The school year started like all the others before it. To me it seemed just an interruption of my life.
I wasn't a bad student as matter of fact I managed a solid B. I wasn't one of the popular girls with loads of friends. I was the tomboy type and frankly only cared about the one person who had been my best friend all my life. He was older and had graduated high school and started college. I felt very alone.
Things changed after the Christmas break. My home economics teacher didn't return to her job. I knew for certain I would not miss her or her grumpy ways.
The new teacher was about to change almost everything I thought I knew about education and many other things. This was her first teaching assignment after college. When the principal introduced Mrs. Gray to her class, every guy in the class was drooling over her.
She was 22 years old. She was perfectly dressed in a beautiful dress that hit just above her knees. Her shoes seemed to just barely cover her feet leaving her manicured toes exposed.
She had dark hair, green eyes and a perfect tan. I guessed her to be 5'6" and possibly she might've weighed 120 pounds. When she faced away from me I couldn't help to notice her perfect hour glass shape. Her dress fit snugly around her body. It clearly outlined every contour of her bottom. For the first time in my life I was in awe of a female. Thinking back I wasn't aware anyone else was even in the room, except our beautiful new teacher and myself.
I have no idea why, but nearly from the first day she seemed to single me out from the rest of the class. It certainly wasn't because I was some glamour girl. I was just an 18 year old girl with red hair, no makeup and definitely no nice clothes. I was basically the tomboy type.
The class was very much hands on learning basic skills like cooking. I clearly remember the first time the teacher moved very close to watch me rolling out a pie crust. My mind was certainly not on that task. Instead her perfume had me imaging exactly where she had applied it. Of course it wasn't long before I was labeled "the teacher's pet! I actually kind of liked that idea!
Well sometimes unexpected things happen when the timing could be better. After missing my period, a trip to the doctor confirmed I was pregnant. I actually was ok with that! But it meant the father of my baby, who happened to be my best friend, had to drop out of college and get a job to support us.
I confided in my favorite teacher and told her of my plans to get married over Easter break. She didn't judge me; instead she offered her help with all the preparations for a wedding.
My future husband and I purchased a new mobile home and parked it beside his grandparents.