Bending The Rules

Chapter 13

A/N: As always I want to thank you all for reading!
This chapter was hard to choose what to do because I
wanted so bad to do this entire chapter in both Christian's and Ana's POV! So I decided to do both. If I didn't, this one chapter would be only 1300 words, (That is not enough to get a good dose of Christian!)
So, if you want read Christian's POV only just jump down further.
CH13
Ana POV
Once the bell rang everyone quickly packed up and left. I guess they were also not immune to the tension during this class.
I glanced at my watch just to confirm what the bell signified: my impending—and quite possibly the most awkward—conversation with Mr. Grey I may ever have.  I drag things out by taking too long to pack my things. Why Jack remained behind too was a mystery. Our horrid date and that forced kiss should have him backtracking. He is either resilient to rejection or just too tenacious. Either way, I am almost positive that it was his voice that I heard yesterday with Elena. That conversation was way too familiar...
I was gathering my binders when Jack approached me. His eyes are hard and I was getting anxious. My palms are getting sweaty and my nerves are on end. I close my eyes briefly to block out this scene—as brief as it is.
"Miss Steele, you're not forgetting to stay, are you?" Mr. Grey's curt tone stops me short and I notice Jack whip his head toward him. Strange predicament: With Jack and his persistence on one door and Mr. Grey's irritation with me on door number two, right now I'd take door number two. Jack's persistence is getting creepy and if that were Jack and Elena together then I have to be careful. I don't know what his game is, but now it's best that I keep him away.
Jack raised his eyebrow. "Mr. Grey, why exactly is she staying after school?"
Mr. Grey glares at him. "I don't think I was talking to you Hyde."
"True, but I'm talking to you," Jack replies and crosses his arms over his chest.
"Jack," I warn quietly, "It's fine. Please just go." What the Hell are you doing? Why are you even here?
Mr. Grey was about to speak again but inhales instead. He looks just as frustrated when I saw him on his date.
Jack eyes both of us and throws his hands up, "Fine, but I'm just saying, this isn't fair. Ana, I'll see you later, okay?" I just shrug and Jack turns and leaves the classroom.
Mr. Grey turns his piercing eyes to me, and for once I wasn't squirming under his gaze. This drama rollercoaster with flirting with Mr. Grey and then Elena and her horrible threats and now Jack being persistently creepy is it. It's done. I had enough. Bravado or not—this has got to end.
"I guess I'll start finishing my warm up." I state. I am mentally exhausted after pretending to be happy with Kate and Jose today. I feel like I am leading Jose on by having him embrace me and text with my new phone on the way to Grey's class was not fair to Jose. I know that his face lights up when he sees me, but I don't feel like anything more is possible with him. I feel guilt because I used him to make me feel better. I just want to get this over with and go home to bed. I pull my binders from my bag and grab a pen.
"Just sit," he ordered, though much softer now. "You didn't come this morning."
I shrugged, "I was running late."
Though this was obviously a lie, he didn't react to it. "You couldn't come to me during lunch?"
I rest my hand on my cheek. "I didn't think of that I guess." I answer dumbly and mentally wince. A frisson of guilt seeps through me. I can't keep up this foolishness anymore.
He sighed and turned away from me. I hate being obtuse and I know he deserves better than this.
"May I ask something?" I asked quietly. I am holding out the proverbial olive branch.
He shakes his head. 'You just did,' he softly chuckles. He seems reserved, and I think he fears my question. "What is it?"
Here goes nothing... "What..." I hesitate for a second and bite my lip before continuing. "Just what do you want from me?"
He inhales sharply. Countless things must be running through his head. If Elena spoke to him about what she said to me than he must know why I am being like this. Maybe it explains why he was being a tyrant in class. "I want you to start being a better student. I expect a lot more from you, Miss Steele."
Whoa. This is not the answer I was expecting to hear.
"Why do you ask?" He asks curiously.
