(ORIGINALLY POSTED 22 APRIL '18)
It's been a couple of weeks, work has been busy but good, I've managed to keep avoiding Mrs Hall-Plug, she's keen on having that drink with me but every time she finds me, I just tell her I'm busy, I'm surprised she hasn't tried to force herself onto me, but I swear if she does that I am not going to let her near me again, and I'll report her for sexual harassment, she'd probably lose her job here.
Maths sessions with Addi have been going good, instead of having the sessions in this classroom, we've started having the sessions in her room, I know it sounds kind of weird but we see enough of school during the day, and the sessions have been working out pretty good in her room too.
Talking of Addi, I was supposed to have her this morning but she didn't turn up to class, I'm thinking maybe she overslept, I oversleep all the time, fortunately not by much as of yet, but she's been working hard the last few weeks. I hope she doesn't get in trouble for being late, and if she does, I hope it's not big trouble. I'll try and catch up with her at some point, I'm bound to bump into her in the corridors.
I'm almost 45 minutes into a lesson and the class are being a little difficult today, which is unusual.
"Hey guys, pipe down" I say quite loud as the class talk too loud.
"Sir, we heard that you've been a naughty man" A young boy says. Me, naughty? Never.
"Well you've heard wrong, now all of you get on with your work!" I demand.
"And if we don't?" The same boy asks, his name is Ben.
"Well, Ben, you know I'm an easy teacher, I don't think it would be nice if I had to start giving out detentions because you've been a fool" I say calmly. He goes quiet and gets on with his work, that's what I thought.
The lessons go by as hours pass and eventually school is over for the day, I still haven't seen Addi, I'm getting concerned about her whereabouts, I did promise her Dad that I'd make sure she's ok while she's here, surely if she overslept then I would have seen her already, nobody sleeps in this late, not unless they've been awake until like 6am.
There is one way of finding out if she is in today and that's the school register, I can check her attendance for the day on the system. I go over to my desk and put collected papers to one side, I log in to the computer and go onto the register, I search Addi, Addison Taylor, click on today's attendance. She hasn't been marked in at all today, now not marked for one or two lessons is understandable if she's overslept or sometimes teachers forget the register, but she would have been marked in at least 2 or 3 times, she hasn't been marked in at all, she wasn't in today? Maybe she isn't feeling well then, that would be a huge possibility and explanation to her absence.
I'm thinking I should go to her room and make sure she is ok, see if she needs anything. I pack my bag with work to mark later on and I turn the computer off, I leave the room, locking the door and speed walk to Addi's room, I don't want to look suspicious.
Once I get to her door I knock on it, no answer, I knock again, no answer, I see a lad walking towards me.
"Hey, do you know who stays in this room?" I ask, the lad looks a little younger than Addi.
"Sure, Addison Taylor, why?" He asks back.
"Is she in, it's just she missed school today, I want to make sure she's ok" I say serious.
"She hasn't been here all day, that's why you can't find her" He says.
"What do you mean? Why hasn't she been in?" I ask confused and my concern for her is growing.
"She had an accident this morning while rushing to get to school, she fell down some stairs, she was unconscious and everything, didn't look good, she was rushed to the hospital" He explains to me. She's hurt? She's been in hospital all day? I have to go there and be with her, I'm supposed to be looking out for her, I have to go there immediately!
"I have to go, thanks" I say quickly as I run off, instead of going to my room to do anything I run straight to my car, I get in and throw my bag in the back, I start the car and drive off. If I'd have known about this accident sooner then I would have been with her by now.
After nearly running 2 red lights and having to wait for a group of teens to cross at a zebra crossing, I finally get to the hospital within about 25 minutes, it felt like a longer drive than that! I switch the car off, get out and lock it, I run into the hospital to the reception desk.
"May I help you?" The lady behind the desk asks while staring at her computer.
