A note to readers before I write - this is pretty important and its only for the people that directly know me so if you dont, just IGNORE and read on. Please would people from my class NOT write I love Sir Andrew on all the boards as the teachers are getting a little bit suspicious. Thank you.
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Chapter 9 - Journey
That was a fun lesson. I thought to myself as I climbed the long sixty six stair journey to Mr Roberto. I think things aren't as bad as I thought. I walked into sir's class - only to find it empty. I quickly Checked the science staffroom - also empty. Why had he called me then? I turned around, apparently quite depressed, and walked straight into a handsome guy who just happened to look EXACTLY like Mr Roberto.
"Seriously Mara, do you really just love to make accidental physical contact with me? I genuinely thought that you weren't like the other girls..." Sir teased playfully.
I shook my head shyly and took a good look at him. Was this really my teacher? There he stood, in casual jeans and a shirt, with the dim corridor lights bringing out hidden undertones in his ruffled ash-blond hair. His eyes, reflecting the yellowy light, showed a green blend... huh.
Okay, I didn't think I could deny it any longer -
I had one hot biochemistry teacher.
Something about the way I was looking at him must have been inappropriate because he seemed taken aback and began moving nervously, chuckling at the same time. He quickly walked into his classroom and grabbed a big bag.
"Okay, let's go." he said whilst thrusting the heavy-looking bag on to his shoulder.
I blinked twice.
"umm where?" I asked.
He seemed a little irritated as if I was supposed to magically know why my biochem teacher was dressed to impress and asking me to go with him - (not that I would mind...) I'm not psychic.
He began to laugh while I just continued to look at him. If I were to describe him, I'd say: Hot and completely insane, I thought to myself.
"I'm sorry I'm laughing at you, it's just that your expression is worth gold, I - didn't I already tell you? My motorbike isn't working and so I had to take a lift here but I don't know how to get back and as you already know, the school internet isn't working and I am not from this area - I've lived in oxford."
"So..." I was still confused.
"... So it would be great if I could accompany you on the bus journey back home."
I think at this point my jaw was on the floor. Was my teacher really asking me to take him home? Okay, he was my neighbour so it made sense, but still...
He looked to me like a puppy that'd lost his way.
I don't think I'd mind taking him home - but what about all the girls on the bus stop? I mean, none of them come my way but they'd still see us together and think all sorts of things - but did I really care? Of course I cared! He's my teacher!
He seemed to have read my mind and replied that we should leave a bit later than usual.
"Why don't you start your homework for now. Sorry for the inconvenience, would you like to call your mother to tell her you'll be a bit late?" I nodded solemnly, and then shook my head.
"No credit" I frowned.
"Take mine" he said holding out an iPhone in my direction. Oh great, I really was pathetic at trying to work those ugly boxes of microchips and touch screens - I didn't want to look stupid in front of him.
I reluctantly took the phone from his hands - which were surprisingly soft -
( I didn't just think that) - and jabbed at the touch screen.
After a while I handed the phone back to sir, who was looking at me - probably observing my stupidity.
"So..." he said.
"yeah I have permission - looks like I'm staying to help you" I said trying to make it sound like I didn't really want to at all.
"So..." he said, his eyes piercing into mine. They looked like the palest shade of grey mixed with green - mesmerising... Did his eyes change colour? I could've sworn they were blue...
"So what?" I asked, returning his gaze. This teacher of mine, I swear if he didn't make himself ugly right now I will do something I might later regret.
He looked like a knight in shining armour - trust me, I didn't mean in that awful, soppy prince-saves -damsel-in-distress way, I meant the way that made him look undeniably hot.
" What do you think of my teaching? Is it up to the standards of Mr Fernando and Mr Blacksmith?" He asked. I was a bit taken aback by this question. Come to think of it, I had completely forgotten about the two - how could I?
But taking his question in to consideration... He did teach in a way that neither Mr Fernando nor Mr Blacksmith had ever taught. He brought life into inanimate things which sparked our interest...
- But that could also be because I was currently crushing on him.
I nodded. What else could I do? He was an amazing teacher and certainly DID make me forget about my two previous teachers like... 5 Seconds after I met him.
How could I have forgetten them? If they were still here, than I probably would have been sitting here with Mr Fernando in science club, staring quietly at a test tube as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world. I remembered that day as if was yesterday, I had been unbelievably bored at the fact that I would have to stare so long at the liquid... After about 5 minutes I had begun to mess about.
