"And that's the last one I found." William finished counting the papers of all the students who submitted.
Eliza watched him; she was sitting on the first desk like the previous day adorned in a black top, ripped jeans and a black leather jacket but her clothes didn't do justice to her face for she felt sick and nauseous. Her head felt heavy and even though she slept last night, she was starting to feel that the pills she took before were taking a toll on her body. Last night, James had made her take something new for the first time. It felt extremely uncomfortable but then she saw James and Arabella take it which made her push herself to go through.
She was suffering the consequences now.
William got up from his chair and moved towards his students. Eliza saw him scan the room and his eyes stopped on her.
"You didn't submit your homework again, Ms Scott," he said to her.
Eliza lifted herself to sit a little bit straighter. "I didn't get the time."
William sighed. "What's it with you people and time? I mean I get that you have your personal entertainment but you do realize that studies matter right?" he asked, not just to her, but to the entire class. "And it's not just her, Mr Dawson and Ms Davidson and the two of you at the back didn't submit too," he continued, pointing towards Thomas and Knight. They scoffed.
"Why are you so annoying?" the words escaped Eliza's mouth before she could stop herself.
William turned to look at her, surprised and she felt the others look at them.
"I am sorry? Ms Scott?" He arched an eyebrow at her.
Eliza got up from her seat and stumbled as her head felt heavier with each passing second but William caught her by her arm to support her. She got back her little strength and stood straight, slapping his hand off her. She saw him leaning at her desk, one arm extended at her side. He wasn't touching her but making sure she didn't fall.
"You," she said, pointing a thin finger at him. "...are very annoying."
When William didn't say anything but just stared at her, she continued.
"Your days must have been really different from ours. You know nothing about what problems we grow through every day. You adults only think of yourselves."
"You aren't in your right mind, Ms Scott. I think you are having a concussion."
Eliza felt insulted by that. "Don't you dare say that, Mr Ray! I am no more miserable than you. Look at you, you don't even have your wife with you!" she said and when she heard her own words, she felt so insensitive and inconsiderate for having divulged his secret that for a moment she expected William to be upset with her but he didn't even react.
"Ms Scott, you should go to the nurse's office."
"Stop showing this fake concern. You should go to the nurse's office and get that heart checked," she taunted, pressing her forefinger to his chest. He hissed at her touch. "Where is your wife, William Ray? Is she dead? Did she leave you to run away with someone else? I think I will go with the second, no-one would wish to stay with a person as rude as you."
"Ms Scott, did you just insult my wife?" he asked and Eliza's face flushed.
She was definitely having a concussion. She would never say such heartless things to people in her right mind.
What did James do to her last night?
She didn't let her expression give away her thoughts. She was already ashamed of everything she had just said and even though she wanted to take it back, she knew she couldn't.
"Yes, I did. Are you going to give me detention...Daddy?"
That was it. She was dead now for sure because William straightened up and in two quick steps, reached his desk. He picked up his phone and his book.
"Mr James Dawson and Ms Arabella Davidson, you are in for detention." His voice echoed through the silent room and Eliza's mouth opened in shock along with all the other students.
"What the fuck!?" Thomas scowled from the back of the room. “You can't do that. This ain't high school.”
William scoffed. “You want me to call their parents, then?”
Thomas clamped his mouth shut. Detention was a better choice than that. William seemed to have his own rules. Eliza had the urge to slap him for being such a pain in their ass.
Maybe she would slap him someday. It would be so satisfying.
"You can't do this," Eliza managed to say but William was moving towards her. He stopped right at her desk, staring down at her. He held her arm slowly and pulled her out of her desk. He didn't look at her as he made her walk with him.
"Let me go," Eliza struggled in his arms. "Where are you taking me?"
From the corner of her eye, she saw James stand up and take a step towards them.
"You need to go to the nurse's office, Ms Scott. You aren't well," William said, not meeting her eyes.
"I'm fine. Why would you give them detention? Why only them?" She stopped and pointed towards James and Arabella. "You should have given me detention and Thomas and Knight too. That's so unfair."
