Stella Starlet

Adaline

Attending classes like a normal seventeen-year-old felt strange. 

I was enrolled in a high school in the city but I barely went and barely cared about it. 

But now, I guess trying to clean up my act was the most important thing for me. I had to stop all of this shit. 

I had to stop smoking like a chimney, drinking like an alcoholic, and doing cocaine like a junkie.

I did all of these things as a way to numb everything I felt. To block out the good and the bad. In some twisted way, I felt undeserving of happiness a lot, no matter how much I wanted it. So, I'd sabotage it with drinking myself into a coma-like state. 

I wanted to be happy and I think I'd found myself a fresh start at it. In a small town where I had a new identity, I was free of my past and was trying to achieve a better future. 

Going by the name of Adaline was very disorienting but I had to hide every single part of my past to prevent being found. I never wanted to see Enzo again.

Which brought me to Carlisle . . . I didn't want to do this to him. I really did adore him, I felt like he actually understood me for who I really was. I was afraid of him though. I was afraid that he would side with Enzo if he had found out what happened. I mean, they were comrades for a lot longer than I had known Carlisle. 

I was also filled with regret. I guess I shouldn't have lashed out at Carlisle when he revealed to me his black collar status. I guess hearing it out loud just shocked me into oblivion. I wasn't in the correct mindset to understand the whole situation. If Carlisle had intentions to hurt me, he would've done so sooner when he had the prime opportunities. 

I missed him. He always smelled like expensive cologne in his suits that fit him just right. 

I had to face and accept the realization that I may never see him again. I may never see his head of platinum hair or hear him recite poetry to me while I would fall asleep. Even if I never saw him again, I knew I would always carry around a part of him that embedded itself in me. He was a special man. 

I got out of my deep-in-thought-trance-state and closed my locker. People in this school avoided me like the plague. Maybe they felt like I was distant, closed off. They were right, I often was at war with something in my mind that made me slightly out of touch with reality. 

Mister Adams was my favorite teacher. He had the tongue of a snake, satire and sarcasm slid off it like butter. 

He seemed to like me too. He would help me locate my classes and give me other pointers on the school. If I didn't know better, I'd say that he was developing a thing  for me. 

The thought made me blush and chuckle. He was undeniable gorgeous and constantly doted on by students and other teachers. He was personable, charismatic, and charming. 

Just I reached the hallway where his classroom was, someone tripped me and the contents of my folder went flying on the floor. Luckily, I maintained my balance and didn't join the scattered papers.

I looked to see my assaulter, where I saw a group of two girls and two guys sneering at me. 

"Watch where you're going, sweetheart," said one of the boys, winking at me. 

I held my tongue. I wanted to yell. I wanted to curse him out and maybe throw a punch but I knew it wasn't worth drawing attention to me. 

As I bent down and tried to recover my papers, the bell rang. I shut my eyes tightly, I was going to be late for mister Adams's class. 

When I had all my papers, I almost ran to the classroom where I opened the door and entered quickly. Everyone looked at me, my disheveled appearance of flushed skin and breathing fairly heavy from running.

"Adaline, you're late. Detention after school," Adams announced curtly. 

"I'm so sorry, I was-"

He leaned on his desk and crossed his arm. "I don't care. Take a seat."

I sighed. I wanted to scream that it wasn't my fault but instead I followed his instruction. Some girls snickered as I walked by. 

Class dragged by, minute by minute until the bell rang. I stayed seated until everyone shuffled out, Adams leaning on his desk watching me. 

I came up to him, gingerly, keeping my head down. 

"For Christ's sake, Adaline, look me in my face."

I looked up at him, my face blank of any emotion. 

"You were late by seven minutes, care to explain to me why?"

"I -" I paused, was I really going to narc out and draw even more attention to myself. "I got lost. I'm sorry."

He sighed and put his face in his hands. "Okay, I won't give you detention but how about after school help me grade papers instead? I can't let you off easy otherwise students will think I'm playing favorites."

I nodded and gave a small smile. "Thank you, mister Adams."

* 

After school ended, I found myself sitting next to Adams at his desk, him showing me the correct answers for the papers I was grading. 

"You were mean to me earlier," I mused. My eyes widened as I realized I actually voiced it instead of thinking. 

He chuckled and looked at me. "Yes, I suppose I was being too harsh. My apologies, Adaline."

The intensity in his chocolate-hued eyes made me want to melt in his arms. I wanted to tell him my worries, about Enzo and Carlisle, about how I was in danger. I wanted someone to know. I wanted to let someone in. 

But, I couldn't allow myself the luxury. It was too dangerous for him to know. 

"Ada, are you alright? You seem remarkably saddened all of the sudden?"

I composed myself, putting my "happy" face back on. "I'm alright, it's nothing." Just when I was about to look back down at the papers, I glanced back up to look in his eyes.

"Ada?" I asked, smiling. 

His eyes widened. "Oh dear, I'm sorry. I-"

"I like it." I smiled. 

______

Author's Note:

Hey everyone!

I decided to keep this chapter relatively positive; I wanted to cut Stella some slack 

Mr. Adams, the charming teacher...... possible replacement for Carlisle? *shocked face*

Haha, read on to find out....

Thanks for reading, I know this book isn't popular but it means so much to me for those who are reading it. This book really means a lot to me because some parts of it are some of my own experiences that I decided to voice into another character. 

Thank you for reading!

Best,

Victoria xoxox