Not Over You (Teacher x Student)

Thursday, 18th July, 2013.

"Goodness gracious, you're still in bed!" Audrey gasped dramatically, glancing over at the one and only frame in the room, which was a wall clock showing 7:15am. "The kids are having breakfast downstairs, and you are here sleeping... It's already 7:15am for goodness sake, Grace!" She grumbled at her niece, pushing open the windows to let the morning sunlight flood the small room.

Grace pulled up the comforter, shielding her eyes from the blinding sun rays. "I am not going anywhere today, Aunt," she declared, shifting to the left to continue sleeping. However, her comforter was swiftly pulled away from her.

"Get out of bed, you lazy bone!" Audrey persisted, tugging at the covers until Grace's sky blue cotton nightgown was exposed. With her caramel messy hair and pale skin, Grace possessed an ethereal quality.

In a lazy tone, Grace mumbled, "Aunt, please just give me a moment. I'm not a kid; you don't have to force me to go to school. I'm turning eightee-"

"-but you're not yet eighteen," Audrey interjected with a glare. "You're still seventeen, Grace. So don't try to lecture me on how I should and shouldn't treat you. Until you're twenty, you will not be considered an adult in this household."

Grace managed to drag herself out of bed. "I'm up..." She groaned heavily and reluctantly made her way to the bathroom.

With Grace out of bed, Audrey left the room and hurried downstairs to check on the kids.

Later at school, Grace entered the library with quiet footsteps.

Coming up behind her best friend Nova, Grace leaned close and emitted a low, guttural sound, startling Nova to the point of almost leaping out of her chair.

"...calm down, calm down, it's me," Grace said softly, stifling a laugh after startling her friend. She noticed a few students shooting them annoyed looks for causing a scene in the library.

"Calm down my foot!" Nova retorted, clearly irritated. "You're going to be the death of me if you keep doing this. Anyway, you're lucky we're friends." Despite her nagging, Nova eventually shrugged and laughed along with Grace.

Both girls were the same age, seventeen, but Grace was taller.

Moving away from the library quietly, they headed to the cafeteria for a snack. Unbeknownst to them, the bell rang to signal the end of the break. Engrossed in their conversation about school and graduation, they didn't notice the time.

"I won't miss this school after graduation," Nova commented. Grace nodded sympathetically. Nova continued, "Oh, by the way, I left your book at home again. Remind me to bring it tomorrow."

"You can keep it. It's just a novel."

"But it's your favorite novel," Nova insisted. "I'll return it tomorrow."

"Students!" A booming voice interrupted the girls, causing them to turn and see Mr. Thompson, the strict Discipline Master of the Academy.

Without hesitation, the girls darted away, fully aware they weren't supposed to be in the hallway after the break.

"Stop right there!" Mr. Thompson's voice echoed behind them, but they ignored him and ran in opposite directions.

Grace collided with a person along the way. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry." She apologized immediately but froze when she realized she had bumped into none other than Bradley Archer, the school's attractive and enigmatic teacher.

To her surprise, Mr. Bradley didn't even say a thing as he bent down and picked up his pen from the floor. He wore a somber expression today unlike most days when he'd worn a stoic face, and he looked as though his mind was carried away.

Mr. Bradley Archer was an intern teacher who taught Biology, and while Grace was an art student who had nothing to do with Biology, she'd still noticed some strange things about him which his students might not have. Like the way he always wore long sleeves, even in different seasons. In all four seasons, he never exposed his arms.

Sometimes he would show up in school with a broken lip, and other times with a plaster to cover his bruises. Sometimes to mask her curiosity, she would choose to believe the rumor going around that perhaps Mr. Bradley worked part-time as a boxer.

The young teacher was so popular among the girls for his notable hot features which were his athletic body, tanned skin, curly dark hair, bony cheeks, and blue eyes which she found quite alluring most of the time.

Even though Grace was bad at measuring heights, she could guess he might be around six feet tall. Though she wondered why he didn't spare her a glance before he walked away briskly. It was unusual because she was so used to getting male attention and was aware of her own beauty. But anyway, that was Mr. Bradley Archer. Certainly not a normal guy.

Grace shrugged and proceeded towards the long hallway which would lead to her classroom. In her mind, she scolded herself for being unable to stop replaying the scene of her chest bumping against the man. As she looked up ahead of her, she saw Mr. Thompson coming at her once again.