"Can you tell me where Addison Taylor is? She was rushed in this morning" I ask trying not to panic too much, I need to stay calm.
"Err, are you a relative?" She asks. "You don't look old enough to be her father and she already has a teacher here with her, are you her brother, or boyfriend?" She asks. If I don't lie then I probably won't be let in.
"I'm her boyfriend" I say without thinking, why didn't I say brother?
"Oh ok, at least you didn't say teacher, I would have had to deny you access to her, she's a lucky girl to have you in her life by the looks of it" She says. Now I have to go along with the lie, not what I had planned.
"I'm the lucky one, she's amazing, please, where is she? Will she be ok?" I ask a little panicked, only a little because I'm trying my hardest to stay calm.
"Oh sorry, yeah she's through those doors, down to the end of the corridor, through more door, half way down that corridor, through the next doors, her room is second on the left" She directs me, that's a lot to remember, I'll remember it.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" I say very appreciatively and start speed walking, if I run I might bump into someone and hurt them, then I'd feel terrible.
I go through the doors, down the corridor to the end and through doors, half way door and through more doors, damn this place likes its doors, second on the left, I see it, and a teacher sitting outside of the room. I walk over and the teacher looks up and spots me.
"Mr Colt, hi, what brings you here?" She asks, Miss Jenkins, why is she here? Is she one of Addi's teachers?
"I heard about what happened to Miss Taylor, I met her Dad a couple of weeks or so ago and he asked me to keep an eye on her and that so that's why I'm here, I came over to see how she's doing" I say as I sit down next to her.
"Well she's alive, she had a lucky escape, she had concussion, she broke her right arm and has I think two cracked ribs, but she'll be fine" She informs me. I take a deep breath as I sigh in relief.
"Thank god she's ok, I went the whole day thinking she had overslept or wasn't feeling well because she hadn't been in, it wasn't until I went to check on her at her room that another student told me she fell down some stairs and is here" I tell her.
"Yeah, it was pretty nasty, but like I said, she'll be fine, she's fine, anyway how did you manage to get past reception? I didn't think they let teachers in, I think I was only an exception because I came in with her" She says.
"I told a little lie, she asked if I was her brother or boyfriend and without thinking, because I was worried, I said boyfriend, but we're not together at all, I just want to make sure you know that, I know I was better off to say brother but my mouth spoke before my brain" I say nervously.
"It's cool, I don't suspect anything, I won't tell either" She assures me.
"Thanks" I say. We sit and wait for a few hours just talking about random things while we wait. "Would you like a drink? I can get you a coffee or something?" I offer.
"Oh, thanks but no thanks, it's actually getting pretty late so, I was thinking, you're here and clearly not planning on leaving without her, if you don't mind, could I leave and go back?" She asks a little unsure.
"Yeah of course, I'll stay here, you go back, get something to eat and rest, I'll be ok here" I say.
"Thank you, you're a star" She says and she gets up and leaves.
I end up waiting another hour or two before a doctor comes over.
"Hello, I hear you are Addison's boyfriend" He says. I immediately stand up.
"Yep, that's me, is she ok?" I ask.
"Yes, we're actually going to discharge her now, I assume you are taking her back?" He asks.
"Yeah, I will be taking her back" I say.
"Ok well I'll just go in and let her know you are here, what's your name?" He asks.
"It's Justin" I say, even though that's not my name, that's what she calls me until I tell her my real name. He nods and goes into her room.
"Hi Addison, I'm happy that you are ready to go back, you are very high on morphine so at the moment painless, but you may feel it tomorrow when it has worn off, you've had your arm sorted, your concussion has gone, but unfortunately you just have to wait for your ribs to heal themselves which will be painful, but I'm happy to discharge you now, your boyfriend Justin is here and is taking you back, just take it easy for a couple of days" I hear him say to her.
"Ok, thanks, can you send Justin in please?" She asks. The doctor pokes his head out of the door and ushers me in so I go in.
