[TAM: Evening the Odds] Chapters 18 & 19. (Patreon)

Chapter 18: Ms. Owens wants to talk.

I hadn’t even reached the rooftop to eat my lunch when I heard my phone beeping. With things as they were, it could only be one of three things. My family, which was unlikely, an ad for something I never wanted to use, which was likely, or the only other person in school to have my number, Emma.

-Emma: Can you come to my office? Ms. Owen wants to talk to you.

I was very happy it was a message from Emma, but… Ms. Owens wanted to talk to me in Emma’s office? Odd.

Went back to the floor where the teacher’s offices were and knocked on Emma’s door. After she let me in, I saw both women sitting at Emma’s desk, eating lunch. The literature teacher saw me and her face went beet red. She looked away from me but stole quick, short glances as I walked up to them.

“Did you want to see me?” I asked Ms. Owens, trying not to acknowledge Emma’s strange reaction for safety reasons.

“Yes, but first,” Ms. Owen looked up at me from her seat, “have you eaten?”

“No. I was just on my way to eat, actually.” I was invited to sit down and eat with them, and though strange and a little awkward, it was better than eating alone again. I took my lunch out of my backpack and sat next to Ms. Owens and across from Emma, who had remained silent and avoiding my gaze since I got in. It made me uneasy.

Suddenly, Ms. Owen spoke again.

“Still, I didn’t think you’d like them this young, Emma. I was really surprised.” Her face remained neutral, as if she was talking about the weather.

Me, though? My body temperature dropped as my whole body froze in place. I glanced at Emma in a panic and saw her fidgeting in her chair, face red and unwilling to look me in the eye. My head snapped towards Ms. Owens and I saw she was now trying to hold a smirk from showing on her face. I look back to Emma, silently asking for an explanation to that comment.

“…She found out,” she told me.

My eyes shot open at the confirmation. Ms. Owens knew Emma and I were together.

“H-How…?”

“Oh, please, if you saw her in such high spirits on a Monday morning you’d know she’d gotten lucky over the weekend. I just started asking a few questions and she spilled the beans in no time.” Ms. Owens couldn’t hold it anymore and started chuckling while shaking her head. “My God, girl, you can’t hold a secret to save your life. Good thing I was the first to ask.”

“Wait, so…” I began, but Ms. Owens saw right through me.

“Yes, I won’t tell anyone. Don’t worry,” she assured me with a smile.

“I’m so sorry!” Emma apologized, hiding her face in her hands. “I was so excited and I wanted to tell someone! I’ve known Mia for a few years now and I knew she’d be supportive, but I still shouldn’t have said anything!”

It turns out these two had known each other for 4 years already. Ms. Owens was one of Emma’s teachers in university, and when she had to move, Emma told her of Hayes Academy. Ms. Owens applied to be its English teacher and was immediately accepted due to her qualification. It seemed they were already very close friends.

“Are you mad?” Emma asked me hesitantly, still fidgeting in her seat.

“Not really. I was worried, but if Ms. Owens says she won’t tell anyone, I believe her,” I answered. Emma gave me an appreciative look.

“I see now. He may be young, but he’s exactly your type. Honest, diligent, innocent… I can see how you fell for him.” Ms. Owen chuckled again. She seemed to be in a good mood.

“Not so innocent anymore…” Emma muttered, looking at me with a sultry smile and intense bedroom eyes that by themselves started making blood flow to my crotch.

“Wow. Maybe I should leave and give you two some privacy,” the older teacher teased.

“Mia! I just… Just tell him what you called him here for!” Emma immediately changed the subject, embarrassed.

“You’re right, let’s not waste more time.” Ms. Owen nodded. “Mr. Walker, you’re not in any clubs, right?”

I nodded. “I haven’t joined any and I don’t think I will. The… environment doesn’t seem appropriate,” I said.

“Sadly, I agree.” She sighed heavily. “I don’t think you’d be well received in most of them. Still, I’d like to invite you to participate in the debate club as a guest this Friday.”

Oh?

“The girls are practicing for a local competition, and I’d like you to be one of the judges in their practice. Your essay the other day proves you’re qualified.”

I hesitated for a moment, but then decided that this was yet another opportunity to improve relationships around the school. Hopefully.

“I’d be happy to. I was part of the debate team in high school, so I know how competitions work,” I said proudly.

“Really? So was I!” Emma interjected, excited.

“I’d invite you to be a judge, too, but I told the girls that teachers wouldn’t be judges,” Ms. Owens said. “Then can I count on you on Friday at 4:00 pm?”

“Yes, absolutely.” I would gain nothing by saying no to new opportunities and preserving the status quo. If I wanted to change things for the better, I needed to take these kinds of risks. Though with a bit of supernatural help, my odds were better than ever.

[Campbell, Emma - Affection Score: 93 / Love Score: 71 / Lust Score: 55]

[Owens, Mia - Affection Score: 50]

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Chapter 19: Bullies and soccer stars.

I walked out of the classroom after the last period and was heading towards the restroom, hoping it wasn’t closed again at this time, when I had the very ‘good’ (read: ill) fortune of running into Olivia, Lilian and Jessica, my favorite bullies.

“Hey, Monkey!” Olivia called to me, almost spitting the nickname she had for me.

“What is it?” I answered, trying to sound polite, but failed.

“Who do you think you are, taking that tone with us, insect?” Lilian snapped, but Olivia stopped her. Jessica was looking at her phone.