Grace ran in the opposite direction and somehow, her legs ended up leading her straight into the male restroom and in front of Mr. Bradley, who was in the middle of doing something. Though he was quick to pull up his pants and hide the cigarettes in his hand even after she'd seen it.

"Mr. Bradley, I'm so sorry." Grace apologized, clearly embarrassed. "Please don't mind me. I'm not here on purpose."

"Then perhaps you should take your leave now." Mr. Bradley said as he pointed at the door, equally embarrassed that his student might've seen something on him which wasn't supposed to be seen. Actually, that wasn't even a possibility. He was sure that she had seen his manhood as her flushed cheeks said it all.

"In a minute, please." Grace pleaded. "Let me stay until... " She glanced over at the door but she couldn't bring the words out of her mouth. "Anyway, did I just see a cigarette in your hand, Mr. Bradley?" She thought of changing the subject to buy herself some more time until it was safe to leave.

"Shhh!" Mr. Bradley signaled. "You must not be loud."

"Rule101, I know." Grace grinned at the Biology teacher, wanting to press her advantage. "And you're an intern teacher, Mr. Bradley. Imagine what it would be like if words about you smoking in the bathroom got out."

She was teasing the young teacher; that much was obvious. But to her surprise, Mr. Bradley's expression quickly turned very dark and serious. "Rule 117. On no circumstance is a girl allowed to enter the Male restroom. Two weeks detention?" He rubbed his chin with an eyebrow cocked up. "Well, I need not to mention the part about how shameful the news would sound. I know you're a smart girl, Miss McCullen, which means your parents will be highly disappointed in you."

"Mr Bradley, I promise you I only said that to tease you. I did not see anything at all," Grace said reassuringly but also shocked to know that he knew her name. "The Discipline Master might be out there, what do I do? I can't go back out there; the punishment is going to be doubled if he sees me coming out of the Male restroom-"

Before Grace could finish, Mr Bradley had grabbed her and shoved her into one of the toilets, almost slamming the door in her face. Not a few seconds later, Grace heard the main door flung open. Mr. Thompson's voice echoed, asking Mr. Bradley if a female student might have entered the restroom. Mr. Bradley's response seemed convincing, and after a tense wait, the voices faded.

"You can come out," Mr. Bradley's voice said, and Grace cautiously stuck her head out to ensure she was safe before finally reemerging.

"I can't thank you enough, Sir. You saved my life."

"Go back to class," the Biology teacher dismissed without looking at her face.

As Grace walked out of the restroom and turned the hallway corner, Mr. Bradley followed. But as they both looked ahead, it was already too late. Mr. Thompson stood at the near end of the hallway, arms folded, as though he'd been waiting a long time for them to emerge.

"Mr. Thompson, it was an accident, there is no need to punish the student," Mr. Bradley tried to sound reasonable, but from the look on Mr. Thompson's face, he knew that the man wasn't going to settle for a plea.

"Bradley, you're a teacher for that matter. How could you allow such indecent behavior to go unpunished? I would like to speak to both of you in my office. Now," Mr. Thompson had decided.

Grace's head was down all the while Mr. Bradley had tried to talk to Mr. Thompson. She hadn't said a word, knowing that the Discipline Master might even become provoked.

As she followed Mr. Bradley who was following the Discipline Master, she suddenly felt an impending doom looming over her. She was suddenly aware and conscious of how grave the situation might turn out to be, especially if Mr. Thompson later decided to extend words to the Principal.

She could imagine so many scenarios. If gossips were to spread, the original story might change along the way. And maybe some might even think she was indulging in an immoral act with a teacher and was caught in the male restroom.

Bradley too was lost in deep thought, wondering whether or not Mr. Thompson had overheard the conversation about the cigarette. If so happens, God forbid, it would be the end of his career and Mr. Moore, who had secured him the job, wouldn't give a care about it. If anything, he would only find him another job. Of course, that too would be in exchange for another filthy act.

The teachers around here would also be happy with his dismissal. Or more precisely, thrilled by it. After all, some of the older teachers didn't like the idea of having such a freshly out-of-college, arrogant twenty-four-year-old intern sitting amidst them in the staff room as they gossiped about others.

