The 4th CRIME

Chapter 3

At Rossiyskaya Akademiya Obrazovaniya, students were extremely disciplined. When a teacher walked into the class, the class must respect the teacher for the entire period by remaining silent and paying attention. If anyone didn't remain silent, they would get suspended. 

Getting suspended isn't a joke and definitely leads to expulsion. Missing even a day's worth of work was a pain in the neck because one day's worth of work at Rossiyskaya Akademiya Obrazovaniya, was probably a week's worth of work to most schools. 

Yet the silence in this class was something else. Chang-woo Kim, our new English teacher who happened to be Asian, has captured the attention of all students, including myself. 

Now I know how a man should pull off a suit because I have Joseph Hutcherson as my father and he never fails in the suit department. But dare I say Mr Kim was looking just as good. 

Mr Kim had dark and silky hair that sat atop his head with grace and perfection. His features were extremely pronounced and he looked like a model. He had high cheekbones, a jawline that cut through glass and he had these perfect pink lips that drew my eyes in. His eyes were dark, almost black and his skin was so clear it looked photo shopped. 

I've never seen him before because I don't think I'd ever be able to forget that face. I've got a great memory and his looks are those to be remembered. 

Oh well, I guess we've got another pretty teacher on our hands and he's probably not even well educated on the subject, or his one of those "read from your textbooks" and "the answer is in the textbook" kind of teachers. 

He walked around the big teacher's desk and leaned against the front of it as he faced the class, "I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday and congratulations on getting this far," he said, his eyes skimming over everyone and then stopping on me, "this is my first year of teaching at Rossiyskaya Akademiya Obrazovaniya, and I know this class will make it a great first year. Why don't we start with you all introducing yourselves in an orderly manner, just to kill some time before we receive our textbooks which will only be coming in next week." 

"You," he pointed to me, a small smile on his lips, "what's your name?" I gave him a blank look, before blinking twice and then looking away to the front of the class. I didn't come to school to play games and introduce myself. 

"She doesn't talk very much, Mr Kim," I heard the boy next to me say to him. 

"Oh, are you shy?" I know Mr Kim directed the question to me, but once again, I didn't come to school to answer questions like "are you shy". 

"She's not shy, Mr Kim," the same boy answered, I know this boy. His name is Aleksandr and he's always sitting next to me. Not because I know him or he knows me but because he doesn't have any friends and he has no choice but to sit in the front, away from his bullies. 

I know he's the son of a wealthy lawyer who represents politicians but he is weak and scrawny, an easy target with glasses, proper school etiquette and no willpower. 

"She's simply self-reliant," I almost smiled when he said that, I guess Aleksandr remembered from our very short conversation him and I had last year when he'd gotten the courage to look at me and ask me why I was always so lonely. I had given him the short response of "I'm not lonely, I'm self-reliant". He'd gotten spooked and never spoke to me again, but it's good to see he remembers. 

"Well, what's her name?" Mr Kim asked Aleksandr and I watched as Mr Kim get off the table as he put his hands in his pockets, looking much like a confident gentleman. 

"Natalya Hutcherson, sir," Aleksandr responded and I could feel him looking at me, probably asking for my permission to speak for me but I kept my eyes ahead. 

"And what's your name?" 

"Aleksandr-" 

"Miss Hutcherson," Mr Kim spoke, standing in front of my desk, "in my class," he began, leaning down, placing his hands on either side of my table, "when I ask you a question, I expect an answer," he breathed out as his eyes scanned my face and I met his dark eyes finally. 

I would have glared but I didn't want to waste my energy so I just stared at him, imagining him with a bullet in his head. I cracked out a small smile at the thought and he raised an eyebrow. 

"What's so funny, Miss Hutcherson?" He asked me, his accent very thick through his English and it was very clear that English was not his mother tongue. 

I narrowed my eyes, no remnants of my lips ever having moved, "I come to school to work and write my examinations, Mr Kim, not answer your questions that will play no role in improving my education." 

He leaned back, moving his hands off my table as he looked down at me. I clearly noticed his irritation towards me. He stood straight, towering over me as he looked at the rest of the class, "well I guess this year won't be as wonderful as I thought. Since Miss Hutcherson refuses to answer any of my questions that will not play a role in the "improving" of her education, I give you your first assignment due for tomorrow's English period," he said as he began to walk to the front of the class, "you each have to write a speech about who your role model is and why." 

He paused as he faced the rest of the class, everyone was silent but I know everyone was pissed, "you all have Miss Hutcherson to thank for that," he said with a fake smile. 

~~~

"I f*****g hate school," I said as my mum opened my bedroom door and walked in. 

She sighed, "yes, you say this every day, Natalya. You know, I miss how excited you would get about school-" 

"I was four." 

"Yeah," she paused as she walked to me, watching me as I sat on my bed with my pen in my hand as I started to write that damn speech, "what are you doing?" 

"Well," I began as I put my pen down and looked up at my beautiful mother who seems like she hasn't aged since I was a child, "this teacher is making us write a speech about who our role model is and why." 

"Oh, that sounds fun!" My mum said excitedly and I narrowed my eyes at her. 

My mum is a very beautiful woman and you would have to be blind if you didn’t think so. Her perfect and flawless brown skin that practically glowed made me feel a bit self-conscious about my lighter brown skin tone that was a mix of my mum’s darker skin tone and my father’s Caucasian colour. She had high cheekbones, the perfect smize and her eyes held a bit of mischief and danger in them. 

She was the strict parent whereas my father was laid back and would let us do whatever we wanted. 

"It's really not," I disagreed, "I need to get this done in the next half an hour or Czar is going to leave me," I complained. My father usually gives Czar and I tasks to drop some of his product to his special customers who are willing to pay a leg and a half for the drugs. 

My mum shook her head, "oh, no, no, no," she said, "you and your brother are not going anywhere," she gave me a pointed stare when I tried to argue, "it is a school night. You are both staying home on weekdays and I don't care what you say." 

"Bu-" 

"But nothing," she responded in English, "get on with your homework missy." 

I frowned, as I looked away at her and at my books. 

"So is there any new cute boys in your class?" She asked as she sat on the corner of my bed and I kept quiet, ignoring her, "oh don't be bitter, Natalya, you and your brother are not going out at all, I'm going to make sure I speak to your father as well."

I frowned even more.

"So, this year is your dance," she sung out as she kept trying to make conversation with me, "aren't you excited?" I frowned some more, "If you keep frowning I don't know what you'll get sooner, a slap or a damn wrinkle." 

I sighed as I looked at her, "I'm not excited, because I don't want to go. Now can I please finish my assignment," I said shortly and she gave me a sad look, her smile coming off her face as she nodded, "I'll come talk to you when I'm done, I'll even help with the triplets," I said to make her smile and feel better. 

She just nodded and fixed her robe before she stood up and left and I groaned, reaching for my phone, "Czar," I said when he picked up. 

"Yeah, I know, she told me the same thing," he replied. 

"So we can't even sneak out?" 

"I'm taking care of-" I heard giggling and screams on his side of the phone and knew that he had Nikita, Viktor and Karik with him. 

I cut the call as I glared down at the white page. I hate school. 

~~~