Whispers of Rumours

Chapter 7

The next day at school with Mr. Phillips/Kade was much better than the day before. He didn't avoid me, or avert his gaze from mine. He was warm and open with me, but not so much that someone on the outside could see through his facade.

After school that Wednesday, I went straight up to his room and closed the door, shutting out all sounds from outside. He sat at his desk, and beamed at me when I walked through the door. I wasn't sure what to do, as we hadn't really said anything about being serious yesterday. The risks were still fully eminent.

He stood up from his wooden teacher's desk, and strode forward, wrapping me in his arms. He placed a soft kiss on my forehead, and set me down in front of him. He was much taller than me, so I had to look up at him to see him.

"Um. I need to talk to you." I mumbled, looking away from his eyes.

"What?" He asked, concerned.

I sat down in the first row of desks, and he sat down next to me, fully focused on what I had to say. I took a deep breath, not sure how to word it.

"I'm not sure... exactly..." I began, looking up at him through my lashes. He gestured for me to go on. "What is going on here, precisely?" I spilled, looking at a poster on the wall of the Harry Potter cast. I had always enjoyed those books. The movies just as much.

He sighed, and began to speak. "I know this must be confusing for you, and it is for me, too. There was a lot I had to think about, before I could even make any move on you. After considering the risks, and the consequences of those risks, I decided that I would go with it. I want to know you better, Sandra. This isn't a one time thing, this isn't just for giggles, I want you. Spending these last few months having you in my class has been one of the most engaging experiences I have ever been in. There's just something about you that makes me wonder what else is buried underneath."

I considered his words. Was this real? I knew that I felt strongly for him. Everything about him screamed that he was what I wanted out of life. He was like me in so many ways. That cocky attitude on the surface, but underneath all that, we were both just hopeless romantics at heart. After reading Jane Eyre this past semester, I had seen the way it had all moved him, and it moved me, too. It had been one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful books I had ever read.

"So, what does this mean for us?" I asked him, needing to know for sure.

"I want to be with you, Alessandra. I do. You'll be eighteen, soon, and then we don't have to worry about anything. It will be okay." He stroked my hair, brushing through the soft curls.

I smiled at him, feeling so overjoyed and happy at this moment. "I want to be with you, too."

He grinned at me, and stood up from the tiny desk. "How about dinner and a movie?"

"Dinner and a movie? That doesn't seem like something you would do." I challenged, grinning at him too.

"You're right. I already had plans to take you somewhere much better."

"Where?"

"You'll see." He responded, a mischievous glint in his baby blue eyes.

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The park was sparkling in the slowly descending sunlight. The trees surrounded the park, making it feel closed in and cozy. Kade lay a large, flannel blanket down on the ground, and set the picnic basket and backpack down on top of it. Nobody else was here, so it was just us, surrounded by nature. I plopped down on top of the blanket, and reached for the basket. Kade reached out and grabbed my wrist right as I had reached the flap.

"Allow me." He smirked, and lifted the basket's opening, pulling out some french bread, and two containers of spaghetti. I laughed.

"Are we going to eat it out of the container?" I giggled.

"Of course not! Of course not. I have it all planned out, don't worry." He winked at me. I blushed.

As he pulled out everything from the basket, and set it all up to be eaten, I gazed around us. There had been snow before, but it had melted away after just a little while. This year seemed to be really warm. Usually, in January, Minnesota was filled with snow. Still, it was cold, and heavy jackets were a must when walking around outside. As of now, both Kade and I were bundled up heavily in our winter jackets and scarves. It was funny to see him with a scarf on, because I don't think any girl ever sees a guy wearing a scarf. It just looks funny. I smiled as he scooped the spaghetti onto the two porcelain plates he had brought along. He must have felt me looking at him, because he glanced up at me and grinned.

"Ready for the best dinner ever?" He questioned, setting a plate in front of me with a fork. I nodded my head, watching some more as he poured wine into two glasses. I raised my eyebrows at him as he gave me mine.

"It's a special occasion." He smirked, and put the bottle back in the basket. Seeing that he was done with preparing, I dug into the food. The spaghetti was delicious.

"Whoa! It's like an explosion in my mouth!" I grinned after chewing my food. Kade smiled at me, about to take a bite of his own noodles.

"Made it myself." He winked at me.

"Really? Are you Italian or something? Because this is fantastic!" I exclaimed, taking another huge bite of the stuff.

"No, I just spend a lot of time practicing. I like to cook." He replied.

I nodded my head, and scarfed down the delicious food. I tried not to be too unappealing, but it was so good, and I was so hungry. The wine was phenomenal as well. It warmed my stomach, and made me feel all hot inside. It was amazing. I had never had a sip of alcohol before that moment.

After we both finished eating, we snuggled up in each other's arms, watching as the sun disappeared behind the horizon, leaving us in near darkness. The stars were bright where we were. We were in a less populated part of town, and the forest stretched out forever behind us. Part of me was scared a grizzly would come out and eat us, but I tried to make those thoughts go away and just enjoy the moment.

I had never thought that any of this would happen. It had all happened so quickly, too. Here I was, cuddled in my English teacher's arms, as we watched the stars together in the freezing cold. The temperature was dropping quickly, and I wriggled deeper into the warmth of Kade's arms. He held me close, his cheek against my hair.

"I've always loved the stars." I spoke out into the darkness.

"Me, too. There's just something so poetic about them. It makes me feel creative." I felt his chest rumble beneath me as he talked.

I sighed in pleasure, and rolled over so that our faces were looking at each other. "Do you write poetry?" I asked him, playing with a lock of his hair.

"No, I don't. But, I like to read it." He replied, watching me.

"Who's your favorite?"

"Mostly Eliot. His poems are just so, I don't know, understandable." He started to twist a piece of my hair around his finger as well.

" I like him, too. I really like Robert Frost, though. Bukowski's another one." I laid my head on his chest, listening to his racing heartbeat.

"Those are good, too." He said, lifting my chin up. He placed a warm kiss on my mouth, and I could feel as it spread throughout my body. I kissed him back, enjoying the feel of our two mouths moving together. The feeling of a new romance never failed to excite me, and this one, I felt, was going to last a lot longer than the rest. We lay there beneath the shining stars, and talked, and kissed until it got too cold where even the heat from our bodies couldn't keep us warm enough.