Chapter 19 – My First Night with the Trainee Teacher
1365 Words
Chapter 19 – My First Night with the Trainee Teacher
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I lost count of how many times I tripped as I followed Calvin.
We trespassed through so many properties, which already made me think about my sweet time inside the prison cell. One wrong move and we could be sent to either heaven or hell.
I can’t believe that I will be doing this the moment that I venture out of my little hell hole.
The world sure is full of surprises. No one will be able to tell that a day will come when Calvin and I will team up like this. Ah, no – that is a completely incorrect description.
I was running behind the trainee teacher without his consent. We are neither a team nor a partner.
He instantly noticed my presence when we reached the first block, and I made a turn with him. I could only thank the Heaven if he did not shoo me away, and instead let me continue the trail with him.
I had the choice to run in the opposite direction, but this unfamiliar city removed that option the moment I saw the dark streets waiting for me.
Our trainee teacher might not have been the best person that I could hold on to in this situation. Needless to say, I was pushed to accept this choice in the end.
All I can hope now is that we will escape those goons without suffering from any kind of injury.
“Search around the area! Make sure that you check every possible hiding spot that there is. We can’t come back empty-handed.”
These idiots are desperate to find us. It might have been due to the promised graduation party that Sean and Sandra organized. That power couple is willing to go to this length just to make fun of people like us.
We are now under a car, parked on the roadside. We missed our chance to turn in the next block when the dogs of the last house that we trespassed busted our location.
I almost pissed my pants when the owner of the house showed up with a gun in his arms. We immediately escaped the place, but that is when our luck totally ran out since we met one of our pursuers.
We were left with no choice but to stop our little marathon and instead hide, leading to our current situation.
Those goons were just right before the car that we were using, and a little bad movement would reveal our hiding spot. Though, I’m not sure if this is a blessing in disguise, since my legs were about to give up when we reached the last house with that freaking big dog.
I’ve never been the sporty type and this sudden running made me use every piece of muscle that I have. My body could already feel the repercussions of that night.
I’ll be sore all over, and there is no way that it will just end with a whole day of rest.
“Boss! They are not here, and a child said that they saw a couple running toward the subway. Let’s alert the men in the next district to look for them.”
My hands almost moved on their own to clap the little victory that we achieved. They haven’t left the place, yet my heart is already jumping with joy as I saw their legs moving away.
It made me look at the man lying beside me. It was dark under the car, but Calvin’s silhouette definitely struck me in a bad way.
I could feel the heat coming from his body after that game of tag. His still unstable breathing pricked something inside me.
Stupid, self! This man should never have a connection with me! We are seven years apart and he is the worst weirdo that I have encountered in my whole life.
Dealing with him is the same as saying that I am picking a stone that I will hit on my own head. That is a level of masochism that I will never embrace.
“Sir –“
I tried to strike up a conversation, by whispering in his ears, but my weird teacher only gave me a death stare. The lights from the passing vehicles illuminated our surroundings, giving me a clear view of his expression.
There is not an ounce of anger in it or any kind of emotion, but those eyes are completely telling me to stop adding to the word that I just uttered.
“Let’s split. I don’t care what happens to you, so just scram off and never show yourself in this place.”
Those words sound harsh, but it was music to my ears. He tried to hide the care that he has towards the person who is suffering the same fate as him.
A bright smile was drawn on my face as a reply to his cold words.
I can’t help it. This is the first time that someone showed this much genuine concern for me. Ever since my mother died, not a single person in our house has treated me like an existing being.
I turned into an unwanted child who can't even defend herself. I was regarded as something lower than dirt.
“Can I stay with you? Just tonight, please. I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
A little hope sprang into my heart when that little kindness made it to my brain. I processed it as a chance to get close to this man and let him help me in this new life of mine.
We had a lot of similarities and that could trigger his protective instinct toward the child who needed his care.
This is it! My problem for the night was solved in an instant, and this is the best option that I could have in this situation. I might not be the smartest person in this place, but I am positive that my brain is working well.
There is no way that I could just trust anyone passing in these dark streets.
Calvin is the only hope that I can see on this dark road.
“Go back home.”
That was a flat rejection. I almost teared up when Calvin did not even try to think about my welfare. The good impression that I had of him flew in an instant as my mouth was left open midair.
However, my disappointment vanished within a second when Calvin started to move out of our hiding spot. It will be the end if I fail to secure his yes in this situation.
People could call me shameless for all I care. It doesn’t matter since all I need is to survive on my own starting today.
It’s not like those people will shield me from danger in the distant future. This much of being thick-skinned is needed in my current life.
And to use that newfound knowledge of mine, I grabbed Calvin’s clothes and pulled him back under the car. I was holding his collar, creating an almost non-existent distance between our faces.
We’d been running for a while, but this man’s sweaty body didn’t reek at all. Instead, there is this masculine kind of smell coming his way.
I almost shoved my face in his neck as I tried to compose the words that were running through my mind.
“Help me, please. I can’t go back to that house. My stepmother will kill me, and I don’t have anyone else to lean on. Just for tonight. All I need is a safe place to sleep tonight, please.”
My voice is low and soft.
However, the man whose heart is thumping together with mine didn’t say a word. Every second felt like an eternity as I awaited his answer.
Getting rejected the second time around is the same as saying that I will be staying up the whole night in who-knows-where.
“Just for tonight, and you better behave yourself, Ms. Ada Hertel.”
A hug ended our conversation as I rejoiced in the extension of luck that I was able to attain.
- Writer
