Chapter 17 — Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas

With a grim expression on my face, I reluctantly followed Professor Alexander out into the hallway.

“What was that?” He immediately said, sounding displeased, as soon as we were alone.

“What was what?”

“I know you did that to Professor Myers.” He cynically said.

“No, I didn’t.” I defensively said, as I shot him a glare.

“Miss Calanthe.”

“What? I didn’t do anything to that slutty old—”

“Language, Miss Calanthe. Also, she’s your professor show some respect.”

“I’ll show her some respect if she deserves it. But considering how she acted earlier, I don’t think so.” I snapped back, crossing my arms against my chest.

“And what was wrong with how she acted earlier?”

“Like a slut!”

“Miss Calanthe!” He said, raising his voice in anger.

“Why are you being angry at me?” I said in disbelief, dropping my arms to my sides. He let out an exasperated sigh while massaging the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

“Sometimes, I forget that you’re still a child.” He bluntly said, staring at me with his piercing blue eyes. After saying that, he walked away, leaving me there in the hallway dumbfounded and ashamed.

A-A child? I’m a child?!

That bastard!

….

Harry Sandoval watched Andrea and Clark on the dance floor with an excited look on his face. When she walked away with tears on her eyes, his changed turned into one filled with hatred and anger. He stood up with clenched fist and his heart ringing in his ears.

“Hey, Miller!” Harry called out in a taunting voice over the loud music and the cheers of the crowd. He motioned for him to follow him on the backstage and Clark obliged.

When they were all alone, Harry resisted the urge to punch him on the face by keeping his fists clenched on his side.

“Stop hurting her.” Harry said with so much conviction in his voice.

“I never intended to hurt her.”

“But that’s all you’ve ever done.” Harry said in a spiteful manner.

“You don’t understand.” Clark begrudgingly replied.

“You’re right! I don’t understand how you can hurt her like that!” Harry yelled loathingly at him.

“I never intended to hurt her.”

“You kept on saying that but you’re doing the exact opposite. Stay away from her, Miller, before I turn you to ashes.” Harry threatened as his arms started expelling fire before he ran out of the hall to find Andrea.

...

I wanted to scream at him and beat him up for calling me a child. And then within seconds it turned into wanting to hurt myself for acting childish like that.

That bastard!

This was supposed to be the last night that I would let myself be distracted, that I would let myself get lost in this dream that I am a regular mutant and not an assassin. I can’t redo this tomorrow. Tonight, is the last. I have to make it count.

I entered the hall and instantly went from table after table, conversing with everyone, pretending to be a regular girl spending the holidays with her friends.

While I was moving around the hall talking to different people, I kept stealing side glances on that bastard professor. To my surprise, he was still letting that slutty little old hag seduce him with her sagging breasts.

And to make things worse, she was touching him seductively and he’s letting her!

Does he prefer old women like that? Or maybe he just likes mature women unlike me.

Wait! What in Satan's name has gotten into me?! Why am I thinking like that?!

By the time I was done with talking to everyone, it was already ten minutes before midnight. I left the hall and headed straight to the empty cold library.

I don’t think I can celebrate Christmas Eve in a party like this knowing that halfway across the world my family is spending theirs without me.

I lit up the fireplace and sat in front of it, hugging my knees against my chest. I gloomily stared at the crackling fire, feeling nostalgic for all the Christmas Eve I have spent with my family. I thought talking to all those people, pretending to be someone else will make me forget about the pain of not being with them.

But I can’t. They will forever be in my heart no matter what.

I want to see them again. I want to run out of this school, through the woods, find the nearest airport and fly home.

I don’t care if they are going to come after me and my family. I am more than willing to die if I could just see them once again. If I could just see them one last time, I would let the grim reaper take my soul in a heartbeat. If I could just see one more time my mother’s smile, my father’s playful smirk and my brother’s chuckle every time he sees me, I would die happily.

I need a Christmas miracle, if those things really exist.

A tear was about to fall from my eyes when I heard a voice behind me that prevented it from doing so.

“I knew I’d find you here.”

“Clark?” I said in disbelief as I turned to see the distraught looking student body president holding white bottle on his right hand and a mug on the other.

“Mind if I join you?”

“No, not at all.” I lied as he sat beside me in front of the fireplace. Upon closer look, I realized he was holding a bottle of eggnog and one of those mugs that shaped like Santa Claus’ head so it looks like you’re drinking his brain.

“Hey, it’s already past midnight, so I guess...Merry Christmas.” I reluctantly said, feeling a twinge of pain on my chest.

“There’s nothing merry about this Christmas.” He said with a heavy sigh as he opened the bottle of eggnog beside him.

