A/N: Here's another one... in one week. I'm impressed with myself. Anywhooooo... please comment, vote, fan. COTEAN! That's me new word. I'd love some feedback on this one babes!
Chapter fifteen!
*Liam Stone’s POV*
She had looked great at Pun’s. I wondered who that guy was; maybe he was just some family friend. Not that it really was any of my business. It was pretty funny how Mrs. Smith noticed me when I walked in. She called my name as a question and when she realized how loud she was she grabbed her mouth. I made Bella go and sit at a table while I talked to them. Elle wasn’t there, but I went over there anyway. I could see the hurt in Mrs. Smith’s eyes when I walked over, but I knew she needed this. She still hadn’t had her full closure.
When I was at the table I saw that the man had grabbed her hand and was all protective of her, and I knew instantly that they had something romantic going on. But I could also see her hesitation so I knew she wasn’t completely ready for this to escalate any further. We chatted a little; she asked how I have been and what I was doing. I told her I was Michelle’s teacher, and just came here from Britain. She smiled and told me about her job.
The summer of the accident was my second summer in America. I was a little homesick even though my girlfriend was there.
Elle came to the table and her mum told me I should come over for dinner sometime. I was happy to, and we exchanged phone numbers. I walked back to Bella, but kept eyeing Michelle’s table over and over again. I shouldn’t be thinking like this. It’s too risky. It’s too wrong.
Monday was finally here and I had Michelle’s class in third and fourth period. She hated math, but I really can’t see why. I love how constructed it is, and straight forward; one problem, one solution.
Michelle entered with her friend, Emily, and they took their seats at the front. Michelle was beautiful as ever. No, Liam, stop. She’s your student.
“Right, class! Did everyone do their homework?” I asked. The fact was I knew about one quarter did their homework, half of them got someone to do it for them or copied it, and then there was the quarter that didn’t even bother. I was pleased to see most people putting their hands up, and then I walked around to collect the papers. I noticed Michelle didn’t do hers as I took Emily’s.
“Miss Smith, this is the first time you don’t return your home equations. I’ll need to see you here at lunch,” I said turned my back to her before she could object. That doesn’t mean she didn’t try.
“What?! There are like five other people in here that didn’t do theirs! Why am I singled out?” she asked in frustration. I really couldn’t blame her.
“Miss Smith, all I wanted to do was offer you help with them, since I am your tutor. As for the rest of the class, those who didn’t do what I asked for have until four to return them to my shelf outside my office.” I spoke in my teacher voice. It’s funny how my character changed a bit when I was teaching. I felt more confident; though not when I was tutoring Elle.
Elle frowned a bit but kept quiet. I smiled to myself and told them what equations to do.
After class Elle came to me. “Can I at least go and get some lunch before I come here?” I nodded and she skipped off, her hair bouncing against her back.
I sat down at my desk and started grading the homework assignments that had been brought in. My class was doing really good compared to how they were a month ago. I’ve been working them a bit hard, but I will only be working them harder because finals are in a month.
Few minutes later there was a knock on my office door. My office was separate from the classroom. I stood up and let Michelle in. She held a bag containing a few strawberries.
“Was the line so short?” I asked. It usually takes much longer to get lunch.
“I don’t know. I got some strawberries from Emily,” she replayed as she sat down on the sofa, dumped her bag on the coffee table and put her feet up too. “Look, I’m sorry about the homework, I had a lot on my mind. Why do you have to single me out?” She asked. She didn’t seem angry at all though, on the contrary, she looked pleased. I was imagining things.
“Sorry about that, I just want you to do well. And I needed to talk to you about Friday,” I said that second part in a whisper but she heard it clearly. I was nervous, but I needed her to understand my part of the story.
*Michelle Smith’s P.O.V.*
My heart started racing in my chest. I needed to know what he meant when he said it, and why he said it. I was nervous, but I just sat there still not making a sound. He moved to sit next to me on the sofa and I put my feet on the floor. I didn’t look at him when he started talking.
“Miss Smith...” he started but I cut him off to tell him to call me Michelle. “Michelle, I’m sorry for what I did and said. You’re right. Even though I saved your life once doesn’t make me your guardian angel, but it makes me feel kind of protective of you none the less. I feel the need to keep you safe, and I’m sorry. It’s just how I’m built. And about that other thing, I didn’t mean that. I guess I just wanted to make you feel better but then I realized it must have just made me look like a pedo and made you scared. It was just a spur of the moment thing and meant nothing.” He said and I still didn’t look at him. I could feel tears threatening to come bursting out so I turned my head to the other direction. “Say something,” he pleaded and buried his head in his hands.
“Thank you for clarifying that Mr. Stone. I’m grateful. But I have to go now, finish this homework. And I won’t be making tutoring after school, I have…this thing. Bye,” I said. My voice started off robotic, but towards the end I could feel it cracking and tears got past my eyes and ran down my face. I didn’t let him see them though; I just stood up and walked out. He made no effort to stop me whatsoever.
I ran to the girl’s lavatory and locked myself in a bathroom stall before letting my tears run freely down my face. How could he say that to me? Was he trying to torture me? Do I mean nothing to him?! I felt useless and empty. I was scared too. It was all such a mess.
I rubbed the necklace from my dad with thumb and index finger of my left hand. My right hand went up the back of shirt and traced the scars on my lower back. I needed to pull myself together before I could go to the next class. This wasn’t my ideal start to the week.
In the hallway I met up with Matt. I needed to talk to him about his ‘problem’. I just don’t know how to. I don’t know what to say to this. I have never dealt with anything like this before. I was scared.
