Tawny tossed and turned in her bed, hugging her pillow at night.
Her thoughts were consumed about her English teacher, Professor McCurdy.
Aside from Maddie, he was the only person at Ivoree Gates that treated her with compassion with respect.
Why can't I stop thinking of him, thought Tawny. I wonder if he's married? Does he think I'm cute? This really sucks!
Tawny punched her pillow defiantly in frustration.
"Are you okay?" Tawny turned to see Maddie in her own bed, yawning and rubbing her eyes. She was wearing a long nightgown and a bonnet on her head, subduing her curly hair.
"Uh yeah, I'm fine," lied Tawny. "Just smoothing out my pillows. Lot of lumps."
Maddie nodded drowsily. "Okay, then. Good night." She turned off the lamp beside her bed, pulled up the bed covers, and went to sleep.
Tawny laid down as well, but she stared at the ceiling, wide awake.
She HAD to get her mind off McCurdy.
---
It was really hard for Tawny to stand by her creed when she, unfortunately, had to see Professor McCurdy multiple times in a week.
English Class was her shining oasis of pleasure amidst dry, boring lessons and disinterested instructors. Every time she set foot inside McCurdy's classroom, the desire to learn raged inside her.
Among other desires she was desperately trying to tamp down.
The class was especially unruly this afternoon, but McCurdy remained calm as always.
Cool as a cucumber, grace under pressure. The man truly is a saint, sighed Tawny wistfully.
"Now class," asked Professor McCurdy. "Can anyone tell me what an acronym is?"
Elizabeth raised her hand. "Is it like what Amanda Palmer sings about?"
Professor McCurdy blinked, visibly confused. "I beg your pardon, Miss Beauregarde? Please explain."
"Yeah, Amanda Palmer... I think she wrote a song about that. Girl Acronym or something."
"Uh..." said Professor McCurdy. He laughed nervously - for the first time, Tawny sensed he was at a loss for words. He's so cute when he's flustered...she mused. Augh! God, what's wrong with me?!
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"You're talking about the Dresden Dolls," said Elaine, who was busy filing her nails at her desk. "The song is called 'Girl Anachronism' not 'Girl Acronym'".
Grady shook his head at Elizabeth. "God, Liz - you are so friggin' dumb sometimes."
The class broke out in laughter. Another first, mused Tawny, as for once the vitriol was NOT directed at her but at one of their own.
Embarrassed, Elizabeth stood up and ran out of the classroom. For a brief moment in time, Tawny felt compelled to feel bad for her.
Then she remembered the horribly cruel prank played upon her in the cafeteria, and the time she was told to "drop dead", and all her sympathy promptly went out the window.
Professor McCurdy regarded the class coolly as the laughs dissolved into a bout of disinterest, with students carrying on casual conversations right in the middle of the lesson.
McCurdy grabbed a stick of chalk, and Tawny thought he was going to whip it at somebody's head to get them back in line.
Instead, he began writing on the chalkboard.
"For....Unlawful...Carnal....Knowledge," he said as he wrote the first letter of each word large, and each word vertically, so it looked like it actually spelled something else...
Tawny read the chalkboard and her face went as red as tomato soup.
When the other students read the board, they sniggered but surprisingly went silent.
"Now that I have your attention," said Professor McCurdy. "That...is a form of an acronym."
"Language, teach," quipped Dylan. "I thought this was a place of learning, not sailor talk."
"Oh, indeed you shall learn, Mr. Westinghouse," replied McCurdy, promptly wiping the chalkboard with his eraser. "Despite all your efforts to the contrary, I'll educate you yet.
Acronyms have many different uses in society, from the practical, such as abbreviating communication, to the creative. For your next assignment. I'd like all of you to write an acrostic poem.
Take a word and use each letter to write a line of poetry. I'll expect you all to hand it in by Friday - that's when you will present. Class dismissed. Uh, save for you, Mr. Owens. A word at my desk, please."
The students filed out of the class. Tawny wanted so desperately to linger and talk with Professor McCurdy. But he was in full disciplinarian mode as he admonished Grady, and she was certain he was getting after-school detention for his earlier remarks.
She fantasized about doing something outlandish to get his attention. Pushing over her desk or flashing the whole class. Something that would get her in trouble, any excuse to have detention with him. Alone time with Professor McCurdy...
Tawny shook her head. No...no! I have to stop this! Tawny went to the nearest washroom. She looked in the mirror and gave herself a good slap. She was going to break this obsession yet.
She heard a door creak; Elizabeth emerged from a stall, mascara running down her puffy, tear-stained eyes.
Immediately, Tawny felt sorry for the girl again. "Hey," she said. "Are you o--"
Without a word, Elizabeth walked by, literally pushing Tawny into one of the sinks as she exited the washroom.
"Good talk," Tawny said sarcastically. She sat down in one of the stalls and closed the door. She still had her notebook for English class and mused about the events that had transpired during the day.
She took out a pen and began to scribble on the last page of the notebook. The scribbles became words, which became the following;
Take me as I am
Always your affectionate student
Why can't I be more
Never do I stop thinking about you
Your lips upon mine
McCurdy, you're so damn fine
Tawny M - in the span of minutes, she had crafted an acrostic poem in her name. She kissed the page, then giggled at its absurdity.
"No way I can share this one in class," she said, stuffing her notebook under her armpit and leaving the washroom, feeling relieved that she at least expelled some of her lustful imaginings so that she could function normally for the remainder of the day.