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Now is not the time.
"I am a little busy right now, can we cancel the class for today?" I said in a small voice.
He already hated me probably after what I said in the morning.
"What are you busy with right now?" He asked in a serious tone.
Since when was he so meddlesome.
"Um...Music Fest thing." I said trying not to sound like a fool.
"It's more important than you passing the test?" His eyes narrowed at me.
I thought for a moment, at what I was doing. Was it more important than my studies at the moment, more important than making my parents proud?
"Yes," I answered his question and questions in my head.
He sighed shaking his head.
"I am not teaching you anymore then."
I was not surprised at his words because after my rebuttal this morning I expected that but as he said it, his words hurt.
I was short on time so I couldn't argue or plead for my case.
"This is not over," I said not agreeing to failure and then ran to complete my mission impossible.
◈ ◈ ◈
I swear I suck at this being a robber thing. If I fail as a student I can't make a career as a thief. I was in panic mode and I couldn't really concentrate and creating more mess than needed.
But everything felt worthwhile when I opened the drawer on his desk which I unlocked with my talent of using pins as keys. The mobile was there and all I needed was to transfer his data to my phone using Bluetooth.
I was feeling adrenaline and pride rush through me as I grabbed the phone and then all hopes came crashing down as I realized it was locked. Nelson coughed outside and I realized he must have seen Nicholas through the window in the corridor. He was coughing too loudly and in an overdramatic manner.
In a split second, I made a decision, I had to take the phone with me and rushed outside.
"Let's go." And Nelson followed looking like he was going to pass out.
I called Ashton as soon as the work was done.
"Where are you?" He asked sounding a little thrilled.
"Let's meet on the basketball field, that is empty right now."
I was feeling even more nervous than I did before. I was holding the phone in my hand.
A few minutes later, Ashton came running looking both worried and happy at the same time.
"We got the phone." Nelson dropped the bomb just like that.
"WHAT?"
"You were supposed to get the photos!" He yelled.
"Dumbass the phone is locked and I panicked." I defended my grave mistake.
"Just dump it somewhere and think of some other plan." Nelson was freaking out.
"But that is mission failure," Ashton said sounding agitated.
"What else can we do?"
"He will soon report it missing." Nelson was pacing and it was not doing us any good.
"I have an idea why don't we go and submit it to the principal saying we found it lying somewhere?" Ashton suggested and this was by far the best idea I have heard.
"Okay, I will do that," I said taking the phone since it was my fault that we were having this discussion.
So I rushed to the principal's office and entered forgetting to ask for permission.
"Yes, Edith, how can I help you." He asked looking mildly amused.
"Just- I found this phone in the corridor." I played the best innocent student I could.
"Sure you did, leave it here." He said not looking entirely convinced.
"Thank you," I said sincerely and thought for a moment if I should tell him how Ms. Sofia was in trouble and if he could help.
But I thought this was not my secret to share and I need to convince her to confess herself.
And I walked out sighing in relief.
◈◈◈
I was sitting in the middle of the arts and crafts room with coffee and an onion bagel in my hand. After two hours of searching through this crap, I managed to find some useful things for the music fest. It was seven in the evening I honestly missed the class with Mr. Iceberg.
Anyway, he taught me enough that I would pass marginally.
I sipped the coffee looking around the mess and estimating almost another hour of torture.
Ashton was getting the participants' signature so that was another task done today.
Since I was alone and probably no one would even hear, I started singing no tears left to cry first in slow volume but when I felt more comfortable I was enjoying myself. I sang letting me distress myself.
The door burst open as if in a haste and I stopped my heart leaping almost out of my chest.
Josiah was standing at the door, his eyes were the first thing that caught me not his usual brown but a peculiar non-human shade of bright amber.
I thought it was a light trick because he blinked and it was brown again.
"Hi," I answered feeling awkward at the heavy silence between us.
He cleared his throat and I felt that my crush was still strong.
"What are you here this late?" He asked.
