“Mr. Carlson, please. Please don’t make me,” begged Lily pathetically. They were both in her supply closet, minutes before class was set to begin. “Now, now,” scolded Tyler, relishing his position of power, “You said it yourself. What is your number one job as an art teacher?” “To inspire my students,” said Lily, her voice muffled by the hands covering her face. “We both know that the painting unit you’ve been teaching ha...

Lily Uden checked the roster of her new class once again. She knew in the back of her mind that this last-minute schedule change should have made her furious. These students on the list were all Senior boys in their last semester of school. They had all failed her class previously and had nearly all been terrible troublemakers in class. She should have been filled with dread and annoyance. So why was she filled with… nerv...

“Hmmm…” said the young, blond teacher, putting her hand to her chin, pretending to be deep in thought. She was standing in front of a crude painting of a man holding a football, and Tyler Carlson stood nervously to the side. He was close to passing, and if Miss Uden was merciful, then he would earn his credit and stay on the football team. Miss Uden’s flashing green eyes turned to Tyler, her lip slightly curled up into a...