Honor Student

Honor Student - By Teresa Mummert





If it be a sin to covet honor, I am the most offending soul.

~William Shakespeare





chapter One

My twenty-first birthday had started like any other day. I awoke alone. The house was deserted. No doubt, my Aunt who I lived with had passed out at the bar or gone home with some random stranger. I ran a brush through my long, dark hair until it lay smooth and perfectly straight down my back. I washed my face and picked out something to wear for the day. I decided on a white fitted t-shirt and blue jean shorts. It would be warm again, as was usual in Florida, so I slipped on a pair of brown sandals.

The high school bus pulled up out front and I sat in the garage waiting for it to leave and make its way down the road. I hated being stuck behind it with all of the other kids pointing and laughing at me out of the back window. Once I was sure the coast was clear I backed out of the garage in my beat up white Rabbit.

I turned on the radio and plugged my iphone into the tape deck adapter, and listened to Mozart the entire drive. Classical music had a way of calming me down. I hated going to college. I never felt like I fit in. People treated me like an alien because I had transferred from Michigan just before high school graduation. The truth was I would have given anything to be back there.

I pulled into the gym parking lot just before the eight. I was cutting it close but I did not honestly care. My grades were perfect and I could have a 4.0 without ever attending. Unfortunately, if I did not show up my scholarships could be taken away. I always began my day with a workout. I slinked into the locker room and changed into the oversized t-shirt and baggy black shorts.

Forty-five minutes later, we had finished playing a game of basketball with some girls from a sorority, to which I still do not know the rules. My team lost but I did not care either way. I changed back into my normal clothes and headed across the campus to my first class.

Everything before lunch became a giant blur. The teachers were working on things I had long learned. I sat alone at the end of a big long table in the cafeteria and nibbled at my pizza. I hated this place with a passion. I was ready to graduate and move on with my life. I knew that without my degree I would be forced to stay in this town and work a low budget job for the rest of my existence.

I grabbed my books and headed for my car to grab my history book that I had forgotten. By the time I made it to class, everyone was in their seats and waiting for the teacher to speak. I slinked in and kept my head low as I headed to the back of the classroom. I slipped into my desk and looked to the front of the class.

“Now that we’re all here I’d like to introduce myself. Ms. Gibbs will be out for a few months for medical issues. My name is Mr. Honor.” His hair was dark and just long enough to pull off the ‘just out of bed’ look. His eyes were a piercing blue that matched his button up shirt that hugged his muscular chest perfectly. The top button was undone and you could see a white wife-beater below and dark wash jeans. He was a lot younger than most of our teachers. He looked to be in his late twenties but he had the confidence of someone much older. All of the girls in the room hung on his every word. When he licked his lips, a collective gasp was heard throughout the room.



When the bell rang many of the girls lingered until Mr. Honor made it a point to move everyone along to their next period.

“You, come here for a moment.” He said pointing at me. My breath hitched in my throat as I gathered my books and walked up between the desks to him. He was leaning back casually on the top of his desk and twirling a ruler in his hand.

“Yes?” I asked, the words coming out more high pitched than I intended.

“What is your name?” he asked and for a moment, I could not remember. My cheeks burned a deep crimson as I struggled to have a coherent thought.

“Emma. Emma Townsend.” I blurted out when it finally came to me. He smiled and my heart had completely given up. I did not know how much longer I could stand in front of him before my legs gave out from nerves.

“Emma,” my name rolled off his tongue and it was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. “Please try to make it to class on time. Lateness will not be tolerated. Next time there will be consequences.” He said as he continued to spin the ruler in his hand. I was mesmerized.

“Yes, Sir” I replied with a hint of sarcasm in my voice. His lip twitched and he looked to be holding back a smirk.

“Get to class Ms. Townsend.” His eyes locked onto mine. I was not sure what to say so I turned on my heel and made my way to my next class. The rest of the day flew by in a daze. All I could think about was Mr. Honor. I wondered what his first name was and if he was seeing anyone. Not that it mattered. I was a social pariah in this school. Part of that was my fault. I never made an effort to get to know anyone. By the time I had finished my classes, I did not even know what any of our teachers had said.

When I got home, my Aunt Judy was inside cooking something on the stove.

“That smells great.” I said, realizing I had not eaten very much today.

“Food is in the fridge. Make yourself something.” She replied coldly. I rolled my eyes and went back the hall to my bedroom. I started working on my homework but I could not concentrate on anything. My thoughts always went back to him. When the house fell silent, I went to the kitchen to fix myself something to eat. My Aunt had left food and dirty dishes strewn about the countertops, so I set to cleaning before making myself dinner. Once the dishwasher was loaded and the counters wiped off, I made myself spaghetti and sat on the couch to read a romance novel. I spent most of my free time reading. It was a great escape from reality. Unfortunately, all I could picture was Mr. Honor when it came to the hero’s big love scene so I put my book away and opted for reality television instead.