Page 4 of Student Seduction
I tossed my syllabus and schedule into the weathered black leather bag I’d been using as a backpack for the last two years and headed toward the door.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“To the office,” I said on my way past him.
“That’s not necessary, Miss Tyler,” he informed me calmly. He seemed to have recovered from my outburst, but I hadn’t. “Please return to your seat.”
“Oh, it is, Mr. Singleton,” I said once I’d made it to the door.
His eyes pleaded with mine. “Any why is that?”
To request a class transfer since we had sex two weeks ago.Snapping my mouth shut, I tried my best to keep my volatile words inside. But it was no use. I was too far gone.
The day had already gone to Hell and it had barely even started.
The morning passed like a horrific montage behind my eyes. My mom looking like unwashed death, Ethan’s sweet, innocent, abused face covered in an angry red hand print, Dad’s text, the forgotten lunch and rush to come up with some money. The constant struggle that contained no end in sight.
This was only the beginning.
Something inside of me broke, bursting wide open when an arrogant man I’d given myself to was blatantly mean to me. I didn’t know how to fix it. I had to let some of it out, even though the consequence would probably make everything worse.
“Because, if I have to stay in here one more minute, I’m going to tell you to go fuck yourself. And, frankly, I don’t need this today.”
Shoving the heavy door open roughly with one hand caused an explosion like gunfire. I felt a deep sense of satisfaction letting it slam behind me.
Only as I walked toward the office did the full weight of what I’d done begin to bear down on me. I’d barely made it halfway through my death march when I heard footsteps rushing to catch up with me.
I turned to see Drew adjusting the bag hanging off his shoulder. He still moved with a slight limp in his gait after being attacked over the summer. “Em. Wait up.”
I stopped so he wouldn’t have to jog. “I’m going to tell Principal Stewart what happened and take my punishment, Drew. I’m over it. I’m over this whole damn place already.”
Do not cry. Do not fucking cry.
“Rough morning?” Drew’s wide round puppy dog eyes softened, imploring me to unload my burdens as they always did.
Damn you, puppy dog eyes of doom.
A sob escaped my throat. “She’s getting so much worse. She slapped Ethan this morning. I don’t know how much longer I can do this.”
“Hey, shhh.” Drew hooked an arm around my shoulders. He smelled like the cool, crisp fall air outside and a freshly opened box of Dove soap. “It’s okay. Listen, Ethan’s a tough kid. I’m sure he’s forgotten it already. And that guy in there, he’s a first year teacher. If you report what happened, it’s going to look as bad on him as it does on you. Let’s go grab some coffee and come back for second period. I talked to him. My money says he won’t report it if you don’t.”
“Talked to him?” I wiped beneath my eyes and pulled my face from his shoulder. “What do you mean, talked to him? You didn’t say anything about my mom, did you?”
I’d told Aiden she’d been sick for a while. I just hadn’t told him the details.
“No. I just said that you had some family stuff going on and weren’t late because of some trivial reason like Instagram or makeup. He needed to know what a dick he’d been, too.”
I didn’t want him or anyone else for that matter, knowing I had ‘family issues.’ The sting of betrayal was painful, but Drew had been my best friend since sixth grade. I knew he meant well.
We walked into the office and Drew told Ms. Kari he had forgotten his lacrosse gear at home and needed a ride. Our high school was small and Ms. Kari was pretty chill.
She shook her head. “You know you’re not supposed to sign yourselves out until you’re eighteen.”
“I am eighteen,” Drew piped up. “But I’m still on pain meds and just took a pill so I probably shouldn’t drive. Just trying to be responsible.”
His words brought back an unbidden memory of Aiden’s brother asking us to go on a beer run. I pushed it back into the depths of my mind.
The bruising on Drew’s face was fading and I was pretty sure he’d put some concealer on to cover it, but the black eye was still obvious.
