THE TEACHER'S VIRGIN STUDENT MATE

CHAPTER 2

ELARA ASHFORD

I roll my eyes, but I know my friend is only trying to help me, even if her solution isn’t the most sensible.

I look at the cup again, thinking about my options. Why not? Maybe it’s exactly what I need… to forget. Forget how my life seems to be silently falling apart. Forget the constant doubts about my future, the fears, or even who I really am. And my nightmares.

I bring the cup to my lips and take a sip. The bitter, burning taste makes my face twist, but soon I take another, trying to let the alcohol warm my throat. The beats of the music in the background start to blend with the rhythm of my breathing, and I follow Chloe through the forest, where the sounds of the party grow more intense.

Couples kiss in the dark, hidden in the shadows of the trees, while others dance awkwardly around the bonfire. The music echoes among the trees, and laughter mixes with the rustling of leaves under my feet. I wonder how Chloe always seems so comfortable at these parties, while I feel out of place. Invisible, even surrounded by so many familiar faces.

We sit on a fallen log near the bonfire, where the orange warmth dances in the shadows, and I take another sip, beginning to feel the alcohol loosen the tension in my shoulders. The school’s football team is farther ahead, talking animatedly and laughing loudly. Chloe follows my gaze, which inevitably rests on Oliver, the guy I’ve had a crush on since last year. He’s wearing his team jacket, blonde and tall, and laughing with his friends, like the world is an easy place for him.

“So? When are you going to talk to Oliver?”, Chloe nudges me with her elbow, a mischievous smile on her lips.

I laugh without much humor and reply, full of sarcasm:

“What would I even say to him? ‘Hi, my name’s Elara, and I’ve liked you since last year?’”

Chloe laughs, throwing her head back in an exaggerated way.

“Try ‘Hi, would you like to go out with me?’ or anything else. Just talk to him, Elara.”

I lift my head and look at Oliver again. He seems out of reach, with his blonde hair shining in the firelight, broad shoulders, and that confident smile.

“I don’t think he even knows who I am.”, I sigh, feeling a touch of discouragement. I hate this feeling of being just another face lost among so many students.

Time passes, and I already feel the lightness that the alcohol provides, making my thoughts begin to wander. I’m starting to get drunk, and I can feel it at this moment. Another sip from the cup, and my vision becomes slightly blurry, but I feel more at ease, as if my worries are fading away from within me.

Suddenly, something in the distance catches my attention. I turn my head and look up at the hill, where an old, dark mansion dominates the landscape, its silhouette etched against the night sky.

“Who lives in that house?”, I ask, still with my eyes fixed on the mansion. The place seems almost supernatural, like it’s from another time, forgotten by everyone. Beautiful and eerie. I like it.

Chloe shrugs as she takes another sip.

“I don’t know, but I think no one really knows. Some people say only an old, lonely man lives there after his entire family died.”

“Wow, that’s sad.”, I murmur, not taking my eyes off the house. Something about that place intrigues me, as if the mystery surrounding it pulls me in an inexplicable way. I want to know more about the lonely resident. I want to understand why the place feels so distant yet so close at the same time.

Before I can think further, Chloe pulls my hand, interrupting my thoughts.

“Come on, let’s make him notice you!”

I follow her, laughing, and we start dancing to the loud music that pulses around the bonfire. The beat fills the air, and I close my eyes, letting myself be carried away by the melody. The effect of the alcohol makes my movements looser and my worries lighter.

When I open my eyes, I feel several gazes on me. The boys at the party are looking, but my gaze is drawn to something… or someone… farther away. Near a tree, at the edge of the party, a person is standing, partially hidden by the shadows.

When he steps toward the bonfire, the light illuminates his face, revealing a man who is definitely not one of the students. My body freezes the moment I see him. He is older than anyone here, but not too old. From the way he looks in the dark, I guess he must be around 30 or 35, maybe.

His eyes slowly wander over the students around the bonfire until they fix directly on me. I held my breath for a second, watching the stranger. His gaze is penetrating and intense, in a way that makes me feel a strange mix of fascination and discomfort. He’s wearing a simple black t-shirt and jeans, but there’s something about the way he moves, as if he’s completely at ease in this environment, that unsettles me.

His eyes… I’ve never seen anything like them. They have a dark glow, as if they contain a depth I can’t comprehend. And, for some reason, he doesn’t look away from me. He’s examining me, and I wonder if he knows something I don’t.

My heart races. Who is he?

The heat from the bonfire warms my face as I continue dancing with Chloe and the rest of the students. I’ve lost count of how many sips I’ve taken, and the lightness the alcohol brought me earlier now seems to have turned into something heavier and more chaotic. Each step I take is a little more unsteady, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to keep up with the music reverberating through the forest.