"But Sir! It don't see anything!" I had yelled, and then Mr Fernando had picked it up from the stand and risen it above me, showing me the tiny flakes that were indeed present.
I had looked at him apologetically and he had looked away, clearly irritated.
I still felt guilty to this day.
I sighed at my stupidity and let my thoughts drift to Mr Blacksmith.
If he had been here, he would've been telling me off for asking too many questions. They would both be giving me life lessons and their views on religion and I'd be arguing and arguing with them that evidence isn't always tangible... How could I forget them?
As I continued to think of past memories I realised that I had been observing my new replacement teacher's muscular body shape all the while... He's fit.
I'd always been the kind of girl that thought I'd never ever EVER fall in love or look at a guy with any interest. I had always been boy-resistant and very immune to their charm - however, with this man in front of me... He seemed different to all the rest. As if there was an exterior he held of emotionlessness and irresponsibility that he displayed to everyone, whereas inside he was just as deep as the oceans his eyes revealed. I observed him now, staring at a thick book in his hand and taking interest in its long pages, he looked sooo cute - rather like a child lost in a fairy tale.
He abruptly shut the book and began to speak.
"Do you think we should leave now? I think the bus stop should be quieter now."
I looked at the time and realised that I had spent probably about an hour simply staring at my biochemistry teacher in my biology lab (let's leave out the checking-him-out bit).
"Yeh, sure, let's go" I told him whilst grabbing my bag and walking out to the door.
The journey to the bus stop wasn't very long, but the number of buses Sir would have to take would be quite something... 3 buses on the easiest route home. I wondered why out of all the places he could have lived he chose to live where I did. I guess it's closer than coming here all the way from Oxford.
I looked at him walking along side me and words of praise just started pouring out of my mouth.
"Sir, you're nothing like what I expected our new teacher to be like, when we heard you were from Oxford, we made assumptions that you'll be one of those horrible lecturers who just don't know when to stop talking and take off their 3cm thick glasses. You know, people who like, slick their hair back and memorise encyclopaedias..."
He chuckled and then ran his fingers through his toffee hair.
"Is that what you thought I'd be like?" He said while kicking an aluminium can out of his way and into mine.
I nodded and kicked the can back.
"And is that how I am?" He asked humbly.
"Shall I answer that?"
I laughed at his expression. "I'm just kidding, I would never have thought that you'd be like you are..." And that I'd be crushing on you...
"So you would never have thought that so far this teacher of yours has done free diving; sky diving; caving; ice climbing and hand gliding too?"
I blinked at him about three times at this. Him? He'd done all that? He was fit. Very fit. Wow.
"What, do you like love adventure or something? And air... " He seemed at little confused when I said 'air'.
"I mean, most of them have heights and stuff - is your zodiac element air or something?"
"No, its water."
"Mine is water too - I'm a Cancer." I beamed. I can't believe I'm getting excited over this.
He smiled back. "I'm a Pisces - but, I don't really believe in horoscopes."
Pisces and Cancer have a 5/5 rating when it comes to getting along, and I think that's true because I just can't help falling for him...
"When's your birthday?" I asked hesitantly - (last year my physics teacher had literally beat me with a ruler for asking this - talk about child abuse...)
" February 29th 1992"
"Awww... It's on a leap day, which means your birthday only comes once every 4 years... " He nodded innocently.
I kind of felt sorry for him - he couldn't even have a birthday every year (I thought it was bad enough for me to explain over and over to my grandmother that birthdays come every year - she always said she remembered clearly that we'd celebrated it the year before. Well, THATS THE WHOLE POINT!! It's an ANNUAL thing I would say to her... ) Aww Sir...
This year, as in the coming year, will be 2012, and his birthday will come this year...
I quickly shook my head at a light bulb that was flashing madly in my mind. I can't just celebrate his birthday for him... It isn't right...
Next year is going to be fun.
"RUN!" I shouted, stunning Sir Andrew, when I saw our bus cresting up the hill. We quickly took out our oysters and ran for the bus. As we got on I couldn't help but notice that his oyster made the same beep sound as mine - which meant he travelled for free, and was also a student.
The journey actually went quite fast and within minutes we were on our last and final bus. I sighed at the thought that the journey with my crush was over but then looked out of the window and realised how dark it was.
I sat there in my seat in the bus, simply daydreaming and looking out of the window when I heard a phone ring. I turned around and saw Sir talking on the phone with a dreamy look on his face.
