Little Bird

Taylor

Taylors' heart proceeded to beat sprightly as she awaited the feeling of Mr Drakes lips on hers, yet it never came. Realization set in after a few long, brutal seconds of feeling nothing in return, yet she declined to concede with the truth until she felt the cold air rush back over her cheek. Not a second later the couch beside her that was once sunken in with the weigh of her professor, now expanded from the lack of pressure set upon it.

The student's eyes shot open to reveal what was certain to break her heart, left alone looking like an idiot to assume he had felt the same about her; she looked down at her lap to avoid him seeing her obvious embarrassment as her cheeks lit up.

With a timid voice, she stuttered to answer him, trying not to let her voice break. "N-no sir.." Taylor felt her eyes sting while trying to hold back tears, this time thankful he wasn't looking at her enough to notice as the whites of her eyes filled with unshed tears.

A single drop from her eye fell down, ever so gently disappearing into the single piece of paper that was her poem, and without uttering anything else the girl quickly picked up her bag from the floor beside her feet, and half jogged out of his office, not giving him enough time to stop her. Leaving the poem laying on the couch in her wake.

Marcus

The question, of course, had been in itself a hint that it would be best for her to leave if she had nothing else she needed help with, although it pained the man greatly to suddenly go so cold. Continuing to stand there as she confirmed there was nothing further, he was tempted to look to her face as he heard her voice quiver, though knew that he would immediately lose his resolve if he saw how upset he'd made her.

As he heard the sound of Taylor's feet against the ground when she began to depart, he finally turned his head, watching her make her way through to exit the attached classroom, and he found himself struggling internally as every natural instinct demanded that he call out to her.

Eventually succeeding in battling off his own emotional response, Marcus closed the door to his own office, and let out a deep sigh, somewhere between relief at dodging a bullet, and frustration at the strong, unresolved feelings for the girl that showed no signs of diminishing.

Spotting her poem still sat on his sofa, he picked up the piece of paper, returning to his desk and sitting down with it, reading it to himself again and making sense of the subliminal feelings contained within.