Dating Ms Simmons

Chapter two

Between duty and desire

Kathryn's POV

I'm tossing and turning in bed all night, unable to sleep. Every time I close my eyes, the thought of earlier that day keeps me awake. The way our eyes had met each other, the soft skin of Lesi's cheek under my hand, the look of confusion and nervousness on her faxe when she had to excuse herself. Each mental picture is playing in my head on a loop.
The morning comes to soon for my liking but there was no way around it. I got up from bed, feeling like a zombie thanks to only a few hours of sleep. I cheek my schedule for today, realising I'll have English in the first period and literature in the third, of course both in Valessias class. Mentally, I'm not prepared for that. It's confusing me. I don't know how to swallow my feelings. It's so wrong but it feels so right. Every time I'm around her in class I feel like it's getting harder to concentrate. Seeing her sitting at her desk looking straight at me just made my thoughts more intense. Kathryn, get your shit together. You can't fall for your student.

Lesi's POV

As if the lack of sleep isn't enough to make me more anxious today, I also have English today. I would see her, Ms Simmons, the woman who has an effect on me, a quiet big one since yesterday. As I walk trough the hallway of the building towards my locker I take a look on the clock. Shit. Only seven minutes left till the first period starts.
I reach my locker and try to open it but my hands are shaking a bit making the task a bit more difficult. Finally I manage to get it open and put some stuff away. In the back of my mind, I wonder how I will be facing her in class today, knowing what she said to me yesterday. I start walking towards my classroom trying to calm myself down from the fact that I am already two minutes late.
I enter the classroom and all eyes are on me, including Ms. Simmons. I can feel her cool gaze on me as I walk to my seat, making me a bit flustered. „Late again, Grey", Ms Simmons says with a feigned strictness. The way she says my last name feels like a caress and makes me shiver. I sit down and try to avoid looking at her. Ms Simmons tries her best to compose herself, but the sight of me walking is sending her mind reeling. The way I walk to my seat makes her want to grab me and—
She shakes her head quickly to get rid of the intrusive thought. She turns to the class and starts the lesson. Every so often, her eyes linger on me a bit longer than appropriate.
I'm not really paying attention. I turn away to whisper something to my best friend Emmi. Ms Simmons caught me whispering to her and clears her throat to get my attention. „Care to share what's to interesting ?",she says with a small smirk, eyeing the two of us. Both me and Emmi turn to her, a bit straddled. Ms Simmons holds my gaze for a moment, her head tilt slightly to the side. Even though she is pretending to be stricter than she actually is, a flash of something like possessiveness in her eyes can be noticed for half a second. „Detention, Valessia", she says with a serious face, „We met in the study hall with a few other students after class". My eyes wide. „Detention for what ?", I want to protest, but Ms Simmons fixes her stern look on me. „You would not have to ask that if you had been paying attention".

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The study hall room is massive, one of the largest in the whole school. Potted plants of various sizes are tucked into corners and scattered between desks, giving the space an oddly serene feel. Shelves lined with dusty textbooks and forgotten novels break up the rows of tables, creating small pockets of privacy. I steel myself, taking a deep breath as I make my way towards Ms Simmons . My steps are deliberate, my pulse pounding in my ears with every inch that closes between us. I try not to look at her too much, but my eyes betray me. When I reach her, I keep my voice steady. „Valessia Grey. Reporting present to Detention". Her eyes dance with amusement and her voice is low but firm. „Find a place to sit, Grey. You've got two hours to study.".
I drop my bag on a desk hidden in the corner of the room, sinking into the chair with a sigh. A glance at my watch reminds me that I have a long stretch of time to fill, and I curse under my breath. Two hours. Two whole hours. And Ms Simmons is the teacher in charge.
Focus Lesi
I reach into my bag, pulling out my calculus textbook. It's a relief, in a strange way, that I didn't put it away in my locker earlier. I flip it open, scanning the week's material. I dive into the pages, reviewing the exercises and notes, anything to keep my mind focused, away from the woman pacing somewhere in the room. Time starts to slip by as I work. I'm so deep in the flow that I don't notice the presence behind me until it's almost too late. It's her. I force my focus back onto my notebook, gripping my pen tighter as I keep my head down. I don't want to giver her the satisfaction of knowing how much her presence affects me.
The scrape of her heels against the floor sends a ripple of tension through me, and then she's leaning casually against the desk next to mine. Her proximity is maddening, close enough that her perfume tickles my nose, light and floral, yet sharp enough to cut through the stuffy room. „What are you working on ?". Her voice is low, measured just above a whisper. I hesitate, my lips tightening before I manage to reply, „Calculus".My tone is clipped, but I keep my gaze firmly on the numbers in front of me.