Book 1 of the Love series- Love Has a Price (Student/Teacher Relationship)

Chapter 9- Aaron

I yawned slightly to cover up my action; she was becoming suspicious of my motif. It’s not my fault I might be in love with her, well it slightly was but it would be better for me if I say I’m not. If I had my choice then I wouldn’t be, it’s just you can’t choose who your in love with.  

“Your parents should be here any minute,” I informed her.

“Okay but…” she began but paused.

“Caitlin?” I questioned.

She unexpectedly runs out. I leave after her, not as quickly because I knew where she was heading. When I found her, she was collapsed at the side of the toilet cubical, she had obviously been sick. She showed no sign of moving but I knew it was because she didn’t like this with having OCD. I bent down and picked her up, she wrapped her arms around my neck. She looked at me and I followed her action and looked down to her. I met her gaze and she stared into my eyes. Her eyes were full of wanting and whatever she wanted it looked like she wanted it more than I needed her. We arrived at the nurse’s office and she looked away, afraid of the assumption the nurse could make.

“What’s wrong with her?” the nurse asked me.

“She was sick and then she collapsed,” I explained, placing her on the bed at the back of the small room.

I sat down and then she moved her head onto my lap. I stroked her hair and she smiled in appreciation. We were waiting for her parents to come, they were on their way anyway.

“What’s wrong,” I questioned, feeling concerned.

“I don’t know,” she admitted.

I can tell by the expression on her face that she felt fine now, just a bit hurt by what came from her but she was still thinking hard.

“Is it food poisoning?” I asked.

“Yeah, that’s it, food poisoning,” she decided.

A tear running down her face made me think. She knows more than what’s she’s telling me, I can see it in her face.

“Caitlin, I’m wo…” I started but got interrupted when her mum walked in.

“Sweet heart,” she said, hugging her.

They both walk out leaving me to my thoughts. I slowly go back to my office. There is definitely something wrong with her. I sit on a chair and think about everything that I know about her. There is something wrong with her, she’s just been so closed lately and it’s as if she won’t tell me anything. I decided to talk to Alice, they seem to be close. When I arrived, she was just going out. ready for gym.

“She’s back?” she asked hopefully.

            I nodded and her face twitched into a smile.

“Can I talk with you for a minute?” I questioned.

            She nodded and I led her away to the corridor. I explained everything that Caitlin told me and trust me, there was an awful lot. She listened to it all though, closely to pick up everything, I also described what happened with her in the bathroom and a frown reached her face.

“So do you know why she was sick?” I asked curiously.

“Not that I can think off but who knows where she’s been, she could’ve picked up any illness, ate something bad or even been bitten by something,” Alice suggested.

            I nodded my head in agreement.

“When will she be back in?” she asked.

“Not sure, I need to talk to her parents anyway so I’ll pass on a message that you want to speak with her,” I offered.

“Thanks,” she began, “Ever since we came back from summer she’s been acting strange like something changed.

“But what’s changed?”

            Alice shrugged, apparently Caitlin had told her nothing too. Alice headed back to her lesson and I headed up the stairs. As I did my phone rung and I picked up. It was her parents and apparently, there was a lot going on at her house. I couldn’t hear them very well so I just said that I would come over. So I quickly climbed in the car and cruised along the road which was positioned next to the beach until I reached her house. As I pulled up, I notice Mr William’s packing suitcases into the family car. I frowned, were they going somewhere?

“Glad you could come,” he started, “The cops have been asked to attend and conference but it’s going to be spread out over around eight months. Caitlin usually stays with Alice but she’s being a bit unpredictable at the moment and we would rather she stayed with some else. Could she stay with you?”

“Yeah, sure,” I answered without a thought.

“Thanks a lot,” he said, “We can pay you.”

“No it’s fine, I have enough money as it is,” I replied before he could carry on.

            He nodded and we went inside. I found Caitlin in her room, on the veranda, staring at the ocean. When she heard he approach she whipped around to face me. Fresh tear tracks had marked her face. Evidently, her parents do this a lot.

“They do this a lot, don’t they,” I said.

            She nodded and ran into my arms, sobbing. We both heard a car door slam and then the car drive away. We were alone. As she cried into my shoulder, I looked around for a while and I soon realised that this was a normal teenager’s room. On the bed was a shopping bag which contained five boxes in it.  

“Have you been out?” I asked.

            She shook her head and stuffed the bag into her suitcase. I picked it up for her and we travelled down stairs, she locked the house up and then we climbed into the car. We drove away, Caitlin leaving her home for the next eight months.