“Lili, we don’t have time for this. We have to be at my house soon.” Olivia said. “Look Monkey, we have math homework for this Friday. You’re doing it for us,” she stated, throwing her notebook on the floor in front of me and, naturally, leaving no room to argue. Lilian and Jessica followed suit.

I held back the impulse of clenching my fist and snapping at them. I had more important things to do now. I had to tutor two girls in four subjects, I needed to start my workout program and even do my own math homework…!

…but I didn’t say anything. Just kept quiet, turned the other cheek and picked up their notebooks, giving them a confident smile. “No problem. I’ll have it ready by tomorrow.”

The three of them stared at me blankly, as if taken by surprise by my response. Olivia quickly regained her composure, however.

“Yeah, you better. If it isn’t, there’s gonna be hell to pay,” she threatened and the three walked away without giving me a second glance, save for Jessica, who gave me one last curious look before walking away.

It wasn’t like I expected my actions and compliance to earn me any points with them. I just wanted them to leave me alone as soon as possible so I could get to the things that really mattered. Academics were the only thing I was good at, so three more assignments to take care of wasn’t much. And since it was math, all I had to do was make some intentional mistakes here and there to avoid being obvious.

Just a bit later, as I was getting out of the restroom, I was found by the star soccer players Emily and Megan. They were already wearing sports clothes that accentuate their bodies beautifully. Emily was wearing tight black pants and a sky-blue tank-top, while Megan had similar pants and a pink T-shirt that hugged her figure tightly.

“Here you are! And why are you still in your uniform!? Go get changed, now!” Emily ordered hastily.

“Wait, we’re starting today?” I asked, taken aback.

“Of course we are! We said we’d do it, and we’re not gonna go back on our word. Prepare yourself, because this will be hell for you.” There was a hint of a sadistic grin on Emily’s face as she warned me.

Thankfully, I had my gym clothes here at school for P.E. I got changed in that same restroom as before (Surprise! No boys' locker room!) and met the girls in the unoccupied soccer field. They wasted no time, making me start with a 10 minute jog to warm up.

“Alright, now we begin for real.” Emily said. “Now, three sets of 10 jumping jacks! Go!”

Despite my desire for life to end that very second due to the excruciating pain, I had to give it to the girls. They weren’t only telling me what to do, but doing it alongside me. What’s more, they didn’t look tired at all!

“Okay, one minute rest. Drink water. Don’t stop moving, though. Walk around, don’t sit or lie down.” Emily instructed.

“Now we’re doing side to side twists, right?” My ears perked up as I heard Megan’s voice for the first time. She was confirming something with Emily.

“Right! Now, 2 sets of 10 side to side twists!”

For the next hour, these girls worked me to the bone. Jumps, sprints, squats, multi directional lunges and more side to side twists. For me, it was hell on earth. For them, it was Tuesday. I mean Monday. Even so, I somehow managed to survive and complete the routine. Maybe it was the eye candy, because god damn these girls looked gorgeous exercising. My exhausted mind began to wonder, asking dangerous questions. What would happen if I took their lust scores to 100? No, better than that, all their progress bars to 100. Could I… perhaps…

…build a harem?

The thought excited me, but I had to dismiss it as a simple, yet amazing fantasy. Even if it was the deepest desire of my twisted heart, even if I had the Affection Multiplier, Emma would still get jealous, right? My mind wondered until Emily’s voice brought me back down to earth.

“Wow, you actually completed the whole routine. I’m honestly surprised,” she admitted in an amused tone and with arms crossed.

Megan nodded, giving me a small smile and a shy thumbs up.

“This is… going to feel ever worse tomorrow… won’t it?” I managed to say between heavy panting. I knew I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t help but lay on my back on the grass of the soccer field. I put an arm over my eyes to shield me from the sun which was starting to set.

“Oh yeah.” Emily gave me a sadistic smile. “If you actually manage to jog your way to school tomorrow, then I’ll truly be impressed,” she laughed.

“God, you girls are amazing!” I blurted out. “You did the same amount of sets as me and you’re not even tired!”

Emily sighed heavily. “Of course we’re not. We’ve been doing this since middle school. If we got tired with this we’d have no future in soccer,” the blonde explained. Her tone was starting to sound less harsh, though that didn’t mean friendlier, either..

I heard the sound of beautiful, soft laughter and my ears caught Megan’s voice for the second time ever.

“You were just like him on your first day, though.” The brunette speaks softly but cheerfully as she seems to recall some memories.

“Wha- I was NOT!” Emily answered, seemingly offended.

“Yeah, I can’t really see it,” I admitted.

“She told the coach that same day that she was quitting the soccer club. She didn’t let her.” Megan spoke to me, directly. She was enjoying teasing her friend.

Emily sighed heavily, and I noticed her expression soften. “Thankfully. I wouldn’t be here if she’d let me quit.” There was a nostalgic smile on her face, but she shook it off when she noticed me looking and turned her back to me.

“I’m leaving now. Come on, Megan!” Emily started walking away just as she said those words, going towards the showers. However, before following her, Megan kneeled next to me and spoke.

“Go back home quickly. Eat a good meal and sleep. You’ll be very sore tomorrow, but push through it. Today and tomorrow will be the worst part. It gets easier from here, I promise.” She gave me a small smile and left, running to catch up to Emily.

[Miller, Emily - Affection Score: 5]

[Grant, Megan - Affection Score: 11]