CHAPTER FOURTEEN

She'd been holding her breath to fend off another urge to cry, when she heard, “So, Bekah, was it my imagination, or…” Alice tilted her head, her smile almost hidden by her cat make up. She’d dressed in a black, tight, soft costume with kitty ears, and had painted ‘whiskers’ and a black nose on her pretty face. Not surprising to find Alice wearing something tight… but Bekah was surprised that she’d managed to look so innocent, because innocent, Alice was not.

While the girl was a little too wild, and Bekah sometimes wondered how they’d gotten to be such good friends, there was something about Alice… and she could sometimes see it in her eyes… a look of compassion or sorrow, maybe? Something that gave Bekah the distinct impression that Alice was deeper than she let on. Like, maybe there were things churning inside of her that she strove to keep hidden… and Bekah… if she hadn’t been so depressed lately, maybe she’d have tried to crack her friend’s shell, to expose her darkest secrets and nightmares, the problems that had driven her to drugs and alcohol. But maybe Mr. Fields was better equipped to crack that shell, since he’d been so successful with the likes of smart-ass Rebekah Rose.

As Bekah leaned forward to ask Alice what she'd meant, the booming music roared to life again, and she rolled her eyes, sighing as she nodded toward the exit. Alice peeked back at her date, a vampire also known as Craig McCormick, and then another black-caped blood sucker stepped into view, his white fangs exposed by his wide smile. The blonde, neatly combed hair was unmistakable. This person wasn't who she wanted to see, especially since she felt so rejected by Mr. Fields... and she knew he hadn't meant to reject her. What did she expect, for the man to place his career on the line because he'd snuck a female student into a closet and kissed her?

No matter the morality of his decision, she'd waited inside that closet for about five minutes after he'd left, her hand pressed to her cheek as though she'd been struck. But then she'd blinked away her tears, squared her shoulders, and cursed herself for being such a flipping brat. He couldn't kiss her, because that would have been wrong. Wrong, wrong, dead wrong. Still, when she'd stepped into the gymnasium and saw him scouting the area as though nothing had gone awry, her heart throbbed and her feet begged to take her home.

Now, she peered around her friends, spying Spidey near a wall, watching the festivities with his hands clasped behind his back. His slow scan of the gymnasium eventually lead him to her... and there his gaze lingered as Kevin extended his hand. "Hey, Rebekah," said the goody-goody above the din. "Could I at least have one dance?"

Spider-Man's eyes were locked on her... on them... Resisting a small smile, a rush spread from her core, filling her rounded hips- that old, familiar feeling of power and, as twisted as it sounded, glory... the glory that came from driving guys insane with her good looks. She'd forgotten...and damn, it felt good. She took Kevin's outstretched hand, snatched her gaze away from her teacher, and said, "Sure, Kevin." Just one dance between friends.

His face lit up, blue eyes smiling as he lead her onto the dance floor. His hands slid down her hips, reminding of her how Mr. Fields had done the same thing not fifteen minutes ago. His hand squeezing her curves gently as he stepped back. "You look amazing," Kevin said near her ear, and over his shoulder, she could clearly see Spider-Man... watching them; but the damned mask hid his expression.

Now, with Kevin starting to lead, she wondered why he was attempting a slow dance to an upbeat song, but he seemed to read her mind, because he called, "I can't dance to this kind of racket... So, bear with me until something slower comes on, OK?"

She withheld a frown. Was this his way of suckering two or three dances out of her?

Oh well...the more they danced, the more Spider-Man would sweat!

Dan was sweating, all right. And it wasn't only because of the tight costume sticking to his flesh. Not fifteen minutes ago, he'd been locked in that closet- alone with Rebekah Rose, struggling to keep his eyes off of her full hips and plump breasts, struggling not to notice her floral scent or the wideness, the longing in her deep brown eyes. When they'd hugged, he'd felt as though he'd been engulfed by flames, and he wondered if she'd any idea how crazy she was driving him. She'd totally caught him off guard with that costume, and though any man would have that response to the sight of Rebekah Rose dressed as Wonder Woman- Well, no, not any man. His feelings for her were already escalating out of control, so it wasn't just pure lust feeding the fire.