"Lot of work," I answered simply remembering I should be annoyed with him for being so rude to me.
"Um, you have a nice voice."
My crush did not just say I had a nice voice.
Not letting my inner heart dance show I just smiled," Thank you."
"I will leave you to work."
What? What? You can't leave like that.
"Are you really not going to teach me now?" I gathered courage and ask.
"Tell me then where were you this afternoon?" He asked.
This would be confessing my own sin in front of the police.
I think about it and then what would be the consequences of stealing the teacher's phone.
"You will probably put me in a worse situation than I am already in," I mumbled.
He inhaled sharply.
"You know being kind and upright is going to get you in trouble one day, it will not be of any benefit because no one in the world deserves kindness or help."
The way he said it didn't upset me, it just surprised me a lot.
His silent exterior was in need of friendship fast and also that maybe his life was not that perfect. after all to hold some negative views about life.
"It's fine Josiah, you don't have to tutor me. I will try something else." I said with a shrug not arguing with him because his ideas didn't match with mine.
Giving me the coldest glare he could muster, he walked away closing the door too loudly behind him. I would lie that it didn't hurt a bit.
---
I woke up to a familiar whimpering noise in the middle of the night. I groaned as I woke up, my head throbbing with main. I was barely getting any sleep but the sound was so clear in the silence of the night that I couldn't continue sleeping.
I got up and rushed to the backyard, to find a familiar dog with another injury. Why was this happening to me? Where was his owner?
This time there was an injury on the leg.
"Last time we met you were all fine and even ready to bite my head off," I mumbled in the dead silence of the night.
I rushed back inside and got one of the older scarves this time since the dog was too big to be just tied using a handkerchief. Why was he hurt, again and how did we end up here? Did the owner live around here?
I tried to gather the super heavy dog in my arm and it growled so ferociously that I winced.
"What's with the attitude buddy, I am trying to help?" I snapped at him.
Blame lack of sleep and then the abundance of work for making me cranky.
I didn't wake up my mom this time and drove the dog down to the same vet forgetting to call him this time and hoping he was still there. With the low painful moaning of the dog, it was hard to drive. I was getting worried about him and also it was almost pitch dark in the path, street lights place at an abrupt distance from each other.
GPS announced our arrival and the little light inside made me feel better as I picked up the dog feeling short of breath and rushed inside. For a second it hit me that I was wearing my pj's and slippers.
"Help?" I asked and Doctor Warren looked up from the book he was reading.
"Again?" He asked sounding as surprised as me.
I nodded.
And we followed the same procedure as before.
"I can leave?"I asked looking at the clock reading four and counting my hours of sleep left.
"You came alone, I don't think it would not be right to send you back like this at this time."
I came in my own car, I can drive back.
But obviously I didn't want my cranky sideshow as he was a kind, helpful person.
"It will be fine," I mumbled not in the condition to sit and wait till the dog got treated.
My head was hurting badly.
"My son cand drop you home."
"No, no I am fine," I said not wanting to sit with an awkward stranger at this moment.
But he was not listening to me.
He called and said in a gentle tone, "Do me a favor son, come down would you?"
Why was his son still awake?
"He is excited about some fest so he is still awake." He explained to me the unasked question.
It was comfortable having cleaning right under your residence.
Rushed footsteps made me look in that direction and Warren's son walked out.
"Are you stalking me now?"
Of course not, you bullying jerk.
"Ashton is your son?" I asked and realized I asked it out loud.
"You know her, good. Drop her home please." He said too kindly to be Ashton's father.
I thought he would outright just pick up a scalpel and kill me.
"Fine, whatever." He said picking up a key.
WHAT?
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Well, well, well.... the world is such a small place- or something like that xD
Will you believe me if I said I forgot I had 2 books going on and not until someone said when will you update Serendipity I realized, OH NO...I was writing that book too.
Signs of Old age people! LOL
Anyway, HAPPY READING and remember to drop down comments to let me know if this was any good?