Ties

Ch. 3 The Book Thief

I make it to Teacher's house on the edge of campus ten minutes early for my core class. I'm not sure what he has planned, but I hope it isn't more combat training in the underground catacombs. My heart has been through enough today.

I have to knock for a minute straight before he opens the door. When he finally does, he opens it enough for me to see him dressed in nothing but a white towel.

I can't even put together words right now.

"Elizabeth? What the hell are you doing here?"

I try and focus my eyes to see nothing but his wet hair. The hair on top of his head. Not the hair that trails down toward the towel on his hip.

Good god, what's wrong with me?

"I'm here for my core class, how could you forget that?"

"I didn't forget. I figured that with Hercules' assignment being what it was, you'd be at the portal right now."

He brushes his hair back with his free hand.

"Alright, come in," he says, opening the door wider.

"Uh, are you going to put on some clothes?"

He smirks at me.

"Unfortunately for you, yes."

I don't move or say anything. He rolls his eyes and grabs my arm.

"Get in here already before I punish you for being tardy," he says, pulling me through the threshold.

I wish he wouldn't say things like that, especially while mostly nude. Even when we had been sharing a hotel suite in the living world, I had never seen this much of his, ugh, skin.

I give him a wide berth as I pass him to go into his study and sit in the leather chair next to his fireplace. It takes him a few minutes to clothe himself and join me. He goes behind his large desk and sits in his chair.

"Alright, tell me how you managed to survive today."

I look at him incredulously and cross my arms. "Just how certain were you that I would fail?" I ask.

"Don't answer my question with another question. Details, now."

Instead of reminding him that he didn't technically ask me a question, I tell him everything that happened in class. Better to do that than go back and forth like I didn't see him mostly naked a few minutes ago. I can hardly even make eye contact with him.

At the end of my story, he laces his hands together and rests them on his desk.

"Well. That will make for interesting dinner conversation, provided you leave out the part of you cowering in a hole for most of the class. Congratulations."

Not sure how to handle that, I just say "Thanks."

He stands up.

"I was about 95% sure you'd get yourself killed today, so I made other plans. Use the time to study for the classes you're failing."

He makes it sound like I'm failing due to laziness. There's nothing to study, none of my classes have any textbooks, and even the old, shuttered library didn't have anything that would be helpful.

He sighs. "I'm sure I have something that will help here. Take what you need and go back to your room when you're finished. I'll see you at dinner later."

I purse my lips and look at the shelves of books.

"Alright, Teacher, see you later."

He stops before leaving out of the door.