Often times, he wished that they could mind their own businesses and stop trying to ask him so many questions about his background. When he stayed silent because he couldn't find the right words to use in his explanation, they mistook that for arrogant behavior. Though he didn't quite fathom the reason why they would perceive his quiet demeanor as arrogant when he had nothing to boast about.

He was never proud of himself, nor was he ever proud of his achievements. Being an intern teacher wasn't even something to boast about, he thought.

And of course, he so much wished he could make them understand that he was just at Ludwig Academy for a short period of time with no intention of stealing anybody's job.

Even though he was loved by most of the students, especially the basketball team, he always felt like an outcast among the teachers. He felt like the older teachers specifically hated him. They envied him because the Principal was becoming fond of him and would sometimes invite him to his office for coffee and talks.

"Take off your shoes," suddenly, Mr. Thompson was saying to Grace. "Immediately, student!"

Grace looked beyond her knees and her eyes met with her white sneakers. God, what a day! Only black cover shoes were allowed in the Academy, but today of all days, she was wearing white sneakers because she couldn't find the second leg of her regular school shoes.

Grace bent over, pressing one knee against the floor as she struggled to pull off her sneakers, which she thought would probably stink from all the running.

"Collect the shoes and wait for me in my office, Bradley," said Mr. Thompson. And to Grace, he ordered, "Get back to class, student."

Grace glanced up at the Discipline Master as though she hadn't heard clearly. But when she was sure of what those words meant, she began to walk past him.

Mr. Thompson made sure that Mr. Bradley was out of earshot before he called Grace once again. "Student!"

Grace stopped and turned around slowly. "Yes, Sir?"

"I'm letting you off for the first and last time only because of your health. Do not take advantage of that."

"I understand." She wished in her mind that her parents hadn't extended words about her illness to Mr. Thompson.

"However, you shall still serve your five days detention starting from today."

"Of course, I shall." She replied with a nod, almost satisfied that Mr. Thompson had decided to punish her and not take much pity on her. She would've hated it otherwise.

After classes were over, Grace stood by her locker, arranging her books at the same time, waving at Nova until she exited the hallway. It was time to go home, and Nova was lucky to have fled from Mr. Thompson so she didn't have to serve detention.

"Lucky bitch," Grace sighed and closed her locker. As she was heading towards the detention hall, she thought about Mr. Bradley once again, reminding herself of the trouble she had caused him.

In the detention hall, there were so many junior students playing and making the hall unbearably loud. She sat down, exhausted, not just mentally but physically too.

She had had enough in one day.

Although she was back to thinking about Mr. Bradley, she didn't fail to notice the sudden changes in the hall. Everywhere was suddenly so silent as though a grim reaper had appeared to mute all the students at once.

When Grace turned her face, she was startled to see Jayden Junior Alcott standing over her head.

"Get lost," Jayden scowled down at her. She was sitting in his chair where he would usually sit to make a roll call, ensuring every detention student was present on time.

At first, Grace didn't understand what he meant by "get lost." But she could sense some kind of threat and negative vibes coming off him as he kept scowling. Then she realized what he meant, and so she picked up her backpack and moved into the next seat.

There, she sank in her seat, feeling so overwhelmed by the day. With Jayden Alcott, the evil prefect, in the same space with her, she couldn't even begin to imagine how things would turn out before the end of the detention period.

Saturday, 20th July 2013.

The McCullen family embarked on a journey to the airport, eagerly awaiting the arrival of their guests from Sydney. The terminal was bustling with people as the announcement of the safe landing echoed through the air.

Anne and her son, Tobias, were spotted by Grace, who quickly alerted the rest of her family. "Over there they are!"

"Oh my God, they're really here!" Grace's mother, Maria, couldn't contain her excitement and rushed forward.

With Grace and her younger sister, Ayla, in tow, they joined their mom, leaving Mr. McCullen and Grace's fourteen-year-old brother, Dorian, engrossed in his phone.

Anne was elated to reunite with her brother's family after so many years. "Look at you kids!" She exclaimed as she hugged Grace and Ayla. "You've all grown so much..." She showered each of them with kisses.

Tobias, too, sported a wide grin, genuinely happy to reconnect with his childhood best friend and cousin, even though the distance had diminished their relationship.

