Managing Mr. White (Completed!)

Chapter 2 - Hot Mess

Ellie’s POV

“Good Morning, my name is Theo White and I recently came back from Cambridge but previously studied, lived and studied here at Princeton. It’s my pleasure to meet all of you and I look forward to the next two months we have together” Mr. White said as he flashed a smile into the crowd. That’s when it all fell into place and clicked, Mr. White, Mr. Theo White. Theo White. My Theo White. Why didn’t he contact me when he came back? What’s with the tattoos and slick back hair? How is he so tall and tanned? The Theo in my memory was still a boy and here is a man that I couldn’t even wrap my head around. 

“Ellie!” Klarissa shrieked as she shook me hard. 

“That’s your Theo!” She whispered in my ears bringing me back to reality. 

“I...he...Theo” was all I could say before we were ushered back into our classrooms to begin English. English was usually my favorite class but today I couldn’t concentrate at all, my mind was on Theo, the Theo I no longer know, the Theo who promised me the first thing he does when he comes back is to contact me…

“Ellie Johnson” I looked up to find Mrs. Amato looking at me with a wrinkle between her forehead. Mrs. Amato was my AP English Literature teacher.

“Is everything okay? You seem a bit off, would you like to go see the nurse?” Mrs. Amato was my favorite teacher, she knew I loved her class more than anything and by questioning my well-being right now shows how much I must have zoned out. 

“If that’s alright Mrs. Amato, I’d love to take you up on the offer” I said while pushing my chair in and taking my belongings. 

I knocked on the nurse's room and to my surprise no answer, so instead of waiting, I headed to my secret spot in the garden to just gather my thoughts and decompress a little bit. After four years of absence Theo came back to New York, I should be happy but more than happy, right now I’m confused. He promised to come see me when he’s back but that doesn’t seem like the case and now he’s teaching here, in my school, does he ever remember that I go here? My thoughts were interrupted when I heard someone come through the bush.

“Ellie” I heard a husky voice whisper as I turned to see the one person I wanted to avoid all day before I could gather my thoughts again.

“Mr. White” I scowled, angry and upset that he forgot about our promise.

“I thought I’d find you here” he said taking a seat next to me, close, so I scooted over to my right a bit more to put some space between us.

“Mr. White I don’t think you should be out here with a student” I said looking away from him knowing that at any moment I might not be able to hold my tears. I missed him a lot, I don’t care what anyone says but I’ve had a crush on him since I was thirteen, I’m now almost eighteen and four years of liking someone takes a toll on you. 

“Ellie, don’t call me Mr. White when no one is around” he said, decreasing the distance between us. “I’m back, can’t you be a little happier?” he continued as he took one of my hands into his and brought it up to his lips landing a small peck on the back of my hand. 

“Well Mr. White, I’m sure you had a lot of fun at Cambridge all these years that you forgot to contact me even just once” I puffed out and pulled my hand away rising to my feet with him following.

“Ellie...” was all I heard when the bell rang and I left him there. I don’t know what to say to him right now let alone how to act. How would any teenager act when the person they craved for four years came back without a notice? 

The school day passed by extremely and painfully slow knowing that for sure when I returned home, he’d be there. There wasn’t a reason for him to not be there when grandpa loved him like his own son and blood. Theo White was not from an extremely wealthy family but his parents helped grandpa build and manage his real estate properties and business after grandpa half-retired. The job would have gone to my parents had they been alive but that’s a story for another time. Theo’s parents Theresa and John White were extremely lovely and humble people. John always said once I’m old enough and ready he’s ready to hand everything back to me to manage and he’ll be there to help me every step of the way but I wasn’t sure if I’ll ever be ready honestly. 

“Ellie” I heard my name as I left the school gates waiting for my chauffeur.

“Ellie, I told grandpa I’ll drive us back” Theo said as he got out of the car to open the passenger side. I looked away and started to walk further from him when a hand grabbed my wrist and turned me around.

“Mr. White, please keep your hands to yourself” I said, failing to pull away.

“I don’t know why you’re angry with me but please, don’t ever walk away from me” he said pulling me into his tight embrace. He carried a musky and woody smell, one that had me intoxicated quickly as I took my hands and unconsciously hugged him back snuggling into his muscular chest as he traced little circles on my back. Next thing I know I was in his car as he reached over to buckle my seat belt, he was so close that if I didn’t purse my lips together, I would have definitely stolen a kiss on his cheeks and I definitely wasn’t ready for that. Theo doesn’t even like me, he only sees me as his sister, someone he must take care because of grandpa and his parents. 

