Through your eyes • Marilyn Thornhill

- ͙۪۪̥˚┊❛ 02 ❜┊˚ ͙۪۪̥◌

Them butterflies they come alive when I'm next to you
Over and over the only truth
Everything comes back to you
Everything comes back to you

0:58 ━━❍─────── 3:35

This Town, Niall Horan

POV: Marilyn Thornhill

Awkwardly, I stood in her and Bianca's dorm as she carefully examined the Angel's Trumpet. Her lips had curled into a slight smile that she barely seemed to notice herself. Only then I realized how I had begun to smile, too. Subconsciously, I shook my head slightly to free myself from the trance I had fallen into and cleared my throat. I told her that if she had any questions, she shouldn't hesitate to come to me.

"My room is right down the hall, just around the corner.", I added. Oh, how I adored that dorm. It was a little further away from all the other dorms, away from the other teachers and away from the hustle and bustle. Thus, it is exactly where I went after I had given Tilda her little gift. I watered my plants - obviously I had decorated my room with them. Just taking care of them gave me an amount of peace that nothing else could bring me.

As it began to rain, I made my way to the forest. The leafs on the ground rustled quietly and the raindrops clattered onto those on the trees. The wood perfume, the humid climate and the crinkling leafs under my boots completely surrounded me and took me in.
The sun had already gone down when I made my way back. As I checked my watch I realized that the student's curfew had already begun, so I made sure to hurry up.

The halls were empty and there wasn't much noise coming from the dorms as I arrived. One thing that works out at least.
As I returned to my room I rummaged through my shelves for a little book that I hadn't held in my hands for quite a while.

"Dear Diary", I wrote, "The past months have been a lifeless monotony. No matter what I got started with turned out to be just another burden in the long run. Don't get me wrong, I still adore teaching at Nevermore like the first day that I started but sometimes you can have a lot of people around you and still have no one. Many of the teachers still barely acknowledge me. On good days they say 'Hello' and on the bad days it seems like they can't stand the fact that I'm a Normie. I've really gotten tired of giving my all to people who don't give the same amount back. Sometimes I feel like I let them treat me like a cigarette: When they need to they use me. But once they're done they drop me. One cigarette in a pack of many.
But with the students it's the polar opposite. Thank god. They're eager to learn, they show actual interest in the subject and - being their dorm mom - they also see me as a person.
Today, a new student was introduced to the academy. Her name is Tilda. I don't know much about her - although I would just need to take a look at her file to find out some facts. I don't quite know what it is about her. Despite everything that happened today she's on my mind. It's like she's the paint on a brush and all my thoughts are painted in her color.
I went to the forest again. Suddenly, strangely enough only after today, I'm doubting the things I'm doing. I really need to clear my head. Maybe I'll get back to you tomorrow. I've got too much on my mind right now.
-Marilyn."

I found myself on the fire escape smoking a cigarette. It was a terrible contrast to the beautiful old building but safety standards needed to be met. I leaned against the railing as the iron stairs were still wet from the rain. Pieces of my memory flashed before my eyes as I put the cigarette to my mouth and took a puff. The smoke reminded me of a fire I fled from when I was just a child. Embers and ashes.
I took another puff and eventually let it drop all the way down to the floor. It flew through the night like a shooting start until it hit the wet ground and immediately went out.
Just as I was about to leave I started hearing footsteps. Before I could locate where exactly they were coming from I spun around and caught sight of her. She abruptly stopped and looked at me.

"Tilda", I just asserted perplexed, "What are you doing here? Why aren't you in your dorm?"

I tried to sound stern in a way - possibly to conceal how baffled I felt. Now it was her who leaned against the railing unflustered.

"I wanted to take a walk.", she replied with an even temper. And I understood her so well. Nevermore could easily become too much and sometimes one just needs to escape for a moment. Nonetheless, I couldn't make special rules just for her.

"I'm sure headmistress Weems educated you about our curfew.", I scolded her, "We don't make these rules for nothing, Miss Vondergeist. There have been a series of attacks in these forests. So don't ever go there on your own."

She was visibly surprised about how I stood my ground. Nevertheless, one corner of her mouth went up by a bit. Maybe it was smug but it was also more alluring than I would have wanted to admit.

"Tilda", I spoke without anything to follow up.

"How about we make a deal.", she offered, "I won't tell anyone how you abandoned yourself to your little vice. And in exchange you don't snitch on me to Weems."
She said it as though these kind of deals were an everyday thing between teachers and their students.

"I didn't abandon myself -", I tried to argue but realized it's pointlessness. "Fine. If you promise that you won't break any of the rules from now on."

"Promise.", she said with a face as serious as the fifth act of a tragedy. But something told me she was lying, that she was going to eventually break one of the rules again. Nonetheless, I let it slide. It was something about her that I couldn't quite explain. Yet.

"Now get inside before somebody sees you up here.", I ordered and she followed suit.

We'd been at the very top of the fire escape. A glass door lead us back into the hallway. We passed empty classrooms until we eventually went downstairs again. I could feel her eyes on me multiple times but still I didn't dare to look back at her. I felt like one look in my eyes could give away all that I felt in that very moment - although I couldn't quite tell what that was myself.

"Listen, I'm sorry.", annoyance dripped from her tongue, "No need to give me the silent treatment."

Suddenly, I spun around to her and she looked at me through her eyelashes. Was she really thinking I was that mad?

"That wasn't my intention.", I explained as calmly as I could, "I just don't usually roam the halls with my students at night."

"Oh, you really shouldn't", she let out a soft chuckle. Tucking a strand of her beautiful hair behind her ear she looked straight at me.

"Why not?", I joked, "I find it quite soothing."

"No that is because you're roaming the halls with me.", she laughed

"Sure", I hid the truth behind a massive facade of irony. I nudged her shoulder lightly to tease her.

Eventually, we made it back to our rooms. I made sure she got into hers and immediately heard Bianca bitch with her about why she was being so loud. I couldn't help but chuckle at her remarks.
Not too soon after, I was laying in my bed, ready to sleep. And I simply just admitted the fact that she would be the thought I fall asleep to.