They had just started watching it when the front door opened and Emily announced that dinner had arrived. Timber made to jump up but Henry shot her a warning look. She stopped and got up slowly with the tempting smell of cheese, pepperoni, ham, bacon, mushrooms and green peppers reaching her nose. Henry and Timber walked into the kitchen and Timber grinned.
"Pizza!" cried Timber happily.
"Here are plates for you and Henry," said Grace. She pushed two paper plates towards them.
"Yay! Oh my Lord! That bacon smells so good!"
"I would assume that Timber likes bacon," said Henry sounding highly amused.
"Timber likes meat," said Emily. "Red meat is her favorite. But she hates fish unless it's shrimp. She'll disown you if you try to feed her fish." Henry laughed.
"Henry, I didn't know what you wanted to drink so I got you a coke," said Grace handing out drinks. "Timber here's your root beer. Emily, your Dr. Pepper is right here next to the napkins. Chad, come get your dinner, Honey."
"Aunt Grace, can Henry and I eat in the living room?" asked Timber. "We're watching something about volcanoes and it's quite interesting. They just started talking about Pompeii and the eruption of Mount Vesuvius."
"Go ahead just please use the TV trays," said Grace. "Emily, could you help Timber please?"
Emily jumped to her feet enthusiastically and ran to the living room with a grin. She grabbed two trays and set them up side by side in front of the couch. Then she ran to Henry and took the food out of his hands and put it all on the trays. When Henry and Timber sat down, she pushed their trays, smiled at them and skipped away back to the dining room. Timber rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"What?" asked Henry.
Timber replied in a low voice. "I have reason to believe that Emily is trying to set us up," she said. "She did this at the depot too when she ditched us at lunch. I need to talk to her about it." Timber lifted her pizza slice and took a bite. "Oh, this is like heaven in my mouth!"
Henry chuckled and un-paused the show. Timber and Henry sat quietly together until the food had been consumed, the beverage cups had been emptied and the documentary was over. As they were cleaning up, Grace approached them with Henry's dry shirt in her hands. Henry thanked her and as he began to button it up, Timber asked him, "When is your birthday?"
"October the ninth," said Henry as he handed the loaned t-shirt back to Grace before she left the room. "What about you?"
"November ninth. And why didn't you tell me your birthday is on Tuesday?" asked Timber putting her hands on her hips.
"Because I've never been into celebrating my birthday," said Henry. "It's just another day for me."
"Is it alright if I at least bake you a small cake?" asked Timber.
"Actually, my birthday falls on an unfortunate night for me. I'd rather not get into it and I would appreciate if you didn't ask questions," said Henry sternly. Timber saw the hurt in his eyes as he spoke and it made her sad.
"Alright," said Timber.
"I'm sorry but that's the best I can give you. It's late and it's been a very eventful day," said Henry. "I really should get some sleep."
"I didn't offend you did I?" probed Timber. Henry turned around to see the worried look on her face and he smiled gently.
"No, I'm not one to be easily offended, but I really do need sleep. Good night, Timber. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Good night, Henry," said Timber as she blushed and curled her toes.
She watched Henry grab his garbage and carry it to the kitchen where he said good night to everyone else. When Timber heard the front door close, she took care of her tray and threw her trash away. Then, without a word to anyone else, Timber went upstairs to get ready for bed. She got into her monogrammed pajamas, washed her face and brushed her teeth. As she crawled in her bed, the words that Henry had said to her that evening kept playing through her head on repeat.
"You're my best friend, Timber. I care about you... Don't ever apologize to me for showing emotions.... they're part of what makes you beautiful... I've thought you were beautiful from the night I met you..."
Timber fell asleep that night with a smile on her face, and teardrops falling onto her pillow and an echo in her ears of a woman singing softly to her.
Henry went to work alone the next Monday feeling tired. He had not slept much all weekend. His mind would not stop racing. He could only think about Timber. Her eyes shining with tears, her heart racing, her scent... She was exceptionally close to her family, yet it had been him she had let her walls down for. Henry could not make sense of it. He was her teacher. She had confessed that she liked him, but she had also admitted that she hadn't completely worked her feelings out.
Henry knew that he had powerful feelings for her but she was seventeen. There was also the fact that he was not entirely human. He was a danger to her and even if she did return his feelings, Henry could never bring himself to make a move. He cared for Timber in a way he had never cared for anyone before but if she ever found out what he was, she would be terrified of him and she would never talk to him again even though he knew for sure that she wasn't absolutely human either.
Henry walked into his classroom on Monday morning and left his door open like usual. He tried to get his brain to function on work instead of Timber but it was in vain. He sat at his desk with his face in his hand. He had to push passed the exhaustion. He just got to his feet when a small knock on the door alerted him to another presence.
"Mr. Santelli?" said a small voice. "Are you okay?"
Henry turned to see a small freshman girl standing in the doorway. Henry knew her well because she had become like his morning shadow. He was worried at first, but after talking to her grandfather when he saw them on open house night, he learned that she was on the Autism Spectrum and had a tendency to connect with few people. Those she did, she enjoyed being with. According to her grandfather, she only viewed him as a big brother and that eased his mind. Afterward, Henry allowed her into his classroom in the morning to help him prepare for the day.
