The Change of the Seasons: Teacher's Pet

Chapter 3
A Tale of Two Kings

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Chapter Description: A princess and a queen find protection and comfort in the embrace of their rulers.

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As Becky Brownwood slowly worked on her math homework in after-school detention the 11 year old girl wondered if this was what going to jail felt like.

I’m in this darn classroom nearly every day, she thought, and everyone treats me like there’s something wrong with me. What’s the difference?

The last couple of hours had been a whirlwind of events. Mandy had cried her eyes out at the nurse so badly that they had gone ahead and called in her mom to the school. Mother and daughter were currently meeting with the principal.

“Becky, it’s not the end of the world.” said Mrs. Baxter’s voice from her teacher’s desk.

“But it is Mrs. Baxter!” she replied, “Everyone hates me and my whole life is ruined now.”

Her teacher giggled at that, which only made Becky frown even more. “You’re a little 5th grade girl sweetheart. This isn’t going to change much of anything about your life. We just want you to take this incident as lesson to learn self-control. That’s all, by the time you’re in middle school you will barely think back on this.”

“But Mandy’s mom hates me Mrs. Baxter! She’ll ban me from your class or something and you won’t be my teacher anymore!” Becky shouted.

Mrs. Baxter approached her and wrapped Becky in a warm hug. The 5th grade teacher slowly but surely rubbed Becky’s back. Becky despite her foul mood found herself cooing to the woman’s touch.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen honey. I promise you I will do my best to reason with Ms. Axwell about all of this. But that also means you’re going to have say you’re sorry to Ms. Axwell and especially Mandy. Can you do that for me?”

“I…I will Mrs. Baxter.” Becky truthfully told her teacher.

“That’s a good girl.” Mrs. Baxter replied and pecked her cheek.

Becky blushed with embarrassment. Being held by her beautiful teacher like this enamored the growing girl to her core. The 11 year old had been without a mother for most of her life. But a familiar stirring filled Becky’s thoughts as it had done at recess, and a small part of her wanted to kiss her teacher back.

There was a hard knock on the classroom door, bring Becky out of her alluring thoughts.

“Come in.” Mrs. Baxter said.

Becky knew the woman that came into the classroom all too well. The soft, plump woman had been like a mom to her only a handful a years ago. Melissa Axwell kept her blonde hair short and posh like any other soccer mom in the country and was doing her best to hide the anger of her red, round face with her enormous sunglasses. The 35 year old chubby woman had a lifelong obsession with baking that she had somewhat imparted on Becky when she used to stay over at the Axwell’s house.

“Mrs. Baxter.” Melissa started off, “Mandy and I are here for an apology from Becky if you don’t mind.”

“I think the two girls are old enough to apologize to each other on their own terms Ms. Axwell.” Mrs. Baxter replied, “What good would come from goading them into this?”

“This is for my sake Mrs. Baxter. As a fellow mother you should understand that.” The younger mom announced.

“Very well. I believe Becky does have something to say to Mandy after all.” Mrs. Baxter said as she glanced at Becky.

“I’m sorry Mandy.” Becky offered to her former friend, “You hurt my feelings…but…I shouldn’t have…”

“YOU SLAPPED MY LITTLE GIRL!” Melissa Axwell screamed.

A masculine voiced penetrated the female dominated classroom, “I heard it was quite the catfight.”

“Daddy!” Becky shouted and ran to embrace her father.

Robert Brownwood was a mountain of a man. Well over six feet tall, Becky’s daddy dwarfed the ladies in the classroom. His auburn hair was more brown than red and he possessed a finely trimmed beard that covered his face. The 36 year old’s large, muscular body was everything Melissa’s body wasn’t and the plump woman looked more like an oversized child in his presence.

“Melissa.” Robert told his ex-girlfriend, “I think you are trying to blow this out of proportional because of our past.”

“Because it’s true Robert!” Melissa argued, “Your girl has an unhealthy obsession with mine and she should be placed in a different class.”

“Unhealthy? I don’t think having lingering attachments to a lost step-sister is anything but natural.” Robert countered. “Besides, I get the impression that the principal already declined your demand.”

“How dare you!” Melissa shrieked.

“Enough you two!’ Mrs. Baxter finally regained control of her own classroom, “The girls should only be moved if they actually want to leave my class. Mandy, would you want another teacher instead of me?”

Mandy looked up at her mom and then to Becky. The girl was very solemn which left the room noiseless as she made her decision.

