Secret Torture (Student/Teacher) - COMPLETED

Chapter Seven: Anywhere But Here

The second we stepped in the doors, my mother and Walter were swept away by people I didn't know. I was alone for a few moments, when I felt a firm hand grip my arm.

"Allison, care for some tequila?" Ryan smirked.

I pulled my arm away from him. "Don't waste your time."

"Time with you is never wasted." 

I began to walk away. He followed.

"That's a very sexy dress. Some might forget you're really nothing more than a child."

I glared at him. "Seventeen is hardly a child."

"I beg to differ."

"You're only two years older than me, Ryan."

"Two years wiser, too."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you say."

"You know exactly what I'm taking about." He grinned, then reached for a glass from a passing table. He handed it to me. "You and I both know how boring these events are. Old men talking about the stock exchange, golf tournaments, gambling and court cases. It's impossible to get through it without a little... kick."

"No thank you," I insisted.

He shrugged, and began to sip it himself. "Your loss."

As he was drinking, I felt a hand touch my arm. I turned around. My mother was standing before me.

"Allison, come here, there's someone I want you to meet." 

I reluctantly followed her across the room, moving through the various groups of people and passing waiters until we reached Walter, accompanied by two men - one old, one not so old. One was a stranger, the other was not. My breath caught in my throat and my feet stood still. This was not happening. It couldn't be happening - not again.

Mr. Halter stared at me with eyes just as shocked as mine. 

"Richard, James, this is our daughter, Allison," Walter gestured towards me. 

The old man stretched his hand out towards me. I tentatively shook it. His grip was bone-crunchingly firm. 

"Lovely to meet you, Allison. How old are you?"

"Seventeen," I told him.

"Oh? My, you look much older," he laughed. "This is my son, James."

Mr. Halter's eyes met with mine again. He extended a hand out towards me.

"Nice to meet you," he said.

I hesitated momentarily, before reaching out and taking his hand in mine. 

"You too," I forced out. 

My mother smiled down at me. "Sweetheart, we were just talking about you - about how great you are with Ben," she glanced up at Richard. "She's more his mother than I am," she laughed. "And, well, James has a son about Ben's age, and he said he was looking for a sitter. James said it'd be great if you could help him out sometime."

He suddenly cleared his throat. "I wasn't - it's not urgent, really - I just meant-"

"No, believe me, she would be more than happy to help you out. She loves kids. Right, Allison?" 

I was utterly speechless. "Um," I struggled to find the right words. "I don't know,"

She waved me off. "She'll do it," she told him. "God, it must be so hard being a single father. What ever happened to the boy's mother?"

Mr. Halter sighed. "It's a long story - she's just not capable of raising a child right now."

My mother nodded. "It must be so difficult. I don't know how I managed before I met Walter. I could barely scrape enough cash to put dinner on the table every night," she laughed. "Times have changed, clearly. We're very lucky, now. We don't have to worry about money anymore. And I have Allison here to look after Ben - say, how often did you say you needed her?"

"I didn't," Mr. Halter glanced at me. "I mean- I don't have an organised schedule, it's just-"

"Why don't you two step over there and sort it out?" Walter suggested. 

All eyes were on us now.

"Alright," Mr. Halter eventually, with great reluctance, said. 

He moved away from the group, and I followed behind him. My heart was beating loudly and my hands were shaking. I clenched my fists, trying to repress it. I didn't want to talk to Mr. Halter. I didn't want to be his babysitter. I didn't want any of this to be happening right know. I'd rather be talking to Ryan than be here right now, and that's saying something. 

I wanted to be anywhere but here.

Mr. Halter turned around to face me once we were a safe distance away from our parents - and anyone else, for that matter. 

"I didn't know they were your parents," he said. "If I did, I wouldn't have accepted the offer. Believe me." 

I nodded my head. I did believe him.

He sighed. "Shit, I'm sorry about this. This is not what I wanted to do. Look, I do need a sitter. And your parents are going to expect you to do some babysitting work. How about you watch Leo for me this Friday - and after that I'll say I found someone else? That should be enought to please your mother, right?"

I nodded my head again. "Yeah, that's fine."

He stared at me for a few moments. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," I lied. It wasn't fine. Not at all. I felt like, at any moment, I was just going to collapse and break down in tears. And, yet, at the same time, there was something about the way he looked at me, about the way it felt when our eyes connected, that made me excited. Scared, but excited, too.

"Okay," he said. "I'll, um, I'll see you later, then." 

I nodded once more. "Yeah. Okay."

And then he was gone, leaving me standing in the corner all by myself. It felt like it was taking everything in me not to cry. I didn't even know why I felt so emotional. I just wanted to forget. I wanted to forget that night. I wanted to forget the fact that I lost something special to someone who didn't even care. I hated myself for it. I hated myself for being so stupid, for being such a slut. I was just a child to him. A fucking immature, dumb, foolish child. I should have known better. 

"Care for a drink?"

I looked up to see Ryan holding a glass out towards me. I pushed his arm away and left. I had enough money for a taxi in my purse. I needed to get out. Anywhere. Anywhere but here.