"Oh, good morning Michelle," said Henry with forced cheerfulness. "I'll be alright. I have a lot of things going on."
"You look ... so ... tired," said Michelle.
"I wasn't feeling well this weekend so I didn't sleep much. I am better but I'm still tired."
"Oh. Do you want some help?"
"Thank you," said Henry. "I would appreciate it."
"What should I do?"
"There's a stack of yellow paper behind the whiteboard," said Henry. "Next to it are two stacks of white paper. I need help stapling them together. I have two staplers."
Michelle took the stacks and looked at them.
"These look like ... study guides," said Michelle.
"They are," said Henry. "The end of the grading period is coming up so my students have a full period test. This is to help everyone know exactly what to study."
Michelle went to sit down and Henry noticed that she was limping heavily. She was clearly trying to hide the pain she was in.
"Michelle," said Henry. "What happened to your leg?"
"I'm fine," lied Michelle.
"You're limping."
"I'm fine."
Henry knew she was being dishonest but he didn't have the energy to argue with her. They sat quietly working for the next half an hour. The only sounds in the room were rustling papers and staplers. They finished five minutes before the first bell. Michelle handed him her completed stack, excused herself with a small smile and limped out of the classroom.
When the bell rang, Henry closed his door. He had first period free, which was nice because it meant a slow morning. He pulled out his phone and set his alarm for twenty minutes, set his head down and closed his eyes. When the alarm on his phone went off, he resisted the urge to throw it across the room. He turned it off and growled before getting up and getting the papers ready for the rest of the classes by dividing them into five stacks. When the dismissal bell rang, Henry opened his door to let the
second period students in.
Like always, Timber greeted him with a smile and he felt his heart flip. There was something different about her smile. It seemed brighter. Her eyes seemed to sparkle when she saw him. Perhaps he was imagining it but it made him happy nonetheless. When the room was full, Henry began speaking.
"Now, as all of you are aware, Friday is the end of the grading period. I expect you all to receive no lower than a seventy-five percent on my test. You will be tested Friday and it will be a full period test."
"More studying?" complained one of the students.
"Yes, but fortunately for you, it should not take up any of your personal time," said Henry. "I know that the rest of your teachers will have you studying at home. I don't agree with taking away your personal life which is why the week before the test, every period will be a study period."
Henry handed out the study guide to his students.
"Starting today, I want you to use this period to study for your history test. I will go around and help you as you need. You may also help each other. However, this does not mean that this is a time to hang out and chat about boys, video games, and other stuff. Neither is this a study hall for your other classes."
"Why not?"
"Because, I have expectations, Xianna," replied Henry. "For the last few months, not one student has gotten lower than seventy-seven percent on one of my tests or a piece of homework and I would like to keep it that way. Now, I will make a deal with you. If every student in every class scores a ninety percent or higher on this test, I will streak my hair purple."
There was enthusiastic muttering and grinning throughout the classroom.
"This period is scoring an average of eighty-two percent," said Henry. "If, by the end of this calendar year, everyone, including the other periods, pulls their grades up to a minimum of ninety percent, I will wear a dress and a wig to school before the Christmas holiday. So, do we have a deal?"
There was a very excited shout of yes. Afterward, everyone pulled out their notes from the last several weeks and began studying what was on the study guide. Henry moved around the room, answering questions, and helping students get organized. It was fairly quiet; with just some muttering about what was on notes until someone said loudly, "What will you do if we all end the year with ninety percent or higher?"
"If each one of my students ends this year with a one hundred percent on their report card, I'll get the Timberwolves mascot tattooed on my arm."
"Mr. Santelli? With a tattoo?" asked one of the girls.
Henry laughed. "Actually, Lilly I already have several tattoos on my arms."
"Yeah, right."
"Alright, I'll prove it to you." Henry rolled up his sleeves, revealing his Gothic style cross, the barbed wire band, the swords laid in an X, and the rose with R.I.P Victoria. "Good enough?"
"I knew you were cool, but I didn't know you were this cool," said one of the boys. Henry saw Timber grin out of the corner of his eye and it gave him a small confidence boost.
"Excuse me, Mr. Santelli? Who is Victoria?"
Henry closed his eyes and sighed as his moment of happiness came crashing down. "Victoria was my sister. She was murdered last year in July."
"Oh my goodness! How?"
"Helen, that's not our business!"
"No, it's okay," said Henry. "Victoria was beaten to death. She was young and in love. She thought she could change him. She thought accepting help meant she was weak. Her refusal to see that the relationship she was in was not a good one cost her her life."
"I'm so sorry," said Helen. "I had no idea..."
"It's alright," said Henry. "You have a right to ask. Now, with that said, I would like you to continue studying."