"Honestly? You're nothing like I expected," I say nervously, "My friends said you were tough, but that you don't bother anyone unless they ask for it. I asked around, and many said basically the same thing. I thought it was because somehow I called too much attention to myself on the first day. But then yesterday. I don't want to get anyone in trouble, but I saw your date yesterday-" I stop to clear my throat. I don't know what is up or down with him.
"And she—well, she said some weird things," I look up sheepishly, "I think I may be reading too much into it."
"What did Elena tell you?" he asks; his piercing stare broke from mine.
I chew on my bottom lip and wonder if I should really tell him or not. Is it too late to back out of this conversation? "Nothing. Just forget it. I'm sorry I brought it up." I lean back and start to look for any excuse to leave.
"Anastasia, tell me, what did she tell you?" he demands. This is the strict bossy teacher that I remember from the first day of school. It is so different from his frazzled but softer side I saw before.
"Look, really it's nothing. I was just being silly-"
"Anastasia," he repeated. "Tell me what she told you."
My eyes flash to the clock on the wall but I can't answer.
"Am I keeping you from something?"
"No," I reply quickly. "I just-" I try again. "I'm sorry."
"I'd like it if you paid attention to me—and only me—when I'm speaking to you, Ana," he says. "Now, this is the last time I'm going to ask. What did Elena tell you? She came to speak to me yesterday too, and I'm not comfortable with how she was acting. I want to know what she told you."
"She talked about you," I reply. I should think more about what I am going to say before I sound like an idiot and make a fool of myself.
"How?" His voice is tense and now I know that whatever she said to him made him act irrational in class today.
I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "I don't know...she said a few things. Some was cryptic some was direct."
"Anastasia, just tell me already. Now." His voice was deceptively soft but direct. It was an order.
"She said you were interested in something about me," I blurt out. There has to be something in the way his stern voice makes me comply and obey. Not even mom's husband had this effect on me.
He didn't reply immediately. I think maybe he had to think before he spoke too. After a moment, he spoke. "What else did she say?"
I run my hands up and down my arms, fighting an imaginary chill. "She said a couple other things, but they didn't make sense."
"Like?"
"She said that you said I was attractive but it doesn't really mean anything. Though, you wanted something from me but that I couldn't ever give it to you," I was mumbling and no doubt turning red under his intense gaze.
"It doesn't matter anyway; It's not like I believed any of it," I say dismissively.
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CH13 (ALTERNATIVE)
Christian POV
Once the bell rang, everyone quickly got their things together and left. Only Ana and Jack remained. Ana started gathering her stuff while Jack walked over to her.
"Anastasia, you're not forgetting to stay, are you?" I say coldly.
Jack raised his eyebrow. "Mr. Grey, why exactly is she staying after school?"
I glare. Why couldn't he just leave? Maybe Ana did enjoy her date after all and she does like him. That doesn't make sense, not when she was so closely embraced by Jose earlier. This doesn't stop the vitriol in my voice. "I don't think I was talking to you Hyde."
"True, but I'm talking to you," Jack replies and crosses his arms over his chest.
"Jack," Anastasia warns him quietly. "It's fine. Please just go."
I pretend that Ana defending him doesn't affect me.
Jack eyes both of us and throws his hands up. "Fine, but I'm just saying this isn't fair. Ana, I'll see you later, okay?" Ana only responds with a shrug. Jack turns and exits the classroom without another word.
I give Anastasia my fiercest look, and for once she isn't squirming under my gaze. She is either angry or brave...
"I guess I'll start finishing my warm up," she says flatly. She is gathering her things to start writing.
"Just sit," I order, but I say it softer now. "You didn't come this morning."
She shrugs and offers me a flippant response, "I was running late."
This is obviously a lie. I don't react but only push further. "You couldn't come to me during lunch?"
Ana sat in her desk and rests her hand on her cheek. "I didn't think of that I guess." Her tone is almost malicious and it frustrates me. I sigh and turn away from her. I don't want her to see that her tone is upsetting me.
