OK, I gotta ask that if you don't like Mr. Fields at first, keep reading and see if he doesn't grow on you. I don't appreciate it when people send me a review just to say he's creepy...Not that I've gotten many review like that- there have been three out of nearly seven hundred saying or insinuating that he's creepy. But, please don't totally insult him when you review. Thanks. :-)

A/N: The reasons for Rebekah's depression will come out later.

Prologue

“Excuse me, Ma’am, are you here to pick someone up?”

Rebekah recognized his voice. The cool night air rushed over her, adding to her goose bumps. She gazed at the school parking lot from the above terrace which lead into the cafeteria, and heard his dress shoes clicking softly against the black top. If he knew she was thinking of jumping, he would have run for her.

Loud music rushed to greet them when someone opened the door to the gymnasium where the dance was being held.

“Ma’am?”

She turned to face her excellent US History teacher, and he took a step back, his chocolate eyes narrowed on her. “Miss Rose?”

“Hi, Mr. Fields.” She nervously smoothed her black dress, undoubtedly leaving a sweaty residue.

He gave his black tie a tug around the shirt collar. “You looked like… someone else.”

She felt her cheeks glowing and she hoped he couldn’t see this beneath the outside lamps that arched above them. It was no wonder he’d mistaken her for an adult (not that she was far from it, at sixteen years old. Another couple years and she would legally be an adult.). She was only wearing a plain, black dress, not a fancy gown like the ones the other girls were wearing tonight.

She hadn’t seen the point in dressing up as much as she would have if she’d had a date. And she could have had a date if she’d wanted one. Two boys had asked to escort her to the Homecoming Dance, but she’d refused for two reasons: 1) They were too young. Yes, they were both sixteen, but still too young for her; and 2) they were too goody-goody, damn it! Not only were they Honor Roll students, but they must have been participants in every damned extracurricular activity known to mankind! Too good. Too predictable. They didn’t even have the courage to act shy about asking her out.

Anyway, she wasn’t only dressed too plain for this dance, but she’d recently had her light brown hair layered and cut above her shoulders- shorter than she’d ever had it before. At least it gave the impression to her parents that she felt like sticking around. They’d noticed her depression, even though she’d tried to hide it.

Mr. Fields approached her slowly, cautiously. “Where’s your date, Rebekah?”

“I don’t have one.”

“Really? A cute little girl like you?”

A faint smile sat on his face. Little girl, huh? If she was old enough for him, she might find life a little more intriguing.

“I think I’ll just walk home now.”

“Alone?” He frowned. “In the dark? No, Rebekah, I think we better call your parents.”

His brown, wavy hair scattered when the wind rushed down on them again. Rebekah’s hair was much lighter now and flew up around her.

She followed her young, handsome teacher into the cafeteria, where he motioned at the pay phones and handed her some quarters. “Get with it, Chick. No female student of mine is going to walk home in the dark in this neighborhood.”

“Only the girls?”

He chuckled, shoving his hands back into the pockets of his dress pants. “Girls are more of a target, if you catch my drift.”

He looked serious suddenly. His brown eyes could easily mesmerize her if she let them. Instead she took the quarters, trying not to let her heart flutter on contact, because it was silly to have a crush on a man so much older than she was… and a teacher at that. But many of the girls did have a crush on him. He was only about 25 years old, had a stocky build, wasn’t very tall, but not short either. And he was far more interesting than any of the other teachers, delivering his lessons with excitement in his tone, joking around as he went and telling little anecdotes from his life to help get certain points across.

He’d taught her Social Studies class the year before, as well, so she was quite used to his energetic speeches.

“Rebekah, try smiling every now and then,” he said, giving her a wink. “You’re far too serious for a girl your age. You need to lighten up, Girl!”

She forced a smile, but he obviously didn’t buy it.

“I have an extra assignment for you, Rebekah.”

“You can call me Bekah.” The few friends she had called her Bekah- Renee, Alice and Misty. They were all here tonight, and probably wondered where she’d disappeared to.

“Bekah Bekah, Bo-Bekah… I want you to go home and look something up on the internet and give me a report on it.”

Yay. More homework. Just what she needed to make her life more thrilling. “What do you want me to look up?”

“Space Travel.”

She pulled her head back confusedly, which brought a grin to his face. “Do it and see what happens.”

OOOOO

OK, FIRST of all, just letting you know that my writing has much improved since writing this story, so when you get to the sequel, A Walk in the Rain, you'll notice a big difference. However, lots of people enjoyed this story despite the choppiness of the writing, and I hope you will too. Thanks!

WARNING: If you're an extremely conservative Christian who is offended by passion even if no gruesome details are given, and you dont' like words like "damn" and "hell", then I suggest you don't read any further. The passion doesnt' start till much later, but it I'd hate to see you enjoy the story clear up t oa certain point and then get angry with me for the passion. Thanks for reading, all.