“And why is that?” I asked, even though I couldn’t agree more but since this is the last night that I will pretend to be a nice playful girl from Russia then I might as well do a good job at it.

“Before I tell you the story, do you want one?” he said as he poured out the contents of the white bottle on the Santa Claus head mug.

“Is that eggnog alcoholic?”

“Of course! It’s the only way to celebrate a not so merry Christmas.” He said with a snicker.

“Where did you get that? We were only serving non-alcoholic drinks for the party.”

“I stole one from Professor Nixon, she had like about a dozen of these.” He proudly answered.

“Really?” I said with a smirk. “The student body president is stealing alcohol drinks on professors?”

“It’s been a hard night.” he said with a sigh as he took a drink from the mug. After, drinking from the mug, his face turned into a wince.

“That’s strong!” He said in astonishment while refilling the mug with eggnog. After that he offered it to me with a wide grin. This is my first-time drinking alcohol in my entire life.

“So, what’s not so merry about your Christmas?” I casually asked.

“Andrea confessed to me.” He said in a distant voice as he drank from the mug again.

“Really? Well isn’t that supposed to be good news?” I skeptically said as I took a gulp from the mug.

“It’s not.”

“What? You like her, right?” I said in surprise, as I took my second sip from the mug feeling the heat all over my body.

He didn’t answer, instead he just kept looking at the fire in front of us while drinking from the Santa Claus mug.

“You know what, I get it, I’m not that easy to forget.” I teasingly said, nudging him on his shoulder. “You did ask me out—"

“It’s not that.”

“Then what is it?” I asked, taking the mug from him and drinking from it. I must say, this eggnog is pretty good the longer you drink it.

He refilled the mug and drank the eggnog in one gulp, which made him cough after.

“It’s for her own good.” He firmly said. “It’s the only way I could protect her.”

“What do you mean?”

“I rejected her so that I could protect her from the truth.” He said with a forlorn look on his face.

“What truth?”

“I’ll tell you but you have to promise that you’ll keep it a secret.”

“Your secret is safe with me.” I reassured him as I refilled the mug with eggnog and drank it.

“Andrea’s father is a pastor of a local church and I have no idea how but her mother happens to be one of my grandfather’s young mistresses.” He began in a low voice.

“When my grandfather found out that she was married and has a child, he plotted his revenge being the devious evil man he’s always been. He paid someone to ruin the reputation of Andrea’s father so that no one would ever want to go to his church again.”

That man has moxie! I’m impressed.

“And then he brought her mother to an island somewhere in the Caribbean Sea to live with her but after a year he left her for someone younger.”

What a devil! Impressive.

“She told me that after her father lost his church and her mother, he blamed her for it and threw her on the streets. That’s when Professor Alexander found her.”

I hate hearing that name.

“That’s horrible.” I said, feigning innocence when in reality I am impressed at how his grandfather could do such terrible things without conscience.

“I know.” He said, taking a long gulp from the Santa Claus mug.

“Is that why you rejected her? Because you don’t want her to find out about what your grandfather did?”

“Yes, I didn’t want to hurt her. Besides, this truth would ruin her. How could she ever be with me when my family is the reason for the destruction of hers?”

I think it’s because of the alcohol that made me actually give two shits about what he’s talking about, when I normally don’t.

“You dumb jerk.” I bluntly said, shaking my head in disbelief while taking another gulp from the mug. “That’s why you’re only known as Mister President of the Perfect Ass.”

“What?!” he said in bewilderment. “President of what?!”

“How she’s going to take the truth about your families is purely up to her. That’s not for you to decide.”

“I’m-I’m not deciding for her—I’m just trying to protect her from—”

“Then why are you taking away her chance to decide for herself?” I snapped back at him. “There are some things you can’t control, Clark. Andrea is not a child. She can handle pain.”

I let those words sink in to him for a few seconds before I spoke again.

“Just make sure she’s not handling it alone.”

Clark gaped at me for a few seconds. What’s he staring at? I know I’m right.

“What are you still doing here?!” I bellowed at him. “Go! Run after her! Tell her the truth before it’s too late!”

He scuffled to his feet and was about to dash out the door when he turned to me with furrowed eyebrows.

“Wait, what am I going to say?”

“The fucking truth! Now go!!” I ordered him as I shoved him away.

“Thanks, Cali! Merry Christmas!” he called out as he disappeared in a gust of wind.

Alone at last. I stared back into the fire on the furnace as I drank the eggnog on the mug.

“Wait, this thing’s empty.” I said with a pout as I turned the bottle of eggnog over and nothing came out, not even a single drop.

