I Would Kill For You

5. The Past Is...In The Present

The teacher cut him short with a suggestive cough.

"I said that's enough. If you make me repeat myself one more time, the only thing you three will do in the toilets is scrub them clean. Is that clear?" he chided us.

We remained silent and Devon winked at me before leaving.

"Thank God." Ellie muttered.

I smiled apologetically and opened my copybook.

***

"Took you long enough. You're six minutes late." Avery informed me with a judgemental look the second I entered room 208.

Ellie was right; you didn't have to be a psychologist to see that she was pissed at me, and I was certain it wasn't because of my delay.

"That means I get to leave ten minutes earlier."

"Fine by me." I shrugged apathetically and placed my bag on the windowsill, next to the teacher's desk. "How many students have showed up so far?"

"If you came on time, you wouldn't have to ask me that." she retorted, propping her chin on her hand.

I grabbed a chair and dragged it next to hers, seating by her side at the teacher's desk.

Avery reminded me of a doll; she was petite and lithe like a ballerina, her short black hair framed her heart-shaped face, and her red lips were softly turned downwards. She looked fragile and delicate, but I knew very well that appearances were deceiving. She could take down a man two times her weight without flinching; if not by physical force, by her sharp mind and astuteness.

"Go on. Say it." I coaxed her with defiance.

That's all she needed:

"You exchanged about eighty million microbes and saliva with Monica's killer. Congrats." she blurted out bluntly.

"There was no tongue involved, for your information. And that's just speculation. We don't know if he killed her."

Her lips curled up in disgust, to my absolute delight. The least I could do is irritate her in return.

"Exactly, we don't. Which means he could have." she emphasized in a patronizing tone. "By the way, tell your lover-boy to watch his back."

"Why would you sa..."

I was interrupted by a knock on the door. Two girls entered shyly. Avery got up from the chair and clasped her hands together elegantly on her purple dress. She welcomed the girls and gestured for them to take a seat.

After fifty long minutes, Avery and I finally decided on accepting five students out of twelve: two boys and three girls of different ages. As she initially forewarned me, she left ten minutes prior without giving me a chance to ask her about what she meant when she mentioned that Damian should watch his back, as I was interviewing yet another three girls.

When I was done with them and the clock struck 3:24 PM, I was finally free. I took my phone out of my bag and checked it while heading to the exit. I almost got out of the classroom when someone appeared out of nowhere, blocking my path. I stopped abruptly to avoid bumping into him and raised my eyes gradually until I met his.

And for the second time that year, I found myself inches away from Damian Belfort. His whimsical sight languorously travelled to my lips, which gave me a mini heart attack, but then, to my relief, lowered to my chest and the rest of my body. Did he really have the audacity to check me out when we were this close? He did, although my dress wasn't revealing in any way. Except it was somewhat tight...