Handsome Stranger by Megan Grooms

         Abby worked on cleaning her classroom after the children left for the day. The school was still humming with teachers and students doing afterschool activities. There was nothing she was involved in however so she took her time. In no hurry to get home to her empty one bedroom apartment.
    She could hear the other teachers greeting each other. Seeking out friends to make plans for the evening or for the next night being the start of the weekend. She knew none would venture into her room however. She was too shy to try to make friends and most thought she was a snob and looked down on them because of her inability to socialize with them.
    Silently she longed for the college days when she would hang out with her friends. They had understood her quite nature and helped her to live a full college life without ever pushing her too far. Sadly all her friends had moved away or gotten married. She was the only one to take the first job she could find. A small town where everyone had known everyone since birth and no one took very kindly to an outsider that wasn’t outgoing. She was sure if she could step out of her comfort zone and approach some of them they would accept her. However every time she tried she had a panic attack and finally she decided it wasn’t worth the stress. If only someone would take the time to get to know her on her comfort level. She would be open to so many more people if she had someone to cling to at school staff get-togethers.
    A knock on the door startled her out of her self-pitying. Before she could turn around she heard a voice from the hall “don’t bother. You’ll learn soon enough, she’s as cold and frozen as ice.” She cringed at the words hiding her face from the stranger. It took her a moment to control herself enough to turn around.
    In the doorwa y stood a man more handsome than anyone Abby had ever encountered. His auburn hair was cut short, his eyes were hazel. Her breath caught in her throat when he smiled at her. “Hi. I’m the new music teacher.” He walked into her classroom and Abby just watched him. His eyes looked down cast a little like he was embarrassed by the unknown person in the hall.
    She desperately wished she had dressed with a little more care this morning. She really wished she ’d worn makeup. Her mind was franticly trying to find something to say back to him. Instead it kept repeating ‘he’s hot, he’s hot,’ over and over again. This was clearly not what she wanted to blurt out upon first meeting the man.
    “ Names Nate.” He held out his hand for her. His smile blinding her momentarily with how it lit up his face and made his eyes crinkle endearingly.  “Nate Sommers.” He tried again. Slowly his hand fell away when she didn’t take it.
    ‘ Shit, shit, shit’. Her mind started to repeat. “Sorry, my name is Abby Tate. It’s nice to meet you.” She smiled a bit and he grinned back at her. “What happened to…” She trailed off she didn’t even know the old woman’s name.
    “ The old woman?” Nate supplied laughing a little. “She retired, you didn’t go to the party?”
    “ Um… I hadn’t known there was one.” Abby answered truthfully. They never told her about anything anymore. They assumed that she wouldn’t go because she hadn’t yet.
                  “I hadn’t officially started yet but she invited me to meet everyone. I glanced in your room and didn’t recognize you so I thought I’d introduce myself. I thought I had just missed you at the party.” He seemed a little confused to Abby. She guessed he was wondering why no one told her about the party.
    “ I don’t usually get told about get-togethers.” Abby answered honestly. There was no point in acting like everyone liked her. She knew everyone would warn him about her as soon as he left her room. They already tried to warn him when they knew she could hear. He didn’t seem to know what to say to her statement and she felt bad about