“Ellie” he said taking my attention away from the window

“How have you been these few years?” I know he’s trying to start a conversation with me but I wasn’t ready.

“Good. Never better” I said shrugging him off and bringing my attention back to the window. I always enjoyed the ride home, thirty minutes of peace and relaxation but today, these thirty minutes felt like forever and I hated it. 

“That’s good to hear, at least one of us lived well these past few years” What did he mean by that? He left because he wanted to, he asked grandpa and he didn’t have a good time? What a liar, typical. 

And with that the drive continued in silence and every time he asked me something, I gave him either a nod or one word answer. I wasn’t ready to talk to him just yet. 

When we got back to the mansion I headed upstairs without waiting for him and changed out of my clothes, I liked to wear comfortable clothing at home so I picked out my pink crop top sweater along with the pink shorts. For an eighteen year old, well almost, my birthday is in December, I grew up well. I had long brown hair up to my waist, big brown eyes, a high nose bridge, small face, plump lips, legs much longer than my torso and curves in all the right places and standing at 5’6. 

Okay I wasn’t tall but my legs were miles long for my height and that was something I am extremely proud of, at least that’s what I was proud of. I used to think I had weird body proportions being that my torso was short and my legs were super long but I overheard a conversation Theo had with his friends one day saying that girls with long legs are sexy and his type. From that day on I tried everything to make my legs even longer and exercising often to keep them slim, but he’s a liar so what’s the point now. 

I came downstairs to be greeted by John and Theresa in the living room with Grandpa and Theo laughing and talking. 

“Ellie, how was school today?” Grandpa asked

“It was alright, nothing special” I said, turning into the kitchen to bring out some coffee and snacks. As much as Theo pissed me off, I still love John and Theresa and it would be discourteous for them to sit and chat with grandpa without something to drink or snack on. As I walked into the living room with coffee and snacks in hand, Theo got up and took it from me with one hand while the other grabbed my left hand and tugged me to the sofa sitting next to him. Why does he have to be so freaking attractive and nice all the time UGH! 

“I heard Theo is a guest teacher in your school for two months!” Theresa excitedly squealed while taking a sip of her coffee. 

“Oh yeah, that did happen.” I said indifferently, taking a sip of the coffee I prepared in front of me. 

“I didn’t know you like coffee Ellie” Theo said, giving me a confused look.

“Well there’s a lot of things you don’t know about me after all these years.” I then excuse myself saying that I had a lot of homework and won’t be dining with them due to the amount of work I had and instead will eat in my room, alone. Without listening to anyone’s reply, I gave grandpa, Theresa and John a quick hug and kiss on the cheek before I headed to my room. 

“Why does he have to be so attractive and annoying at the same time!” I screamed into my pillow. “Ellie calm yourself down, let’s reason it out, he must have a good reason to not tell you why he came back and everything!” I tried telling myself of all the good things but I just don’t understand why in six years he never bothered to reply to any of my messages and emails and acts if nothing happened these past years. I hate that I’m angry at him, but I hate him ignoring me more. I was really worried about him these six years and there wasn’t a day that passed that I didn’t think about him. 

I remember all the moments we had together, the times when Theo would sleep with me because I was afraid of the thunder, the times he bought me my favorite chocolate ice cream when I didn’t do well on my exams, the times where we were allowed to go to amusement parks and have vacations together. Being thirteen I just enjoyed time with Theo not knowing that I actually liked him until he left and I was no longer able to function properly, sleep properly and eat properly. I’m sure grandpa noticed my feelings but never said anything as he continued to update me here and there about Theo but just the general, he’s doing well, he’s healthy and nothing more than that. 

“Ellie, can I come in?” 

“No.” I said quickly and pulled myself together. I didn’t even need to listen more to know that it’s Theo. I have his voice ingrained in my head. But regardless of my rejection he opened the door and came in and sat down next to me on my bed. I tried again to scoot away but he pulled me into a hug and refused to let me go no matter how much I pushed back. 

“I’m sorry” was all I heard and needed to hear before the facets of my eyes turned on and streams of tears rolled down. All I could remember for the next moments is me crying into his warm arms and saying “you never bothered to contact me”.