I’m beyond my limit, and I know it. Everything around me starts to spin, but I can still cling to the rhythm of the music, the muffled laughter, and Chloe’s presence by my side.

Eventually, people begin to gather around the bonfire, and I join them, still tasting the bitter alcohol in my mouth and feeling the warmth spreading through my body.

My eyes wander, and inevitably, they land on him again. The mysterious man is still standing at the edge of the party, near a tree, watching from afar. There’s something disturbing and attractive about him at the same time. I can’t look away, and every time I do, I feel a chill down my spine.

“Who is he?”, I ask Chloe, my voice sounding slower than usual, thanks to the drink. My eyes were still fixed on the shadowy figure.

Chloe follows my gaze and frowns slightly before smiling with that mischievous glint she always has.

“I don’t know, but he’s definitely not one of the students. I’d know if he was.”, she replies, shrugging.

I laugh, but my laughter sounds strange, mixed with the light dizziness growing in my head.

“Do you think he’s part of the school board or something? They never leave us alone.”

Chloe rolls her eyes.

“Ugh, definitely. I bet he’s just here to make sure no one does anything ‘wrong.’”, she says, imitating a deep, authoritative voice, which makes me laugh again.

Before I can keep watching the man, one of the football players' voices cuts through the air.

“This party is way too dull! Let’s have some real fun!”, he shouts, raising a glass bottle and placing it theatrically on the ground.

Ah, the spin-the-bottle game. I smile—a smile that probably looks silly because I’m more drunk than I’d like to admit. Still, the game is a perfect distraction. Everyone starts moving toward the center, forming a circle around the bonfire, and I find myself sitting there, watching people with bright eyes of excitement.

I notice that Oliver, the guy who occupies my thoughts more than he should, is looking at me with an interest I’ve never seen before. My heart races, but I try not to show it.

The first girl spins the bottle, and it stops on one of the football players. They kiss, and everyone around them cheers and claps as if it’s the most exciting thing in the world. And, for them, it probably is.

When it’s Chloe’s turn, she laughs loudly before spinning the bottle hard, and everyone watches in anticipation as it spins and spins… until it stops on a girl from our reading class.

“Kiss, kiss, kiss!”, someone shouts, and Chloe, always fearless, doesn’t hesitate. She leans in to the girl and kisses her with a confidence I envy, and once again, cheers and applause erupt around us.

Chloe comes back to my side, laughing, as I watch her with a slight surprise.

“Wow…,” I say, laughing, trying not to seem too impressed.

But then, it’s my turn.

The bottle spins, spinning and spinning, until it lands on Oliver. My heart races in my chest. He looks at me with that easy, confident smile, and suddenly, the game doesn’t seem so fun anymore. I’m nervous.

I hand the cup to Chloe, who gives me an encouraging look, and I slowly stand up as the shouts and applause around us grow louder.

Everyone is watching. I try to look calm as I approach him. Oliver smiles casually, as if it means nothing, and when I lean in to kiss him, I feel his tongue invade my mouth, but it’s a quick kiss. I pull away, breathless, and the excitement of the others fades into the background of my mind as I return to my seat.

It was just a kiss, and it shouldn’t mean anything, but I can’t help feeling strange.

Chloe, of course, is laughing beside me.

"Oh my God! You kissed Oliver Quinn!"

I smile back, but I still feel something uncomfortable in my stomach. Before I have time to process what's happening, I look back at the man near the tree. He's still there. And he's still looking at me.

The game continues, and my unease grows. When it’s Oliver’s turn again, he spins the bottle, and it lands on another girl. Everyone cheers and hollers, but I cringe inside.

Then, someone shouts something that makes me freeze.

"I thought you were going to be with Elara tonight!"

I turn to look, and I hear Oliver's reply, drunk and careless.

"That was just a kiss. I don’t hook up with virgins, Jake!", he laughs, and my vision blurs with tears.

My heart sinks, as if a heavy hand had squeezed it tightly. I watch Oliver kiss the other girl, and this time, he seems to enjoy it more. My eyes fill with tears, but I force myself not to cry. Not here. Not in front of everyone.

"Elara...", Chloe begins, her voice full of concern.

"I'm fine, Chloe. Everyone already knew he was a jerk.", I mutter, trying to keep my voice steady.

But despite my words, the pain in my chest doesn’t lessen. I try to ignore it, try not to think about it, but the truth is, his words hurt more than I want to admit. The alcohol, the kiss, the humiliation... everything is mixing together, and I feel like I’m on the verge of losing control.

