The nerd project round 2

Prologue

Mrs. Ross' pov

I can't believe summer is already over, but I was eager to see the new faces of my nerd project. I was extremely upset however that they assigned another teacher to help me like I can't do it on my own.

Can't they see the success that the first group made? Hell, this was my idea and now they want me to share it with someone else. A man to boot. Just my luck he was drop dead gorgeous. I did not have time for a man in my life.

The last one hurt me so bad I'm still picking up the pieces three years later. No Mr. Hottie would just have to stay his distance and leave my kids to me. The last thing I needed was a distraction when I was trying to help these kids. I have already paired them up into the groups of two.

Mikey He was by all definitions a gang banger, but he was trying so hard to break free from that. He needed someone to show him the way and I was going to try my hardest to be that somebody. I paired him with Sasha.

She knows first-hand what gangs can do. She lost her little brother when a gang mistook her house for rival gang members and sprayed it with bullets. I think these two could really teach each other a lot.

The next student is Kristy. I don't know what her story is, but I know she has one. She seems to hate everyone, so I paired her with the one person everyone seems to love Josh. He is openly gay and proud of it.

So, if anyone can help to bring Kristy out of her shell it's him. The next is Austin. He has always been rich until recently. With the economy the way it is his family lost everything. He is struggling now that he doesn't have his money and fancy cars.

I paired him with Harmony. She grew up with nothing and has worked hard to overcome that. If anyone can teach Austin a thing or two it will be her. The next one is Tyler. He looks sweet and innocent, but he has been arrested several times for narcotics.

Being here with me is his last chance, and I really want to help him. I paired him with Amelia. She's no stranger to addiction. Her father had OD last year on drugs and her mother is one mean drunk. I have come across her bad side a time or two.

Maybe if Tyler see's the pain drugs cause people he will have a wakeup call, or at least that's what I'm hoping for. The next is Christian. Everyone thinks he is the bad boy, but I have known this kid for a long time, and he is far from it.

He has been a volunteer and advocate for the teen outreach ever since his brother committed suicide a year ago. He wants to help others because he feels like he wasn't there to help his brother. I paired him with Leslie.

She looks like a happy go lucky teen, but she's not. She battles every day with depression. Living with Bipolar is far from easy for her. I really think they can learn a lot from each other and maybe be each other's saving grace.

My new partner is Mr. Jax he is a great teacher and nice guy. He lost his wife last year and hasn't really been the same since. It looks like I may be helping him right along with my students this year. Hell, maybe I could even learn something from him who knows.

Well, there you have it this is round 2 of the nerd project. I can't wait to get started. I just hope it's as successful as it was last year. All I want to do is help them, and with this project I think I can.

Chapter 1

The project

Mrs. Ross/ Mr. Jax

Mrs. Ross' pov

Well today is the first day back at school. I plan on letting the students get to know me and Mr. Jax then tomorrow we get started on the project. I still hated the idea of working with someone but if I wanted my project to continue, I had no choice.

We had been meeting for the last week to go over the pairings and what our plans for the year will be. I told him when it comes to the project, I pair the kids together and the first two weeks they have to follow each other around and see how the other lives.

After that I leave it to them and then the last week, we will go on a vacation together, so they are almost like living together. He didn't seem to find my approach worthwhile, so I plan on bringing back my students from last year. Maybe their success will prove to him and everyone else I know what I am doing.

I guess that's why I can relate to these kids so well I have spent my whole life proving people wrong. I thought those days were behind me, but I guess not. I already hate this guy and it's just the first day of school. He's already pushing all the wrong buttons with me.

Coming in here and telling me how to do the very project I started. I don't know who he thinks he is, but I plan on knocking him down off his high horse. I have fought for these kids while everyone else gave up on them and I will be damned if I let him come in here and treat them like everyone else has.

I am a fighter, and I will never stop fighting for these kids. I know his type of hell I almost married his type until he broke my heart and took everything I had. No, I do not trust him. I know we have to be a united front for these kids, but I'm just not sure I can do that.

Maybe we don't have to work together. Maybe we could each work with the kids alone and then just get together to go over our notes. I don't know what I'm going to do but I have to figure it out soon if I want this project to be successful again this year.

Mr. Jax's pov

I don't know why the school felt the need to pair me up with Mrs. Ross. She was doing a great job on her own. I really admired her work. All of her students from last year has been successful. Maybe they thought I needed her help like the students did. All I know is that we have gotten off to a really bad start.