Rebekah was special, damn it, and he'd known that from the night he'd first visited her... wanting to round that table and pull her into his arms, to soothe her, to emblazen the truth in her mind and heart that her sister's death wasn't her fault. He'd been there. He knew the pain and the guilt and the suffering that had been heaped upon her shoulders, and he'd tossed and turned for nights to come, wondering how best to help her. In the end, he couldn't force her to accept his help. But she'd accepted it. She'd given in. She'd been molded like clay in the Father's hands, and that told him more about her than he should have learned. Because once he realized her openness to the spirit realm and to his faith...

Open. She'd been completely open with him, while there were things she still didn't know about him.

He shook his head slightly, watching as Kevin planted his hands on her hips. Bekah, however, wasn't paying much attention to her dance partner... she was gazing over the tall boy's shoulder, locking shiny eyes right on him- her teacher who'd almost kissed her.

Her teacher, damn it, her teacher! What the hell was he doing?

He stalked away, knowing full well what she was up to- it was a trick all women played, no matter what their age, so he couldn't say that she was behaving immaturely. However, he was surprised that she'd done it, considering how easily she could be crushed by the guilt of her actions. Later, she'd regret it. She'd feel like a jerk, just like him.

Young teacher, the subject of schoolgirl fantasy

She wants him so badly

God, tell me this isn't happening.

The DJ announced that someone had requested a repeat of a song-

In a darkened corner, a boy had pinned a girl in a cat suit against the wall. They were locked in a rather passionate kiss, which was a big no-no while on school property. He stepped out of Jealousy's tight grip...

Would you dance if I asked you dance...?

He paused, allowing the green-eyed monster to seize him again. Scanning the darkened, crowded floor for Rebekah proved futile. She was just a kid...

Would you run and never look back
Would you cry if you saw me crying
Would you save my soul tonight?

Would you tremble if I touched your lips?
Would you laugh oh please tell me these
Now would you die for the one you love?
Hold me in your arms tonight?

Why did they play these sorts of tunes for groups of kids? Most of these kids- mainly the younger ones- equated love with their damn tongues dragging the floor at the sight of their ‘significant other’. As Rebekah's paper had beautifully conveyed, love is a choice, not a feeling... and these ‘love songs’ fed their feelings more than their brains. No wonder there were two of them smooching in the corner.

He stopped beside a wooden arch that extended along the wall to the ceiling and waited until the guy’s hand slid down his girlfriend’s narrow hip. He hopped out, plopping both hands firmly on the young man’s shoulders. The startled shaking reminded him of how he used to sneak up on Allison, and laughter caught in his throat. When the kid turned, eyes wide with horror, Dan could see that it was none other than Craig McCormick, who sat in the front row of his fifth period class.

“If you were older, I’d tell you to get a room,” Dan said. “Now knock it off, Guys. Go get some punch and cool off, OK?”

The cat peeked around her boyfriend, a smile creeping upon her feline face. "Who are you?" She asked, reminding him that he was wearing the mask. He briskly removed it, and both pairs of eyes popped open again. The cat spoke first, after a few moments of silence. "Hi, Mr. Fields," she said, and the voice sounded familiar. He must have looked confused, because she clarified, "It's me, Alice McCallister."

Alice... Rebekah's friend... His heart throbbed, the laughter from a moment ago now far away.

“Sorry, Mr. Fields.” Craig coughed into his fist and took Alice's hand. He watched as they hurried away... and knew it was time that he tried to find a girl his own age. If he didn't find someone, his eyes would keep wandering back to... Rebekah Rose. He'd no idea that helping her would bring him this close.. she seemed so unique... so... But she was too young, and it wouldn't work. Too bad, because it was so damn hard to find a good match, hard to find someone who wouldn't like him for his money.

Most of the girls he’d dated in the past came from wealthy families, so he hadn’t worried about them liking him for his money. But then he’d met Denise at a college party, had gotten drunk and had made the mistake of telling her that he was rich. She’d clung to him after that, making sure to get to know him better before requesting jewelry and clothes and other things that her past boyfriends hadn’t been able to afford. Because the pretty, eighteen-year-old girl had treated him respectfully at first, he’d given in to her requests for gifts. She’d thanked him with kisses, and unfortunately trips to the bed. So not only had he screwed up by sleeping with her, but he’d been disgustingly naïve.

