Page 27 of Life Lessons

“What the fuck happened to you, Newbie? Was it Harley? That asshole won’t know what’s hit him.” Jett looks around. I know he is using his most professional tone, but I can still hear the concern in his voice, the care that he has for me is hidden from everyone but me. I’m still not out of the dark recesses of my brain enough to answer. Luckily, Trixie starts telling him the story.

“For fuck’s sake, Musgrove, get to the damn point of the story. I don’t need to hear it all, just the important bits,” he says, exacerbated by Trixie’s love of telling a good story. I see his face become more and more red as the mist of anger descends. He subconsciously takes a step towards me, his hands balling into fists. I hope he wants to reach out and touch me just as much as I want him to.

“Go straight to Thornton’s office and tell him everything. Spin him one of your full length stories with every bloody detail. I will escort Abbie to change before debriefing her and provide a thorough report tomorrow. Now go. Abbie will text you when she feels up to it. Any questions?” he asks, ensuring that Trixie fully understands what he is asking of her.

Trixie looks between the two of us. Her eyes see a lot more than she lets on, but she simply nods. Before leaving, she turns her harsh stare his way, and her protectiveness shines through.

“Fine. But you better look after her. I have never seen her like this before. As soon as Harriett mentioned exposing Abbie’s secret, she went like this. Almost like she retreated into her own mind and there’s nothing I can do to bring her out. I hope you have better luck. She clearly trusts you,” Trixie says, gently letting go of my arm, her movements so subtle like she is worried I might snap.

At the mention of my secret, I see the colour drain from Jett. He obviously thinks he is my worst secret. Little does he know the closet that holds my skeletons is fucking massive. He is just a little bone buried on top.

“I am her teacher, of course she can trust me. I may hate the lot of you, but I still have a duty for your shitty welfare.’’ As he speaks, Jett gently takes a hold of my arm, and starts guiding me in the opposite direction of where Trix is going. He’s taking me back to the apartments.

Once we’re alone, I know he is going to try and pull me out of this, but it feels too much, the darkness and the memories are overwhelming me. The guilt, the pain, it’s all resurfacing. Except now it’s combined with a fresh pain of all I stand to lose if my secret is revealed. Trixie, Jett, the life I have built. It will all be gone. Yet all I can think about is my gorgeous, better half. She should be the one standing here. The one being given a second chance at a better life. I should have been the one to die that night and that is something I will have to live with every single fucking day.

Isoftly close Abbie’s door behind me and creep down the hallway. She’s finally fallen asleep, but my worry still hasn’t eased. I’ve never seen her anything but confident, determined even. I suppose we all have our scars beneath the surface, but this has proven to me she can’t handle this relationship. The first hint of being exposed and she’s frozen up on me, treating me like a stranger.

As I walk the length of the hallway, my heart seizes up and drops into my gut. Why do I feel like this? She’s just another female, I should be used to walking away by now but this feels different.

Terrance Walters, the history professor, is walking up the staircase as I approach, his grey eyebrows shooting up at the sight of me. I keep my spine straight and grunt at him with my usual nod. I couldn’t care less about being seen on this floor as I have a valid excuse—this once. Passing my apartment on the lower floor, I shove the main doors aside and head straight for the main office block.

If Harriett fucking Longstaff thinks she can threaten others with secrets, she’s going to love the whole school knowing her mom has been going down on Brian from admissions since her dad took their family fortune, and a waitress, to Greece. Yeah, she’s not the only one who has eyes and ears all over campus. However, if I find out her eyes and ears have wandered into my business, there’ll be nothing Brian can do for her. She’ll be out on her ass fast enough to have concrete burn.

Throwing the door to the office block wide open, I storm inside and fly up the opposite staircase. I can hear the raised voices before I turn the corner, Harriett’s shriek unmistakable. Peeking through the doorway, I see Musgrove primed to attack the blonde currently shrieking across the desk, with only Thornton’s body marginally in the way, stopping her.