"Shut up, Eliza! Don't give him ideas." She heard the well-known voice of Knight shout.
Her vision was starting to darken slowly but she didn't want to give William the satisfaction of knowing that he was right.
"You made me do it," he said, grabbing her arm tighter when she felt her knees starting to grow weak.
"You shouldn't have done that."
"Well...you shouldn't have insulted my wife. It's give and take Ms Scott."
These were the last words she heard as her vision darkened completely and her legs gave out. But William caught her and before she could comprehend anything else that was happening, she found one of his hands on her back and the other went under her knees as he picked her up in his arms.
She found herself moving in the air as he carried her out of the class and then she was consumed by complete darkness when she passed out.
***
When Eliza woke up, she found her father sitting beside her. She looked around, blinking her eyes. She was in her room, on her bed, still in the same clothes, except for the jacket.
"Papa," she called out to her father. He took her hand in his.
"Hey, honey. How are you feeling?" She saw the tension in his expression and felt guilty.
"I'm okay, Papa," she assured him, trying to get up but her father pushed her back down.
"No, don't get up. I'll bring you soup." He was about to stand up when Eliza pulled him by his hand and he sat back.
"Did the nurse call you? What did she say?" she asked him.
She hoped that the nurse hadn't found out about the reason behind her fainting.
Her father blinked his eyes a few times and then said, "No. William brought you here." Her father's jaw ticked as he looked around the room. "I was in the workshop when I heard the doorbell ring. I opened it and he was there, with an unconscious you in his arms. I was so scared that I couldn't speak for some time but then he told me you were okay and just a little weak. I showed him to your room and he put you to bed...He left soon after. He went back to the Uni. I was so scared honey. What happened?"
"Nothing, Papa. I think it was the result of the morning breakfast I skipped."
She lied. She did get a sandwich on her way out. Her father's eyes looked so full of pain that Eliza couldn't help but get up a little to hug him around his waist.
"I'm sorry, Papa. I promise I'll never skip breakfast again," she said, closing her eyes and she was taken back to her childhood when she would get sick and her father would stay awake the entire night to take care of her. He was there, making sure she never missed the absence of a mother. She remembered the moment when she got her first period and he went to the medical store at 2 AM to get her tampons while she stayed under the care of the old lady next door.
"Look at you, honey. You are so thin. How come I didn't notice it? Please don't do this to your poor, old Papa. I will die if anything were to happen to you." He caressed her hair as he spoke, "Now get some rest, I'll get you soup. Okay?"
"Okay," she replied softly and let go of her father to sink back on the bed.
Harvey Scott placed a small kiss on her forehead before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.
Eliza was staring at the ceiling when the sound of her phone made her turn around and search for it. She found it lying on the bedside table and swiped it open.
James: We must do something about that Ray
Eliza read the message. It stung her that he didn't ask if she was okay, but she ignored that thought. Lying back on her pillow, she typed.
I don't think that's a good idea
James: Well he fucking sent me to detention for your fault. It's so annoying. Arabella and I had to spend the entire afternoon without phones.
Eliza looked outside. The sun was down now and the moon was up. She checked the time on her phone. 6 pm, it read. She sighed and wondered how long she had been unconscious.
What do you want to do?
James: He's your neighbour right?
How did you know?
James: We saw him carry you out. He said to the nurse that he will drop you to your Dad. That he lived nearby.
Oh
James: So? Do you have a key? Your father was the caretaker for that house for his friend right?
She did have a key or more like her father had a key to William's house. Uncle Felix had given two keys to him for looking after the house while he was in Paris.
Yes.
James: Great. Then be ready. Tonight, we attack.
Do you want to kill him?
James: I would love to but unfortunately being in prison isn't on my list for this life.
So?
James: Just bring the key. We will see.
Eliza did what she was told. When her father fell asleep, she got out of her bed, still on wobbly legs and stole the key from his study. She brought it to James who was waiting for her along with the other three at the gate of William's house.
They checked if William was home. He wasn't. Eliza's heart beat fast as she heard James's plan.
That night, they broke into William's house and painted his walls with graffiti.
'This town doesn't want you.'
They wrote on his walls.