The rest of the day went by quick. Everyone was very excited about their teacher coloring his hair and wearing a dress and a wig to school. In fact, by lunchtime, Henry had become the talk of the school. Henry heard nothing but excited discussions about the deals he had made with his students, or sad conversations about his sister. Henry forgot the looks of pity when he saw Michelle limp across the courtyard with her arms full of books and her head down. He watched as Diana stopped her and knocked the books out of her arms, threw her lunch on the ground, and walked away laughing. Then he saw Timber and her friends hurry over and help pick up Michelle's books. Henry swelled with pride as he saw Timber offer a seat to Michelle and she and the other girls started sharing their food with her and drying her tears. Henry even witnessed Timber taking off her snow-white gloves and putting them on Michelle.
By the end of the school day, all of his classes had shown great determination to see Henry in a dress before Christmas. Henry thought by doing something that would embarrass himself, the students would work harder. He smiled to himself as he left his classroom to get Timber from the library.
He didn't see her at her usual table. He reasoned she had gone to Timberwolf Stadium behind the school to watch Ashley during football practice as she had done before. He was halfway there but he stopped when he heard shouting from the student parking lot on the side of the school. He hurried over as fast as he could in his fatigued state but before he could round the corner to see who was shouting, he heard the sound of a slap and someone falling into a car. A split second later he heard a ferocious growl and two screams. Henry rounded the corner to see Michelle cowering and a large woman who could easily pass for a small whale, backing away from something that was growling at her.
It was an unusually large, silver timber wolf the size of a Tibetan mastiff. Henry had a hunch to its identity but he did not want to assume. It was standing protectively in front of Michelle with its fur on end and its teeth bared. Henry didn't know who the woman was but she made to kick the wolf and the wolf wrapped her teeth around her leg and made the woman lose balance. The wolf was kicked in the shoulder. It yipped but it held its ground and would not leave Michelle exposed. Henry hurried over.
"What the hell is happening here?" he demanded angrily.
"This is none of your business," said the woman, struggling to get to her feet.
"It is when you're attacking one of my students," growled Henry. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"Not without my stepdaughter," said the woman. "You have no claim on her!"
"You'll find that I do," said Henry. "Michelle is a minor and was attacked on campus with a teacher present. It is my job as her teacher to protect her. Now I will ask you again to leave or I will use force."
The woman raised a hand at Henry but he was ready. He blocked her swing and his elbow made contact with the side of her face. She stumbled and stepped back into her car. The wolf growled again and the woman decided it would be best to leave. Henry made sure she was gone before turning to Michelle and kneeling down in front of her.
"Are you alright?" he asked. Michelle nodded. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her cheek was red from where she had been slapped. "Is there anyone I can call to come and get you like a family member that you feel safe with?" Michelle looked at her feet, crying quietly. Then she pulled out her phone and scrolled down to a phone number and handed the phone to Henry. Henry hit call and waited for someone to answer.
"Hello, Michelle," said the voice of an elderly woman.
"Hello, this is Mr. Santelli," said Henry. "I'm a teacher at Michelle's school. What is your relationship with Michelle?"
"I'm her grandmother," said the woman. "Is she alright?"
"Michelle was struck by her stepmother on campus," said Henry. "I've seen bruises on Michelle before and I cannot send her home for her own safety. Is it possible for Michelle to stay with you?"
"Not at this moment, unfortunately," said the woman. "I'm in Ukiah now but I can be there in two hours. She can stay with me."
"Thank you. I'll make sure she is fed. Can I meet you at Laurel Deli Cafe this evening?"
"Absolutely."
Henry hung up the phone and handed it back to Michelle. The wolf was curled up beside her, keeping her warm and licking
her hand to comfort her.
"Would you be willing to come with me?" asked Henry and Michelle nodded. "I need to text my friend first," he added. He sent a fast text to Timber saying that something urgent came up and he would be unable to walk her home. He told her that he would tell her what happened when he saw her the next morning.
The wolf looked up at him and he got a good look at its eyes. They were a stunning shade of ice blue. They looked so familiar to Henry but he could not figure out why. It was if he had seen them in a dream. He pushed the feeling to the back of his mind and helped Michelle to her feet. Michelle patted the wolf on the back and the wolf licked her hand one more time before running off towards the stadium.
Henry walked Michelle to his house. They got in his car and he took her to the deli. Henry helped her order a plain hamburger with ketchup and fries since she was still too shaken to speak. He sat down with her at a table close to the door. After a half hour of silence between them, Michelle spoke.
"T-thank you, Mr. Santelli," she said.
"You're very welcome, Michelle," replied Henry.
"You're very nice," she said. "You remind me of a girl I know from school. Her name is Timber."
"I know Timber," said Henry.
"I think ... everyone knows Timber."
"How long have you known her?" asked Henry.
"We met during lunch on the first day of school," said Michelle. "I was trying to find the... keep trying... cafeteria and Timber seemed to know that I was lost. She showed me where it was, but instead of leaving me to see if there was anything left, she gave me the rest of her lunch. She was patient when I was having trouble, no. Try again. Communicating. I've gotten better but it's still hard sometimes."
Henry smiled. That sounded exactly like something Timber would do.
The Timber Effect Page 8
