Black Velvet

The end of the week finished up relatively drama free compared to the beginning of the week. I had told Kyle he could no longer approach me in school and if he did he should expect me to pretend like he is a crazy, insane stalker. I did still want to see him but I knew it would kick up a fuss if Alex found out. I also avoided Mr. Way and he avoided me, even when I had had to have my lessons with him. Alex had been surprisingly sweet and calm and although it was difficult to tiptoe around the girls I felt different. I could feel Marnie and the others siding with me when we had small discussions or bickered at lunch. I felt strangely untouchable.

Deb woke me up early on Saturday morning so that I wouldn't be late for my school day of detention. I found it strange to be having a real life Saturday detention. I had only heard of it in the film The Breakfast Club but my old school had never given them out. Haleworth had one Saturday detention a month and one teacher would take whoever was in detention as one class. It was usually given out to people who had skipped school and they would have to catch up with their work. I threw my uniform on haphazardly and carefully packed up my dress and underwear for Ed's party later. I put the black heels in a separate plastic bag before running downstairs and throwing myself into Deb's car. Dad wanted to make sure I actually went into school.

For a change I actually arrived at school ten minutes early and headed straight for the English department where the detention was being held. Stupidly, I didn't knock before I walked into the room. No one else had arrived yet but Mr. Way was sat behind the desk, both of his hands scrubbing at his eyes.

"Take a seat," he ordered in a murmur, unaware it was me before he looked up, "Mia," he said, looking a little shocked behind his tired eyes, "First time for everything," he then muttered bitchily, casting his eyes away from me for a second.

"What do you mean by that?" I scowled, irritated by his comment.

"I mean that you're never on time for anything," he snapped bitterly as I walked over and took one of the desks in the front row. I simply shrugged and pushed all my bags under the table before sitting down with a light thud in my chair. Mr. Way tapped his fingers on the desk for a second, not saying anything. The tension was thick, I wanted to say something to break it but I was also enjoying Mr. Way looking anywhere but me, "Are you and Alex friends again?" he suddenly blurted out, still not looking at me.

"Yes we are, no thanks to you," I replied, my tone icy. His eyes darted towards me.

"You only have yourself to blame," he said in a tone as icy as mine.

"Your wise words never fail to amuse me," I muttered, having to look away myself. I was trying to stay calm but I couldn't help but almost look for an argument. My resentment towards him was becoming unbearable and my anger was made worse due to the fact it was just us in the classroom.

"You know I remember being your age, your friends are important. Boys shouldn't be at the top of your list of priorities," Mr. Way commented, tipping me over the edge once again.

"Don't patronise me," I spat my brows furrowing angrily.

"Don't act like a -" Mr. Way began to say loudly.

Before he could answer, the door opened and yet another sluggish student from a lower year walked into the classroom, taking the seat a couple rows behind me. I stared down at my desk, gnawing at my lip, trying to establish whether I was actually going to be able to stay in the same room as him all day. I let a deep breath slip past my lips steadily, rubbing at my temples to try and calm myself down. Everyone who had been issued the detention slowly started to enter the classroom. There was only around twenty of us and we were given the work to do for the day. If you finished all the work you were given you were then to write two pages on how you could have prevented detention and an apology to the teacher who you had disrupted.

Mr. Way handed out the work to each individual silently. I could hear his black brogues clipping loudly on the wooden floor. He carefully placed my folder in front of me and my eyes were instantly drawn to a sticky note that was stuck to the corner of my folder.

'Meet me in my classroom in ten minutes. G.'

My stomach fluttered and although I was still angry I wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to be alone with him. He left the classroom abruptly after handing out the folders, telling everyone to stay quiet after he left. I waited patiently for ten minutes, watching the hand of the clock on the wall. Slowly, I pushed my chair back quietly and tried to secretly make my way out of the classroom. I looked around worriedly but no one noticed, everyone was either sleeping or tapping away on their phones. Hurriedly, I made my way to the art block, feeling incredibly paranoid that someone would find out. I was nervous when I made my way through the corridor towards Mr. Ways classroom, my sweaty palm pushing open his door.

He was sat at his desk, gnawing at his own thumb. He looked up when he saw me and swallowed.

"I want to stop this," he said as soon as his door clicked closed.

"What exactly is 'this'," I asked, making quotations marks with my fingers. He rolled his eyes dramatically, standing from his chair.

"Please don't pretend you don't know what I mean. This is so incredibly unprofessional and childish-" he began, his voice strong and authoritative.