"Anne, did you know people might mistake Tobias for your husband?" Maria's playful comment evoked laughter as she leaned toward Anne, continuing in a hushed tone, "Boys these days. They're outgrowing their fathers!"

Anne chuckled. "Same goes for Dorian. And Grace, too. She's become such a young lady." Anne's eyes were filled with fondness as she gazed at Grace, who smiled back. Holding little Ayla's hand, they all headed to the car.

Back at the house, Audrey extended a warm welcome, the aroma of a special meal wafting from the kitchen. With Dorian's help, Audrey served lunch to the guests, while Grace took charge of refreshments.

"Tobias, do you even remember me?" Audrey asked, her gaze fixed on Tobias, who responded with a grin.

"Of course I do, Aunt Audrey. Our last meeting involved you leaving me alone at the hospital to babysit that chubby one..." He gestured toward Grace, whose face displayed a mixture of mortification and offense, inciting laughter from the group.

"Chubby!" Young Ayla echoed, drawing out the word in an endearing manner, her playful giggles filling the air. Grace couldn't help but find the child's innocence mildly exasperating, but she brushed it off.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, tranquility settled over the house. Grace made her way back upstairs to her room, only to find Tobias and Ayla sprawled comfortably on her bed. Tobias was patiently teaching Ayla the basics of drawing.

Grace's shoulders slumped in defeat. She realized there was no escaping Tobias's presence anywhere in the house. She had to wait nearly an hour for Audrey to put Ayla to bed before she finally had some semblance of privacy.

That night, as she lay in bed, her thoughts turned to Mr. Bradley, who had remained silent after the incident. She suspected he was upset with her; it was only natural for anyone to be furious.

~•~

Monday, 22nd July 2013.

With the intent to lend a hand in the kitchen, Grace rose exceptionally early, planning to assist Audrey in preparing breakfast for the family. Cooking wasn't Grace's forte, and her parents were especially cautious about her engaging in any strenuous activities due to her health. They treated her with extreme fragility, as though she were on the brink of breaking at any moment. However, with Audrey, Grace relished the freedom to feel like a regular teenager, unburdened by constant worry.

Her surprise was palpable when she walked into the kitchen to find Tobias, who claimed to be conjuring the most delectable pancakes the world had ever tasted. The kitchen was in disarray, strewn with flour and eggshells, cabinets ajar, the refrigerator door gaping open, and even a shattered piece of ceramic on the floor.

Tobias had always been a source of trouble, and despite Grace's hopes that he might have matured over the years, the chaotic kitchen scene before her confirmed her doubts.

Tobias, almost as tall as Mr. Bradley Archer now, sported blonde hair akin to Grace's caramel strands. Hers was a blend of blonde hues, resembling butter and honey, a distinction she prided herself on.

"I'll share my secret pancake recipe if you promise to be nice to me, Grace," Tobias quipped, a wink accompanying his words.

"Thanks, but no thanks," Grace retorted. "I'll pass on being nice to you."

"Why?" Concern laced Tobias's voice.

Grace offered an exasperated eye roll. "Over the years, I've learned to keep my distance from boys. It's for the best."

"But we're best friends, right?"

"We were. Not anymore."

Tobias's expression shifted to one of confusion. "I sense that you're upset with me. Did I unintentionally offend you? Is it about what I called you yesterday?"

"Not at all, Tobias. I'm not angry with you. It's just that..." Grace wished she could confide in her cousin about her fear of forming new attachments. The fewer people she let into her life, the safer she felt. She was terrified for Nova, her best friend. What if something happened to Grace? What would Nova do?

Yet, Nova wasn't one to back down. Her actions showed that she valued their friendship more than anything else, disregarding any future consequences.

Of all the potential best friends at school, Nova chose me. I don't need another best friend, Grace silently reasoned before telling Tobias, "It's nothing." She quickly left the kitchen.

Before 7:00 am, breakfast was ready, and the kids were already seated at the table. Grace observed her siblings forgoing Audrey's sandwiches in favor of multiple rounds of Tobias's pancakes. She yearned to indulge in the delectable-looking pancakes, but her pride wouldn't allow her to ask.

Tobias, in response to her snub, refused to share his pancakes with Grace. He was resolute in reciprocating her coldness, intending to pay her back for refusing kindness. He wouldn't relent until she revealed her reasons for her behavior.