Alberta Graham - The twins and teacher

"Uh… not really Miss Appleton," the blond thirteen year old replied.

The class sniggered and Alice looked up sharply. Recovering her composure, she spoke with renewed authority. "We'll have to discuss this after class, Tim. You know that."

"Yes, ma'am," Tim replied, turning to go back to his seat.

Throughout the rest of the class, Alice felt flushed and perturbed. It was so unlike the Larsen boy not to have done his homework, and then not to have a decent excuse at that! The whole thing was very unsettling, and Alice hurried through the day's lesson, postponing her suggestion that the twins read their short stories to the class until another time.

When finally the last bell rang, Alice gave a particularly long homework assignment which was greeted by groans from her students. Ignoring the groans, the pretty twenty-three year old bid the boys good-day and began to leaf through a poetry book that was usually on her desk. The title swam before her eyes, Love Poems of William Shakespeare. The title was decidedly embarrassing, Miss Appleton decided once and for all as she waited for the classroom to empty. But there had been something special about the book when she'd first seen it in the bookstore, that had made her buy it. Perhaps, she thought, she would cover it, and that way she would not be faced with the rather blunt title every day.

"Miss Appleton?" Tim waved good-bye to his brother Bennie and stood watching Alice Appleton with curious interest. How long he had been standing there observing her, Alice could not tell, but she decided that she was angry. Yes, she was angry with Tim Larsen, and she was going to let him know it in no uncertain terms.

"Tim Larsen! What do you have to say for yourself? I must say I am terribly disappointed in you. As you know you and your brother have been at the head of this class, and I certainly expect you of all people to set a good example for the others!"

For the first time in his thirteen years, Tim understood the expression that he'd read and heard on television couched as a joke: You're beautiful when you're angry! For Alice Appleton was most certainly beautiful at this very moment, Tim thought, far more beautiful than his former stepmother who had never been pretty when she was angry, which was quite often.

No, Miss Appleton was something special, that was for sure, and Tim was glad that he and Bennie had chosen her for their little experiment. She would make a perfect subject!

"Well, you see, Miss Appleton…" Tim began, then hesitated. He would have to make this turn out just right for his purposes.

"Yes, Tim? Yes?" Alice was anxious to hear something, anything from the boy that would help restore her faith in him.

"I… uh… Well, none of the paintings and stuff turned me on enough to write about them."

Miss Appleton was genuinely worried. "But… that's just not possible!" she declared. "A boy so sensitive… so…"

"My stepmother always said, art is bunk!" Tim was stealing it from something he'd learned in history. It was Henry Ford's infamous remark that "history is bunk". Actually old Carolyn had never opened her mouth to either one of the boys about a subject as lofty as art, and Tim had no idea what his father's ex-wife thought about the subject. His statement produced exactly the right effect, however, for Miss Appleton replied, "Why, you poor boy… I… I mean… Didn't I read in your record that your father is, uh, no longer married to… uh… your stepmother?"

"Yeah, they got divorced just a little bit ago… that's when we came to this school!" Tim guessed what Miss Appleton was thinking, and he was quite accurate.

Poor children… no decent guidelines. What kind of woman must their stepmother have been? And now to have no one at all. I've been neglecting my job. Tim and Bennie both need special care… special attention and guidance. Such bright boys… but undoubtedly there are other areas in which their education has been lacking. Why, I might be able to influence these boys so that they go on and do great things.

By the time Tim left Miss Appleton, it had been all arranged that he and Bennie were to have private tutoring sessions with their English teacher twice a week during their usual study hour.

Tim rushed to the cafeteria where he found Bennie in line for the early lunch shift.

"She bought it! We're in!" he declared to his identical twin.

"Great, we'll activate the formula this afternoon!" Bernie was enthusiastic, and his heart pounded in his chest as he stood in line for the luncheon of Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes and peas that was offered by the school that day.

Without speaking another word about it over their lunch, each twin knew that the other was thinking about the manner in which their father's ex-wife had reacted to the first crude version of the "formula" they made, using a recipe they'd found in one of her erotic books.

There was no doubt about the success of their own primitive aphrodisiac, as the still smoldering memories of each boy were enough to spur them on to a more perfected version, a perfect formula, in short!

Later on they passed Mr. Boyse in the hall. "Going to the lab, boys?" he inquired.

"Yes, Mr. Boyse, we still have some notes to take on our experiment."

"Great, boys, that's just fine! One day you'll be great scientists."

"Maybe, Mr. Boyse!"

Ed Boyse looked down at the two serious faces that were upturned to his. Such dedication he read in their eyes. "Perhaps, one day you'll do me the great honor of letting me in on the details of your current experiment!" the thirty-three year old chemistry teacher said with a smile.

The boys retreated down the hall, and Tim waved back at their congenial teacher. "Maybe someday we will, Mr. Boyse!" he called.

The next afternoon, Alice brought to school her big beautiful Skira art books, and she'd already marked out several sections that she planned to discuss with Tim and Bennie. She knew that she was correct in planning these little special sessions for both of the twins because of Bennie's paper. Why it was almost worse than no paper at all! The boy said such disparaging things about the masterpiece they'd seen that day in the museum that it was clear he needed some guidance.

The pretty dark-haired teacher sat in the empty study room, at one of the small desk seats designed for the students. They were all in a row and connected to one another in a pattern that stretched back, filling the entire room. When not used for study, this room was used as a small lecture hall and sometimes movies were shown there rather than in the larger auditorium. Alice was looking forward to seeing the boys even though she'd already seen them earlier that morning in English class. But this was different… more meaningful, really, and she felt the odd little lift to her spirits that made her feel more alive, more vital than usual.

When at last the door opened and the two blond youths walked in, Alice was surprised to feel her blood racing in her veins. They were such handsome children, and she in a sense represented their salvation. Much later they would go out into the world as much more complete human beings, as men, because of her tutoring.

"We brought you a present, Miss Appleton!" Tim and Bennie chorused as they approached Alice's seat.

"Oh! How sweet," Alice cried, "An apple for the teacher… but this one is glazed isn't it?" Alice took the large bright shiny fruit and turned it in her palm. Little tears of gratitude formed in her eyes. Obviously the boys realized what she was trying to do for them.

"Yes, we glazed it ourselves, Miss Appleton, in the kitchen. The cook let us."

"What enterprising children… uh, I mean, young men!" Alice said, placing the apple on her arm rest.

"But aren't you going to eat it?" Bennie asked, his blue eyes wide.