Chemical Attraction (Student/Teacher Relationship)

Chemical Attraction Chapter 3

Chapter 3

When I reached my door, I held my breath and pushed it open. I cast my eyes around and eventually decided it was passable. The walls were painted in boring white with a standard bed and bedside table in the corner, and a desk against the opposite wall. How dreary. On the plus side, it was a decent size and once I was unpacked, I could start to customise it. A small door led off the side, which opened to reveal a small bathroom and I had quite a pretty view of the school grounds from my window. My boxes were piled in the middle of the floor with a note stuck on the side of the top one with tape. Curious, I pulled it off and started to read.

All your boxes have been placed in your room, although you seem to have surplus for requirement. The handyman, Roger, has offered you use of the storage room at the end of the corridor for belongings that you have no room for and has left the key with me. My room is the second door on the right from yours. Come and find me at your will.

Yours,

Mr Cooper.

I smiled slightly, my stomach fluttering with anticipation of seeing him again with his gentle smile and twinkling eyes. I rolled my eyes at the manual labour part; I was sure lugging a few boxes around wasn't too hard on him, especially with those muscles!

Damn, I was acting like such a shallow bimbo.

'Get a grip!' I reproached myself.

But my body was no longer ruled by my mind, and my reaction couldn't be helped. It was just so puzzling. I was devastated by the loss of my family, but just the thought of Mr Cooper took my mind off them, until the guilt of forgetting rushed back in.

I sighed glumly as the depression descended once again. He was just a teacher and it was wrong to be even feeling like this. I didn't even know him; whatever insane attraction I felt towards him just had to be repressed. But my heart still kicked in my chest as I read his parting words and with that, I rushed out of the door and down the corridor, almost desperate to see his face again. I composed myself before I knocked, but as the door swiftly opened, the butterflies swarmed in my belly and my knees trembled.

"Aha, Miss Phoebe Miller, I see you got my note then," he said, before beckoning me in with a heartbreaking smile.

"Yeah, sorry for any inconvenience," I mumbled as I followed his lead, feeling tongue-tied. His room was much bigger than mine, with a double bed instead of a single. The thought of that made my cheeks feel hot.

"Hmmm, well don't worry about that, I am certain I will think of some way that you can make it up to me," he countered quickly, winking again. I raised my eyebrows in disbelief and he laughed at my expression. “I’m only kidding- it was no big deal. Now where did I put the key again?” He muttered to himself. “Ah yes…”

He grabbed a key from his dresser and threw it towards me. “Catch!” He called.

I clumsily attempted to catch the key, but failed pitifully. The key grazed my knuckles as I reached for it, stinging my hand, before hitting the ground and tumbling back across the floor, towards Mr Cooper’s feet.

“Smooth,” he chuckled, causing me to flush scarlet. I quickly bent down to retrieve the key, not realising he was doing the same. Our heads smacked together with a resounding thunk and I clutched my head in agony. I heard a muffled groan, and looked up to see him rubbing his forehead. I smiled sheepishly as he caught my eye.

“Sorry,” I whispered.

He merely grimaced in reply, before picking up the key that had been lying innocently between us and standing up. Scrambling to my feet, I held my hand out for the key as I bit my lip nervously. He slowly grabbed hold of my wrist, drawing my arm closer towards him, before firmly placing the key into my palm. Gently, he curled my fingers around the key and a tiny spark shot through my fingertips. My breath caught as our eyes met, his hand still holding mine. The atmosphere was electric.

Without thinking, I gently brushed my thumb against his fingers, and he quickly stepped back, as he pulled his hands away, putting a careful distance between us.

“Er… thanks.” I mumbled awkwardly, not really sure what to say.

Mr Cooper simply nodded, avoiding my eyes. "Give me a call if you need a hand with moving anything."

"Okay. Thank you." I repeated again, smiling in thanks before returning to my room in a daze. That spark had felt so real that it couldn't have just been my imagination. I was positive about that. But I still knew that this was wrong, and no amount of sparks would ever change that.

Opening up the boxes, I started unpacking my essentials in a brainless routine. I picked up the remaining boxes and staggered over to the storage room with them. The boxes were heavy and it would have been a perfect excuse to knock for him and ask for help but I decided it was better to stay away from him, before I did something even more stupid.

Once I was finished I sat on my bed, dithering over whether I should return the key to him or not. I twirled the key around my finger absentmindedly and pictured his eyes- warm brown with tiny flecks of gold. I was obsessed, no question. I shook my head slowly in bewilderment; I wasn't the kind of girl who continually thought about a guy. But this guy was so different, he was like a drug to me, and I needed to end this addiction. Soon.