Benedict and reader : Choir Girl

Julianna

Marcus took his seat in the front with his friends and glared up at me. Something is going to be said after class, I could just feel it. Maybe I can sneak through the back door of the Choir room this time. I could dodge him through the theater and get to calculus on time.
Wow, listen to me. I sound like a stealthy ninja. The good part about it is that it would take a bit longer for him to realize my new pattern. I should not be doing this, no normal person should be perusing his ex girlfriend. I was just happy that I could enjoy the fact that Mr. Tim could order Marcus around and I could watch.
He deserved it. He hates being ordered around, I wonder how long it would take for him to break. I smiled evilly just thinking about the look on his face.
"Marcus, go to the office and print off the sheet music here. About twenty four copies each." he handed Marcus the music and he walked off mumbling something about Mr. Timothy. I giggled covering my face, not realizing that Mr. Tim had noticed.
"Work on your songs ladies. I still have to assess the boys." Mr. Tim seated himself at the piano and called the boy up one by one. I took out my song book and started listening to my Ipod. Hoping some of them would inspire some words for my pen to write upon the ivory paper.
"Hello." I looked up from my paper to see a girl with burgundy hair and bright green eyes sit next to me. "I am Julianna."
"Hi. I'm (y/n). Its nice to meet you. Are you new here?" I asked. She nodded and smiled at me. Looks like I just made my first friend, "I am from Belfast."
"Wow. You're a long way from home. What brings you here?" I asked pretty curious now.
"Yeah, my parents decided that I needed to live with my uncle for a while. Something about me being a trouble maker. It wasn't my fault the girl hit me first." Julianna crossed her legs and leaned back in the chair. She wore leather leggings and a gray sweater with a printed feather upon the front. Her long dark hair laid upon her shoulders in straight patches.
Well, she didn't look like trouble to me.
"Really? You were sent to Heathrow for defending yourself?" I asked.
"Thank you!" Julianna expressed as she sat up. "The one time I take my parents' advice to stop being a pushover, I get booted out of Belfast."
"I wish my Ex could get booted out of Heathrow."
I said absently. Julianna smiled, "Yeah. I've seen you two this morning. What was all that about?"
"it's a long story but he thinks that he can still have me whenever he wants."
"Oh I see. He shagged you."
"Yeah. I guess you could say that."
I liked Julianna. She was telling me like it was and I didn't mind a bit.
"I hate that. Its happened to me once before."
"What happened?" I needed some help. I couldn't believe my luck. Julianna went through the same thing that I am going through? This was too good to be true.
"He got arrested for trying to have his way with me. There was no reason for him to put his hands on me so I called the police on his ass. He left me alone after that."
"I could never have the courage to do that." I looked down at the blank pages of my song book.
"How are you ladies doing?" Mr. Tim sat in between us. "I see you have met my niece."
My jaw dropped. They don't even look alike.
"She's your niece." Mr. Tim nodded.
"She's here for the rest of this year and the next." he leaned forward and whispered in my ear, "Whatever she says about me isn't true."
"I never said anything about you...yet." Julianna tapped him in the arm.
"Yet, being the key word here." he put a finger to Julianna's nose and flicked it. I laughed at their behavior towards each other, "Hey Uncle Benny, can (y/n) come over and help me with my song?"
"I can help you with your song, I am a genius with the violin after all." He chided.
"But, you have been telling me to make new friends and now you wont let me have one. Not cool Uncle Ben."
"That is Mr. Timothy to you. At least in school." He looked at me with a curious face. "Plus, I do not condone student and teacher relations outside of school." he reprimanded.
"You and I both know you don't give a crap about that." Mr. Tim clasped her mouth shut and looked from me back to her, "Shh. Not so loud. I'll let you know after lunch if she's allowed to come over." He looked at me again as if he were thinking of something to say next. "Alright, here's the deal. I'll meet you in the alley at three after school sharp. Bring the stuff." he told me.
"Very funny Mr. Tim."
"Blast, I was aiming to startle you again." he smacked his knees and stood up to carry on with the class, "She can come over if she feels like it." He then narrowed his eyes at Julianna, "Just don't tell anyone about it. The principal will have my ass."
He left the two of us and we both laughed at the expression he had on his face. Later on, the bell rang. Even though Marcus was still in the office making copies, I still didn't want to pass it in case if he spotted me on his way out.
"Where are you going?" Julianna asked me.
"I'm cutting through the theater."
"Why, its shorter this way." she stated pointing down the hallway. I looked in the direction she was pointing and shook my head and darted in the other direction, "(y/n). What are you afraid of?" she said following me out the back door and into the theater.