"I'm not pretending I don't know what you mean, I'm asking you to explain to me what you think "this" is because I would love to know considering you keep changing your mind," I said, as calmly as I could muster. He dragged his hand down his tie, his face twitching a little, "Well?" I asked when he dithered a moment longer.

"Come and sit down," he muttered, sitting back into his chair and nodding towards the chair which was placed opposite the desk. I strolled over and sat opposite him, dumping my backpack and other bags by my feet. He sighed heavily, opening his mouth a few times as he was trying to get his words out, "When you first got to this school, I took pity on you. You were new and you seemed lost and vulnerable, I liked you Amelia," he started, dithering.

"You liked me?" I asked, my face dropping which I quickly fixed to try and not look too wounded.

"I liked you too much. I have a wife, a secure job. I don't want to give that up. I can't jeopardise that for something... like this. I understand now, I probably confused you but I confused myself also. We mixed up my role as a teacher by meeting each other outside of school hours. Do you understand where I am coming from?" he said carefully.

"You hugged Alex," I swallowed, "Do you do this to all your vulnerable students?" I then asked cruelly, fisting my hands in my lap. It was hard to not cry, the tension and emotion between us was agonising. I couldn't stand being rejected by him.

"No! Of course I don't! What do you think I am?" he said abruptly, "I hugged Alex to comfort her, don't be ridiculous Mia!" he exclaimed.

"You hugged her to get at me!" I shouted back at him furiously.

"And you weren't trying to get at me by making out with Kyle right outside my classroom!" he barked, making me jump. I was stunned, "Don't look so shocked," he spat, slumping in his chair. Not knowing how to reply I simply stared at him whilst he looked down at his lap guiltily, "I have a life Amelia," he almost whispered, eventually looking up at me. I just nodded and before I could open my mouth there was a timid knock on the classroom door, "Come in!" Mr. Way bellowed, straightening up considerably whilst I swiped my hand across my eyes, getting rid of any stray tears.

"Sorry to interrupt..." Abbie's voice sounded as she began to enter the classroom, "Oh! Mia, hello again," she said when she saw me. She was carrying a suit over her shoulder, her finger hooked into the hanger.

"Oh Abbie!" Mr. Way said, sounding shocked, "I didn't expect you here until later," he then said as she strutted over in chunky, red, suede heels.

"I only came to drop off your suit for the dinner tonight," she said, smiling at me with painted red lips.

The hangnail on the middle finger of my right hand had started bleeding from me constantly picking at it. Abbie hadn't left straight away, I had been stuck in an awkward conversation with her for a good ten minutes. I had showed her my dress and shoes and she had gone on to describe her own gown. After that she had chatted about Alex and I nodded and smiled and tried to pretend I didn't hate every minute of what was happening. Mr. Way simply sat in his chair, arms folded, face glum. Occasionally he were insert a socially appropriate laugh or smile.

"It's good you have a friend like Alexandria in this town," Abbie finished as she hung up Mr. Way's suit on a hook that was meant to hold up artwork, "How are you getting there? Is Debra taking you?" she then asked, pulling her hair up into a messy bun.

"No... uh, well maybe," I shrugged, wriggling my shoulders uncomfortably. Deb had offered to pay for a taxi although she had told me she was upset she hadn't been invited herself.

"Well I'll be there a little earlier as the caterers are actually my caterers so I want to sample the new menu which they're serving at the dinner. Either way, Gerard can take you. It's not good to be late to these things," she said assertively and quickly before turning to Mr. Way, "I need to speak to you," she then smiled, starting to walk out the room. He glanced at me before following obediently.

I sat still in my seat, awkwardly staring after him. He pulled the door a little but I could see through the crack. I could hear them talking to each other animatedly and when I lent on my chair I could see Abbie's hands gesturing dynamically whilst Mr. Way chatted back, less enthusiastic. Before Abbie left she left a long, lingering kiss on his lips and my stomach knotted.

Mr. Way came back into the room slowly, closing his classroom door carefully behind him. I just sat there, waiting for him to begin the conversation again.

"Sorry about that," he mumbled, sitting back in his own chair. I nodded, my heart beginning to hammer in my chest. We were silent for a few minutes before Mr. Way let out a loud, disgruntled groan, "this is exactly what I mean. I don't want to feel awkward like this because of YOU anymore!" he said, exasperated.

"This isn't all my fault," I replied, keeping my tone strong.

"We're going round in circles," he muttered, "my point is, this needs to end today. Right now. Whatever feelings you have towards me need to vanish," he said defiantly. The more he pushed me away the more I wanted him, my hands scrunched in my lap. I didn't know whether to beg him or to demand him. His eyes were staring into mine, I didn't look away, although it as making my skin blush and my palms sweat. With his teeth gritted, he stood up and marched towards the door, "Go back to detention," he ordered.

