Read Online Chemistry Lessons by Rebecca H Jamison - Free Book Online Page A

addicts. And now, he was going to be a teacher.
Did he have any experience teaching high school? She doubted it. Tanner would
have been a much better choice.
    The principal looked her way for half a second before going on, “Destry
worked for ten years as an engineer in biotechnology and taught part-time at
the University of Pennsylvania before coming to Lone Spur. He brings with him
invaluable experience to prepare our students for real-world science. Mr.
Steadman has obtained an alternative teaching license just so he can help
students here in Lone Spur. I hope you’ll all support him any way you can.”
    Jade shook her head and leaned to whisper in Rosie’s ear. “Why would he
want to be a high school teacher?” Jade was already upset about the prospect of
Destry building a resort, seeing as how her parents owned the bed and breakfast.
She would probably be even more upset once she found out what kind of resort it
would be. “I looked up that biotech company he owns,” Jade whispered. “He makes
enough money to buy the whole town.”
    Rosie rolled her eyes. Her doodles turned into skulls and crossbones.
Why would Mr. Moore hire Destry? Sure, he’d worked at a University, but he didn’t
have any experience teaching high school. If he had an alternative license, that
probably meant he’d start at level one, which meant he’d be working at the
lowest possible salary.
    Tanner would have started at the same salary, though, and had so much
more experience. She wondered if this didn’t have something to do with the time
Tanner’s dad called the police on Principal Moore’s daughter, Janessa, for
tipping cows. She’d had to pay a steep fine back then, before the principal’s
brother became the sheriff. It was usually a mistake to cross the Moores. They
were the biggest family in town and didn’t take kindly to anyone pointing out
their flaws.
    Principal Moore went on, describing Destry’s credentials. “Mr. Steadman
also plans to help us secure funds for improvements to the science labs.”
    Inside, Rosie felt like a trapped animal, circling inside her tiny
square of options—say something or keep quiet. No matter what, she could not
lose her temper like Ms. Klein did last year.
    For an hour, she waited for the meeting to end, so she could put as
much space between her and Mr. Moore as possible. She could live with Destry
wanting to help improve the science labs. It might even delay his plans for
bringing former drug addicts to the neighborhood. But the real issue was that
Tanner needed the job so much more. Sitting through the rest of the meeting
felt like the ultimate form of claustrophobia. She had to get out.
    When it finally ended, Rosie dodged the other teachers, bursting
through the auditorium doors right after Destry. With the absence of the
students, everything in the hall seemed gray—the lockers, the floor, even the
white walls had a gray tone to them. Her footsteps echoed off the bare walls. “Hey,
Destry?”
    He turned and walked back to her. “Hi, Rosie.” He had a slight limp. “How’s
Wile E doing?”
    “Fine.” The word came out sounding short. She drew in a breath, trying
to calm herself. “She walked outside in her cast for the first time yesterday,
but I don’t think she’s up to bothering your chickens.”
    He wore jeans and flip-flops with his pink shirt. “The chickens are
ready. I finished their new fortress last night. Cleaning out your coop gave me
some ideas.” He looked down at his leather briefcase. “I guess Phil talked to
you about being my mentor.”
    Mentor? She’d forgotten about that. She would be Destry’s mentor, not
Tanner’s. “Yeah. He mentioned it.”
    He cocked his head to the side, studying her face. “I didn’t know you
worked here until Phil offered me the job.”
    How was he already on a first-name basis with Mr. Moore? She hadn’t
accomplished that in her eight years of teaching. Destry seemed to have a way
with people. Likely, the parents and