Page 32 of Diem

It’s not quite latched and allows me to listen without barging inside.

A student I don’t recognize sits by the window and a kernel of awareness slides down my spine when he approaches her with a warm smile.

Is he ‘the Kenny’? Or just a regular old run of the mill, creeper?

The only way to find out is to expose his secrets, if he has any, but I have to be careful not to reveal myself. If he is messing with his students, he’s not going to do it in front of me.

“I’m glad you came, Laura. I’m worried about your grade. With graduation just around the corner…” he clears his throat and the student, who I think came to Sterling at the beginning of the year nods.

“Um, yes, Mr. Goodlow, um, Kenny.” she mumbles, bowing her head.

“Good, now let’s start with your test scores,” he says with a smile.

“Yes, Mr., um, Kenny. Do you think I can bring them up? My mom’s all over my a-butt.”

Chuckling, he crosses his arms. “I think it’s possible. How about after school? We can begin your special tutoring then?”

Absently I note, if I were going to fuck an older dude, I suppose he wouldn’t be a bad choice but since he’s my father, I push the thought away.

“Um, yes, yeah, Mr.-um, Kenny,” she whispers, dropping her gaze to her desk.

A slight blush paints her cheeks when he leans against the desk before her. “Good. That’s good, Laura.”

She traces her finger across the wood, and I lean my head against the door. Why does my skin feel all itchy?

“Okay, thanks, Mr., um, Kenny,” she says, and I roll my eyes at the breathless sound. Really?

Maybe it's not Dad but these little bitches coming on to him? Except, I don’t think Dixie would do that, would she?

Shit. I don’t know.

“Good, now how about you meet me here?” he says.

Nothing about this conversation is out of the ordinary. I’m sure my dad helps students who are struggling all the time. So why do I feel gross?

He touches her shoulder and I shudder, curling my hands into fists. The pain grounds me but I breathe in a shallow breath anyway. Where is this headed?

He doesn’t seem to need a response, and I stare at the wood blindly when he says, “You’ve got a lot of potential, hm.”

The bell overhead blares into the breach and jumping out of my skin, I back up. Silence reigns though and when I peer through the window, I see he’s way too close to her for comfort.

He says something I can’t hear over the students filling the halls, but I see his smile as he touches her back and slam my eyes closed. I can’t see this. I don’t want to.

When someone bumps into me from behind, I stumble to the side, flipping my eyes open in time to watch Dad step back. There’s no panic in his gaze when he calmly heads to the front of the room. What does that mean?

I’m given the evil eye when the student behind me has to turn to get through the door, but I’m oblivious as I back away. What was he going to do? Something? Nothing?

“After school, Laura,” he says and with my heart in my throat, I escape down the hall.

Once I’m far enough away that I feel a modicum of safety, I lean against the wall and stare at the floor.

This doesn’t prove anything, but it does make me wonder if Dixie was indeed having an affair with my married father.

When a shadow falls over my head, I shiver before meeting Diem’s considering stare. Looking away, I wipe my brow and stalk off, but when I glance back, he’s still watching me.

∞∞∞

After school, I wait in the library until the masses have mostly cleared before approaching Dad’s classroom with a ginormous lump in my throat. The better part of me wants to go home and pretend this never happened but I know it would only soothe like a band aid covering a gunshot wound.

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