Checking in with Mrs Powell

"What the fuck am I doing?" Donnie thinks as he cycles to school, it was Tuesday, why was he coming in to school just to check on his teacher, Donnie didn't even want to go into school to do his module and now he was going in of his own volition when he could be doing anything else. "I am doing the right thing" he thinks as he racks his bike up, he made sure to arrive after school had finished as to not interrupt any lessons, he scans his ID and enters the school.

Donnie makes his way down the empty corridors to Mrs Powell's classroom, as he gets closer he hears the sound of restrained sobs, Donnie slows his step and creeps round the entrance to her class he sees his teacher her face buried in her hands her ginger mane serving to obscure her face completely. Donnie didn't know how exactly to approach this situation but he knew he couldn't do nothing, he softly knocks on her open door alerting her to his presence. Mrs Powell's head bolts up, quickly wiping away tears before looking to see who it was, "Donnie what are you doing here?" She asks in confusion as why he was here, "hey, I thought I would come check in on you... You know after our talk yesterday" Donnie says scratching the back of his head, he really didn't know what he was doing. "Aw well thank you Donnie but I'm fine" she says eyes red from crying, it was clear that she wasn't, Donnie pulls up a chair "are you sure miss? You don't look fine", Mrs Powell sighs, there was no hiding it she was upset and he had caught her red handed.

Mrs Powell steadies herself with a deep breath before she begins "you're right" she looks towards the window, tears beginning to prick at the corners of her eyes "I spoke to my husband.... It didn't go well" Donnie leans forward eyes filled with sympathy, waiting for her to continue. "He called me selfish, that I was putting my desires above what is best for our family and his feelings" she says with a strangled sob, "he's probably right, I am being selfish" she says dejectedly. Donnie stands up and grabs Mrs Powell pulling her in for a hug, he hoped he hadn't crossed a line but he didn't know what else he could do, Mrs Powell dissuades Donnie's thoughts about him crossing the line as she holds onto him like her life depended on it, openly sobbing into his shirt as she held him. "He's wrong" Donnie says soothingly stroking her hair "you aren't being selfish" Donnie thinks about how easily this could have been approached by her husband, like he went straight for calling her selfish and inconsiderate, he knew Mrs Powell well enough to know that she broached this topic likely with the most gentle approach and was met with such hostility.

Donnie holds her for a while letting her let out her emotions, by the time they part there's a wet patch on his shirt from her tears, Donnie looks at his teacher as she wipes her eyes. "Thank you" she says looking up at her student, "you shouldn't have seen that" she admits shamefully, "don't worry about it" Donnie says before he pushes even further, "hey miss, do you like ice cream? I am just saying because when I feel awful I typically get some and well you look like you could use some. My treat" Donnies heart was in his throat he knew that this was pushing a line for a student teacher relationship but he didn't care, he wanted to be there for Mrs Powell and this was what he came up with.