I know she doesn't trust me, and I didn't blame her. I mean if I was her, I'd be mad that someone else was put on the project that I started. I need to make this right and show her I am not trying to take anything away from her. Hell, I didn't want any part of this.

I don't even know why I'm back at work it hasn't been that long since I've lost my wife and child. I don't even know if I can help these kids because I myself am broken. Maybe that's why they sent me here so that I can get help. If anyone could help me, I think Mrs. Ross could. Maybe after school was over, I could take her for coffee and explain to her that I don't want to take anything over.

I'm only here if she needs me, but otherwise I just want to observe. I don't want to interrupt what she does because it works. She has a way about her that is truly amazing. She also scares me because she is the first woman I have been attracted to since I've lost my wife.

I can't let myself get close to anyone else again. The last time I feel in love I lost her along with my child. I was supposed to protect them, and I failed. Now I need to remain alone for the rest of my life. No project is going to help me with that. NO, it can't fix me.

These kids needed help. I was beyond broken nothing would ever fix me again. I plan on throwing myself in my work just to take my mind off of everything else. I need a good working relationship with Mrs. Ross, but that's as far as I will ever let it go. No matter how incredible she is.

So, I guess bring on the students and let's get this nerd project started. Maybe by helping them with their demons I can rid myself of a few. I can only hope it'll work out that way. Then again, I have more daemons in my closest then anyone could even know. Hell, it was my fault my child and wife are now dead. When people get close to me, they die. I need to separate myself from this so that no one else will dies because of me.

Chapter 2

Day 1 of project: Sasha/ Mikey

Sasha's pov

I didn't know what to expect coming to school today. I know that I was being partnered up with someone for the next two weeks, and I wasn't too happy about that. It's not that I didn't get along with people. I just liked my space, and the last thing I wanted was someone knowing all about me.

I didn't want that night to be brought up again. The night that changed my life forever. The night some punk gang banger decided to shoot up my house and take my little brother's life. We didn't even do anything wrong. They had the wrong house, but did they care no.

Now I go through life living in fear of everything. Every time a car backfires I jump thinking this time it will be me that gets killed. I didn't live in the best of neighborhoods, but it was all my mom could afford. She did the best she can but being a single mom wasn't easy.

I helped out as much as I could, but she wouldn't let me get a job. Since my brother died none of us were allowed outside at night. It sucked since I was a teenager and wanted to go hang with my friends.

I didn't want to cause her any worries, so I did as she said. Now I might need to be around a complete stranger I know she's not going to be so happy about this. I tried to explain that to Mrs. Ross, but she said she would handle it. Mrs. Ross is really good friends with my mom so maybe it will help.

My mom did like the idea behind the nerd project. I went into class and sat down waiting to see he I would be paired up with. She said name after name, and I started to get nervous she was going to pair me up with the one person I refuse to work with. That gang banging punk Mikey. I hated him and everything he stood for.

It's because of guys like him that I have to live my life in fear. It was his gang that started all of it to begin with. So yes, I blame him for the death of my brother, and he knew it. It was a mutual hate that's why we just stayed out of each other's way. Mrs. Ross called out my name and said the one name I was dreading along with mine.

What the hell was Mrs. Ross thinking? There was no way in hell I was working with him. He looked just as shocked as me that we ended up together. I don't care what she says I won't work with him. Not after everything he cost me and my family. He may not have pulled the trigger, but he was just as much to blame as the rest of them. Looking at him made me sick.

Mikey's pov

I can't believe this. I begged Mrs. Ross and Mr. Jax not to pair me with Sasha but they did it anyway. I mean I get why she did it, but it's just not going to happen. I know Sasha blames me for her brother's death, but it wasn't me.

I wasn't even here then. I was out of state taking care of my sick grandpa. I wasn't the bad guy everyone thought I was. The only reason I was even in this gang was to look after my little brother.

He was on a downward spiral that was going to get himself or someone else killed. So, I joined to protect him. She would never believe that though. I guess that's why Mrs. Ross was doing this so we could stop judging each other.

Maybe it was her way of trying to help Sasha heal. I just don't think her working with me is going to help any. All it's going to do is be a constant reminder of what she lost. I hate the man that she thinks I am.

I have always had a thing for Sasha, but I knew I'd never stand a chance. So, working this closely with her is going to be torture. I hated being the bad guy when everything I ever did was for someone else. Maybe us working together was a good thing.

Maybe then she could see I'm nothing like the guy she thinks I am. Yea this could work out just fine. I would use these two months to show her I am different, and to win the heart of the ice queen. Mrs. Ross defiantly helped me out on this one.