Page 31 of Bring me Back

“Ok, come on then,” he broke the silence.

“Come on where?” I asked, forgetting all about the promise for a second.

He shook the bag in his hand. “You can’t have an open flame in the theater.”

“I can’t have an open flame at school,” I agreed.

Daniel flashed me an excited look. “Imagine if there was a place where even on school grounds you still could use a saw, tools… and…”

I widened my eyes, understanding what he meant. “Your workshop.”

He didn’t confirm, just smiled, jerking his head toward the exit. And I followed him this time. Neither of us told Mrs. Carr where we were going. She had enough trouble as it was, trying to teach archaic English to high schoolers.

I followed him down the empty hallways to his classroom and when we arrived, Daniel opened the door and stepped back, letting me in first.

The workshop was like I imagined it’d be. A whiteboard on the side with instructions from a previous class; I saw his handwriting for the first time. Long wood benches instead of chairs, and several lockers which was where I imagined he kept the tools.

Right at the far end, I found small sculptures. Some clumsy, some in rich detail. I touched them without thinking. “Be careful with splinters,” his voice called.

I retrieved my hand and turned around. He was waiting, sitting on the middle bench, flower bag on the table.

“Do you really only need a candle?”

I nodded.

“Don’t go silent on me now, Cricket. We are over it.”

I stepped closer to the table. “I’m always quiet.”

“Yeah, I know. I like it, but I like when you talk too.”

I closed my eyes trying to not get affected by what he said. It was overwhelming how attractive he was. I still remembered when he started teaching at Bluehaven High and all the girls went insane. His presence alone stirred their minds. His long legs ate the halls as he didn’t notice the whispers and sighs that followed him around. I’d be one of the infatuated students if I was dumber. But at that point, with the amount of things I had to deal with, I didn’t have time to have a crush. Not a crush on a boy my age, and especially not a crush on a teacher.

I blinked at the man in front of me and wondered if the crush was just bubbling on me since I saw him for the first time.

I dropped into a seat across from him and reached for a flower from the bag. Covering all petals but one I showed him. “We have to be careful or we might burn the whole thing. Just separate each petal and carefully pass the flame close to the edges. It will curl and burn the loose thread. ”

Daniel listened to my instructions attentively and with a stiff nod stood up to grab a box of white candle sticks and a yellow lighter.

He passed them to me. “Show me how you do it.”

I lit the candle and closed my fingers in all petals but one sticking out. When the flame came close to the fabric, it sizzled into a hard line, burning the loose threads away.

I finished one petal and started the next, Daniel’s gaze burning and warming my cheeks. When I finished the third flower, he decided it was time to try.

“How mad would you be if I screw this up?”

“Not mad at all. I’m expecting shitty results on your first or second try…”

He tsked. “Don’t you trust me?”

“It requires grace.” I taunted him.

“I’m a graceful man, Cricket.”

“Tell me about it.” I had this undying hunger to get to know him, but my awkwardness always stopped me. It never bothered me, yet now, I shifted in my seat and ignored the tingling awareness as I shamelessly pried.

“I make things,” he told me with eyes glued to the flower between his fingers. “I made a chessboard once. And I like to find branches so I can carve them into canes.”

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