“As Head Girl, I have a duty to the student body and it’s their right to know who they are living and learning amongst! You can’t withhold infor—”

“That’s quite enough.” Thornton’s voice breaks through Harriett’s whining. “Both of you are to head back to your dorms immediately, do not stop anywhere else on the way. Once I’ve gathered statements from the other witnesses in the cafeteria, I will call you both back for mediation. Until then, you are not to discuss this matter with each other or anybody else.” Thornton’s aged eyes pass between the two, years of melodramatic shit weighing on his sagged shoulders. There’s the shuffle of movement so I lurch back and rest against the wall, relaxing my pose. Seems like everything is taken care of here, but I hang around to perfect my death stare.

Harriett is first out, narrowing her eyes at me before stomping away in her cork-style wedges. Musgrove is next, just as suspicious, but she nods whilst walking past in the opposite direction. Deciding there’s nothing else to do here, I turn to leave when a harsh voice pierces the air.

“Get in here, Caine.” My eyes widen, looking around for a hidden camera before stepping into the room. How the fuck did he know I was outside? “Shut the door.” The true weight of the stress is now fully visible as Thornton drops into his chair and removes his tie. I do as he says, crossing the room towards his sideboard to pour us both a glass of whiskey. It’s barely past four in the afternoon but it’s already been a long day and we both could use a drink. The old man accepts it with a grunt, keeping up his stern attitude.

“You’re the cause of all this,” he growls, sipping his whiskey. I tense up, wondering just how much Harriett knew to tell him. Easing myself into the seat opposite his dark wood desk, I shrug and feign innocence, needing to play out this scene as if I also have nothing to hide

“And what exactly did I do?”

“Don’t play stupid with me. I was in your class this morning and I’ve had it with your attitude. You publicly humiliated Harriett in front of all her peers, so of course, she retaliated against the girl you clearly favour.” I fight to hide my smirk for multiple reasons. He doesn’t know anything, and given Longstaff is such a squealer, neither does she. Resting forward on my elbow, I absentmindedly swirl my whiskey whilst holding his eye.

“I don’t do favourites. What I do is respect those with half a brain to know the curriculum you’ve hired me to teach, and shun those who you’ve placed in my class because of their fortune or influence. You deal with the politics of possessive parents, I do not.” I down my drink and stand the same time Thornton does. Our hands rest on the desk, a stare-off taking place. I don’t know why he’s acting like this all of a sudden, he’s never paid me, or my teaching methods, any notice up to now.

“You’re a part of this school too, Jethro. I hired you as a favour to your father, God rest his soul, and kept you on after his passing out of respect for him. But believe me when I tell you, you’re on your last warning here. I’m getting weekly complaints from parents about things you’ve said or done, and I can’t protect you for much longer. It’s time to sort yourself out.”

His tone evens out at the end, a softer edge invading his gaze, but I’m past listening. If Thornton thinks he can threaten me, he also has another thing coming, along with Harriett. I am the only sane one around here, undeterred by wealth. Either you’re a decent member of society or you need to stay the fuck away from my classroom. I’ve sat by too long whilst this place has been led by money, and I’m not content to do so anymore.

“No. You hired me because I’m the only maths professor stupid enough to give up his life to work here. You want results, I get them. Nothing else matters.”

“It matters to our reputation. The one your father helped to build, which you’re currently shitting all over.” I can’t fight my gasp, never having heard Thornton swear before. Something is definitely going on with him because this bitter old bastard is nothing like the easy going man that I’m used to.

“Fine. Look for my replacement because I’m not changing for anyone. Especially someone whose moral compass follows whatever bribe is in his back pocket.” Spinning, I make it to the door before turning back. “And pick a Head Girl who won’t go snooping through your files.” I slam the door, pulling my phone out of my pocket on instinct. The device buzzes in my hand, the screen showing me exactly what I need right now.

Booty Call: Where did you go?

Moody Bastard: Dress in your activewear, we’re going out.

“Where have you brought me?”Abbie asks, stepping out of my car. She thinks we are going to the stadium or for a casual run, but I have something much better in mind. A way for both of us to let off some steam, which happens to be far enough away from campus that no one will know who we are. We won’t be teacher and student, just...two people hanging out. I round the trunk to her side, smirking at the concrete shabby building before me.

“You’ll see.”

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