Hello Again, Sir {s/t - complete}

What About Now?: 11.

                “Toby tells me a lot of things. He’s my friend. Just like yours. I may not be as close to him as you are but still… he’s not that bad.”

                “Sometimes.”

                Angie rolled her eyes and agreed. “Sometimes. Just remember he’s going through a lot.”

                “I didn’t say he wasn’t.”

                “You sound like her.” Angie sighed. “Re—”

                “Like who?”  I asked, turning off to the curb by the side of the road.

                “Hanna. She gets defensive a lot and, now, so are you.”

                “W—”

                “And before you ask, you’re the one that told me she gets defensive. You forget how much I listen sometimes, Alex. But I do. Now relax. I know you’re stressing about seeing her today, but please, don’t snap. It’s not usually in your nature to snap so much. Just concentrate on helping all of your students and remember that’s what you’re there for: to teach.”

                I relaxed, my eyebrows straightening out. I sighed, shaking my head. “You’re right. I’m sorry for snapping. I shouldn’t have gotten stressed.”

                “It’s understandable.”

                “Do you fancy coming over for tea tonight?” I asked. “I’ll cook the kids something, settle them down to watch telly and cook us something? I mean, if you want, because you haven’t been over in a while. I don’t want you always looking after the kids by yourself.” I looked over to Angie whose lips were turned up. “What?”

                “I can’t tonight. I was going to tell you but you’ve had a busy weekend yourself.”

                I turned to look at her in my seat. “Why?”

                “I have a date.” She laughed. “His names Wesley.”

                “Do I know this person?” I asked, smiling at how suddenly she seemed just a little happy about this. She deserved to feel happy about this.

                “No. I don’t think so although you’re roughly the same age. His names Mars. Well, it’s his mother’s married name. Do you have a student at your college, or in your class, called Jamie Mars?”

                “The name doesn’t ring a bell.”

                “Oh. She must go to the other college then. Well I took Theo up to the hospital at the weekend, on Friday night, because of the pain and bumped into him. His sister’s not well. She’s got cancer, the poor soul, but anyway we sat and had a coffee.”

                “Do you think it’s going to go anywhere?” I grinned.

                “I don’t know. He’s on leave from the army.”

                “So he wears a uniform?”

                “Yeah—” she narrowed her eyes. “Hey!” she blushed. “Shut up.”

                “Well have a good time.”

                “I will.”