Killer Blue Eyes (student/teacher)

Chapter Three

‘Excusez-moi mademoiselle, vous êtes en retard.’ I heard, a familiar male voice ringing out.

When I finally looked up, I nearly fell from my chair. It was him. All images of his awful grin came down on my mind like a bomb, one after the other. I couldn’t cry, I couldn’t scream. I felt all blood drain from my face, and a surge of sickness overloaded my stomach. Why was he here?

‘W-what?’ was all I managed to get out.

He repeated it again, though I had no idea what it meant. He sat on the desk at the front, legs crossed over eachother, hands gripping the sides. He wore black jeans, a white t-shirt and a suit jacket. His eyes sparkled and his brown hair looked like it had been brushed last year. How could someone so attractive be so evil?

‘I’m sorry, I don’t speak french.’ He knew that perfectly well, and a smile came to his lips.

‘You live in rural France and don’t speak the language?’

I nodded, crossing my arms over. I thought of an escape plan for break time, thinking of some excuse I could spin on my mom to move me to the school in the city. I’d walk if I had to. ‘Yes.’

‘So, what have you learned all this time you’ve been here then? How to smoke your lungs out before you’re twenty?’ He retorted, making Madeleine snort with laughter. All the other kids just looked at us both, totally confused as to what was going on.

I gave him a look of death, not amused. ‘Exactly. I’m sure now you’re here, I’ll learn how to get myself killed before I’m sixteen.’ I spat.

He looked confused and shook his head. ‘Excuse me?’

‘You know full well what I mean, Daniel.’

He cocked an eyebrow. ‘I don’t think I do. Well if you’re not going to learn anything, I guess you best come back at break to go over what I taught the others before hand. For now I guess you’ll just have to sit there and continue to check me out, like you’ve done constantly for the past five minutes.’

My mouth dropped open, completely outraged, ready to go over and punch his serial killer lights out. I grip the edge of my desk, scratching away the old wood. But I don’t do anything. I sit still for the next two lessons not understanding anything. Madeleine looks back at me a few times, giving amused looks, but I ignore them as much as I ignore Daniel’s glances. I can feel his pure hatred as much as I’m sure he can feel mine. In the space of two short days I can tell his being here will only make my time here worse. This stupid town won’t be big enough for the both us.

At the end of it all, he bids the class farewell as it was apparently time he swapped over with Madame Dubois for the afternoon lessons. It turned out him and her were now the only two teachers at the school, and had to take turns in teaching the little kids with her. Good. I hope they all harass him with their stupid little painted faces.

They go off to lunch, and I nearly catch in with the crowd and follow them before he catches my arm and pulls me back in, damn it. Everyone leaves, including Madeleine, who only laughs at me on her way out, leaving me with him alone. The door is shut and I silently prey I won’t be murdered. As an attack weapon, I’d sharpened the end of my pen to a pointy plastic tip during lessons, and I’d carefully placed it in my blazer pocket, ready for use. He’d never see it coming.

Daniel walks to the front of the classroom, sitting on the desk as he did before, looking at me with a stony glare. I take a deep breath, give him a plain look and cross my arms.

‘Sit down please, Isla.’ He says, gesturing to the chair in front of him. I don’t argue for fear of getting into more trouble, and take the seat without looking into his eyes.  ‘What was all that about this morning, huh? Why were you so late?’

I shrug, fiddling with the hem of my skirt. ‘I guess I missed the bus.’

‘Is that all? You looked like you’d seen a ghost when you walked in here.’

‘No that isn’t all, but it really isn’t any of your business, Daniel.’ I say, finally meeting his blue eyes that are only looking down in pure concern. It’s funny how the nice types are never really what they seem.

‘True, but I can’t have you walking in like you own the place every lesson, and then going and speaking down to me, especially on my first day, Isla. What you did was rude.’

I raise my eyebrows sarcastically. ‘I was rude? Really? Oh, I’m soo sorry. Well, next time someone insults me dead out, I’ll remember to be much more polite.’

He rolls his eyes and throws a piece of rolled up paper at me. ‘You know you shouldn’t smoke. That’s why I said it.’

‘You don’t have to say anything, ok?’ I say, not noticing at first how close our faces were getting. He was leaning over the desk I was sitting at, his face totally serious asides from the curve his lip was making as it tried not to smile.

‘Ok. I won’t say anything, Isla. Just don’t be rude in future, ok? And don’t call me Daniel.’

I grin, now vowing to call him that forever only because he asked me not to. ‘It’s your name, isn’t?’

‘Well, yes, I guess it is, but I’m your teacher, and it’s not appropriate. So it’s Monsieur James from now on.’

‘Ok, Daniel.’

‘Isla. I’m being serious.’

‘I know you are, Daniel. So am I. But somehow I don’t think you should really be lecturing me on what’s appropriate and what’s not.’ I say, leaning back in my chair as confusion flashes through his face.

‘I don’t follow.’

‘Oh, I think you do. All I’m going to say is I was there yesterday. I know what you did. Don’t act all innocent either, because I know the truth.’ I raise an eyebrow, expecting him to freak out. Instead, he laughs.

‘I think you’ve got me confused with someone else, Isla. I really do have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.’ 

‘Fine. Be that way. Just don’t expect me and you to become buddies, that’s all.’

‘I don’t. I’d rather not get lung cancer, thanks.’

This makes me so angry, that before I can stop or tell myself otherwise, I reach out and go to slap him, hard. Well, I think I have, before I notice he’s caught my hand before I could touch the skin. His hand is warm and his face looks like it’s about to burst out laughing. He takes my hand and slowly puts it back on the desk. ‘I think you need to calm down.’

‘I think you need to stop being an asshole!’

He shrugs. ‘I’ve been called worse. Anyway, I think it’s best Isla that you have separate lessons to the others. It’s no use you being here if you don’t have any idea what I’m saying half the time. So I’ll talk it over with Madame Dubois, and I’ll see that you have a different lesson time to the others, after school. Ok?’

‘Wait- Will they be with you?’

‘It’s either that, or I can leave you to make weapons from pens for the rest of term.’

‘I’ll take the pens.’

‘I don’t think so. Go on then, go and eat something before I change my mind and make you sit here looking at a packet of cigarettes for the next hour until you start to eat yourself. Go.’

‘Oh you’re so hilarious.’ I say sarcastically, picking myself up and walking out the classroom, feeling his gaze follow me the whole way. It was easy to see I and he were not going to be best of friends. Good. Only fly in the ointment was that I’d have to spend time with him. Alone. Alone with a serial killer.