"Hey, I'm so glad you're ok, you had me worried" I say as I go to her bed.
"I'm ok, just a little banged up, can we go now, babe?" She asks me. I look at the doctor.
"Yep, I've just completed the discharge" He says.
"Yes, babe, we can go now" I say, that was really weird calling each other 'babe'. The doctor leaves, Addi grabs her stuff and I help her make her way out. We go past the reception desk.
"Good luck you two, such lovebirds" The receptionist lady says. I should have said brother, why didn't I say brother?! I get Addi to my car before I explain to her about the boyfriend thing, I help her get in and then get in my side.
"So.." She says as I start driving.
"I know, it was weird acting like a couple, I'm sorry I put you in that position" I say.
"It's ok, but why did you tell them that you are my boyfriend?" She asks curiously.
"Because it was either brother or boyfriend and my mouth spoke before my brain did, and if I said I'm your teacher then they wouldn't have let me get to you" I explain, there is silence in the car for about 5 seconds and then she bursts into laughter.
"I'm sorry, but that, that is funny!" She says laughing really hard.
"Erm, ok then" I say chuckling.
"And they actually believed us as a couple?" She questions.
"Apparently I make a very convincing fake boyfriend" I say surprised.
"Oh Justin, you do crack me up" She says.
"You might think that now because you're high on morphine but later when it wears off, you may not find it so funny" I point out.
"I doubt it, but if so, worship this moment" She says. We eventually get back on the grounds, it's nearly midnight now. "Thank you for the lift, Justin, I'll see you in class" She says. Now that I think about it, I don't really want Addi to be on her own right now.
"Addi, I have a strange request" I say seriously, she looks at me, giving me her full attention, I can't help but look at her lips. Stop, I can't do this!
"What is it?" She asks.
"I don't really want you to be on your own tonight, in your condition, I think it would be best if I stay the night, I'll sleep on the sofa, it's just to keep an eye on you and make sure you're ok, cause once that morphine has worn off, you're going to be in a lot of pain" I say, she immediately bursts out laughing again.
"I'm sorry, but that sounds like, very weird, you're my teacher and friend and you want to stay the night in my room" She says still laughing.
"I know it's strange, but I'll be on the sofa, I'll only be there if you need me, you won't even notice me there, if that makes it easier for you" I say.
"Fine, I don't mind, if it puts your mind at rest, sure you can stay, but don't hog the bathroom in the morning!" She orders.
"Deal" I say, I grab my bag and put it over my shoulder, I go and help her out of the car and help her to her room, she's acting like a drunk person because of the morphine, she keeps trying to laugh and I'm trying to keep her quiet because everyone is sleeping, hopefully. We get to her room and she manages to open the door.
"I'm gonna go and change, make yourself comfy with some TV or something" She says and then disappears into her room, I sit down on her little sofa and put the TV on quiet, 5 minutes later she shows up in her baby blue pyjamas and holding a thick blanket type thing.
"Ok I know you're not thinking straight because of the meds, but I don't think cuddling is a good idea, I'm not supposed to" I say half seriously, why half seriously? I should have been completely serious then.
"It's not for us to cuddle up, it's for you to sleep, it'll keep you warm" She says and throws it at me, which I catch.
"Oh, that's very nice of you, thank you, you should get some rest, I can't put you to bed, but if you need anything, painkillers, just shout" I say.
"Will do, by the way, painkillers are in the first aid kit under the table, my Dad got it for me in case I hurt myself, there's different kinds of painkillers in there, night" She says.
"Night Addi" I say and she disappears into her room.
I am breaking so many rules right now, obviously the biggest one is staying in a students room, especially me being a male and Addi a female, I'd probably lose my job if I'm caught, even though nothing is going on, but I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I left her alone and something happened to her.
I sort out the blanket and lay it on top of me, she was right, it is keeping me warm, after a while of thinking, I eventually nod off.