"Are you afraid of those Jocks?" she asked me. I nodded. "Last time I crossed them they pushed me around in a circle, tearing at my clothes.
"Your ex boyfriend is on the football team isn't he?" she asked crossing her arms. I blushed with embarrassment and she took my hand and pulled me out of the theater and into the hallways of the school.
"What are you doing?" I tried pulling my hand away and she turned around to look at me, "I don't like it when I see someone being bullied." she stated. We passed the crowd of jocks and I tried hiding my face.
"Hey, Hot Legs. Where are you going?" one of them said. Julianna stopped and looked at each of them. Just like Mr. Tim did the day he stopped the fight.
"Leave her alone." she told them with wrath in her eyes. The group of boys just started laughing at her, the sound was so loud that my face started to blush even worse, "What are you going to do about it, blood red?" another spoke up referring to her dark red hair.
"You don't know when and you don't know where but a storm is coming if you don't stop calling (y/n) hot legs or terrorizing her."
"What are you capable of doing? You're just a girl." one stated as the others laughed.
"You'll see. Telling by your laughter, you sound pretty scared."
"Why would you say that?" they all laughed again.
"Hyenas only laugh when they are threatened." Julianna looped her arm with mine and walked away with me. I smiled under my lips, "You're welcome"
"Thanks, I could never do that."
"Just remember, guys who act all that big and bad try to make up for the size of their penises."
I laughed, I never thought of it that way and I figured it was true. Marcus wasn't that...talented.
Later on, I sat down in the cafeteria for lunch, Julianna didn't have the same lunch as me so I sat alone again. I wished she could skip or switch a class to come see me. I just had to fend for myself this time without her by my side.
"Hey there." Mr. Tim! My hero.
"Hey, Mr. Timothy." I looked up at him with a weak smile. He returned it and sat down across from me. "You're sitting alone?"
"With the scarlet letter I wear everyday, no one wants to even breathe in my direction." I looked at the expression on his face, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be telling you this."
"No. No, its fine, (y/n) I just wasn't expecting such an answer." he chuckled. I blushed. I couldn't help it, to think that I just told him I had sex with Marcus. What was wrong with me?
"I knew something was bothering you the moment you started drawing that woman in your sketchbook."
I looked up at him questioningly. "Like I told you the day we met, art is the expression of the soul."
I nodded. He stood up from his chair and I thought he was going to leave me by myself again. I felt a stabbing in my chest. Why did I feel that? He was my teacher.
"Come on, Milady. Lets practice that piano." He led me back into the choir room and we carried on with our lunch, "So, if you don't mind, how about you tell me about what happened between you and Mars."
"Mars?"
"Yes, he always wants to start a war with me so why not call him by his REAL name."
I chuckled, "Well, we were together all Sophomore year and through the summer. I kept hearing girls brag about how awesome it felt to..." I stopped. It felt so weird talking to him for a minute, "Hook up with the football team. I eventually got pressured into it and let him take me." I sighed to keep from tearing up but Mr. Tim knew better than to dismiss it.
"What happened next?" He asked. He sounded so concerned for me. Why? I sighed and looked down at what was left of my lunch, "He told the whole football team, my friends left me and the principal hates me for breaking up with him. Now, as you can see he cannot stop terrorizing me."
"How cruel. No guy should make you feel so horrible or ashamed. He's not a man for that, it just makes him more of a boy."
I nodded, "I feel tainted now..." I stated. I heard Mr. Tim sigh and stand up, "Come on, lets practice." He said taking a seat at the piano. I did the same and sat next to him, we started to play some scales, "You shouldn't feel tainted, (y/n)."
"And why not?" I asked.
"Because you were misled. You are not the only one who has made the same mistake."
"I know. It just make me feel like I'm the only one suffering this humiliation. If its so bad, why do I not see others being made fun of?" I asked.
"Because, you're too focused on the lie that you're the only one. Its understandable though, your soul is trying to recover ans take care of itself by focusing on only you."
"All of this talk about the soul." I joked.
"We all have one, do you not believe that?"
"Yeah, I do. I don't feel like I have a soul anymore. Or innocence."
"You need to stop focusing on what you are feeling and start focusing on what you are." Our hands mingled again as we played the piano together. I didn't pull away this time, I was starting be content with his company, "I don't know that anymore."
"Can I help?" he asked as he stopped from playing and faced me, "You are a very timid little bird with a broken wing."
I didn't object to his analysis, I let him carry on.
"You believe that your wing should stay broken instead of taking every chance you get to heal it and carry on flying."
