Chapter 14: Chapter Fourteen

The lesson drew to an end and eventually everyone piled out as usual. I got up and pushed my chair in as I began to walk towards the door. I was thinking about walking over to Mr Dubens and staying a while, but he seemed deep in thought about something as he stood at the front of the room, face towards the whiteboard, his back turned on me. So instead, I walked towards the door.

Just as I pulled the door open, I heard his voice. "Alice?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"Can you come here for a sec? I want to talk to you." He beckoned me towards him, and I obeyed.

I slowly walked up to his desk and he made his way over to his chair sat down, his eyes never leaving mine. His dark brown hair draped slightly over his eyes and his dark brown eyes were the same, digging intensely into mine. My breath caught in my throat and I wasn't sure if I was still there in front of him. He smirked and ran his thumb along his bottom lip as he continued to look at me.

"You look very flushed today, Alice." Uh, oh.

I swallowed and folded my arms. "Do I?" He nodded slowly, his eyes dark. I pursed my lips and tried to concentrate my eyes on something else, anything else but him. "Probably a bit queasy today." I smiled sheepishly and I felt my face flush. God, was it getting hot in this classroom? Mr Dubens chuckled and shook his head, "I think it's the proximity." He whispered darkly.

"T-the proximity?"

He nodded and slowly stood up from his chair. I swallowed and my legs started shaking. He stepped towards me, causing me to take one back. What was he trying to say? I bit my tongue. He continued to take step by step closer to me until I was backed against one of the classroom desks. His arms outstretched, placing his hands on either side of me and trapping me to the desk. His face was only inches from mine, so close our noses were nearly brushing against each other. "Definitely the proximity." He murmured and bent his head into the crook of my neck. I felt his lips against my pulse point, placing a soft kiss there.

I suppressed a moan and all too soon he pulled away. I looked at him in alarm. Did I do something wrong? He readjusted himself and his jaw was set in a firm way as if he was trying to stop himself from saying something. "What was that?" Our eyes met and he quickly turned away, "I don't know. I'm sorry." He was closing in on me and I felt the lack of contact. "Why can't you just do it?" I asked. He walked over to his desk and released a deep sigh, "Do what?"

"You know what."

"I'm not going to touch you, Alice." He breathed heavily as if that was really hard for him to say. I felt anger boil up from the pit of my stomach. "Why not? Am I that revolting? I offer myself to you on a plate and you reject me every time. And now you’re coming onto me, getting me all heated up and suddenly you switch off!" I gasp breathlessly. That was my lot I had to get off my chest.

He looked over his shoulder to me and his eyes looked pained. I looked away, my eyes meeting the ground. "Is that how you feel?" I heard him ask. I slowly nodded. Then, I heard footsteps coming towards me and I felt his fingers grasp my chin, raising my face up so I was forced to look at him. "I don't want to touch you because I don't want to take advantage of a vulnerable girl. Plus, I don't particularly want to be classed as the school paedophile."

"Well maybe you should have thought about that before you kissed me!"

His face became a image of speechlessness. I groaned and buried my face in my hands, "I don't know what to do."

"What?" Mr Dubens said sounding rather confused, "What are you talking about?" I felt his hands grip around my wrists, trying to pull my hands free from my face. "I've lost everything." I sobbed into my palms; my voice muffled. "What do you mean, you've lost everything?" He tugged again on my wrist, but I just refused. "Please, Alice. Look at me. I can't bare it when you hide your face like this. I need to see you." With that I loosed my wrist and let him pull my hands down onto my lap.

He hands raised up to my chin, holding my face in place so he could look at me. My eyes were wet with tears and my cheeks flushed. "What do you mean you've lost everything?" He asked as he ran his thumb along my bottom lip which trembled at his touch. My vest heaved painfully. Just kiss me! Kiss me and my will all go away! I sighed, "I lied to you."

"What?" His face dropped but he looked baffled. "I lied to you about my parents being out last night."

"Where were they then?"

"Their dead." I whispered and I was practically choking on my own tears. I couldn't keep this to myself anymore. Someone else had to know besides Ms. Harrison.

Mr Dubens looked at me with a pained expression and he cupped my face. "When was this?" I scoffed, "Years ago...I was about eleven when they died."

"How did they die?"

"I don't know. I was told they killed themselves. I never found out the whole story." He looked more upset than me as he continued to listen, "I'm losing my home because I don't pay the rent and bills, whatever. My neighbour, Ms. Harrison pays for it all for me so I don't lose my roof. But...she has missed payments over the few months by accident. A man knocked yesterday afternoon just a few hours after you dropped me off. He told me some bills and a TV license hadn't been paid. Now, I'm losing my roof!"

Mr Dubens held a blank expression as if he was trying to keep himself together. If looks could kill I would drop down dead because the pained expression he held made me want to collapse in tears. If he could cry for me, I think he would. "This Ms. Harrison. Why doesn't she just look after you and let you stay with er until you turn eighteen?"

I shrugged, "She's elderly. She's like mid-sixties and her husband died of cancer ten years ago. She never did offer for me to stay at hers, but I didn't want to ask because I wanted to stay in my house. I don't think she ever offered because she's too used to being on her own." "How long have you got?" He asked, rubbing my hands in his.

"Two weeks." I huffed as I pulled one of my hands out of his to wipe my tear-stained cheeks.

"You're staying with me." He suddenly.

"What?"

"You heard. You are going to stay at mine, I'll take you on."

"But. I...I can't-" I stuttered but he cut me off, taking my face in his hands and pressed his forehead against mine. "Keep arguing and you're in detention." He threatened with a serious face, but I knew he meant it jokingly. "Fine."