To no surprise of mine I was brought to the office the following class day and reprimanded for a good long while. I sat and took it all with a smirk on my face as I just couldn’t feel bad. Listening to Principal Statler remind me of what a stellar student I was just amused me to the point that I couldn’t do anything but smirk. He was so oblivious since he was the only faculty member that didn’t know Angela and I had skipped several times for random shopping sprees or all the times I’d been caught out of class with Dean.

I finally stopped smirking when he informed me that Justin was under ‘probation’ for his job. Basically to everyone it looked as though he forced himself upon me so there was an investigation going on now especially since he tutored freshman and what not as well as me. I tried to butt in and lie about how long the two of us had been ‘together’ but Statler wouldn’t let me get a word in edgewise.

A few days passed and Statler was sure to keep me doing anything but go to tutoring which Mrs. Foster wasn’t pleased about but since my math grades were doing nothing but escalating—something I decided to do to try and help his cause that backfired—she couldn’t really say much.

But finally I received a text from him that Friday when school was ending that simply said, ‘look up’ and when I did I saw him sitting in the parking lot wearing dark colors as usual and his aviator glasses that shielded him. I waited for Mrs. Foster to busy herself before opening the window and starting to sneak out.

“What are you doing?” one of my fellow classmates asked.

“I’m sneaking out to do hard drugs and knock up a few banks with my gang,” I answered casually jumping the rest of the way out going to meet up with Justin. “What are you doing here?”

“Hoping you’d do just that,” he grinned pushing off the car. “Get in.”

“Where are we going?” I asked as I did so.

“Away from here,” was all he said and I just watched him as he drove off.

Again, as I looked at him, I felt like there was something I was missing and for a photographer that was rather frustrating. I felt the need to figure him out. I just didn’t know how to go about it.

We didn’t stop driving until the sun had completely set and then he finally drove to the same park we’d stopped at a week earlier.

“Okay…I’m officially confused.”

“I don’t know what to do around you. I’d like to consider myself to be an intelligent person and you just turn me into a blithering idiot. I need to figure out why.”

I smirked glad the feelings weren’t one sided as I went to the swings.

“I want to spend more time with you. And since I’m unable to do so at school I want to see you after. I can’t really force you…despite what they think,” he added with a grin and I looked up at him with my head tilted to the side. A thousand ideas for stories started rushing through my head and I couldn’t think of what I wanted to respond with.

“Say something, please,” he practically begged.

“Do you have any paper?”

He gave me the strangest look but most of my friends would be used to such a request.

“Paper?”

“Never mind. Give me your keys so I can get some out of my bag.”

The look didn’t falter as he obeyed and I ran up grabbing a spiral and pencil and then ran back down to the swing happy for the lights around the park. I started scribbling down nearly ten ideas for stories when he finally walked closer desperate to know what I was doing.

“What on earth is that?”

“I don’t want to forget,” I said shortly pausing as I racked my brain for any ideas I could cling to.

“How do you do that?” he asked seeing what I was writing.

“Inspiration comes from random things. They just seem to be pouring out right now,” I said continuing to jot down in my miniscule handwriting.

He suddenly leaned over and kissed me despite the fact I was still trying to write.

“Justin,” I groaned leaning back only too far as I released a slight scream falling off the swing. I should have known he’d catch me and I couldn’t stop the laughter I released. “This is a bad idea.”

“Why?” he grinned.

“Not sure of the details yet, but something is going to get in the way.”

That was unfortunately my philosophy. He, however, decided it wasn’t worth exploring at the moment and we drove around a bit more eventually stopping so I could eat since he’d apparently he had a big lunch, and then I was dropped off an Angela’s since my dad was pulling a double.

He wanted to see me more, he said, but unfortunately I had little time to give him. Over the next few weeks we met for an hour here and an hour there but with Statler trying to take up my school time and Angela hounding me about my studio, I couldn’t give him any more. I took every opportunity to analyze everything about him. A few instances occurred where I could actually go out to dinner and a movie mainly because Angela forced me to take a night off when I finally told her what he’d said.

All in all, I felt like he was an up point in my life. I was filling up notebook after notebook with possible ideas and starting several and my studio was just about finished so I dropped by often to see how things were progressing. I really wanted to get Justin there and take his picture but it seemed a bit of an odd request considering our odd relationship.