"May I ask something?" she asked quietly. She must realize that her tone is hurtful or that she feels that her behaviour is childish. She now is more pliable to cooperate.
"You just did," I shake my head and chuckle. I want to buy some time. I want her earlier snippy words erased. I just know from her tone that I won't like her question. I know it has to do with Elena. "What is it?"
"What..." she hesitates for a second and bites her lip before continuing. "Just what do you want from me?"
Here it goes... Elena must have shaken Ana up with what she told her. I do know what I want from her. I just can't tell her. I want her to stop looking so beautiful and distracting me during my lessons. I want her to stop talking to Jack and Jose. I want her words to be only mine. I want her to be someone else's student so I won't put my job at stake for thinking and wanting all the things I do.
I feed her a lesser important expectation, one that is even untrue, as she is an incredibly bright student. "I want you to start being a better student. I expect a lot more from you, Miss Steele." This is such a flimsy excuse.
Ana nods. Her face shows her surprise. I know she was expecting a much different response.
"Why do you ask?" I am curious to see where she is taking this conversation and consider if she is even ready for it.
"Honestly? You're nothing like I expected," she says, laughing nervously, "My friends said you were tough, but you also don't bother anyone unless they ask for it. I asked around, and many said basically the same thing. I thought it was because somehow I called too much attention to myself on the first day. But then yesterday..." She trails off but then continues, "I don't want to get anyone in trouble, but I saw your date-" Ana looks embarrassed. But she forces herself to continue. "And she—well, she said some weird things. I think I may be reading too much into it."
I break my gaze. "What did Elena tell you?"
Ana chewed on her bottom lip, no doubt wondering if she should really tell me or not. I don't think she ever notices that she does this subconsciously. "Nothing really, just forget it. I'm sorry I brought it up."
"Anastasia, tell me, what did she tell you?" I demand. Oh no, you're not backing out now, you started this...
"Look, it's really nothing. I was just being silly-" She is squirming now but my impatience is driving me on.
"Anastasia," I repeat. "Tell me what she told you."
Ana's eyes flash to the clock on the wall but she doesn't answer me.
"Are you meeting up with someone?"
"No," Ana replies. "I just- I'm sorry."
"I'd like it if you paid attention to me—and only me—when I'm speaking to you Ana," I say. "Now, this is the last time I'm going to ask. What did Elena tell you? She came to speak to me yesterday too, and I'm not comfortable with how she was acting. I want to know what she told you." I need damage control...
"She talked about you," Ana says. She seems to finally accept answering my questions without too much hesitation.
"How?" I tensed. I need to know what Elena said to her.
Ana blinks and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. She has got to stop touching herself. It always commands my attention. "I don't know... she said a few things."
"Anastasia, just tell me already. Now." My tone is soft, yet firm and final.
"She said you were interested in something about me," she finally answers.
I don't know how to respond. My heart is pounding beneath my shirt. Can she hear it? "Interested in you?" What else did she say? I subtly rub my sweaty palms against my hips.
Ana runs her hands up and down her arms. The motion catches me off guard and I envision that is me now stroking her arms. "She said a couple other things, but they didn't make sense."
"Like?" I probe, I want all her secrets.
"She said that you said I was attractive but it doesn't really mean anything. Though, you wanted something from me but that I couldn't ever give it to you," Ana had begun to mumble and her cheeks were reddening.
I am going to hunt Elena down. How dare she put Ana through this...
"It doesn't matter anyway," Ana added quickly. "It's not like I believed any of it."
"I-" I began, but then sigh loudly. I run a hand through my hair and swallow. Now here is my chance. Elena was right, she gave me the opportunity to speed things up. Even if she did it in a shitty way.
But can I tell her what I want?
I want her, of this I am certain. But is pursuing her worth the risk? One look at her and my head and heart are unanimously screaming yes. Finally admitting this to myself makes me feel drunk with giddiness.