He spoke ever so softly and I only managed to make out a bit of what he was saying - the rest was Italian: Yeah, yeah I know, Sorry , Sorry Yes, buon compleanno, I know, I would have come over if my motorbike hadn't stopped working. No. No, I'll come when I can yeah I know you miss me... Obviously. No I haven't forgotten about you how could I? You are my cugina fastidiosa!"
He seemed very happy whilst talking but as cute as he may have sounded when speaking Italian I think I didn't like the fact that someone was missing him - someone who sounded like a girl - and someone who he would've visited if his motorbike was working. His little 'cugina fastidiosa' - (did that mean girlfriend?) who he said 'buon compleanno' to (did that mean I love you? - Is that why he didn't say it in English?)
I felt as if my whole world was coming to an end. This wasn't good. I was getting jealous of my biochemistry teacher's girlfriend... and he doesn't even know I like him.
I shook away the horrible plans that came to my mind of murdering the woman in the other end of the phone. But, maybe it was his sister...
When he shut the phone that was the first thing I asked him. "How many brothers and sisters do you have Sir?"
He seemed a bit surprised at my randomness. "None, I'm an only child"
Ouch.
So it WASN'T his sister.
Sometimes I'm too optimistic it hurts.
"Anything wrong?" He asked, obviously concerned.
"No, no, it's just - there's so much traffic and its getting dark" I lied through my teeth.
Luckily, he didn't seem to notice my white lie. I began to feel sick and hopeless. I laid my head back on the seat and sighed.
"Tired much?" He asked.
"hhhmmm."
"When do we get off?"
"Three bus stops later."
"There's a lot of traffic"
"hhhmmm."
And my eyelids felt so heavy they just fell shut.
"Mara! Mara! Wake up!" I felt something shaking my arm. I opened my eyes and gasped.
"I'm SO sorry!" I screamed at Sir Andrew.
"It's no problem, come on now we need to get off here" He replied calmly.
I walked shyly behind him and got off the bus after him. He just kept smirking at me. I've just embarrassed myself in front of him... How could I?
As we turned the corner into my street I couldn't keep it any longer. "Why are you smirking at me like that?"
And He, being him, couldn't help but say: "Well, I only THOUGHT before but now I know you love physical contact Mara."
"What..? Sir!" I felt my face go hot.
"What? Should I not think that? I mean, what other reason do you have for sleeping on me?"
He made it sound so wrong...
"How long did I umm, rest my head on your shoulder?" I asked, whilst correcting his description of my action.
"Umm, an hour, there was a lot of traffic." He laughed.
I couldn't think of anything else to say back to him. This was too embarrassing - I mean, who naps on their teacher's shoulder? And gets jealous when he talks to a female on the phone? I stayed silent and watched him walk into his house, waving back at him when he said bye.
Then I walked back into my own house, to find my mum close to breaking down into tears. She was sitting on the kitchen table with her contacts diary out and was clutching her phone to her chest.
"Mum, what's wrong?" I asked.
That was when she attacked me.
"Mara, WHERE HAVE BEEN? I've been soo worried! I TOLD YOU TO GO TO YOUR AUNTS HOUSE NEAR YOUR SCHOOL AFTER YOU TOLD ME YOU'LL BE LATE BECAUSE I WAS AT SAM'S PARENTS' EVENING AND I WOULDN'T BE HOME BUT YOU DIDN'T GO AND YOUR PHONE WAS OFF AND ITS SO LATE... AND, AND" I could see how upset she was as she began to sob - but I seriously didn't hear her say that because the line kept crackling... How was I to know she was at my brother's parent's evening? But my phone... And it WAS very late - I was 3 hours later than usual and since its winter time the days are short and my area isn't very safe...
I felt extremely bad for not informing my mum.
"Mum, I didn't hear and there was a lot of traffic. I'm sorry my phone was off I'll make sure it doesn't happen again. " She seemed to calm down a bit at this.
"What's important is that you're safe" She said and hugged me so hard she was almost suffocating me.
She hugged me for quite a while before letting me go. Her eyes showed that she had been crying.
"Why don't you go rest for a while, you look really tired and have been out all day..." She said after a while.
Well, about how tired I was... Shall I tell her I had a nap? On my teacher?.... Maybe later.
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For those of you who don't know Italian and are too lazy to use google translate...
buon compleanno = Happy Birthday.
cugina fastidiosa = Annoying [female] Cousin
So he was talking to his cousin.
What do you think? Please comment, vote and like or I'll just give up writing...