Amelie (ON HOLD)

IX

  ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴄᴏɴsᴛᴀɴᴛʟʏ looking over my shoulder.

  It had been three days since the whole Vincenzo incident and the anxiety I had from the fear he would show up at any moment caused me to stay awake at night and cover myself with the shield of my duvet. For someone that liked being alone, I now preferred bigger crowds out of the pure fear my solitude would spark an opportunity to attack.

  I had been staying at Enrica's for three days now and it had been great. She was actually a perfect roommate. In the mornings we had our own routine and didn't bother each other, but at night we would hang out and watch movies. The remainder of my surviving belongings had arrived yesterday morning and the college told me they'd help replace my burnt textbooks, but my laptop and phone were destroyed and there was no replacing that.

  I got a passive aggressive letter from my parents last night explaining how my carelessness gave them no reason to replace my things and how I needed to get a job to earn them back. I really wasn't surprised by their response, if anything I was relieved that didn't tell me I had to live with them again.

  Now I sat in my Religious Studies lecture, trying to get through the last hour whilst subconsciously planning my route home without being too far away from people. The teacher had left to retrieve some papers from the office, and I sat tapping my pencil against my desk before another teach walked back in.

  He made his way to the chalkboard and set his briefcase down on the desk before writing his name on the board.

  Professor Jethro Whitlock.

   "Um, where is Professor Wen?" a student raised their hand and asked.

   "Professor Wen got a call for a family emergency and asked me to cover the rest of your lecture. My name," he turned around and the bright, blue, brilliance of his eyes caused me to freeze. "Is Professor Jethro Whitlock. Professor Whitlock would be easier."

  Jethro Whitlock.

  Azriel Emrys Jethro Whitlock.

  Aziel.

  That sly bastard.

   "I will only be covering this lesson once so listen clear." He announced to the class. "I am only here to help out my friend and I will not tolerate any difficult behaviour, understand?" the class didn't respond but they didn't have to. He wasn't talking to them. I slid further down in my seat and chewed on my pencil anxiously. I was so screwed.

   "Can anyone tell me what Jesus said as his number one rule?" he asked. The class looked around in confusion. We were studying Sikhism. "Anyone?" the class fell into confused murmurs.

   "Miss George?" Aziel's eyes met mine and I internally screamed.

   "U-Um...."

   "I'm sure you know the answer." Aziel raised an eyebrow.

   "Love thy neighbour?" I said and Aziel smiled contently.

   "Correct. Do you think it is important to love thy neighbour?"

   "Yes." I replied and Aziel smiled again, resting his hands in his pockets confidently.

   "Even if you hate them?" what was he trying to do?

   "I guess it's how you display that hate. Everyone hates someone or something, but there is a mature way to go about it rather than being spiteful and rude." I answered and saw a few students nod in agreement.

   "So, you'd say that stabbing someone in the shoulder is a spiteful and rude act of hate?" oh, he was smooth.

   "I... erm –"