Looking for you

Chapter 11 (edited)

Evelyn

Next year was supposed to be the last one for Alex, we talked about it on vacation but most of our predictions involving being together meant for her or me to leave the school.

“I could change from school, it´s only the last year. I won´t have to give explanations to anybody, it would be my choice…” she started.

“I know you would, but you´ve said it Alex, it´s your last year, it is not logical to do that. If we stick to the beginning of my scenery, perhaps I could leave for this year and when to work for another one…” I tried.

“But, the principal said the program of science in English was being a success because of you! Evelyn, that would be a nice note in your CV, you can´t leave it now that you almost finish it…”

All our reasoning was right and well grounded, so, for the end of the talk we agreed that we would both stay at the same school, it was just one year after all, by its end I wouldn´t be her professor anymore, nor will she be my student. Everything we had to do was to keep a low profile as we did the previous years…of course the only difference now, and what was making it a bit more exiting, and me nervous, was the fact that we both knew our feelings for each other now.

We talked for the rest of vacation and I visited her a couple of days at her place. I teased her about the fact that she didn´t know my house and that she should visit me for the next time. Perhaps I invited her too soon, because her reaction was 80% nervousness but in the end she agreed with what I believe to be a fierce expression. I think she ´plays´ that way with herself in order to gain bravery over new things. First week of class started tomorrow and we went out to have the last coffee before being stuck with work and responsibilities. When accepting we were going to have a relationship against, basically, almost everyone, we thought it was best for us to start going to new places where no one knew us. We visited the old ones from time to time but when being there we always kept a reserved attitude.

“Let me see if I got this right. So, you bet with Professor Jane about me getting the best grades in class and giving the final speech?” she asked.

“Well, yes. As far as we´ve known you, you tend to be the one who works the most and by now, your grades are normally higher than the average group” I bit my tongue.

“What?!” She wasn't supposed to know that now, and I wasn't supposed to say it. Uups.

“How? How long have you two think or known that?” she asked

“Well, I'm really not supposed to keep on talking about it but I'm gonna say, a while now.” I conceded.

“Wow, I really didn’t expect it” Her sight seemed distant.

“What are you thinking?” She drank the last of her coffee and so did I.

“Nothing important,” her hand caressed mine “that tomorrow I´ll have to find a way to refrain my affective signs towards you for as long as we´re there. And we´ll have to be careful so anyone may see us…”

“Are you ok?” I asked.

“Yep, don´t worry about it. We´ll be fine.”

Next day she asked me to meet her earlier some blocks from school, when I arrived she was ready with fresh coffee for me. I gave her a quick kiss before walking towards school with her waiting behind some minutes.

When we crossed the main door the Principal called me to his office, Alex did as usual and walked to her class.

Alex

I barely crossed the door for my classroom and Kaysha ran at me ready for a hug.

“I can´t believe you delayed that much. You´re normally first one here. How were your vacations? You went to San Francisco?”

I rolled my eyes. Again?

“Hey. No I didn´t. Well, it was late when I left my house, and vacations were…fine” I did my best not to express anything when saying it although my mind could only think in Evelyn and our days outside.

“Just that?” asked Kaysha “sounds boring” I walked pass her to find a place to take and only answer at her “Aye, it was boring”.

A friend of mine was barely telling me about something he had found in our new schedules when a man came inside. I tried to see the schedule my friend was passing me…

“Morning, I´m Professor Piña. I´ll be your Chemistry teacher this year. I´ve heard many good things from you hope all of it is true.”

I turned up from the paper in my hand and saw Professor Piña. My gaze followed him to every move he made, my mind just couldn’t move forward from his previous statement. I was there with a blank expression not being able to straighten myself on the chair to get a notebook out.

“Professor, will you teach us in a temporary way?” I head a lad ask.

“No, Sr. I was assigned for the entire year with this group”

“That means Professor Wright was fired?” asked Kaysha.

“Shut up!” I hushed her sounding more scathing than what I really wanted to.

I didn´t want to think about anything that might have get Evelyn fired from her work, still all I wanted was to get out of the classroom and look for her.

