Little Bird

Marcus

As he finished his sentence, the older man allowed his large hand to linger on Taylor's shoulder, and in the silence that followed, it only just began to dawn on him how inappropriate a gesture it was, particularly in a school setting.

Trying not to let his alarm show on his face, in case Taylor had not found it nearly as strange as he had, he did his best to casually withdraw his hand, lifting it from her shoulder and returning his arm to his side.

Despite his calm, professional outwards demeanor, Marcus found his thoughts continuing to dwell on the attractive features of the shorter girl before him, though tried to banish these to the corners of his mind and concentrate on his job as her teacher.

Mr Drake, unlike others in the profession, did not consider himself merely a professor at the school, but also felt that the role carried with it responsibilities to be a mentor and guide for the youth under their care. Of course, his brand of care tended to be the 'tough love' variety, though he had a softer side when it was called for.

As the girl began to confess that she had no notes to study from, Marcus was quick to formulate an idea, which he tried to justify to himself as a standard courtesy he'd offer to anybody, rather than an excuse to see more of the girl.

"Hmm...well, if you like, I am happy to offer some one on one evening sessions and go over some of the material again," he stated, his face firming into a hard gaze once more.

"But I will only offer this if you promise to take it seriously. If I get the impression that you are not fully committed to your studies then I will stop helping you. Is that clear, Miss Taylor?"