Purity's Price

Chapter Two

Chapter two

There in the middle of my classroom was the soldier who had yelled at us - the girls - earlier. He was sitting in the large roll-y chair that was normally reserved for the teachers, across from the smaller plastic chair where I usually sat, feet propped up on the table, seeming as comfortable as can be. He had a phone to his ear, seeming to be in the midst of a conversation that he cut off - "Hey, something just came up, I have to go." - turning to me. I just stared, not making a move to get closer or farther away. He nodded his head at me, expression server. "Hey, come on and sit down. We need to talk," he told me, the demand clear in his voice. "Stark, leave," he added as Stark started to fallow me in.

 "No," I snapped automatically as the soldier uses his feet to kick my chair out. Stark paused in his effort to leave. I glared at him, "You can go, I don't need your help, Stark." I turned my glare back over to the man in green. "I'm not going to sit down. I'm not going to sit anywhere near you, do you understand? I don’t trust you, and I sure as hell don't like you enough to go anywhere near you while being contained. If you want to talk to me, that door," I pointed to the one that Stark was getting ready to close, "is staying open. Otherwise, I'm gone."

The man didn't seem angered or shocked by my outburst, instead he just smirked and nodded his head, most likely at Starks questioning look. He stared at me as I listened to Stark's fading footsteps as he walked away, leaving my alone with this stranger, not a soul let in the building. The smirked stayed on his face as he studied me, not blinking, not looking away. I stayed silent, not looking away from his stare.

"You seem pretty defiant for someone of your position," he observed, finally breaking the silence after five drawn out minutes.

I raised an eyebrow. "And what position is that?" I demanded.

"A charity case living off of this school's funds."

"Yeah, well, as far as I see it I'm not some 'charity case' but I living being with as much rights as the next."

"Oh, is that so?" His tone was mocking.

"Yes. I never asked for their help. I can survive without them. Most, if not all, of the girls here needs to school more than it needs them. You said so yourself, they're oblivious to the world and are throwing themselves at anyone, any boy, that will give them attention. They wouldn't survive in the real world with that thinking. All they can think about is boys, ever when half of them haven't seen them since they were twelve, they haven't even noticed Stark," I added, "and that's nearly impossible."

"But you think you would," he summarized, ignoring the last part. "You think you can handle the real world."

"I don't think I can, I know I can, because, unlike the princesses here, and the pretty boys they're seeing, I've seen a part of the real world, I've lived it.  They haven’t, yet they treat me like I'm the dirt on the bottom of their shoe. Everyone here thinks they are better than me, even you," I accused.

"Well, are we not? At least we have families. We have someone that loves us. You, you don't. " He wasn't acting professional. He wasn't acting seriously.  This wasn't the usually him. I just felt it. He was trying to get a bite.

I nibbled. "Oh, but don't you see. I do, I have someone who loves me, and you know what? They don't have to. How many of the people that claim to love you are only sating it because they have to, because of your status. You are a soldier, after all, the only male the women can know, the only ones who can free them. They're just using you, we both know it."

"My daughter doesn't know that. She's not using me."

"That's because she's you kid, she can't screw you. Just wait until she's my age, she'll be jumping your friends." His cheek ticked. "Hurts, don't it? How about we stop with the low blows for now?" I asked. "You leave me out of it and I'll leave you out of it. Skin deep only, not out of person, not at home. Only ask about the person here, ok?"