“No Mrs. Baxter I want to stay in your class.” Mandy said.

“And what about you Becky. Would you be better off in Miss Marshall’s class with your friend Nancy?” Mrs. Baxter asked her.

Becky gulped. In all honestly the young auburn hair girl had no clue what she wanted out of this. Mrs. Baxter had been very mean to her earlier today and most of the girls in the classroom didn’t like her. Maybe it would be better if she just said yes and yet something told her otherwise. Despite her tough tone, Becky did like the popular teacher like most other kids and she was good friends with the boys of the classroom. And yet…..

“I like being in your class Mrs. Baxter.” Becky said.

Mrs. Baxter smiled at that and clapped her hands together. “I believe that settles the matter then. Both girls want to stay with me for the school year, and thus both girls need to get along for the school year. Can you two do that for all of us?”

“Yes Mrs. Baxter.” Mandy and Becky said together.

“Now Ms. Axwell, I do believe we have already discussed everything that needed to be discussed. You should get Mandy home already.”

It was clear by how quickly Melissa left the classroom that she was quite displeased with Mrs. Baxter. This didn’t seem to bother her teacher though as she immediately turned her attention to her father.

“Mr. Brownwood. I believe you have been briefed on the events of today correct?” she asked.

“Yes it’s quite clear that my daughter has a strong sense of integrity and self-respect for herself.” He responded.

“Being impulsive and being actively disruptive in my classroom is not a sign of maturity Mr. Brownwood. I’m starting to believe that your daughter’s lack of discipline is mostly your fault.” She said.

“Becky is an 11 years old girl Mrs. Baxter. I do believe she is beginning to go through some natural growing pains if you know what I mean. As an experienced teacher of preteens I think you should more than capable of dealing with one emotional girl.” He declared.

The tension that had been building between the two adults since Robert’s entrance into the room shattered in that instance.

“Mr. Brownwood.” Mrs. Baxter began to rant as she rose from her desk, “Five days of the week, every week. I educate, take care of, and essentially raise two dozen children that are not my own. Roughly half of them are emotional tween girls and roughly half of them are rambunctious preteen boys. It is a stressful and demanding task that takes a great deal of my time while paying me very little. All I ask of my students’ parents is to make sure their kids can curb their behavior when they are in my classroom.”

Robert Brownwood crossed his arms. Becky just knew he was going to engage her head on. “Mrs. Baxter. I’m a military veteran. I was also responsible for two dozen people. But they were grown men, and we were on a battlefield. I fully understand your struggles, but please do not try and make them sound worse than getting men killed in war.”

Mrs. Baxter looked very upset to Becky. The girl started to feel very bad for her teacher, getting yelled at by parents as a woman seemed just as bad as being yelled at by teachers as a girl.

Still, Mrs. Baxter keep her composure, “Fair enough Mr. Brownwood. I ask you to simply talk to your girl in private to work on this and we can all hopefully move beyond this tomorrow.”

“That sounds good to me as well Mrs. Baxter.” Her daddy replied. “Let’s go home Becky.”

Father and daughter left the elementary school in Robert’s jeep. Becky rode shotgun as usual.

“I’m sorry daddy.” She told him.

As they approached a stop sign her dad took out a cigar and started smoking. Becky was long accustomed to this and she even enjoyed the distinct smell it produced. She always wondered what it felt like to smoke.

“It’s okay baby.” Her daddy assured her, “This was something I had a feeling would happen eventually.”

“What do you mean daddy?” she asked.

“Mandy and you were much closer than Melissa and I ever were,” he explained, “and she was my girlfriend for four years. That’s like a third of your life right there.”

“I know daddy. It’s not fair!” she said. “We were going to be sisters! Why didn’t you marry Melissa?!!?!?!”

Her daddy was calm but firm, “By the time it felt right to me, it didn’t feel right for her. Love is complicated baby girl. I think you learned that today didn’t you?”

“Gosh did I ever daddy. I tell Mandy she’s beautiful and she flips out on me!” Becky told him.

“Mandy is a twig of a girl. What makes her so beautiful to you?” he asked her.

“I don’t know daddy. She’s bratty but she’s pretty, she’s a showoff but she’s graceful too. Whenever I see her running around and she’s all sweaty and stuff, I just remember all the stuff we did when we were little like taking baths and washing her hair and-"

Daddy was suddenly coughing on his cigar, “Wow.”