“So, how did you enjoy the book?” Mr. Hareton, a.k.a. teacher dating best friend, I discovered rather recently, asked in class nearly a month later around when our papers were due. The details about Angela’s situation she was hesitant to give but I wasn’t surprised especially with how they acted around one another. They were subtle, yes, but I’d taught myself to notice things and I sure as hell noticed.

“I liked it—surprisingly,” I added quickly in case Angela came back from her errand and over heard me.

“Why surprisingly?” he asked puling one of the chairs between his legs leaning on the back.

“I usually dislike love stories,” I said looking up at him wondering why it interested him.

“Why?”

“It’s all in my paper,” I pointed out.

“I’m sure it will be but I’m curious,” he admitted.

I sighed seeing he wasn’t going to drop it.

“Romantic driven novels always tent to make love seem simple when it rarely is. Give me a book where absolute misery ensues because of love and it’s much more believable.”

“You don’t think people can just be happy in love?”

“Maybe for a time and if there were no other factors.”

“Such as?” he pressed.

“Friends, jobs, exes, jealousy,…life.”

“Life gets in the way of love?”

“Something always does,” I trailed off as he stood quickly. I looked up but his gaze was focused intently out the window.

“Mr. Hareton?” Angela asked as she walked up.

“Ang, watch the class a moment.”

“Miss Courcel,” I coughed. Even though he had a thing for Angela, I still liked him as a teacher and didn’t want him to make it obvious because of a slip.

“Yes, Miss Courcel. I’ll be back in a moment.”

Angela and I immediately exchanged a glance and then got up rushing over to the window.

“What do you think spooked him?” Angela asked as we didn’t see anything particularly interesting save an Aston martin parked in the lot.

“Crazy ex wife who found out about you,” I nodded teasingly.

“Chase!”

I practically jumped out of my skin as I hadn’t even heard Mr. Hareton come back inside.

“Yeah?” I asked as we both turned trying not to make it look like we’d been searching for what spooked him and me especially hoping he hadn’t heard my comment.

“Do you have Justin’s phone number?”

“Uh…yeah, in my phone.”

“May I?” he asked glancing at where it was situated in my pocket.

I handed it over and he quickly found the number and hit dial. He took a few steps away and looked relieved when he answered then suddenly amused.

“Don’t get too excited, J, it’s just me,” he said before switching to a different language altogether that had me look toward Angela. She gave a shrug mouthing ‘what the hell’

I smirked and turned toward the window listening for a moment.

“Sounds like…Gaelic.”

“What? He’s not gay,” she protested.

I couldn’t have held back the eye roll that followed her comment even if I’d wanted to. “Gaelic—Irish, Ang—what they used to speak all over Ireland back in the day.”

“Ohhh,” she said grinning at me. “How the hell can you tell that’s Gay—ugh, Irish if they don’t speak it anymore.”

“Not a lot speak it. Just a small amount and it was research for a story,” I shrugged.

“Well can you tell what he’s saying?”

“I don’t speak it, Ang. I just recognize it.”

“Then what good are you?” she teased.

I gave a short laugh. “I’ll be right back,” I sighed heading out of the class to go get a drink from the fountain down the hall.

“Ah, Samantha! Samantha!”

I rolled my eyes again as I moved my hair aside and rose from getting my drink to see Principal Statler flagging me down. But it took a moment to move when I saw the figure standing with him.

He stood rather tall though anyone did when standing next to Statler. Even though he wore a fine suit, no doubt tailored to excellence, he looked as though he’d once worn fine armor and fought in battle by the way he carried himself. But his face was indeed perfection; sharp eyes, dark and foreboding angular features with defined cheekbones and a straight handsome nose above idyllic lips. Finally with shoulder length jet black hair tied back that I don’t think could look good on anyone but him.

He didn’t look a day past thirty but he carried himself like he’d had an eternity to perfect himself. I really couldn’t think of better words to describe him that didn’t all mean the same thing and I had to admit, I was intimidated to say the least, especially since his gaze was fixated on me.

Finally my feet would move again and I made my way down to the hall meeting them.

“This here is one of our best students,” Principal Statler said pulling me closer by my elbow obviously having purposely forgotten my recent escapades. “Samantha Chase, meet Mr. Drake.”

