Teacher’s Pet

3

Blair Birken.

My lips quiver in subtle fear. Our faces are mere inches away from one another, but it’s our position that is the abomination here. Well, his position. In one moment, I was mesmerized when he walked into the class, and in the next, I was angry—stunned by his debauchery and the manner in which he spoke to me.

I lost control of my emotions when he said he was going to give me an F. I don’t get Fs. As a daughter of the Birken household, I’m not allowed to get Fs. It could get my parents to shut off my allowances, my dependence, and my chance to get into the college of my dreams.

“Am I clear, Blair?” He asks, putting some space between us like he realizes we are treading on fire. As he talks, his Adam's apple bobs, a deep rhythm accompanying his words like a silent conductor guiding a symphony.

Without answering, I try to push him away—to walk out of the office. But he yanks me back, this time, he is behind me and I can feel goosebumps rise on my skin.

“I asked you a question dammit,” Edward says, his words are right at my ear but I don’t answer.

I rush out of his office, shutting it behind me, and making my way to the school bathroom. As I enter the bathroom, I check the stalls, making sure there is no one in there before I place a hand on my mouth. I turn on the tap, the water gushing out as I stare at myself in the mirror. My heart is beating, my hands are sweating…what just happened?

I don’t even have the time to think as the bathroom door opens. I begin to wash my hands when I see that it’s Avery and Gabriella.

“Girl!” Avery says, her blonde hair bouncing as she walks up to me and I turn off the tap.

“Did you talk to him? Tell us, what did his office smell like? God, I perceived his cologne! He is so manly.” Gabriel says, placing one hand over her forehead and pretending to faint.

I dry my hands on my skirt, fixing my hair as I look into the mirror and they stare at me in awe.

“Blair, wassup.” Avery says” and I clear my throat.

“Edward what?” I ask.

“Huh?” Gabriella asks.

“Edward what…what is his surname?” I ask.

Gabriella and Avery look at each other, unable to answer. I walk out of the bathroom and since it’s break hour, I head into a private room in school that belongs to me and my friends. It is called the King's Cave. We are a set of five students who are known as ‘five kings’ in Birken High.

I don’t remember how we got the name. It could be because Thomas, he is highly obsessed with the word ‘king’. It is a room where only we have exclusivity. In Birken High, there are a lot of things that students can get away with as long as their parents are in the triangle ranking—a rank that shows whose parents have more reputation and riches.

Having a ‘king cave’ is one of them.

There isn’t a teacher in Birken High who doesn’t know that I’m not allowed to have an F.

Mrs Crook knew that. All of the teachers in Birken High know that. I don’t cheat in my exams, I prepare twice as hard for tests and I have never failed to strike an attendance. I have always got perfect grades, consistently.

But that day, I had to miss a class, I couldn’t stop having panic attacks from that day on the rooftop. The sound of the ambulance, the things Alice said to me, and the images of Alice being carried away. I just couldn’t stop thinking about it, it was overwhelming and I had to spend hours at the hospital to stabilize myself.

I scoff, as I enter our private room. I don’t know who this Edward thinks he is but he must have been living under a rock. How dare he threaten me? How dare he…how dare he speak to me like I’m not Blair Birken!? Just who the hell does he think he is!?

With thunderous steps echoing through the corridor, I angrily march into our fortress within the school walls. My fists are clenched tightly at my sides, my knuckles white with tension, and my jaw is set in a steely resolve.

Thomas and Ken are in their crisp school uniforms leaning against the plush cushions of an overstuffed couch, wisps of smoke swirling around them. With a casual nonchalance, Thomas raises his cigarettes to their lips, the embers glowing in as they take deep drags, exhaling plumes of smoke into the air.

I can’t believe people spread rumors about us dating.

Now, I’m pissed. I hate the smell of cigarettes.

I make my way towards them, there are leather chairs arranged around a pool mahogany table.

Without hesitation, I reach out to his lips, snatch the cigarette from his relaxed grasp, and my fingers close around it. His hair is scattered around his face and his demeanor shifts.

Thomas is momentarily caught off guard but he is not surprised. I drop the cigarette on the ground, crushing it beneath the sole of my shoe, and grinding it into the floor until the ember dies out with a hiss.

“If the principal finds out you’re smoking, he’ll close the cave,” I say.

Gabriella and Avery rush in behind me.

“What the hell,” Thomas says, rising on his feet to stare down at me.

“You don’t think that old f**k has the guts to close the cave?” He says.

“I don’t want to find out,” I say, rolling my eyes at him and looking at the girls.

“What happened in class? I heard there’s a new teacher.” Ken says, fighting with the wisps of smoke in the air.

“Yeah. He got our attendance and said if you missed it, you should forget about writing his test.” Gabriella says, dusting her hands and smiling.

“What the f**k!” Ken says.

“It does not relate to us,” Thomas says, taking the first step to walk away because I didn’t back down from his stare-down.

“You would be surprised. He’s giving me an F for failing to attend the last Mrs Crooks test.” I say.

“No way!” Avery says.

“Who the f**k is this new teacher? What’s his name?” Thomas says.

“Edward Christopher,” Gabriella replies.

“I think he’s bullshiting,” Ken says.

“He doesn’t look like someone who does bullshit. You should have seen him.” Gabriella says, she is still dazzled by the man and I roll my eyes, behaving like I didn’t have an encounter that would make all of them gasp if I told them.

“What do you plan on doing? Didn’t your dad say you are not allowed to get Fs if you wanna get into your dream school?” Thomas asks, referring to me.

I think about it. I can’t talk to the principal. He reports back to my dad and after the incident that occurred with Alice, I’m walking on thin ice because everyone thinks I had something to do with it at home.

“I don’t know. The man is quite confident.” I say.

“Look here, there are many publications about him. Edward Christopher. He’s not a nobody, this guy is a legend in the academic world!” Ken says, scrolling through his phone and I collect it from him.

My eyes glance over the phone from one word to the other. Genius. Academic beast. Role model. Worldwide Genius. Graduated from college at fifteen.

“What? He is a genius!” Gabriella says, looking at the phone from my shoulder. My eyes go about the several publications about him and it proves where his confidence comes from.

“Look at all these medals. It’s what giving him the bravado to think he can change the order of things around here.” Ken says and I exhale, going to have my seat and thinking about how to change Edward’s mind even when he’s getting on my damn never.

He’s on my damn nerve. But, everything that happened in the space of an hour after we met, talked, and threatened one another is interesting.

But he’s engaged. I say, remembering how he told me.

“So what if he’s a genius?” Thomas asks.

“What do you plan on doing? You guys missed the attendance.” Avery asks.

“Does he have a car?” Thomas asks and I look at him for a second. Unsure of what he wants to do.

“Why are you asking?” Gabriella asks.

“Well, I have many tricks up my sleeve. Remember what happened to Mr Steven?” Thomas says, winking at me and I roll my eyes. He walks out of the room and slowly, I remember Mr Stevens.

He got into an accident after school because his brake stopped working. That accident landed him in the hospital. This happened shortly after he gave Thomas detention for smoking in the class.

No. No, no way. I think, my lips quiver in fear.

I always had it in my mind that Thomas might have done it. He is repressive, vengeful, a silent smoke—I warned Alice about him. And now, he’s about to do the same to Edwards.

Do I warn him?