We didn’t say a thing all the way to chemistry and we took our seats in the middle of the classroom. Jim flashed us a big smile and gave us instructions for the class. I wasn’t paying attention at all.
*
When I finally got home I saw mum and Sam at the kitchen table. I walked into the kitchen to say hi but stopped as soon as I saw that Sam had my dad’s Superman cup again. I walked over to him, took it out of his hands and he gave me a surprised look.
“It’s my dad’s,” I said and gave him a meaningful look. He just nodded as he understood. I poured the coffee into the sink and got him a new cup. Sam thanked me, and I thought that he might not me that bad at all.
“Honey, come and sit with us. We need to tell you something,” my mother said I followed her instructions.
“Please don’t be pregnant,” I said jokingly. I had kind of accepted what Liam said to me, and I didn’t bother being sad anymore. He’s my teacher and I know he couldn’t feel anything for me. I needed to move on.
“No, honey, I’m not pregnant. But I have a proposition for you,” my mum spoke in a happy manor and I knew it was something I would accept.
“You see, Michelle,” Sam said and I gave him a look for him to continue, “I own every Jaguar dealership in the state, and the two local every-car-dealerships in town,” he said and paused. What a douche.
“So that’s how you got into my mum’s bed,” I muttered under my breath. It wasn’t meant to be heard but it was anyway.
“Michelle! No! Don’t say stuff like that. Let us finish and then decide if we’re completely hopeless,” my mum said. She was embarrassed about my little sentence, but she couldn’t blame me.
“It’s ok, I get it. It’s hard to see another man in the household, but just hear me out. It’s a sort of a deal between me and your mother and you. And I know you will like it. Your mum has told me that you like cars,” Sam was calm about this and I liked him more. But would they just tell me what was going on already!
“Yeah, sorry,” I said into my chest.
“Your mum tells me you’ve been taking drivers lessons but have yet to take the test. She also tells me that you do pretty well in school, so this shouldn’t be hard for you. Well, since I get a massive discount on the cars we have a proposition. If you pass the driver’s test we have booked for you on Thursday, and if you get good grades in the end of this semester, you will get to choose any Jaguar car you want, for Christmas present of course.”
I was speechless. If I am to have a new stepdad this is the guy. I was so happy at that moment I couldn’t breathe. “Thank you!” I managed to squeal before I jumped to give them a hug.
“A happy family meeting I see?” I heard my sister’s voice from the door. She had a repulsive look on her face. I just walked past her and up to my room. I turned on the computer and checked on my e-mail, nothing interesting. I decided to do my math homework so I wouldn’t be singled out anymore. That’s when I heard a knock on the door but before I could answer Olivia was in my room.
“What do you want?” I asked frustrated.
“I see you’re fag friend is back in school. It’s weird how things turn out don’t you think? How one tiny bit on information can have such an impact on someone’s life,” she said while looking at statues and other decoration in my room.
“Putting together such long sentences now, you’re really making progress Olivia. No OMG, or LOL?” I let sarcasm pour through my words, hoping she would just leave me alone.
“You’ve got balls now? I always knew you were a bit of a tomboy but this? Maybe you could have a nice gay hookup with your friend? After all, I helped him get out of that dark closet of his. I think I did him a favor,” she said and dropped a statue I got from our great aunt. It broke into little pieces and spread across the floor in deadly positions. I couldn’t say anything. “Oops,” she said and was about to turn around when I stood up.
“You told them about Matt? How did you know?” I asked; tear welling up in my eyes.
“You really should look around you, even at home,” she simply said and turned to the door.
“BITCH!” I screamed and ran to her. I grabbed her shoulder, turned her around and punched her hard in the face. I didn’t care if she was my blood, Matt will always be more of a sibling that she ever will.
“Jerk! What the hell!” She shouted back. Her nose was bleeding but I didn’t care. I slapped her across the face, and took her earring in the process. That was just a bonus. She groaned in pain and jerked a few steps back. I used the opportunity to push her out the door so she landed on her behind before slamming the door on her toes.
“I hate you! You fucking bitch. Just go and get fucking hit by a car!” I cried through the door and heard her shout some unpleasant things to me too. She was mostly concerned about her face than the fact that she might have ruined someone’s life. She can burn in hell for all I care.
“Girls! What the hell is going on here?” I heard my mother ask. She gasped loudly and I knew she had seen what I did to my piece-of-shit-sister. “Olivia, what happened?”she asked.
“That psycho daughter of yours just attacked me out of nowhere,” What a liar bitch.
My mum opened the door and closed it again, telling Olivia to go to the bathroom to clean the blood of her face. She sat on the bed next to me and wiped the tears from my face. “Why would you do something like that to your sister?” She asked. I could tell she was mad, but she tried to keep calm, to understand.
“She-she’s not m-my sister,” I said through the sobs.
“Of course she is,” my mother said, but didn’t push it any further. I was thankful for that.
“She told everyone,” I swallowed, “about Matt being gay,” I finished and started crying again.
“What do you mean by everyone?” She asked and I decided it would be best to tell her everything. I left out about Matt’s cutting though, because I knew he didn’t want his parents to know just yet. I also told her about how Olivia stole David from me. I was just so broken.
“Olivia did that huh?” she said finally after my explanations. I nodded and mum stood up and walked to the door. I heard her open the door to Olivia’s room. They shouted at each other for a while, but I just dozed off to sleep. I couldn’t handle the world anymore.