Among the Mirabilis(Part one of the trilogy)

Chapter 9

Later on, during diner, I told them everything related to Max Derek.

"And I told him to forget about that conversation. I made it clear in setting boundaries between us. And what now?"

- "Come on Sammy! Give a suggestion, I'm still not coming to my senses."

Thea gave him a lead.

- "This isn't anything terrible objectively considering that it isn't illegal to be with a younger man and I like his flirting game. He's very brave considering that you're older and that you're also his professor."

( Max Derek is 18 btw)

"I know. Generally speaking, he's absolutely cute and there is something charming about him. Still, I'm afraid that the last night might turn out to be confusing."

- "Girls, wait." Said Sammy "Maybe he doesn't know the Cat Woman's identity."

- "Now that is a mystery only Minimaxy can figure out."

"Professor. Can we play basketball today?" – Asked one of the students.

"You may. We'll put today's schedule for the next lesson. Ask the rest of the class, and if they agree, we will go with it."

My head feels like it's about to explode from all the thinking. Does he know that it was me? I don't think so. He would say something or maybe I would notice something if he did. Today, I'm teaching the class he's in. I'll take them outside to play in the sand. As they play, I'll watch him. – If he was Batman from that night, he'll probably look my way more often than usual.

"Miss Manev." Another P.E. professor called out. She taught her class in the hall next to mine.

"Catherine hi. How are you?"

"I'm good. I've wanted to discuss something with you and to ask where do you get your dresses. We've been all commenting on your outfits for a while. They're not something you see every day, they're so glamorous and yet simple.

It's true that I've been always wearing the dresses I designed, which were sewn by Thea's grandmother who used to work for a once famous brand. The woman was a master of her skill. They were usually dresses with puff sleeves, they accentuated my waist and they would get wider from the hips down, they would sometimes have a big bow. I usually tend to decorate them with a wide leather belt and add some high heels to them.

"I don't buy them, I design them." I answered shortly.

I wasn't much communicative with the other colleagues, but we all had a decent relationship, strictly professional.

"What did you want to discuss with me about?"

- "There'll soon be a sports tournament for high school and faculty students of this region. The plan is to head out to a spa hotel that has fields and courts for our need in their offer. Would you agree if we were to form couple of teams with the help of some of the professors from the faculty so there wouldn't any rivalry between the schools?"

"Why not? Looking forward to it!"

"That's just what I need! To be stuck three days with a bunch of brats and snobby professors!" I told Thea while I was summarizing the professor's suggestion while we were drinking coffee at the caffe that was near the place she worked at.

- "You know that Sammy will be there so it's not all that grim."

"That's right! He will be there." I said with some excitement "How stupid of me! It might turn out to be fun after all."

- "But don't forget that Max will be there."

I frowned "Don't remind me."

- "Were there any hints that it was actually him in the first place?"

"Honestly, no. There was nothing suspicious during classes apart from Suzanna's usual standard embarrassments. He even acts as if he understood the boundaries I set between us, like all nicely behaved boys should. What about you? We never talk about you, I'm always the main topic. I'm a bad friend."

Thea smiled:

- "Don't worry about it, I've been the center of attention for too long. Everything that happened at the beginning of this year broke me. It's a good thing that you and Sammy were there for me since my family only cares about their own troubles."

What happened at the beginning of the year referred to the break up of a long relationship with a man she deeply loved.

Her family was rich. Her mother works in an embassy of Korea in our country while her father is of French origins and an owner of a chain of hotels, her older brother is a surgeon, while of her youngest brother I don't know much of except how he looks like and that's been more than obvious for me. No one was too close with one another, the parents were too busy with work so Thea spent years hanging either around me or her (now ex) boyfriend, that little lying turd.

- "So now, I'm happy taking care of you." She smiled

"Alright.. Anyway, we need to plan where we'll go for the New Year's eve, which is in a few days."

- "I think I have an idea of where we could go." Thea excitedly said, while placing her hair behind her ear.

She told me of a house next to the beach which her parents bought no so long ago and how nice it would be to go to that town which was just a few hours away here, next to the coast.

- "Considering that the town is full of people and all sorts of events, we could go out and spend the new year's eve there and then spend the rest of the weekend resting in the beach house, I'll call Sammy as well, of course!"

I enjoyed watching her plan things out in excitement and joy. It's been a while since I've seen her to honestly look forward to something.