“Am I lesbian daddy?” she asked him.

“What?” he coughed, “I’m not sure baby.”

“That’s what Mandy told me. And also that I was creepy and I got so upset that I slapped her.” She explained.

“You’re a growing girl Becky I think you’re still trying to find yourself.” He told her.

“So you’re not angry that I could be lesbian?” she asked.

He was quick to answer, “Of course not baby. It doesn’t matter who you grow up to be. You’re my baby girl and you’ll always will be.”

“But I think Melissa hates me daddy.” She told him.

“I don’t think hate is the right word Becky.” He said, “Melissa cares about you a great deal, she could have been your stepmom after all. but she’s afraid of why you like Mandy. You know how she was baby.”

“I guess.” She said.

“But more importantly you have been acting very impulsively lately. You have to get ahold of yourself Becky. You can’t do what you did today in the classroom.” He said.

“I know, I know!” Becky stammered, “But everyone is always yelling at me and I start feeling really bad and stuff.”

“Don’t worry about it Becky.” Her daddy assured her, “How about we get some dinner from Small Fry’s and I can give you the talk back home.”

Becky winced, Oh I never like learning about this stuff.

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Elizabeth pulled up to her family’s home in River’s Way. The upper middle class neighborhood was situated a several miles upriver of New Springs’ delta, where the majority of the various creeks and streams that made up the namesake of the town congregated into a single river. The colonial houses that populated the neighbored only had a scattering of trees between them unlike the other heavily forested parts of New Springs, but this place had a clean and open look to it that she so desperately needed after dealing with children all day long.

The riverside house that she comfortably lived in was something she could never have afforded on her teacher’s salary. Luckily, her husband’s job in Lowtown Junction made this luxurious home affordable to the Baxter’s, but just barely.

Upset and caffeine deprived, the 42 year old woman slouchy entered her well-deserved home.

“What the hell took you so long mom? I’m starving!” her 13 year old daughter yelled.

Emily Baxter laid with her legs stretched out on the family room’s couch mindlessly watching TV. For an 8th grader, she was very well developed. Emily’s bosom was healthy and well endowed, which unsurprisingly made her very popular among Morrison Middle School’s boys. Something that was not so much the case for Elizabeth when she was her daughter’s age. Despite their differences in that department, the fashion obsessed teen shared her mother’s light brunette hair. Though she kept it in a French braid.

“Is that how you greet your mother Emily?” Elizabeth asked knowing the futility of such a question.

“The little kids get out so early mom!” Emily yelled back, “You should be back before I am!”

“I’m not a student Emily. I have responsibilities to fulfill before and after class is dismissed.” She reminded her daughter, “Why don’t you take some initiative for once and microwave yourself something?”

“Eric’s doing it for me.” She said.

Elizabeth turned the corner into the kitchen to confirm her daughter’s words. Her 16 year old son stood by the microwave, studying his smartphone like a textbook. Eric Baxter was a quiet young man. Slender and lankly, her darling brown hair son was still in between a boy and a man. Though he matched Elizabeth in height, he still looked a fair bit awkward to her. Nonetheless, she still adored the hell out of her young guy.

“How was school?” she asked her son before she embraced him and kissed him on his forehead.

Eric dutifully, though with some reservation, returned his mom’s kiss as he briefly wrapped his slim arms around curvy figure. “Good mom.”

The microwave’s timer hit zero then and ended their little moment with its loud beeps. Eric carefully opened it and evenly split the cooked pizza bites onto two plates and walked over to his little sister.

“Thanks big bro.” Emily teased as she took one of the plates from him.

“Eric I raised you to look after your little sister, not enslave yourself to her.” Elizabeth counseled her son.

The teen boy had already gulped down a handful of the nuked junk food and was unable to respond. Giving her daughter the opening to speak for him, “Eric does stuff for me out of the goodness of his undying heart mom” Emily pestered, “Why else would he-“

“You can shut the fuck up Emily.” Eric demanded with an angered face.

Elizabeth had long surrendered the possibility of controlling her children’s foul language, specifically around when Emily entered the 6th grade. Middle school was a corrupting place for children.

Ignoring her son’s cursing she went for the heart of the matter, “Do you have another crush at school honey?” she asked in the hopes to free her firstborn from his sister’s ensnarement.

“She’s just some new girl that I friended online.” Eric protested.

“Not just any girl mom.” Emily started running her mouth, “A Growndown.”

