three rooms | nathan gardner

VII

Warnings: swearing
Word count: 1730

__________________

I should have predicted what he was planning to do in his office the next morning.  

When I got out of my car later in the morning, as most of the students were leaving for the fall vacation, I hurried to my destination, still half dressed as Jane Eyre and the other half as Miss Theller. College was empty by now, who gives a fuck. 

When I entered all out of breath in his breathtaking room, I found Arsenio with his face swollen and full of patches looking at me. 

I was about to close the door and leave, but ... 

«Miss Theller.», his deep husky voice vibrated inside me.  

I went back immediately, without deigning to glance at that jerk. 

Mr. Gardner sat in his comfortable armchair, his back relaxed and his legs gracefully crossed as usual. He brought his index fingers under his chin, judging us.  

«Apologize to each other».

Oh you have to be kidding.  

«Never.», I growled and that moron stifled a laugh.  

«What?! You want more?» I stamped my foot on the ground and he jumped.  

God I loved this.  

«Miss Theller, your inability to apologize only reveals your weak facade and your visible inability to grow up.», I rolled my eyes.

 «Now obey, like real adults». Arsenio sighed, turning to me.  

«I'm sorry for bullying you».  

What a fake-ass double-face asshole! He was really good at being an incredible actor in front of Mr. Gardner, but his “repentant man” mask didn't hold up with me.  
However, at least in front of our teacher, we had to pretend.  

«And I'm sorry for hitting you» even though you deserved all of it, I whispered imperceptibly to myself. 

Arsenio tried to smile without pulling the patches, holding out his hand to me. Such a Judas. I shook it briefly to avoid touching him for too long. Mr. Gardner was about to say something else, but the jerk interrupted him.  

«Seriously dude, it's not a good time for me. I've been doing some wild stuff and this is not who I am. There must be something wrong with me, and I am willing to fix it. I'm sorry I caused you so much stress, I really am. I don't think anything of what I have told you during these weeks. I hope you will find your peace, I gotta find my own now…».

Liar. Incorrigible liar. 

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Mr. Gardner hinting a proud smile towards Arsenio, a smile he hid behind the knuckles of his hand. 

He was proud of him and not of me.  

«I'm not going to sue you, although my parents would like me to, because to be honest I deserved a good old spanking to make up my mind».

«Being self aware is a big step Arsenio, going to therapy is the next one. I'm sure that you're going to do a wonderful job on the man you want to become out of here.», his voice was ... soft. Caring.  

I felt a shiver down my spine, but it was a shiver that denoted the lack of those sweet words directed towards me. He never comforted me nor said he was proud of me, even when I showed him I was capable of doing everything in his subject. At least, until last year.  
Of course I didn't talk to him that much except for the exams, still I showed him who I really was with facts, not empty words.