and then moved to the boxes of trinkets and nick knacks. He slipped them a picture of him, Tank and Evie, that the girls placed on the shelf between books and a golden Texas statuette with the Texas A & M emblem created with deep maroon gemstones.

“We’re coming up on the time for Evie to hit her midday hangries,” he said as he handed them other items to go on the shelves. “Trust me, you do not want to experience that.” He looked around dramatically before stage whispering, “She kind of scares me.”

Both girls gave a little laugh and Priscilla laughed harder as she nodded at Camille’s shudder and her comment of, “You should see her in class.”

“No, you better not,” Priscilla said.

“True, she might top from the bottom,” Camille added without thinking.

Priscilla looked down at her friend who was now sitting on the floor, rearranging the books. “Really?”

Camille looked up and blushed at the two standing above her. “I got a book from Nessie’s library that talks about it. The Dom is training his sub, and she keeps trying to top from the bottom, she left him and found her own sub.”

“Well, um, I got nothing on that,” Ink chuckled.

“Me neither, except, yes, please!” She raised her hand and gave a small finger wave down at her friend. “I want that book next.”

Camille winked at her friend, “Only if you’re a good girl.”

“Shit, I’m fucked,” Priscilla sighed dramatically, causing Ink to laugh at her.

“I have faith in you,” he assured her.

“Well, maybe. Anyway, since I’m on the student newspaper, my ID has been reactivated,” Priscilla told him as she climbed up the stepladder and arranged the books and added the G. I. Joe figurines and their Humvee on the top shelf. “I can order a delivery and go pick it up. Will also give me a chance to get pics of other rooms and teachers.”

“Make sure you get fries and cookies,” he handed the last figurine with the stand up to her.

Priscilla chuckled as she came back down the steps. “I have her McDonald’s order saved in my phone.”

Ink looked at her in surprise, “You can do that?”

“I can do that,” Camille said as Priscilla pulled her to her feet. “It’s not in the actual app, it’s a secondary app that Trev and I created.”

“All that coding crap confuses me,” he admitted as Priscilla pulled out her phone and put an order in.

“Besides, Leo is off today, I’m going to have Athos send him the order.”

Priscilla refused to meet her friend’s eyes because she knew that Camille would be looking at her with a little condemnation. Priscilla had just admitted that she did not see a future with him, yet was going to have him go get a large McDonald’s order.

“None for me,” Camille told her, “Dad promised me food in a little bit.” She glanced at her watch, “Actually, in about an hour. I’m going to go down to the art hall and get some good chalk.”

“I hate it when my chalk goes bad,” Priscilla teased, and the other girl flipped her off behind her back as she left the room. “Doing a McDonald’s order, anybody want anything?”

She was surprised that the order was not any larger than it was. Everyone seemed to have plans for later that day, except her. Not entirely true, she had pictures to take of the last-minute classroom set up and online updates for the school paper, The Roosevelt Gazette.  

Truly, there was a missed opportunity for not naming the paper The Bear Essentials.

After giving the order to Athos, Priscilla grabbed her camera and headed out to get pictures of other teachers setting up their rooms. She was downstairs in the wood shop when she got the text from Leo letting her know that he was there.

Maybe it was wrong to lead him on this way, and she did feel a little bad for it. But she didn’t think that they were looking for forever. Just for right now.

Walking towards the door, she called out her thanks to the two instructors and student volunteers. She sent a quick message to Leo, letting him know that she was on her way and then cut through the cafeteria to get to the front of the school.

“Hey,” Leo grinned at her as he leaned down and gave her a light kiss. “You want to go get something to eat?”

“Yeah,” she grinned back. “Let me run this up and get my stuff.”

“I’ll wait for you out by the bike,” he tipped his head in the direction where he was parked. She nodded and gave him a quick kiss before she took the single bag and drink carrier.

Skipping the stairs, she took the elevator up and headed down the hall towards Evie’s room. Athos’ voice carried down the hall, but she couldn’t quite make out what he said. The next voice, that of the superintendent, Martin Aguilera, was much clearer for her to hear.

“Oh, yes, Marc Humphreys. You’re going to state, right?”

“Yes, sir.” Athos answered as Priscilla entered the room.

Evie smiled at the teen as she took the bag that smelled like French fries and cookies. “I love you.”

Ink folded up the ladder and asked Priscilla, “You know she’s talking to the fries?”

“No,” she corrected with a smile, “she’s talking to me.”

Camille had returned to the room and was drawing on the wall with her ‘good’ chalk. She grinned at her friend as she corrected the declaration of love, “Baby Ink is talking to the fries. Baby Tank is talking to the cookies.”

Priscilla chuckled because she knew that, if anything, it would be the other way around. Evie moaned and the room all turned to look at her as she was eating a cookie.

“Don’t blame me.,” Evie said with a mouth full of cookies. “Those two put these babies in me. I’m such a good sub, I’m even a servant to my unborn babies and my cat.”

“My brother is a slave to your cat,” Athos muttered. Priscilla bit back a laugh as his eyes widened when he realized what he had said. Out loud. For everyone to hear.

“Damn straight,” Tank agreed grinning.

With a light slap on the younger man’s back, Ink advised, “Wait until you find one to worship.”

Priscilla and Camille grinned at each other before she turned her attention back to Athos. Without having to look at what she was doing, Priscilla packed away her camera and other gear as she told her friend, “Allow me to make a suggestion for when you have kids. Soundproof walls, ball gags or both. By the way, Yvonne is pregnant.”

“Please,” her friend begged, “never say ball gag ever again.”

Priscilla laughed at him as she zipped her bag and headed for the door.

“Tell Leo thanks for me. And Priss?” Evie waited for the teen to pause just outside her room in the hallway. “Ball gags kill the jaw.”

The sound of Tank and Ink laughing mixed with her own laughter as she went to the stairs.