Rooming with Mr. Perfect

13. The Case from the Past

Chapter 13. The Case from the past

(Danielle)

After saying yes to Damien for the dance, only as a friend, I walked to my first class with Mr. Payne.

I was very proud to handover my assignment to Mr. Payne when he asked for it, without any excuse.

When the class was over, Mr. Payne asked me to wait. I waited, wondering about why he wanted me to wait.

When everyone else left the room, he motioned me to his desk and my mind was suddenly ridden with thoughts I would rather not think right now...

About pervert teachers hitting on students. Yes, things like that.

"Yes, Mr. Payne?" I wished he wouldn't say something to destroy my respect for him. I have never actually liked or respected teachers, except Ms. Thompson, my art teacher and Ms. Avery, my English teacher.

"I want to ask you something and I want you to keep it a secret."

Secret? Shit, please don't do this, Mr. Payne.

"What?" My voice was barely a whisper. My heart was banging, and this time, it wasn't excitement -- as it banged whenever Aaron was closer. It was fear.

"Don't look too scared, Ms. Landon, I am not a pervert, I promise. I just want to ask you about- have you ever seen anything strange around the school campus? I mean, I heard you live here in the campus-"

"Strange? Like what?"

"Like... Just something strange, something you can not put your fingers on... Like that kind of thing."

"Like drugs? Gangs?"

"Something like that. Some strangers who doesn't fit in here hanging around school- things like that."

"I don't know. I didn't notice." I said. I thought about telling him about the notes I got, but I didn't know. I just couldn't bring it up.

"You knew Daisy McCarter and-"

"How do you know Daisy? Who are you? You are not a teacher, are you?" I was asphyxiating by then. My palms turned clammy, and I felt nauseous. I wanted to puke, I wanted to run far, far away from this man, who was scrutinizing me right now.

"Calm down, Ms. Landon and take a deep breath."

I really tried, I really tried to make myself listen to the words Mrs. Brown, my therapist, had once taught me. But it was hard. I didn't feel safe.

I am perfectly safe here. I am not in danger. They are not going to hurt me anymore.

I was a mess after that night, one and half years ago, that made Daisy like this. I couldn't sleep without waking up in the middle of the night, with hands pressing me down... Strangling me...

They were always coming for me, those three guys... Always running behind me and no matter how hard I tried, they caught up with Daisy and me and...

It was hard for me. And facing it all alone, without a family, harder still. The only thing my grandmother did right was making me see a therapist. Mrs. Brown listened. I knew she listened because my grandmother was paying her an exorbitant amount for her time. But she helped me through it.

But they are in prison. He can't touch me. I said to myself and loked up at Mr. Payne.

"They are still in prison, right?"

"Of course, they are, Ms. Landon, but- we heard that someone in the school is working alongside them. This gang, it is dangerous. They move dangerous drugs, by hiring high school kids and-"