The Landlord

five - first aid

I sat infront of her desk still looking down. I never looked at her straight into her eyes; I just know to myself that I can't. She intimidates me and I don't know if she's doing it on purpose or I'm just really paranoid when she's around.

She stood up...I heard her footsteps....

After a while, she was already standing infront of me. She was so tall that all my eyes can see is her skirt and legs. She dropped the first aid kit on the table and then she sat on the chair beside me which is also a visitor chair. We are now infront of each other. I want to scream and I don't know why. If talking about Brienne, I would understand why am I feeling terrified when he's around. But Ms. Weems? I don't understand. I cannot explain why am I feeling like this.

"That bastard really hit you hard." she said as she drags the chair closer to mine. She is just inches apart now. Our legs bumped into each other which made look away because I was shy.

"I-I can do it m-myself..." I tried my best not to stutter but the more I try to do it, the more it backfires on me.

"Shhh..." she hushed and I literally felt her breath on my hair, "Face up." she said in an airy voice.

"Miss W-Weems..." I called her and I don't know why I did. Am I out of my mind?!

"Yes?" I can feel the her breathing pattern changed, it became more deeper.

I can now feel more tension in my body. The evident of my difficulty in breathing was there and I know that she noticed that. We were breathing differently than we normally do.

"I don't understand why you are always stuttering when you are talking to me. Do I make you nervous?" I am still looking down while she is just looking at me, waiting for me to face up so she can start cleaning my wound.

She moved her chair closer...

"You can't even look at me...badly, you have to."

I took a deep breathe before slowly facing up.

"There you go." she is holding a cotton, ready to pat it on my face.

I tried to look at her straighly. She stared at me from head to toe before she placed her other hand on my cheek. She went closer to my face to the point that I can feel the heat of her breath on my cheek. I was able to smell her scent again, the aroma of a wet lavender that are fresh from the rain.

"Does it hurt?" she asks politely. I suddenly felt the butterflies on my stomach. I think this is so wrong.

"No, Ma'am."

"Then why are you nervous?"

"I'm—coz...the..." I cleared my throat, "I'm n-not used to this." Even if I'm facing up, I'm still not facing her. My eyes are focused in the fireplace. I cannot look at her straighly, I just can't.

I didn't receive a response from her. She is just keep on cleaning my wound.

"I-I think this is already enough, thank y—"

"Did the bastards go to jail?" I was about to move back but then she asks again. I wasn't able to move again.

"I'm not s-so sure, Miss W-Weems." I responded. I felt more awkward because of my response. "Umm...maybe the cafeteria boss made sure that they did."

"Maybe?" she squinted her eyes with a match of blinking one after another. "You don't trust the person who saved you?" she chuckled sarcastically.

"I said that because I w-was not sure."

Ste stopped pressing and applying some medications. She fished her first aid kit. "You badly need a gauze."

She stood up positioned behind my back. There was a drawer beside me and I can hear she's searching for something. I can't even look back because I was just frozen in my position. I felt my cold body turned 134 degrees Fahrenheit with the heat that I felt in my shoulder which is now roaming in every part of my body.

It's her hand on my shoulder. She placed her hand on my shoulder.

"I know it's here somewhere..." she whispered.

The drawer infront and beside the fireplace caught my attention. Unconsciously, I saw another first aid above it.

"M-Miss Weems, I...I-I think the gauze is there." I pointed at the drawer after I spoke. She tightened her grip on my shoulder before letting it go. She walked towards it and all I know is I am seriously staring at her right now...Walking like a boss...I can examine more of her body as of the moment because she was facing back at me.

Wait... what kind of thought is this? I am not gay. Especially for her! No!

"Hmm.. I forgot that I placed it here earlier." she was whispering that's why I wasn't able to hear clearly what she said.

"What? Sorry?"

She grinned, "Nothing." She walked towards me again, that's why I looked down again. It's like I'm bowing everytime she is going near me.

"Lift your head." she said as she sats down again infront of me. I felt our legs bumped into each other again.

"I said.." she used her two fingers to gently lift my face up. I forced a smile to conceal my bashfullness. "Your lips are lovely." Larissa complimented as she looks at it.

"T-Thank you."

"There. You're all set." she said.

I didn't even notice what she was doing with me...and my face. She is still staring at me straighly so I don't know what exactly am I gonna do. With full of confidence, I slowly moved my eye movement forward. We are now looking at each other. I observed her eyes; she is so hard to read.

Why is she so familiar?

"Miss Weems, it's Alejandro. Your mails arrived." The tension of our staring contest was interuppted when someone spoke in the door mic.

We were both looking at the door not until when she glanced at me. "You may now leave." she said.

We both stood up. I watch her to back to her swivel chair as she sats down eleganty. She gave her focus on her laptop again.

"Yes, Ms. Beischel? Anything more you want to say?"

My senses came back. I want to punch myself because why am I not leaving yet?

"Uhm...t-thank you for this. I r-really, really appreciate what you did. Have a nice day." I said as I walk backwards. I thought she would look at me once last time but she never did. Why am I even expecting?

"Come here tomorrow morning. I'll clean your wound again before you go to school."

"You d-don't have to—"

"If you're used to cutting people's word then you cannot with me." She said, still focused on typing in her laptop.

"Yes, Ma'am. I-I'm sorry..."

"You should be, because you don't want another consequence, do you?" she now faced me again, "Now, leave." she said with full authority.

I felt my knees trembing again so I left her office as fast as I can.