No other day in school had been as long for me as this one. I didn’t see her during recess and my las class lasted three hours. When it was finally over I kept my things in the locker and went to the cafeteria wanting for time to pass faster. If I visited the professor´s room by the end of the day, I have to wait for most of the students to leave first. One could never know who may be snooping around.

Thirty five minutes later I walked as fast as I could going up the stair in record time. One knock on the door and there was no answer. This can´t be. A second knock, nothing. I opened the door without waiting for an answer. The room was empty. No. Turning around I remembered my phone and dialled her number.

“Hello?”

“Ev, where are you?”

“At the other building. My last class finished and I stayed to grade some papers…”

“I´m on my way.”

When seeing her I released a sigh I didn´t know I was holding.

“Hey” she greeted.

“Hey” I only stopped my walking when hugging her. “You scared me”

“Why? Are you all right?” she could notice anguish in my face.

“I just didn’t see you there…What´s that foolish stuff about Professor Piña teaching us? I thought the principal would let us finish with you.”

“I was notified about that this morning. When I wanted to let you know, the principal send me to fix some important papers, you´ve already had class with him by the time I ended that and needed to run to give my own…” we keep on walking towards the professor´s room for her things so we could get out of there.

“…apparently her wife is sick at the hospital and the only available visit time is by afternoon, his classes used to be by last hour so, he couldn´t arrive in time at hospital. Principal told me that given the time in our schedules we could change our classes.” She said.

“Poor man, good thing the principal and you were kind enough to make that change. Still, I don´t catch, why change groups? Why not fix our schedule?” I wondered.

“I haven´t thought about that.” She said. “How was class with him?”

“Well…he´s good I think. Not very good with the language but he knows what he´s doing…still, he´s not you.” I said kissing her cheek. .

“Mmm…should I be worried if your grades drop after my class transfer?”

“Haha, don´t worry, my pride wouldn’t allow me to let them drop. And I certainly won´t fell in love of Professor Piña; first, because it is impossible for me, and second, I´ve just got eyes for you” it was true, she still laughed teasing me saying she might get jealous of him in the future because we wouldn’t share the same time at the classroom. Good thing was that we still had the Lab time together. She hugged me, gave me a sweet slow kiss, all I could do was caress her neck a bit before letting my hand travel to her cheek and press our bodies a bit closer.

“I won´t want to breathe latter if you keep doing that” she mumbled against my lips. It made me chuckled and I eased my hug on her. “I must remember that then, all I want to do is kiss you all day” I whispered by her ear. She hit my shoulder playfully before entering the room and taking her stuff. We were going to eat at a place near her house, by now each of us knew what would the other prefer to eat, it didn´t mattered the place where to go or if we knew the menu, by one glance at it we could tell the choice of one another.

My life was happier with her in it, better. I had always remembered my goals in personal and academic life, but my relationship with Evelyn invited me to plan much more in it than just ´duty´ or ´personal satisfaction´, I was happy and felt complete by her side. My normal relationships with people were not very affective, I used to feel strange if someone I barely knew hugged me, but with Evelyn I started to be calmer about it. I felt her arms were the place where I belong to, the kisses and affection I give to her are meant for no one else but her. Slowly, she became my universe and she showed me her life bit by bit, asking me to be in it. Still, I had not come to terms with how I might explain all of this to my mother. I was sure of one thing, I didn´t want her to know Evelyn was important to me, she had a special way to make me suffer with anything important I may trust her with. The most viable way I saw for future was to leave my place and argue future studies involving me somewhere else away, what I ´ve always planned. The only difference was that for any possible future for me, I would lead wherever Evelyn might be.

I walked her home, when it started to rain and Ev noticed I had no umbrella with me, she asked me to stay and wait for it to stop. I argue saying that I had homework to do. But she answered saying:

“C´mon, I´m sure you might just have to deliver a summary or two tomorrow and that would take you thirty minutes as maximum. Its pouring outside, come in, I´ll prepare tea and you can finish your work by then. I swear, I´ll try not to distract you.” She whispered last part of it near my lips, teasing me by the entrance of her place. I rolled my eyes, she knew I started to become weak for those things for a month ago. I surrendered to it. Perhaps I do have hormonal impulses after all.