Too Good to Be True by Kristan Higgins Page B

weekend, Brother Against Brother is reenacting the Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas, which I’m sure you know all about, since it was in your reading homework from Tuesday. Extra credit to anyone who comes, okay? E-mail me if you’re interested, and I’d be happy to pick you up here.”
    “As if,” Kerry said. “I don’t need extra credit that bad.”
    “Thanks, Ms. Em,” Hunter called. “Sounds fun.”
    Hunter wouldn’t come, though he was one of my more polite students. His weekends were spent doing things like having dinner with Derek Jeter before a Yankees game or flying to one of his many family homes. Tommy Michener might, since he seemed to like history—his papers were always sharp and insightful—but more than likely, peer pressure would keep him home, miserably lusting after Kerry, Emma Kirk’s wholesome appeal lost on him.
    “Hey, Tommy?” I called.
    He turned back to me. “Yeah, Ms. Em?”
    I waited a beat till everyone else was gone. “Everything okay with you these days?”
    He smiled a bit sadly. “Oh, yeah. Just the usual crap.”
    “You can do better than Kerry,” I said gently.
    He snorted. “That’s what my dad says.”
    “See? Two of your favorite grown-ups agree.”
    “Yeah. Well, you can’t pick who you fall for, can you, Ms. Em?”
    I paused. “Nope. You sure can’t.”
    Tommy left, and I gathered up my papers. History was a tough subject to teach. After all, most teenagers barely remembered what had happened last month, let alone a century and a half ago, but still. Just once, I wanted them to feel how history had impacted the world we lived in. Especially the Civil War, my favorite part of American history. I wanted them to understand what had been risked, to imagine the burden, the pain, the uncertainty President Lincoln must have experienced, the loss and betrayal felt by the Southerners who had seceded—
    “Hello, there, Grace.” Ava stood in my doorway, doing her trademark sleepy smile, followed by three slow, seductive blinks. There was one…and the second…and there was three.
    “Ava! How are you?” I said, forcing a smile.
    “I’m quite well, thank you.” She tipped her head so that her silky hair fell to one side. “Have you heard the news?”
    I hesitated. Ava, unlike myself, had her ear to the ground when it came to Manning’s politics. I was one of those teachers who dreaded schmoozing with the trustees and wealthy alumni, preferring to spend my time planning classes and tutoring the kids who needed extra help. Ava, on the other hand, worked the system. Add that to the fact that I didn’t live on campus (Ava had a small house at the edge of campus, and speculation was that she’d slept with the Dean of Housing to get it), and she definitely heard things.
    “No, Ava. What news is that?” I asked, trying to keep my tone pleasant. Her blouse was so low-cut that I could see a Chinese symbol tattooed on her right boob. Which meant that every child who came through her classroom could see it, too.
    “Dr. Eckhart’s stepping down as chairman of the history department.” She smiled, catlike. “I heard it from Theo. We’ve been seeing a lot of each other.” Super. Theo Eisenbraun was the chairman of the Manning Academy board of trustees.
    “Well. That’s interesting,” I said.
    “He’ll announce it later this week. Theo’s already asked me to apply.” Smile. Blink. Blink. And…wait for it…blink again.
    “Great. Well, I have to run home for lunch. See you later.”
    “Too bad you don’t live on campus, Grace. You’d seem so much more committed to Manning if you did.”
    “Thanks for caring,” I said, shoving my papers into my battered leather bag. Ava’s news had hit a nerve. Yes, Dr. Eckhart was old, but he’d been old for a long time. He was the one who’d hired me six years ago, the one who stood by me when a parent pressured me to raise little Peyton or Katharine’s grade, the one who heartily approved of my