Water and Fire (BL)

Chapter 37: Stairway to Hell

Chapter 37: Stairway to Hell

When the lunch bell rang, Eric stomped away from the room. His face had his usual cold, deadpan face that one who beholds it might get shivers down his spine.

Fuck that teacher, he kept on repeating inside his mind. What did I do to be singled out like this?

Eric wasn't the most grade-conscious student in the school. Even in his previous school in the province, he just kept it chill, although he really liked to prepare and study for their exams. But he doesn't do it because he hungered for exceptionally high grades. A passing grade is fine with him.

But now that he got a one point short of the passing grade, which was 75, he certainly couldn't let this pass, especially when he knew his answers didn't deserve the grade that he received. And it irked him more because of the fact that the subject that he got a 55 in is the Values subject!

If this keeps up and he receives some more failing grades at the next major exams, he would have to repeat that fucking subject. And he couldn't afford to repeat subjects! Time is precious, for God's sake, and Eric's not the type of person who wanted to hang around in the school much longer than he should.

Maybe if he's as rich as that Chinese guy David, he could afford to repeat classes, but nope, he's filthy poor, and remedial classes meant time. And time is money... which he doesn't have.

This was the reason why Eric wanted to confront their chameleon teacher. The matter creeps under his skin.

But it wasn't the only reason why he's particularly sour today.

Last night Eric had a nightmare again. The same creepy man that he wanted to lock in a hidden area of his mind forever, returned like a horrifying beast.

It was the first night sleeping without David by his side, and tried as Eric might to shrug it off, he couldn't ignore the fact that without that idiot's presence, sleeping felt like an ordeal.

David's presence at night was the refuge he never knew he needed.

It was like experiencing a thing so good that it felt wrong. And when that good thing disappeared, life was not the same anymore. Its absence was like depriving one's lungs of oxygen.

Because of that horrendous nightmare, which certainly went up ten notches higher than usual, Eric didn't try going back to sleep last night. He stayed up until the wee hours of the morning hugging his knees, sitting, rocking back and forth, and staring at the wall of the house while the TV emit static noises—he had turned the TV on just to wash away the eerie silence of the night.

He didn't want to go back to sleep lest that filthy creature rear its ugly head again.

Because of this, his eyes had darker circles around them. And walking through the hallway among the crowd of students, Eric felt like a ghost hovering through existence.

Despite this, his fans were still there to ogle at him, giggle at each other, and whisper gossips to each other's ears when Eric pass by.

Eric ignored all of them.

Walking up the staircase to the fourth floor, Eric met Charlie flirting with Olivia on the stairs.

He ignored them.

But Charlie wasn't oblivious to Eric's disheveled appearance, and he stood up to block his way.

"Where are you going?"

"To the faculty room. I'm gonna confront that fucking adviser."

Olivia was the one who responded. "Is it because of the grades? Damn, he really did you dirty, huh?" Olivia and Charlie knew about it when David told them earlier in the classroom.

"Our adviser?" Charlie's voice was suddenly nervous. He swallowed and looked at Eric with concerned eyes.

"Yeah, that guy with the squarish eyeglasses."

Charlie's face suddenly became ashen. He drew closer to Eric and almost whispered, "Have you heard the rumors about that teacher?"

It was Olivia who reacted. "Oh my God, yes." She looked at Eric. "Eric, that might not be a good idea. My senior friends at the Book Club told me that that teacher can't take shit from anyone, especially students. Eric, I think you should just work harder for the next major exam to save your grade. Confronting him might get you more in trouble. He singles out students, you know?"

"I'm not gonna confront him, I'm just gonna talk to him, that's all. In a very composed manner."

Olivia looked at him and pouted her lips. Seeing Eric's disheveled appearance, dark circles around his eyes, and his overall aura that seemed like he was about to kill someone, Olivia couldn't imagine that a peaceful talking will ensue from this.

"Forget it Eric," Charlie said.

Eric's brows furrowed even more. He couldn't take any reasoning now, especially when he's in a bad mood. "Are you really my friends? What if he gives me failing grades again at the next exams, ha? Will I be able to turn back the time to actually do something to avoid it?"

Eric abruptly turned his back from the two and began ascending the stairs, before being pulled back by Charlie so hard that he almost slipped on the steps.

"What the hell, Charlie?!"

"Eric, stop this. That teacher is scary!"

"So what? I'm much more scary."

"Singling out students isn't really the only thing he's known for." Charlie drew closer. "He also abuses students."

As soon as Eric heard it, a chill went down his spine.

Olivia's brows furrowed. "Abuses?!"

"Are you really a student here, Olivia? It's an open secret that he allegedly abused some students in the past."

"Allegedly! That's crazy accusation! I don't think he actually does that! I think those are just baseless rumors perpetrated by singled out students," Olivia exclaimed.

"Either way, you should stay away from that teacher, Eric." Charlie said.

Eric stared at his friends for a moment before wordlessly turning his back to them and ascending the stairs.

They called out to him from behind but Eric's resolve was firm. He would confront this teacher. Today is the right day to do something about his grades.

Charlie couldn't help feeling sorry for his friend. An insidious feeling welled up inside him, and as he saw Eric ascending the stairs, he couldn't help feeling that Eric was going through a staircase to hell.

---

When Eric was already at the fourth floor, and when Charlie and Olivia were already out of sight, David carefully stepped out of his hiding spot behind a pillar and followed Eric's steps carefully.

Reaching the fourth floor, he saw Eric entering the faculty room of their dreaded adviser.

He had decided to follow Eric because there was something irking him. Especially when he heard Olivia and Charlie talking about the shadiness of their teacher, his decision to follow Eric became firmer.

If anything bad happens, I would be there by Eric's side...

Saving him from what, he didn't know, but it sure felt like something bad was about to happen.