I mentally noted that his name translated roughly to dragon as I extended a hand and noticed as I did so that he leaned on a cane. He switched it to his opposite hand as he took mine. It felt like cold stone and I resisted the urge to pull away.

“Samantha here is in the running for Valedictorian this year, our school’s unofficial photographer not to mention is enrolled in dual credit courses and the early basics program implemented this year.”

“I’ll have nearly three semester’s worth of credits finished,” I threw in using a tone that stated how much I didn’t approve of him bragging on my behalf but Statler didn’t catch it.

I looked up at the intercom holding back a groan as Principal was called.

“Samantha, would you—.”

“Go,” I waved him off despite how unnerved I was by his guest. I watched him turn a corner but didn’t get a word out before he spoke.

“I must apologize for him,” he began, his accent obvious though I couldn’t place from where with such little to go on. “My visit is a bit of a surprise.”

“It’s alright. We were working on last minute things for papers in class,” I finally managed to spit out after a long silent moment.

“Then perhaps you should return. Point me in the right direction is all I ask.”

“My paper’s already finished,” I assured. “So I hope you don’t find me rude for asking but who are you exactly?”

“Let’s just said I’m a generous private citizen.”

I understood that that usually meant he was some rich bastard the school was sucking up to in order to get a donation. From the look of him he could afford it and then some but I felt like there was an ulterior motive than just the normal tax write off.

“Ah well I guess Principal Statler was giving you a tour. Where did he leave—”

“I’m not interested,” he broke in suddenly “I did not come half way around the world to visit a miniscule school.”

Every muscle in my body tensed and he took a few steps ahead when I noted that he had no use of the cane for walking making me think it had other uses. What, I wasn’t sure but I was sure that I didn’t want to find out.

“I consider myself fortunate that you came upon my tour before I was subjected to much more.”

My brow furrowed a bit without meaning to. He stopped and looked back at me grinning ever so slightly as though amused by my annoyance.

“You know Justin,” he stated—not asked.

“Mr. Monroe? Yes, he’s…well he was my tutor,” I said keeping things professional.

“I’m quite aware of the fact you hold acquaintance with him outside of these echoing hallways. You see, my dear, I know him quite well.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“More than you know. I suggest that you keep your distance. I feel it would be in both of your best interests, yes?”

“Why?” I sort of demanded.

“Everyone has a skeleton or two hiding in their closet. Let’s just say we have more than just the bare minimum. Good day, Miss Chase. Tell your dear principal I’ll be in touch.”

I said nothing as he left my sight and I fell back against the lockers feeling exhausted from his mere presence. After a few moments I headed back to the classroom where I was surprised to see Justin walking out.

“Hey,” I said but he barely looked at me as he rushed out. I couldn’t deny the sting it left behind and I entered the classroom rubbing my neck confused by the last few minutes.

“Okay, you will not believe what just happened!” Angela said rushing up to me as Mr. Hareton rushed by me after Justin no doubt. “Are you alright? You look freakin’ pale.”

“I’m just a bit thrown is all.”

“Why?”

“Wait, what happened in here? I wasn’t gone that long,” I said trying to piece everything together.

“Just after you left Justin like appeared out of nowhere. I was facing the window one second and the next him and Joseph are just arguing in that weird “gay” language you were talking about. Then soon as you showed up he left again. I have no idea what’s going on.”

“Me either, Ang. Me either,” I said not even reacting to the fact she was on a first name basis with our dear teacher. I walked over to the window and watched as Justin met up with Mr. Drake who was standing in the parking lot. He gave a nod to him and the two left together.

“Ooo, pretty,” Angela said joining me. “Wait, that’s Mircea Drake.”

“You know him?” I demanded more than I intended to.

“Yeah he was here some years back in New York when I went to some gala thing with my dad. Rich as hell. Old money. Likes to donate to “unknown” organizations.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, uh, basically charities and stuff that don’t get a lot of publicity. Most never make it without his donations. Oh, oh, oh and he funds a lot of the newly implemented education stuff, including the basics program they started here. Think Justin works for him way down the line which explains how they know each other,” she shrugged rather oblivious.

“Hmm” I sighed conflicted. His actions toward said charities were rather noble but his cryptic warning toward me left me torn. I returned to my seat and tried to clear my mind. Unfortunately my mind decided to repeat the hasty goodbye from Justin over and over.