“Everyone else is friending her mom. She’s the talk of the high school and she’s cute for a girl who used to be your age.” Eric defended himself.

My age, Elizabeth bemoaned to herself. I’m barely into my 40’s.

“If this is Jennifer Medlock we’re talking about here, her son…little brother I guess, is a student in my class.” She told her teenage kids.

“Yeah Jenny. She’s in my study hall. I guess she’s pretty cute for technically being middle-aged.” Eric admitted.

“Gross!” Emily yelled, “You and your cougar fetish Eric. You’re a pervert!”

Elizabeth was not in the mood for this.

“This whole world is driving me crazy kids. If you’re not going to let me make dinner in peace then you’re going to have to drive me to the insane asylum.” Elizabeth warned.

“Lame ass mom.” Emily denounced as she went up to her room.

After Eric shuffled upstairs as well, Elizabeth finally had the solace she desperately needed. When the kids had been little she was able to almost feed off their childish banter. Now it just saddened the 42 year old woman quickly approaching middle-age. Something had changed and it bothered her that she didn’t know what. She didn’t feel all that much older from her 30’s and regardless of the memo from the New Springs Authority, her job hadn’t really changed at all.

As she prepared dinner, she thought she got her answer. Back in the family room an all but forgotten family portrait hung above the fireplace. Taken nearly a decade in the past, the photo seemed like another world to Elizabeth. There she was at 32 years old, a bright and energetic mother with two lovely children and a vibrant husband.

Emily, a toddler of 3 years old barely sat in her lap as she tickled her to smile for the camera. The 6 year old Eric similarly sat on his daddy’s lap and was generously smiling for the camera. And of course there was Ethan Baxter. 35 years old in that moment, her husband was freshly shaved and confident. In those years after buying their house in River’s Way, both husband and wife foolishly believed they could tackle the whole world together.

She heard the front door open with a modest briskness

“How’s dinner coming along honey?” A grizzled voice called out from the front door.

“Almost done Ethan.” Elizabeth assured her husband.

Ethan was a drone of a man. Older, wiser from his career in his corporate office in Lowtown Junction, he had gained little else. Ethan traded his wondrous luster and handsome body for that of a yes-man. He was very much her son’s father, sharing many of the same features Eric did though in a much older body of 45 years. Though Ethan was out of shape much like she was, he had so far kept himself from getting fat. Elizabeth instinctively went to kiss Ethan on the lips and Ethan obliged her. Though a kiss alone did nothing for her libido, she found a deep comfort in her partner’s lips as he did in hers.

“You looked stressed Elizabeth. Everything alright?” he asked.

“This town is getting too weird for me honey.” She brushed off.

“Sounds like a fun day with your little ones.” Ethan replied.

“Don’t get me started.” Elizabeth laughed.

Not too long after the family of four found themselves at the dinner table. On most days, Eric and Emily would have taken their dinners upstairs to eat in their rooms whilst they watched whatever on the internet. But the messiness of spaghetti luckily still convened them all together like they did when they were kids. The two teens treated their father like a tired king. They listened to what he said to them, but rarely headed his words. It was in moments like this that she longed for the days their family portrait had captured from time.

“Kids.” Elizabeth stated, “Humor me for a moment.”

“Oh come on mom.” Emily said.

“All this Growndown and Grownup talk has gotten me thinking about you guys.” She began, “I’ve just been wondering if you guys like being teenagers? If you could, would you like to be a kid again or would you rather just skip into adulthood?”

“I’m 13 mom.” Emily responded. “I’m barely a teenager as it is. Why would I want to skip through high school?”

“Because it’s annoying.” Eric told her.

“Only because you’re annoying to everyone Eric.” She retorted. “I’m sure I’m going to be popular there next year.”

The teenage boy seemed to ignore his little sister’s remarks, “I don’t know mom. I feel a little detached from everyone right now so I guess it would be cool to get away from it all and be a kid again.”

Her son’s words moved her husband, “It’s something you’ll grow out of Eric, trust me. High school isn’t the end all be all of this world.”

Emily meanwhile had been holding back giggles, “You’d want to be my little brother?!?!?! You’re such a weirdo!”

Eric looked flustered at the thought of being the youngest, “I didn’t say that Emily! You would go back to preschool if I could control your age.”

“Oh shut up.” Emily huffed.

“You’d be my pretty princess again sweetie.” Ethan smiled.

“You could also wear all your old dresses again.” Elizabeth reminded her with a smirk.

