Lessons From Throne

Chapter Seven

FIVE DAYS LATER

I hadn't spoken a word to him since Friday and it was now Wednesday. He seemed confused every day when I walked in with Sev but I never talked to him. I changed my essay, deciding to take the extra credit and write a short story since I bombed a test because I was thinking about him. Sad, I know.

My short story was in my hands but I really didn't know what I had even written about. I'd been in a daze since that dream and I could feel myself finally snapping out of it. As I held the five pages, front and back that were stapled together, Mr. Stewart was staring at me as he talked in the front of the class. He seemed on edge a lot more, and easily jumpy.

I stared at him as he walked past my seat, air caused by his fast legs brushing past me. I stood up, being the only student who didn't need any extra time to finish my essay. Or so I thought.

Once I stood up, about to set my paper on Mr. Stewart's desk, someone came from behind me to tap my shoulder. I whirled around to see Jacob, a boy who had a crush on me since middle school. If I wanted to be a bad person, I could use him for anything, he was in the palm of my hands, but I couldn't do that to him. He really was sweet but I tried staying away from him as much as possible.

"Hey Lux, I was wondering if-" I cut him off, holding my hand up slightly. I took a sigh and lied. "I don't know if I really want to do anything today, I'm kind of on my period and just not feeling it," I rambled. His eyes widened and he nodded immediately. "Yeah, that's okay. Maybe another day," he said, dropping his paper on Mr. Stewart's desk and hurrying back to his seat.

Sev looked up at me confused. "Why did you do that," she asked in awe. I looked down to where Mr. Stewart sat not even caring that he was openly staring at me. "I do it all the time. Guys run at the word, leave you alone," I explain, holding my paper to Mr. Stewart. He took it slowly from me, reading over it, his eyes squinting.

"I took the extra credit," I say quietly and turning to sit in my chair. I heard his chair scrape against the floor, signifying that he was getting up, but I continued to scroll through Instagram.

His voice appeared right behind me; I could slightly see his figure out the side of my eye. Mr. Stewart's presence being right there made my heart jump and breath stop. "I need to see you at lunch," he told me. "I just have a feeling I'll need to."

Sev looked over at me, eyes wide as fuck. I took a deep breath as my mind ran wild with everything, I wanted to happen at lunch, not what would happen.

|Lunch|

My headphones were in and playing music that calmed me, my hand resting on the door handle as I changed the song and putting it on repeat.

"Love you like a brother,
Treat you like a friend.
Respect you like a lover"

He appeared in front of me as soon as I walked into the classroom. Mr. Stewart seemed on edge again. I took out an ear bud and stared at him. He walked over to the podium and leaned on it, I sat on top of a desk that was directly in front of him. He was wearing my favorite suit of his. It was black but on the inside red peeked through. Red looked so good on him.

"I really hope this isn't about earlier in class-"

"No, it isn't. But I'll remember that the next a girl uses it on me, she could be lying," he slightly lifted up stapled papers, probably mine.

"'Next time'? Who could want to avoid you," I ask him. His eyes bugged, "what," he said a bit loud, his voice cracking at the end. I shook my head, looking away from his piercing eyes. "I'm just saying I wouldn't, I guess," I blush in front of him. "Thank you, Lux," he sighed, tilting his head to the side.

"I have to get a highlighter actually," he started to walk over to his desk but I followed him and once he turned around at his desk, he jumped at me being behind him. "I'm sorry, I feel awkward just standing over there," I shrug. He nodded and moved back. I didn't realize how close our faces were, making me wish I had kissed him.

Mr. Stewart's had pointed towards his chair that he sat in so I reluctantly sat down and he stood behind the big comfy chair. It honestly wasn't fair that teachers got these huge and nice chairs while we got plastic. He sat down in a smaller chair next to me, his hands making my paper appear in front of me.

"I'm glad I told you to come here, this is definitely worthy of talking about," he started out, running a finger over the first few lines. "The name changes are nice, helping to make the story your own but you easily and lightly moved the plot to show that this was a newer aged version of Lolita," My head was spinning as he continued to go on and on over my short story.

"I personally like the smaller age gap as you made Esther 17 in the plot and Mark Jain, our Humbert, in his 30's. It's less sinister but you got the point across that this wasn't supposed to be a story of a man who abuses a female but true love with a significant age gap. It truly is great how you twisted a terrifying and disturbing plot into a flowery and suspenseful love plot," he finished. I was beaming as I watched him refer the plot, flipping through pages to where he had already highlighted points that he loved. I'm glad he saw my intent to keep the story but a more beautiful version. I really forgot writing it.

I turned my head and smiled at him graciously at a loss for words. "Thank you so much Mr. Stewart, you're too kind," I sigh in one breath. He chuckled to himself, nodding his head. "That's really all I wanted to waste your time on, so if you need a ri-"

"I drove here," I rebuttal quickly. Mr. Stewart stopped talking and seemed to take it in.

"So, Lux," he mumbled, taking off the black suit jacket to show the bright red button up shirt that was worn underneath. Once again, red was so gorgeous on him. "Where have you been hiding from me," he asked. His elbow was rested on the desk, his chin in the palm of his hand. I smiled at this gesture as it made him seem so much more human.

"I don't know Mr. Stewart, things have changed," I say slowly, choosing my words carefully. The most important thing was that I remember the more human he seemed, the more I'd spill my guts to him. The thoughts about him.

"Changed between who?"

"Everybody, I was just scared. I still am but I feel that it's controllable."

"Hm," he hummed. It cleared my thoughts and I stood up quickly, his chair rolling behind me slightly. I looked down at the ground and looked at the 98% on my paper, which was probably the highest in the class. "I have to go," I tell him. As I looked at his eyes, I could tell that it would be any day he'd realized that things had changed between us, I was scared of him. "You have a nice singing voice," Mr. Stewart said quickly.