Clark said he got this from Professor Nixon’s office, right?

When I got up on my feet, I suddenly felt dizzy and a wave of nausea went up to my throat but I managed to bring it back down with a gulp.

“Let’s go!” I merrily said to nobody at all as I stumbled my way out of the library. I was bumping on tables and chairs as I go but I didn’t care. I felt so numb and woozy.

I even clumsily swayed while walking down the hallway. Miraculously, I found myself at the corridor of the offices of the professors. I leaned against the nearest wall to prevent myself from falling down.

“Miss Calanthe? Are you okay?” A voice said a few meters in front of me, I looked up and saw Professor Alexander’s worried expression.

I was about to smile when I noticed the wrinkled hand clinging on his left arm, at first, I thought it was a ghost but then I saw it actually belonged to Professor Myers.

“Oh! Professor!” I sarcastically said in a high-pitched voice.

“A pleasant evening to you.” I said as I stumbled into a bow which almost made me fall on my face but two strong yet delicate hands caught me. I looked up and I found myself a few inches away from Professor Alexander’s face. I immediately pushed him away and took a step back.

“Miss Calanthe, are you drunk?” He said with a disappointed look on his face.

“No, I am most definitely not!” I argued groggily. “Now, I should leave you two lovebirds alone. You wouldn’t want a child interrupting your romantic evening.”

“Clark! Let’s go!” I called out to Clark, feeling light-headed and sick. When I turned around, I couldn’t find him anywhere.

“Oh right, I came here alone.” I murmured to myself as I tried to maintain my balance while walking towards Professor Nixon’s office to get more eggnog. But something stopped me from moving any further.

“Miss Calanthe, you’re drunk, come with me.” Professor Alexander said with a stern look on his face.

“No, no, no! I wouldn’t want to interrupt your date.” I sarcastically said, rolling my eyes at him which I immediately regretted doing because it made me dizzier.

“I’ll-I’ll just look for Clark, he’s probably looking for some more eggnog.” I added with a wide grin on my face.

“Professor Myers, would you please find James and tell him to look for Mister Miller? Tell him, he’s drunk. I’ll take care of Miss Calanthe.” The old woman beside him looked disappointed by this but she reluctantly nodded and left.

“Hey! Why is she leaving? I should be the one who’s leaving! You’ve got a date with her, right?” I said after a loud groan.

“Miss Calanthe! What’s wrong with you?! It’s not like you to act out like this!” He angrily yelled at my face.

“There you go again! Yelling at my face! Getting angry at me because of professor slut!”

“Stop calling her that.”

“Why?! Because she’s your girlfriend?”

“You’re drunk.” He said, heaving out a long sigh. “Come with me.”

“No! I’m going to look for some more eggnog.” I protested as I turned around to walk away but he pulled me and carried me on his back.

“Put me down! Put me down, you bastard!” I angrily yelled as I repeatedly hit his back with my fists. Despite my efforts, he didn’t put me down until he placed me on a bed.

I couldn’t understand what he was doing but he was walking around and placing things on the bedside table.

“Drink this.” He said as he handed me the bottle of water. I slowly sat up and grabbed the bottle from him that I almost finished in one gulp.

“You can leave now. This is a girl’s dormitory and you are not allowed to be here.” I begrudgingly said as I placed the bottle on the bedside table.

“No, I’ll stay here, you’re burning up.” He said in a low voice as he grabbed the towel from the water basin. “Besides, you are in my room.”

“Why the hell am I in your room? And also, I can take care of myself, you go back to your date.” I groggily said while he looked down on me with disappointment in his eyes.

“Stop looking at me like that.” I added in an annoyed tone.

“Like what?”

“Like I’m a huge disappointment. I know I’m still a child but stop adding salt to the wound by looking at me like that.” I said in a dejected voice as I look away.

“I’m sorry, Miss Calanthe.”

“For what?”

“For calling you a child, when you’re not. And for looking at you like a disappointment, when I wasn’t supposed to.” He said with a sigh as he sat down on the bed beside me.

“It’s okay. You were right, I am a child.”

“You’re not a child.” He said in a firm voice.

“But—“ I wasn’t able to finish what I wanted to say because he started dabbing my face with a cold damp towel.

“You sure are treating me like one.” I said with a pout. Woah, that’s the second time I did that tonight, I am drunk.

“Why were you drinking with Mister Miller tonight?” He said with a troubled look on his face.

“We were celebrating Christmas of course! What’s Christmas without a little eggnog?”

“If you wanted eggnog, you should’ve told me, I have a bottle here in the office.”

“How could I? You were preoccupied with Professor slu—Myers—all night long.”

