She was different to any student he had ever come across. She was quiet, read books, didn't party, but behind the silence was a sadness that radiated from her. It was as if he couldn't help himself, he wanted to be what she needed. The only problem...
Shawn Mendes "What are you getting yourself into?" I asked myself as I got home. What I was doing was risky I knew that, but part of me just didn't care, threw caution to the wind. I was her teacher and she was my student yet somehow I was drawn to her, in a way I don't know how to explain but I was. A teacher was intrigued by his student. Now that was bordering illegal. I spent the whole night thinking about how wrong it was, meaning I was thinking of her. But I couldn't help it. Whenever I tried to stop thinking of it something would always trigger it to come back to mind. It was like when I was marking my classes essays on the feeling of romance. When I came to hers it was seriously impressive to say that this girl probably hadn't been in love or knew what romance felt like. Yet her essay gave the idea she wanted this feeling of romance, and just needed someone to give it to her. After reading her work and marking it, it was late. I tried to find comfort in my reasonably large home but I couldn't shake her words from my head that she had written in her essay. That's when I decided to just go to bed and dream the words out of my mind.
It was a new day and tomorrow was the weekend. Even teachers get excited by that. I packed up my bag for the day and got in my car with a flask of coffee. I drove by the Dawson's house but it seemed there was no one in. I got closer to the school and drove past Faye listening to her music. I snapped out of it and drove into school parking up my car. "Morning Shawn" I heard a woman from behind me. "Hey Hailey" "Who do you have first?" She asked me as if she were a student herself. "My year 13 class" I told her and she nodded walking off to her own department. I was only waiting for half an hour before students came piling into the classroom. But one student didn't turn up until five minutes into the lesson. But when she did turn up I could see tear marks down her cheeks. She sat down with her head in her hands. "Ok. So I've put an extract from Jane Eyre along with some questions which you should complete by the end of the lesson" I tried to keep it simple and short. I bent down to Miss Dawson's desk and she met my eye. "Do you want to have a chat outside?" I asked quietly and she nodded. She stood up and quickly walked out the room. I followed her and shut the door behind me. When I looked at her running her hands through her hair I saw her face was red and her eyes were bloodshot. "What's going on?" I asked her cautiously putting my hand on her shoulder. "I have no one here. My supposed best friends have gone off together leaving me behind and neither will talk to me anymore" she cried and I didn't really know what to do. "From my perspective it seems like they're not good for you. If they just turn against you so quickly they don't sound like good people" I told her and she wiped her eyes. "Thomas has always been with me ever since we were seven years old. Which is why it hurts so much more" she confessed to me and leaned up against the lockers. We stood there and occasionally she would add more onto the story until the bell rang. "Remember, come to my office after school, or any time you want to talk" I said to her and she nodded at me. I felt something in my chest, a sort of tension towards her. "I'll be there, thank you Mr Mendes" she said quietly and I nodded her on her way.
The day dragged by very slowly and I was relieved when last period finished and I heard a knock on my door. "Yep" I said without looking up from my desk. "Er Mr Mendes is it still ok?" She said walking in and closing the door behind her. "Of course. How are you feeling?" "Lonely. Upset. Frustrated." She said the list of the worst emotions a seventeen year old could be feeling as school started again. "You can come here and talk to me at any time of the day. I'm always in here" I smiled to try and make her smile but she just nodded. We waited until half an hour after school before leaving. She again went round the corner and I drove to pick her up. "You know I really didn't think you liked me" she said and I nodded. "I thought the same about you." I told her and she nodded. "There's this performance tomorrow evening of Sense and Sensibility at the local theatre. You should come" I offered holding out the spare ticket I had and she looked in thought she took the ticket from my hand. "I might. Are you going?" She asked and I nodded holding up my own ticket. "What time?" "Seven thirty start" I told her and she nodded. "It might just be a nice way to forget what's going on for a few hours" I told her and again she nodded. The rest of the drive was in silence, but not an awkward silence. As we pulled up to her drive way a boy sat on her front porch. "You know him?" I asked and she nodded. "Thomas" she said unfastening her seatbelt. "Think about the performance" I told her and she gave me a smile. "I will try and be there. I might see you then" she told me and I felt a strange sense of happiness at the thought I might not be there alone. I waited for a bit and waited until I could see she was safe inside her home. I just hoped she was ok with her friend.
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