She was eighteen at the time, fresh out of high school with no plans for college. With a rich boyfriend and loads of free time, she’d begun to demand more of his time… but he’d been so inundated with studies and extracurricular activities that he hadn’t given in to her constant demands for a attention. So she’d found another rich sucker… none other than Dan’s “best friend”, Charles Athens. Talk about a stomach-turning, double kick in the crotch.

His good sense told him not to risk his heart again; but that constant cry for female companionship couldn’t even be prayed away. He knew, because he'd tried. After Denise left, he'd tried like hell, begging God nightly to take away his yearning for a woman.

A crowd of kids broke away from the floor, their happy chatter mingling with the music. As he gently pushed his way through the thick of them, he returned their shouted greetings, and scratched the back of his head, heat filling his face when a petite blonde grinned up at him.

Young teacher, the subject of school girl fantasy…

Damn, he’d never thought the first line of that song would describe him.

“Mr. Fields is chaperoning. We’re in trouble, Man,” Someone said, instigating a round of laughter. Dan shook his head, looking for the source of the voice. A tall, thin black boy by the name of Arnold Moore slapped him a high five. “What’s up, Mr. Fields?”

“Just looking for butts to kick,” he teased. “You guys behaving yourself tonight?”

“Heck no, Man,” Arnold ‘elbowed’ his date, a pretty girl named Candace… he couldn’t remember her last name….

“Someone’s stealing the answers to the next test as we speak,” the young man chuckled, and Dan smirked. “Oh, I see. Definitely not a good way to earn brownie points.”

Not in the mood for their typical rounds of jesting, he turned. Brown curls reflected every ounce of light in the room, and brown eyes shined up at him. Dan took a step back. Rebekah shifted her focus from him... to Kevin... and back. They both held cups full of frothy punch, so apparently she'd broken their dancing session early... but why was she this close now? Why had she followed him? Why was this so damned hard?

Forcing his attention to her male partner, he asked, "How's it going, Kevin?"

"Hey, Mr. Fields." Kevin said, extending his hand to shake, like the proper, young gentleman that he was.

Mr. Fields gave her one of his semi-dark glares, and she felt like crawling under one of the tables. She'd just experienced temporary insanity, but would he understand that? What was he thinking about her being with Kevin? Did he feel betrayed? The look he'd just given her suggested that he felt betrayed.

Oh, God, I've majorly screwed up!

He probably thought that she'd purposely lead Kevin to his side... but Kevin was the one who'd lead her here, spotting Mr. Fields in the Spidey suit and insisting that they go say 'hi'. She hadn’t argued, because she’d been dying to be next to Mr. Fields again… Once that rush of – she rolled her eyes- glory had passed, she’d felt like a complete imbecile, and couldn’t stop scanning the gym for her teacher. He’d disappeared, but not for long, thank God.

"I'm going for an architecture degree," Kevin was saying. "I finally made up my mind."

"It's about time, Murphy," Dan gave what Bekah thought was a forced smile, and then added, "Seriously, I know how hard it can be to make up your mind... I love English, because it's a mixture of history, poetry, and romanticism, but what I'm looking for is something that will really captivate me. God's universe never ceases to amaze me." His gaze fell on Bekah before Kevin started his end again.

"God's universe? That's something I'm still not sure about. If God is real, why doesn't He make Himself more evident?"

Dan tossed his head back in brief laughter. "Kevin, what are you talking about, Man? You've got tons evidence all around you!"

"What evidence?" Kevin asked, and Bekah remembered asking herself the same question a few years ago. What evidence?

"Look at the stars for one... and the trees and the animals... everything," she said.

Kevin studied her distantly. "Those could be evidence for evolution, too."

"Who's to say God didn't create by evolution?" Bekah asked. "Just a thought." She sipped her punch, catching Dan's eyes on her again. Only this time they sparkled with interest that faded as soon as Kevin turned back to him.

"Oh, well, we'll get into this debate again, I'm sure," Kevin laughed. "Let's dance again, Rebekah."

"Again?" She squeezed her cup so hard that the punch ran out over the top and dribbled down her arm and onto the hard floor.

Kevin glared, Bekah blushed, and Dan smirked.