Temptations

Chapter Two

I looked away and around the room everyone was looking at him nervously. They shouldn't be, he's just a teacher and I'm sure he's not as intimidating as he looks. Though I do know many of the students are very religious in some way and tattoos are a sin, to mar your temple. Somehow it didn't bother me even though God doesn't like them something in me sort of did. I shake the thought from my mind and silently pray for forgiveness.

"Okay, now that introductions are out of the way. Anyone want to volunteer to pass out the semester time line?" I look back at him as he says this. No one else has risen their hand and he smirks.

I raise my hand up.

"Are you volunteering?" He asks me those green eyes locking mine to his.

"Yes, Sir" The words come out before I stop them. I stand up and smooth my dress out as I walk to the front of the classroom.

"Your name?" He asks as he hands me the thick stack of papers without looking at me.

"Daisy Scott." I say quietly and he smirks to himself.

"Go on then pass them out," Mr. Riley says after a moment of me standing their.

"Yes, Sir," I quickly start to pass them out to the other students. As I pass the last one to Kevin he smiles at me and touches my hand.

"You're always first to volunteer that's why Jesus loves you." Kevin smiles at me again

"Daisy." Mr. Riley snaps and I jump looking over at him. "This is class not a date." The class erupts in snickers and laughs.

"I'm sorry, Sir." I quickly walk head down to my seat.

The class drags slowly and every time I look up I get locked in this green eyes so I try to just write everything he says down and not look at him. Finally the bell rings and everyone starts pouring out of the class room quickly. Kevin walks over to my side and grabs ahold of my hand causing me to blush.

"Join me for lunch today? I'm planning on going to Joe's" Joe's is this small burger house but it has the best milkshakes ever.

"Sure, I'd love too!" I smile at him. "Which is your next class?"

"Biology sadly, you?"

"Algebra," I pout.

"Well, I'll see you at lunch." He steers away from me and I'm secretly wishing he would maybe kiss my cheek or something since it's not a sin to kiss of course.

The rest of my classes pass quickly and soon I'm sitting across from Kevin and his best friend Lee. I'm not very fond of Lee, he's always been quite snooty of me since I'm not catholic. While they are discussing ways to become Bishop I slowly eat my food and drink my heavenly cherry milkshake.

"I'll be back, I'm going to the restroom." I say as I stand but neither of them pay me any mind. I sigh as I walk towards the bathroom why did he even invite me if he isn't going to talk to me. After a few minutes I come out and run smack into someone almost falling but strong hands grip my arms keeping me standing.

"I'm so sorry," I ramble on before looking up at whoever I ran into. My eyes meet his green ones and I suddenly cannot breathe normally. "Mr. Riley I'm so sorry, my mind is elsewhere and my, my..." I falter and stutter before finally just shutting up completely embarrassed. His hands are still on my arms.

"It's fine," his voice is flat but I see a flash of amusement in his eyes.

"I need to get back to school," I whisper and he walks away without another word. I'm frozen to the spot for a few seconds before finally walking back to my table, Kevin and Lee have already paid and left. I'm sure they were just worried about being late.

The rest of the day passes quickly and before I know it I'm heading to my last class of the day study hall. I set my things down at one of the tables in the upper floor of the large library, the upper floor holds all of the fiction novels and short stories, and I start looking through the new sections. After a while of not finding anything on the first few shelves I start looking above me I spot one that looks interesting I stretch up to get it but my fingers can't grasp it, a tattooed hand reaches up behind me and grabs it then hands it to me.

My eyes slide up his tattooed arm and meet his eyes, a smirk playing on his lips. "Thank you, Sir."

"No need to thank me for being tall," his smirk turns into a small laugh. "Forbidden love?" He glances at the book. "You don't seem to be the type to read this kind of story."

"What kind of novel do you think I should read?" I ask and look down from his piercing green eyes.

"Something with Jesus in it." He says flatly and shrugs.

"How do you know I'm religious?"

"The innocents in your eyes for one also the way you dress." He said his eyes dragging slowly down my body and my eyes meet his again.

"I'm not that innocent." I snap causing his eyes to widen.

"Yes you are." He smirks again. "You're very innocent. I'm sure you haven't even been kissed, especially not by that boyfriend you have. What is he a saint?"

"He's very nice," I defend Kevin.

"So nice he left you by yourself at lunch today? Did he even speak to you?" Mr. Riley asked his eyes narrowing. "Drop the boyfriend, he's not interested in you. Believe me I can tell."

His words pierce straight into my heart and my eyes well up with tears. Regret flashed in his eyes before I turned and walked briskly away from him and to gather my things. I hear his footsteps behind me but I hurry as I run out of the library and into the street outside.

"Daisy wait." He quickly catches up to me. "You can't just leave your last class, there is twenty minutes left."

"I'm not feeling good and it's an elective class, Sir." I whisper and continue walking. It had started raining and thundering.

"It's about to storm, you can't just walk home in this weather." He said. "I'll give you a ride."

"It's only a few blocks away, I'll be fine." I say and start to walk again but the rain gets worse and I can already feel it soaking my dress. "Plus I'll get your car wet."

"Just come on." He growls and heads towards the parking lot beside the library. I briskly follow him to a black shiny Magnum. "Get in before anyone sees you."

I quickly get in and buckle my seatbelt before he even starts the car. "Thank you for giving me a ride."

"Just don't tell anyone. In such a small town as this one it would be a scandal." He smirks as he pulls out of the lot after I give him a brief direction to my house.

"You're not from here are you?" I ask shyly picking at the hem of my dress.

"Originally from Romania but moved to California when I was 16 to go to school and college. Now I've moved here." He looks over at me.

"Wow, I've never been out of Mississippi." I say and notice the sky turning a greenish colour. "How far away from here do you live?"

"About a five minute drive at most, why?" He asks.

"Just that it looks like we are about to have a tornado." I clutch onto my seatbelt tightly.

"Are you afraid of bad weather?" He asks but when I only nod he challenges me. "Shouldn't you trust your God to keep you safe."

"If you're a religions teacher shouldn't you be a bit less rude about people's beliefs?" I say and look over at him. His long tattooed arms are tense as he grips the steering wheel tightly.

"I do when they are actual believers, even though it's all rubbish."

"You're saying I'm not a believer?" I retort.

"Yes, you're not a believer. You are innocent but there is something in you that doesn't want to believe, you want to experience life without worrying of sin because you want to be sinful." He smirks at me in a way that sends butterflies deep into my stomach.

"I think you're wrong." I say as we pull up to my house.

"I'll prove it to you." He smirks and I blush deeply. "Now get out of my car."

"Oh sorry, Sir." I scramble to gather my things.

"Stop calling me that." He almost growls. "You don't want to know how it makes me feel. Now go."

I quickly get out and run up into my house. Its white with a green roof and a wrap around porch. It's the only house on this block. Once I was inside I ran up to my room and threw myself on my bed.

What am I doing? He's so annoying but then not. He's very handsome yes, his lips look so soft...what?!

I close my eyes a pray until Mr. Riley's face isn't behind my eyelids.