Her flippant daughter for once returned the smile, “That’s true I guess. I loved wearing all those babyish clothes.”

“I wish we could be closer.” Elizabeth admitted, “I feel like you guys are completely different people now.”

While Eric frowned at that an exasperated look came across Emily’s face, “Can’t you just accept me as I am? Why do I have to suck up to you when you’re being a condescending bitch all the time?”

“Emily don’t ever call your mother that.” Her husband weakly demanded.

“Fine I’m done with family time anyway.” Emily said as she marched up to her room.

“One day you’ll regret this bitchy attitude Emily.” Elizabeth told off her daughter.

Some hours later Elizabeth found herself alone with Ethan in their master bedroom. This was her true refuge from the world of children, the one place in her life she didn’t have any real responsibility over them. She wished more places felt like this.

“I’m just saying Elizabeth that you have got to let go of our kids.” Ethan was explain to her, “They’ll be in college sooner than you think.”

“That’s what I’m worried about Ethan.” She stressed, “Both of them don’t act all that grown up.”

“That’s because teens are still kids honey. Come on!” Ethan cheered, “By the time you’re 50, you’ll be able to drink wine with Emily in the backyard and bitch to her about how terrible she was as a teenager to you.”

“I guess. But I know for a fact that I was never this way as a young teen with my mom.” Elizabeth told him.

“Famous last words Elizabeth.” Ethan joked.

“You damn well know I was shy like Eric is.” Elizabeth said

“Ah so you’re blaming Emily’s bitchy status on me is that right?” he said.

“Personality wise? Definitely.” She jested.

“You’re probably right honey.” Her husband accepted, “I got something here though that might cheer you up.”

“What is it?” she asked feeling a bit playful herself now.

“It’s a gift from my boss.” Ethan explained and pulled out something from a small, but tall bag.

As he approached her though Elizabeth could immediately tell what he was alluding to. The wine bottle he held up before her was neither elegant nor lazy in design, the alcohol itself also looked unassuming to her, lying anywhere between expensive or poor in quality. Yet Elizabeth felt an intense allure emanating from the wine bottle. Pulling her towards it with a promise of release. It made her feel small, but very comfortable. Part of Elizabeth, a stressed out part of the 42 year old woman, wanted to drink that sweet nectar with no regrets. Yet she instinctively held fast against it, for some unknown reason.

“Ambrosia.” Her husband interrupted her thoughts. “That’s what it’s called. It’s apparently bottled right here in Old Lake Valley.”

“No way!” Elizabeth slammed giddily, “I’ve been begging you to take me wine-tasting somewhere out of the valley for years and you’re telling me that there’s been one right here within a few miles of us?”

“I think it’s new.” He offered. “Otherwise it would have been an anniversary present for you ages ago. But do you want to try some?”

Elizabeth bit her lip at that, “What’s the bottling date?”

“Let me see here…” he said as he scanned the bottle, “Oh, well damn. It’s not even a month old.”

She didn’t know why, but Elizabeth thanked her high standards for once. “Well that takes a lot of the joy out of me in trying it right now.”

“I feel kind of goofy when I look at it.” Ethan said.

“How about you put that in the wine cabinet to age and then we can fuck like bunnies in the shower?” Elizabeth asked as she took her clothes off, revealing her attractively curvy figure to her mild husband.

Ethan grinned, “I feel like we won’t get the chance to do it again for a while.”

“Me too.” Elizabeth said.

A few moments later Elizabeth, the 42 year old 5th grade teacher, overworked and underappreciated, found herself having sex with her loving husband in their large shower. The water gushed at her from the shower-head. It flowed down her long, straight brunette hair with a gentle touch. It tickled her womanly breasts as it slid down them. It quickly ran down her large hips, caressing them just as Ethan did.

The steam that the water produced after it hit the shower floor was knowing. As it had done with this sad woman’s student in the morning. It weighed the scales of her impending fate. Looking into her surface level thoughts and feelings, it was deeply sympathetic towards the grown woman; yet all the same troubled.

As it decided, as it already had decided, as it will soon decide; the destinies of all beings within its mountainous walls would be forever remade anew by its will alone.

For a heralding was fast approaching. A new season was at hand. And just like with every other season, things that are out of place in this valley would be set right, once more.

Such was the power, the inevitability, of The Change of the Seasons.

Teacher’s Pet will continue in: Teaching how to be Adults, Learning how to be Children

 

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