The minute I saw You | Teacher-Student romance | BWWM

Chapter Three | Talia

I stir awake in bed, my eyes flashing open at the sound of the annoying but familiar tone that is my alarm. I groan, taking in the brightly lit room and I curse the sun for rising this morning.

I didn't go to bed late, but it was hard falling asleep when my mom and her boyfriend were going at it like jack rabbits in the next room. When they finally got off of each other it was just after two in the morning and unfortunately for me, my alarm is set for six.

I pick up my phone, more than ready to hit the snooze button when I realize what time it is.

"Shit!" I fling the covers off of me when the time on my phone tells me it's seven in the morning; that's the time I'm supposed to be out the house to catch the bus.

How many times did I hit the snooze button?!

I race into the bathroom and recoil from the light like a vampire out of hell before I stare at my reflection.

A petite girl with a deep brown complexion, high cheekbones and muddy colored eyes stare at me in the mirror. My hair is in a loose braid which I decide to leave it in until I'm done with my shower.

I brush my teeth, wash my face and take the world's quickest shower all within fifteen minutes. When I'm done, I get dressed in Kerrington's uniform which looks like something out of Britney Spears Baby One More Time music video.

I manage to get my hair up in a decent ponytail the same time I walk in the kitchen.

Otis, my mom's boyfriend, sits in one of the chairs at the table dressed in his boxers and signature white wifebeater with his feet bare as he stirs a bowl of cereal in front of him.

I'm not really sure what my mom sees in him. He eats all of our food, can't hold a job ever since he came from prison and he smells like weed.

I regret the moment I made eye contact with him; the only way to survive Otis was to stay out of his way.

"Didn't your momma teach you any manners girl? You're supposed to tell me good-morning." He snaps in his gravelly voice.

"Good morning Otis." I grumble.

"Look at you. Your momma told me you started going to a new school. I didn't know they had you dressing like this." Otis says. "Turn around so I can see it from the back."

"I'm running late." I tell him and step towards the front door.

"I can have you bent over and feeling so good in a few minutes." Otis tells me, licking his lips and I feel sick to my stomach.

"Didn't sound that way with my mom." I reply and Otis is out of his seat in a flash.

"You bitch!" Otis slaps me before he presses his body against mine so I'm stuck between the wall and him.

"Get off of me!" I scream, squirming to get away from him.

"What the hell?"

I turn my head to see my mom standing in the doorway and relief washes over me.

"She was all over me baby." Otis says, peeling his body off of me.

"He's lying! He was all over me." I argue.

"And why would he lie? He knows he got all of this waiting for him." My mom says, gesturing towards her body.

"He was all over me I swear." I told her.

"Who are you gonna believe? Your man or this bitch?" Otis demands.

"Of course I believe you baby." My mother, Angela, cooes.

"I don't believe this shit." I shake my head angrily before storming out of the house.

It takes the Uber ten minutes to get to me and I spend thirty dollars to get from home to Kerrington when I could've spent two bucks taking the bus.

Thirty minutes later, I arrive on campus and I'm given a late pass for first period. I hate being late. I hate the looks people give you when you walk in making me feel completely uncomfortable.

I turn the knob, quietly letting myself in and brace myself for the stares. Nick is standing behind his desk looking as good as he did on the first day of school with a dark blue button up with the sleeves pushed up to the elbow and black slacks.

"Ms. Davis," Nicks calls me out. "I don't know how things worked at your other school, but here at Kerrington we have a strict on time Policy." He says and I look up from the ground and meet his gaze.

This is the last shit I need after this morning.

Nick studies my face and a flash of anger crosses his eyes before he clears his throat and grabs a pen off his desk, squeezing it. "Since you're new I'm going to let you off with a warning," Nick finishes, surprising me. "Don't let it happen again. Have a seat."

I have a seat, and pull out my notebook from my backpack, trying to ignore the few lingering stares I can feel on me.

Class goes on. Nick assigns us two pages in our workbook to read and answer the questions. Usually I'd breeze through the short stories and multiple choice questions, but I decide to take my time, needing the distraction from this morning, and by the time I finish scribbling in my answer for the last question, the bell rings.

Everyone stands up at the same time, slamming notebooks shut and throwing pens into their backpacks. But unlike my classmates, I'm not eager to get to my next class which means I'm only five more classes away until school is over and I need to head home.

Maybe I should join a club...

"Ms. Davis," Nick calls out as half the class files out of the room. "Why don't you hang back a sec."
Simone casts me a worried look and I shrug non commentary because I honestly had no idea what this could be about unless he changed his mind and was going to give me grief about being late to his class after all.

The last kid walked out of the classroom when I made it up to Nick's desk. "Yes, Mr. Cross?"

Nick looks at me with a hard look in his eyes and lips pressed together disapprovingly. "What happened to you this morning?"

That's what was causing the ready-to-kill look on his face? Because I was late? "I overslept and missed the last bus." I explained.

"I'm not talking about that. I could give a crap that you were late. I'm talking about that bruise on your cheek." He snarls.

He noticed that? I shift uncomfortably from one foot to another. "It's nothing."

"Doesn't look like it's nothing." Nick replies.

"Well it is and it's none of your business." I tell him before I turn around and start heading for the exit.

"Actually it is my business," I hear Nick jump out of his seat before he comes blocking my way. I try to ignore the sweet smell of his cologne with him standing so close but it works its way into my nose regardless and I have to fight the urge to breathe in a lungful. "As your teacher, it's my job to report any suspicions I have of any of my students being harmed at home."

My heart accelerates at the idea of getting cops involved. The last thing I needed was for my mom to get arrested and she would if they found any of the stuff she thinks I don't know about like the drugs she helps Otis sell. I'm  only three months away from graduating. I just had to keep my head down until then and apparently make sure Nick mind his own business.

"Please. I know you don't know me very well, but trust me when I say you'd be making things a lot worse if you say anything." I admit. "It's nothing I can't handle; so please don't say anything."

"I don't know if I can Talia." Nick admits sheepishly.

"I'm no damsel in distress. I can take care of myself, Mr. Cross." I tell him before I walk around him and out the door.