"Okay." I understood him. I was letting this problem cripple me instead of pulling myself back up from it. It was kind of hard since everyone I knew that hated me was knocking me down, making me eat dirt.
"You are capable of so much, (y/n). You just neglect the fact because you think that you are a misfit now. Trust me, people have done so much worse than having sex in high school. It isn't the end of the world." he brushed my (h/l+h/c) hair away from my face to see my (e/c) eyes. He then pulled away, doubting himself.
"Its okay, Mr. Tim."
"I'm sorry, sometimes I forget to stop being a friend when I am a teacher to my students."
"Are we friends?" I asked. He smiled at me brightly, "I sure hope so." he stroked a thumb down my cheek.
"I need more friends in my life anyway."
"Good. I am your friend."
"I'm glad." The bell rang and I had to leave once again, "Thank you."
"Any time. I'll see you later?"
"Yeah." I left the choir room and returned to my classes. After school, Julianna met me at the bike rack to give me her address so that I could follow it, "He said you can come over around five."
"Alright thanks. I'll see you then." I mounted my bike and left for home. I couldn't believe it, I made new friends and they cared about me. Julianna stood up for me and Mr. Tim, he gave me advice. I felt such a lightness upon my shoulders as I rode home. For the first time in forever, I was happy.

~~~~~~~~~~
Mr. Tim's house looked gorgeous from the outside, it was a brick house with dark blue shutters and a patio in the backyard, the whole house was shaded by a massive tree and it's stray vines met with the brick walls, making the house look older than it really was.
I knocked on the door and Mr. Tim answered, "Ah, there you are. Come in, Milady. Julianna is on the patio." He led me out onto the back porch where Julianna was sitting at the table near the steps, she pressed a finger to her lips and pointed to something in the back yard. "What is it?" Mr. Tim whispered to her niece. I looked over to see a red fox trotting about in the back yard, "Its Patch."
"Who?" Mr. Tim asked.
"He's a fox that follows me sometimes."
"Should I shoo him away?" he asked.
"No." I approached him and he looked up at me with perked up ears and bright amber eyes. "Hey there old friend. How is it going?" I stooped down and let him look at me for a moment. Then, I reached out my hand and he finally accepted, rubbing up against it, "That's it. Good boy Patch." I pet him under his chin making him squeak and roll around in the grass.
I looked back at Mr. Tim and Julianna who were standing there a bit awestruck. I beckoned them to come over and they did, "Mr. Tim, Jules. Meet Patch."
"He's wild isn't he?" Mr. Tim stooped down and watched the fox happily lay in the grass looking at all of us.
"Yeah, I think so. If he was ever owned, I cannot imagine why they would get rid of such a handsome critter."
"Did you say that he follows you places?" Julianna asked me. I looked up at her and nodded.
"I saw him first before Marcus and I broke up."
Both Julianna and her uncle looked at each other, "Patch sounds like a spirit animal." Jules stated stooping down and petting Patch.
"A Spirit animal?"
"Yeah, sometimes animals show up in certain times of your life as a sign to let you know everything is going to be okay."
"I've been seeing him more often than usual lately." I looked down at him and he stared back at me like he was looking into my soul.
"Spirit animals attach themselves to certain people. They behave beyond their instincts to tell you something."
"Do you really believe in all of that, Jules?" I asked. To me it seemed like a coincidence, maybe Patch just wanted someone to play with.
"Not really, but you have to admit. If you have seen him before, maybe that isn't a mistake. How many times have you seen him?"
"This would be my third time."
"Oh, yeah. Patch isn't here by accident."
Now that I think about it, he always showed up when I was extremely sad. The last two times I saw him I was depressed. But today, I was happy. There was no reason why he would trot about near me.
I leaned in and whispered to Patch, "Thank you for being there." Whether or not it was true that he was my spirit animal, he was still there to cheer me up.
"Go on, Mr. Tim you can pet him." I told him.
"Oh, no. I wouldn't dare. What if he bites me?"
"He didn't bite me or Jules so, come on pet him."
"Yeah, Uncle Benny let the fox know that you respect him." Julianna laughed.
Mr. Tim shook his head, "You girls are silly." he reached over and pet him and Patch stood, snuggling closer to him, "How cute, Uncle Ben made a friend." Jules said messing up his hair.
"Come on ladies. Lets make dinner, then we can start on your songs."
"I haven't started on mine yet." I said a bit disappointed. Mr. Tim put his arm around my shoulder and looked at me, "You still have a few days and another week to finish. I'll help you if you like."
"Alright."