Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (Teacher-Student Romance Robert Downey Jr.)

Nothing Like Us.

His hands wander towards his wavy hair and bury themselves in it. The expression in his face is unreadable and his eyes just stare at the floor.
I shake my head, slowly, trying to rearrange my thoughts.
Finally, my lips get to form some words. "What did you say?"
John's face is filled with disappointment. But it's not directed at me, it's directed at his older brother. "Robert. I think you should dress yourself. Louis won't be too angry about us being late." Then he turns to me. "Aria. You should leave through the front door."
I try to react, but I can't.
"You would've let her leave over the balcony?" John says to Downey. "She has dignity, Robert. She's a women! Women shouldn't leave through anyone's backdoor."
Downey's eyes are angry. "Stop it, John." He says calm.
"No! I won't stop it! Again? Really? Did it have to be her?" John is raising his voice now. "Did it really have to be her? You should have-"
"Don't tell me what I should have done, John!" Downey shouts at him.
"Shut the fuck up, you two!" I scream and both of the men go silent. "Why did you say that, John?"
"Say what?"
"Again. You said not again." I repeat and stare at him blankly.
John's eyes widen and he starts to stutter. "I-I think t-that's not my story to tell."
"I think you should go now, John." Downey demands and I raise my hand.
"No. You tell me then." I say and try to stay as calm as possible. "You tell me why he said not again."
My eyes point at Downey, who tries to escape every possible confrontation.
"Tell her." John supports and Downey shoots him a death stare.
"I said, you should go now. Leave, John!"
"If you're not going to tell her, I will."
"You won't do anything." Downey responds and takes a step towards his little brother.
"Someone tell me what the fuck is going on now!" I shout and the men are surprised by my sudden anger.
Downey sighs and sits down on the bed. Closing his eyes, his forehead starts to wrinkle. "You know that I was living in New York, before I went here."
I nod, not knowing if I really want to know what he was going to tell me.
"There is a reason why I left New York." He continues and catches my glance.
"So you didn't come here just because you wanted to help?" I ask and he denies, by shaking his head.
"Why would an award-winning writer, celebrated professor and on top a charming, handsome ma-
"I think we got it, Robert!" John hisses and Downey raises his hands in self defence.
"Alright, calm down. So, why would someone like me start to educate high school students somewhere in California?"
Running fingers through my hair, I groan. "Can you just get to the part, where you tell me your fucking reason."
John starts to chuckle. "She's a handful, I'll give you that."
"Maybe we should discuss this in private." Downey says.
"I don't care. I freaking don't care!" I yell at him. "If you're not gonna tell me what happened, I will walk out."
"Sometimes things happen and-
"He had an affair with one of his students in New York."
John's voice continues to resound, but I hear nothing. Not his voice, not Downey's voice shouting at him and not the waves crashing into the sand. Just the beat of my heart. Hammering against the inside of my chest, suffocating me. The air seems to run outside of my lungs, as if it is chased.
I stumble backwards. Pressing myself against the glass door.
Downey has already risen from bed and is now making his way towards me. "Aria. Listen. I can explain everything that happen-
Shaking my head as aggressively as I can, I close my eyes, trying to hold back the tears, which are forming behind my eyelids.
He comes closer, trying to soothe my temper, but I raise my hands, pushing him away. As my skin presses against his chest, I almost can't breathe again.
"Aria, please listen to me." His voice quivers. "It has nothing to do with anything we have right now."
"Nothing to do? It has nothing to with us? Are you trying to fuck with me?" I scream at him and shove him away. "A student? Really? Are you some kind of sick pervert, who only fucks his students?"
He shakes his head, letting his gorgeous hair bounce. "It wasn't anything like that, Aria. It was different, nothing like this. Nothing like us."
His breath hits my skin and I have to inhale his scent.
"Nothing like us, hm?" I repeat and clench my fists. "There is no us. There never was an us. And there certainly never will be."
My hand flies sooner than I can realise and hits him right in his face. He stumbles a bit and I take the chance to run out of here. Almost falling down the stairs, stumbling out the front door. I keep running, through streets, parks, gardens.
I run.
And one sentence repeats in my mind, over and over again.
Nothing like us.