junior year

six

My lips are pressed into a firm line as a I walk alongside Sydney to Mr. Kenton's 'tutoring session'. I'd brought Sydney with me, much to my parents' dismay. Taking one look at me, she'd known she shouldn't ask any questions.

Adjusting the bobby pins the held my hair back, I held my binder firmly as we entered the classroom. It was empty, of course.

"Where's everyone else?" Sydney questioned, reading my mind.

"Exactly." I said, bitterly.

Mr. Kenton looks up from his desk, his dark brown eyes averting from his papers. He removes a pen from between his teeth and regards us curiously.

"Miss Montgomery...and Miss Walsh? You have an A in my class, you don't need tutoring."

Sydney adjusts her bag on her shoulder. "Yeah I know..." she says hesitantly. She gives me a look, and I knew she'd rather be spending her Friday elsewhere but like the good person she was, she'd stick it out for me.

I knew I had to do the right thing and face this on my own.

I sighed. "Go." I say.

Sydney's eyes brighten, but her excited mood instantly fades away. "Are you sure you don't need me? I'd be find with staying."

I give her a reassuring smile. "It's okay."

"Alright..." she says, hesitantly. "See you later. Text me." she gives me a quick hug and walks out the door, the sound of it slamming against the frame ringing in my ears and I sit in a desk in the middle row.

"Would you like some water, Luna? We might be here for a while." Mr. Kenton asks.

He tosses me a bottle before I give an answer and I notice a strange mark on the cap. I don't second question it though. I take a sip of it, the cool water hitting my throat. I didn't realize that I was so dehydrated. With all the stuff going on, I'd barely had time to do anything, let alone eat and drink water.

"So," I say, giving him an annoyed look. "Where is everyone? Oh wait, let me guess―there is no one here.

Mr. Kenton laughs lightly, and gets up from his desk. He sits in the seat in front of me, turning himself so he faces me. "You're one clever girl. I admire that about you."

I clench my fists, biting back words. Regardless of how much of a creep he was, he was, sadly, still my teacher.

"So my C? Do you have any extra credit assignments? Academic related?"

Mr. Kenton just chuckled. His hand reached out toward me and I jerked away. He grabbed my wrist, not painfully, but not softly either.

He used his other hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Oh Luna," he said, almost tauntingly. "Luna, Luna, Luna..."

I close my eyes, a scenario running through my mind...

I hear the whoosh of the door open.

"Hey Luna, I―"

Sydney stands, frozen in the doorway. I can't blame her, seeing as the way Mr. Kenton was grabbing my wrist and my uncomfortable expression, it looked just as bad as it really did.

Just as soon as she arrives is just how fast he pulls away. Unfortunately for him, he isn't fast enough.

"What the hell?" Sydney's expression is a mix of confusion, anger and shock.

"Sydney...this isn't what it looks like." Mr. Kenton would start to say.

"You expect me to believe that you aren't the one who's to blame for...this?" Sydney questions fiercely, a disgusted look on her face.

She'd walk over to me and take my arm protectively.

"Don't do something you'll regret." Mr. Kenton warns, though he can't hide the fearful expression in his eyes. With just me, he had nothing to be afraid of. Sydney? That was a whole other story.

"You," Sydney points, heading out the door. "Say goodbye to this job. You take advantage of an underage student, you face the consequences. Creep."

Just when I think we'll make it out the door, Mr. Kenton grabs my arm, jerking me back toward him.

"What makes you think I won't tell them that she pushed herself onto me. Half the girls in this class would be love for me to want them."

'Was he that stupid? And that self-centered?' I'd think

Sydney would think so, too, because she'd let out a bitter laugh. "Clearly you aren't as smart as you're made out to be. Like anyone would believe a twenty-some year old teacher over two sixteen year old girls."

With that, we would run back outside, and when we'd come back to school, Mr.Kenton would be gone. And the rest of year would be marvelous.

But as I said, this was a simple scenario I was picturing in my head. I wasn't even aware that I was completely out of it, my eyes closed and my body defenseless, until I was brought back to reality by Mr. Kenton.

"Luna? Luna?"

I slowly open my eyes to see Mr. Kenton let go of my wrist.

"Why are you doing this?" I say quietly. I rub my wrist, the impact still fresh on my skin. "Why me?"

"You're beautiful." he tells me. "Just look at yourself. I want you."

I stand up abruptly, looking him in the eye. "Well I don't want you! It's wrong for you to think of me that way."

"Is it? We don't have to tell anyone." He stands up, moving closer to me.

His finger traces my jaw and I keep it clenched. I'm tired, so tired. Why am I so tired?

"It'll be our little secret, Luna. You can have everything you want."

In the heat of the moment, the moment when my eyes begin to droop and my breaths begin to slow down, he kisses me.

I don't kiss back.

His cold lips against mine feel wrong and all I can do is force myself to picture Harry.

Think about Harry, think about Harry.

I'm thinking about Harry, but I have no control of my body as it sinks down right into Mr.Kenton's arms, and he holds me. It's strange; I'm not aware of anything, yet I am.

"There, there. Everything will work out. You'll see." Are the last words I hear before I black out.