"No," I swallowed, shaking my head a little.

"Amelia, please just go!" he seethed.

"No," I repeated again, trembling in my seat, "you don't get to make all the rules," I then added. I could see his knuckles turning white from gripping the door so tightly. I tensed as he stormed over to me. He grabbed my backpack and my other bags and threw them violently out of his classroom door, "What are you doing!" I exclaimed as they hit the floor just outside his classroom.

"Get out!" he yelled, a metre away from me.

"No, you can't-" I was cut off by both of his broad hands grabbing my forearms firmly, "Get your hands off of me!" I hissed, trying to sound as menacing as possible. I began scrabbling at his hands angrily, trying to pry them off from my own arms.

"Just get out Mia!" he yelled, dragging me up into the middle of the room. I pushed him as hard as I could and he stumbled back slightly, his eyes angry and heated. Before I could make my next move, he grabbed me around the hips, lifting me off the floor before striding towards the door.

"Get off of me!" I yelled, pushing and scrabbling. I lifted my knee and hit him hard, making him yell out loudly, letting go of me before falling himself. I hit the floor with a thud, my elbow and lower back saving my fall but also bringing tears to my eyes. Mr. Way scrabbled up quickly as he had managed to save his own fall by landing on his hands.

"For fuck sake," he muttered, when I wiped a few stray tears away. I wasn't crying because it hurt, my adrenaline had taken over and I felt winded, my wounds stinging, "Are you hurt?" He asked, holding his hand out to me.

"What do you even care?" I spat angrily, ignoring his extended arm and getting myself up.

"Of course I care," he yelled, walking over to collect my things and close the classroom door once again, "I didn't mean to hurt you-"

"Well you have!" I spat, my face red and damp with tears. I looked down, snivelling pathetically before shrugging my blazer off my shoulders to inspect me elbow. It was red, the broken skin prickled with blood.

"Let me see," Mr. Way ordered, his voice softer than before. He knelt down beside me, taking my arm in his again before rubbing his thumb over my elbow, "Sorry," he murmured, when I winced, "I'm going to get some ice for it, just stay here okay. We're not done talking," he ordered once again. It only took him five minutes to go to the first aid room which was at the back of the art block. In the time he was away I wiped my face with the arm I could bend. My make up had run everywhere and when I wiped underneath my eyes black smudges appeared on my fingers which I wiped on my skirt.

"Sorry if this hurts," he apologised before kneeling behind me.

"It's fine," I mumbled, a shiver running up my spine when his finger delicately plucked at my shirt, un-tucking it carefully.

"This is going to be cold," he murmured. I said nothing, his pale fingers pulled at the zip of my skirt until it reached the bottom of my spine. Deftly, the tips of his fingers fluttered carelessly over the bruised skin. He then pushed the ice gel pack on my back. The cold pack took the heat away, taking away the sting and making me sigh out also, "Does that feel better?" he questioned softy.

"Yeah," I muttered, "I can hold it," I then added, pulling my arm around behind me so that I could hold it against my back myself.

His hair tickled my leg and I could feel his hot breath on the inside of my thigh. I clutched onto the ice pack, trying to keep the whimper that was bubbling in the back of my throat to stay there. My eyes had slipped closed, my hands resting on the desk behind me when Mr. Way moved round to my front

I only opened them when all movement stopped and I could no longer feel his breath on my skin.

"What?" I asked timidly, staring down at him. He looked up at me from the floor.

"Does your back feel better?" he asked, swallowing. I nodded, biting my bottom lip at him, "Good," he muttered, standing up once again, "As I said earlier, this needs to stop and you should go now," he then added, his face tense and emotionless.

I made it back to the detention room later than Mr. Way as he'd left me in his classroom without saying another word. I tried my hardest to make eye contact with him but they stayed glued to his desk where he was scribbling away, doing mindless marking. It was difficult to do my own work and the rest of the day dragged on terribly slowly. Alex had been texting me, I think she was worried about me being late and was questioning me with every text she sent. Kyle had also been messaging me but I had barely replied, just in case he tried to speak to me at Brookes'. I had told him I was in detention but would try and get there for quarter past seven.

Once six o'clock had arrived and Mr. Way away allowed everyone to leave but I deliberately stayed seated. Part of me knew Mr. Way was expecting it as he stood to leave with everyone else.

"Get changed in here, I will meet you at the front of the building in half an hour. Don't be late," he said, in a monotone voice.

Notes

enjoy my lovelies x