The party continues around me, but I’m no longer there. My hands tremble slightly as I hold the plastic cup, and my head can no longer keep up with the rhythm of the music or the laughter. All I can focus on is Oliver laughing and chatting with the girl he kissed. They’re so close now that he’s already placed his hand on her thigh, sliding his fingers in a familiar way, like he’s done it a thousand times before, and maybe he has.

"Elara, where are you going?", Chloe’s voice sounds concerned as I get up, my legs shaky from the excess alcohol.

"I just need some air, Chloe.", I mumble, trying to sound firm.

But the truth is, I’m running away. I can’t stay here and watch Oliver do what he always does—humiliate me again, only this time not with words but with actions.

Chloe watches me, but she doesn’t follow, and for that, I’m grateful. I walk among the trees, distancing myself from the party, the group, and the suffocating reality. The music and laughter grow distant as I venture deeper into the dark forest.

The cold air touches my skin, bringing a shiver, and I wrap my arms around myself, as if I could protect myself from everything that’s happening. But I can’t.

The tears begin to stream down my face, and I can’t stop them. I can’t stop thinking about everyone laughing when Oliver called me a virgin. It shouldn’t affect me this much, but it does. A lot.

I feel like I’m exposed, naked, to all their eyes. The salty taste of the tears mixes with the bitterness of the alcohol still in my mouth, and everything becomes a confused mess.

I know what’s going to happen. Oliver will take that girl to his car, they’ll have s*x, like he does with all the others. Like I’ve never done, and maybe that’s why he never even considered me seriously.

I take another sip of the drink, trying to drown out the pain that feels unbearable, and my vision around me becomes blurry, clouded by tears and alcohol. Suddenly, the sound of branches snapping catches my attention, and I quickly turn around, my heart racing.

"Someone your age shouldn’t be drinking so much.", a raspy voice says, interrupting my thoughts.

I blink, trying to hastily wipe the tears away, feeling exposed once again. The man from the tree—the same one who was watching me earlier—steps closer, his footsteps light on the dry leaves. He stops beside me, his presence as intense as before.

"And someone your age should be home taking care of kids.", I murmur, irritated and too drunk to keep my tongue in check.

He laughs. A short, soft laugh that catches me by surprise.

"Good one, but I don’t have kids. Children are too complicated.", he replies, as if speaking from personal experience.

"I’m not a child!", I turn my head toward him, my voice firm.

He smiles—a small, almost imperceptible smile.

"I never said you were, but crying over a stupid boy who sleeps with all the girls only shows how complicated teenagers can be."

I huff, looking away, but his words hit me hard.

"I’m not crying over him."

"Oh, no? He humiliated you in front of everyone. Crying over someone who doesn’t deserve it would be, at the very least, idiotic.", he raises an eyebrow, not seeming to believe me.

"You don’t know anything about me.", I respond, my voice faltering. It’s an attempt to sound strong, but I fail miserably.

"Not about you, no, but I know many like him. It’s not worth suffering for someone like that.", he admits.

I turn to face him, finally looking directly at him. I should be scared, I should walk away from a stranger in a dark forest, but something about him keeps me standing there. There’s nothing threatening about his presence—quite the opposite, it’s as if he’s speaking directly to the deepest part of me.

"So, what should I do?", I ask, my voice coming out in a whisper.

"Show them they can’t do that to you. Don’t tolerate that kind of offensive behavior.", he responds, his voice low and controlled.

I nodded, agreeing, without fully knowing how to do that. My eyes fall again on the cup of drink in my hand, as if it could give me the answers.

"It’s a beautiful house, isn’t it?", he asks, abruptly changing the subject and looking toward the mansion that seems to dominate the distant landscape.

I look too.

"Yes, very beautiful. The view must be amazing.", I reply, not quite sure why I’m saying that.

"Do you know who lives there? Do you know the story?", he asks, and I shake my head in denial.

"Well, they say a lonely old man lives there.", I say.

I look at him, noticing, for the first time, a necklace around his neck with a moon-shaped pendant.

"And you? You’re definitely not one of the students. Why are you here?", I ask, finally giving voice to the question that’s been bothering me since the beginning.

He smiles, but this time it’s an enigmatic smile.

"I should be asking you the same question."

I frown.

"Why?"

"Because you’re on my property.", he says calmly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

My eyes widen in surprise, and I feel the heat of embarrassment rise to my face.

"Oh my God, you live in that house?", I point to the mansion, incredulous.

"Yes. I’m the lonely old man.", he responds, raising an eyebrow.

I start laughing, shaking my head.

"Sorry for saying that."

He smiles once more.

"I’ll think about forgiving you."

The tension eases, and I relax, but I quickly tense again when he steps even closer, his eyes fixed on me.

"Don’t move.", he says, his voice soft, almost a whisper.

I frown, confused.

"What?"

He’s very close now, and my body presses against the tree behind me.