“I recently found something peculiar from the piece of fur we got from the beast that attacked you, since Professor Myers is a shape-shifter, I talked to her about it.” He explained wiping my right arm with the cold damp towel.

“Y-You weren’t flirting with her?” I asked, feeling my cheeks heat up, probably because I was drunk.

“Of course not, Miss Calanthe.”

That’s good to hear.

“And you?” He suddenly said without meeting my eyes. “Is Mister Miller your boyfriend?”

“Boyfriend?!” I exclaimed in surprise. “No, of course not.”

His eyes lit up and a smile crept on his face, I’m not so sure though, my mind is kind of fuzzy.

“You should rest, you’re sick.”

“In your bedroom?” I gasped as I reached for the blanket to cover myself. “What are you planning to do with me?”

“Nothing! You can have the room to yourself,” he defensively said. “I will sleep outside in my office.”

He stood up and started taking out something from his closet.

“Here’s some extra clothes,” he said while handing me a pair of black pajamas. “Can you dress yourself or do you want me to call Professor Myers to—”

“I can dress myself without help, thank you very much.” I sarcastically said as I sat up.

“Call me if you need me,” he said as he started walking out the door. “I’ll be right behind this door.”

Groggily, I tried to take off my dress which I couldn’t do because the zipper is on the back. I let out a loud groan and called out his name. He immediately rushed back inside with a worried expression on his face.

“I can’t unzip myself.” I said as I turned my back on him.

“Oh, uh…I’ll just call Professor Myers—”

“It’s just a zipper!” I groaned at him. “Just walk right out after you’ve done it.”

I heard him clear his throat before he walked towards me to unzip my dress.

“Any funny business and I will gouge your eyes out.” I warned him to which he chuckled. After he unzipped my dress, he immediately walked out the door without another word.

I slipped into his extra pajamas and as I closed the buttons, I felt tingling sensation in my gut the moment I smelled his scent in these clothes. I tried to shake it off as an effect of alcohol before I walked towards the door and peered through his office.

He’s on his desk doing something with his back on me.

“You know I can’t sleep without you doing your thing.” I called out to him which made him turn his chair towards me.

“Why don’t you try doing it on your own? Don’t worry, I won’t let anything bad happen to you. I will stay here on the other side of the door.” He said in a soft voice.

“No!”

“Please?” He said in a pleading voice.

“Fine, I’ll try.” I groaned as I shut the door behind me with a bang and threw myself on his bed.

“I can’t do it!” I yelled loud enough for him to hear, opening my eyes and throwing my feet in the air. He entered the room again and pulled up a chair to sit beside me. He took my hand and stared deep into my eyes.

“You can sleep without the help of my abilities or your drugs. You can, Miss Calanthe.” He said, firmly holding onto my hand. “I will be right here. I won’t let go.”

I closed my eyes again and tried to sleep, at first, I couldn’t do it but I kept reminding myself that someone is keeping me safe. I kept reminding myself that someone is holding my hand and that he will never let go of it.

And finally, like a Christmas miracle, I blissfully fell asleep, without sleeping drugs or the help of Professor Alexander’s ability. I fell asleep on my own and this time I was dreaming.

It’s been years since I had a peaceful dream like this. In my dream, I was already a mother of three, one daughter and two sons, and we were living in the countryside with my husband. It was Christmas morning and we were doing regular family Christmas traditions.

Which are opening the presents under the tree, watching a classic Christmas movie while drinking hot chocolate and eating the leftovers from the night before. I was really happy in my dream.

Before I could see what my husband looks like, I woke up with the blazing sunlight hitting my face.

….

I opened my eyes and felt the pain of the glaring rays of sun. After blinking a few times, my eyes finally adjusted to the light. I shrieked when I saw a man lying beside me. I was about to push him off the bed when something stopped me from doing so.

It was the fact that my left hand was still held by Professor Alexander. He didn’t let me go, like he said he wouldn’t. I stared at his face and became fascinated how his forehead creases as he let out soft cute snores. I find his lips that were a little bit parted intriguing.

His well-kept beard made him look old and mature but his eyes every time he looked at me were the reflection of his youth.

A mischievous idea crept in my mind. I used my left hand to flick a finger on his forehead.

He scrunched his face and let out a soft groan before slowly opening his eyes.

“Merry Christmas, pervert.” I teased with a smirk on my face.

“Miss Calanthe” he said, blinking a couple of times before fixing his eyes in mine. “Merry Christmas to you too. Wait, did you just call me a pervert?”

“Yes, you pervert, taking advantage of me because I was drunk.”

