One Kiss... (Completed)

A Distant Star (Sarah)

I watched him from across the room. He was a curious one. Never in all my six years of teaching had I ever come across one like him before. He was quiet, not like the rowdy boys that normally showed off in my lessons, acting like idiots. He was… different. That was the only expression I could come up with. His profile was smooth; his skin was as pale as snow; his eyes were green and brimming with unspoken thoughts and his hair was dark, and lay flung over his forehead in the typical boyish style. He was young, but I could see he held so much potential, so much more than just a head full of dust like some of the others.

Toby White. The staff had been talking about his arrival; the bright boy, the one to watch. Words had flown into my ears: Divorce, insecurity, single-parent, attempted suicide. I knew he had a younger sister, Lottie. I had taught her only two hours earlier. She was a rough girl, highly opinionated and loud-mouthed. I could see now that Toby was exactly the opposite; mature and reserved. He hardly spoke a word, and he was hard to read; a distant star, with his own orbit. He relied on nobody.

I picked up a sheath of paper from my desk that was stapled together. It was entitled, “Falling”, one of Toby’s expressive short stories. A teacher from his previous school in Swansea had sent it over with his record and several other pieces. To be honest, it was outstanding that a sixteen year old could write like he could. In order to write such emotive pieces, you had to have something eating away at you; something hidden and secret. You had to have power, and the ability to control feelings and challenge them. Toby White had a secret.

“Toby White?” I saw him hesitate, look up shyly from fiddling with his bag. His gaze was intense, and something changed in those eyes. Something melted.

“That’s me.”

“I need to see you after the lesson.”

I could feel his eyes on me all the way back to my desk. I had to find out about this boy, if it killed me.

My phone buzzed:

Sarah we need to talk… in the car @ lunch?

I sighed.

Oh why?