“What? No! I didn’t take advantage of you, Miss Calanthe.” He defensively said. “I was sitting comfortably on the chair when you turned and moved further away from the edge so I had to move and—”

“You’re loud snoring earlier said the opposite.”

“Miss Calanthe, I didn’t take advantage of you last night. Believe me.” He desperately pleaded which made me chuckle.

“I know.” I said with a smile on my face that made him sigh in relief.

“Was I really snoring that loud?”

“It was so loud I thought a train passed by.”

“A train?” He said with his cheeks turning red as he avoided my eyes.

“You didn’t let me go like you said.” I calmly said while raising my right hand to show him that our hands were still interlocked.

“I told you to have faith in me, didn’t I?” He said, flashing me a smile.

“I’m trying…you’ve made a lot of promises to me.”

“And I intend to keep them.”

Another Christmas miracle happened today, I was smiling at him and for the first time it wasn’t fake. For the first time in years, I wasn’t faking a smile. It was genuine smile of happiness and not because someone just said something funny. I felt ecstatic for some reason. There was a tingling sensation in my chest that made me want to smile brightly at this man in front of me. And I have no damn clue why.

“You didn’t use your mind ability last night to put me to sleep, right?” I asked, changing the subject before I do something irrational and stupid like tell him to never let go of my hand.

“No, I didn’t, were you able to sleep?”

“Miraculously, yes, I had a blissful sleep.”

“It’s a Christmas miracle.”

“Whatever. I’m hungry,” I said, rolling my eyes at him as I stood up. When my hand left his, I instantly felt this weird sensation of wanting it back, it was as if his hand were my home and I decided to leave it behind.

“I’ll see you around.” I said as I waved my hand goodbye before walking away. His hand that mine longed for stopped me from leaving.

“You can’t just leave,” he said while standing up without letting go of my hand. “Let’s eat breakfast together.”

“What? Why?”

“We have to celebrate, of course, aside from the fact that its Christmas, you were able to sleep on your own last night.” He said as he dragged me out of his bedroom and into his office.

“I didn’t do it on my own.” I frankly said which made him stop on his tracks and turned to me.

“Is that your way of saying thank you?”

“Yes, now can I have my hand back?” I reluctantly said. He quickly let go of my hand as his face turned red.

“Let’s go.” He uneasily said, walking ahead of me.

“What are we going to eat, anyway? Didn’t the kitchen staff go home last night after serving dinner for the party? And besides the dining hall’s probably all messy and cluttered up.” I casually said while we were walking down the hallway.

“I had James take care of that mess last night. Also, I heard the party ended around 4 o’clock this morning so everyone’s still probably asleep right now. We could have the kitchen all to ourselves.”

“You’re cooking?”

“Yes, what’s so surprising about that?”

“Nothing, I just never saw you as a guy who cooks.”

“And why is that?”

“Well, I thought you’re the type of guy who relies everything on your secretary, like cooking your food or preparing your bath.” I teasingly said with a snicker.

“That’s not true! I can cook for myself and prepare my own bath!”

“Okay, okay, you can prepare your own bath but he still washes your back for you, doesn’t he?” I mockingly said.

“No, he doesn’t!” He defensively said which made me laugh. “Stop laughing or you’ll prepare your own breakfast.”

“No, I won’t, because I know you’ll cook it for me regardless of what you say.” I said as I quickened my pace to walk ahead of him.

“That’s not true!” He called out to me. “I really won’t cook for you.”

But he did. When we reached the kitchen, I simply sat on the kitchen counter as he cooked breakfast for two.

“I knew you can’t say no to me.” I teasingly said, flashing him a smile.

“Stop talking, Cali” He muttered under his breath.

“Wow! You didn’t call me Miss Calanthe!” I cheerfully said in a high-pitched voice. “That’s another Christmas miracle!”

Why in Satan’s name do I feel so happy while I am sitting here on a kitchen counter watching Professor Alexander cook our breakfast?

“Now, taste this.”

“What is it?”

“Just taste it.” He said, blowing the spoon before placing it on my lips, I opened my mouth to taste whatever it was that he had given me.

“That’s good!”

“Really? You like it?”

“It’s true!”

“That’s good to hear.” He said with a sigh of relief.

Fifteen minutes later, we were crouching on the kitchen counter, devouring the delicious food he prepared.

“Slow down, Cali, you’re not in a race.” He said while snickering.

“You did it again! You called me Cali!” I excitedly said. He laughed at this while shaking his head.

“You’re going to have to call me that forever.” I added, still smiling at him.

“Yes, I will, Cali.” He said, smiling back at me.

I haven’t felt this safe and happy in three years. I hope it never ends.