From the Ruins [Teacher X Student]

Chapter 21

We made it back to our rooms. I immediately collapsed on my bed and began bawling again. I was feeling a lot of things, mostly disbelief. I couldn't believe I just faced my father.

After a few minutes, Mr. Taylor knocked on my door saying, "Can you let me in please?" I walked over to the door and opened it. He stepped inside and we sat the on bed. "I want you to try to calm down, okay?" He asked me.

I cried more. "I just, how was he out of jail? He killed my mom and sexually and physically abused me for years? How is that okay? To get out on good behavior?" My breathing became short and Mr. Taylor pulled me into his chest.

"It's so fucked, Calista. It's not okay, it's not just, but you handled that situation so well. I'm so proud of you. You are the strongest person I've ever met." He stroked my hair and took deep breaths with me.

I couldn't calm down. I was having a panic attack. He continued to hold me and tell me it was going to be okay. He then pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Jamie. He put it on speaker. Jamie answered the phone, "Hey, what's up?" Then, he heard me crying. "Calista? What's wrong? What happened? Is she okay?"

"It's okay, just talk to her," Mr. Taylor said.

"Calista, it's okay. Whatever is going on, it's alright. Just breathe okay." He said to me. "Calista, just imagine I'm with you. Just feel my arms around you and breathe with me, okay? In and out."

I was kind of calming down. Mr. Taylor continued to hug me. He then said to Jamie, "We saw her dad."

"What? How? I knew something was going to happen. I should be there."

"He's out of jail and we drove past her old house. He was there. We talked to him."

I continued to cry and said, "I thought I was over it. I'm so scared. I hate knowing he's out there. It feels like all the healing I did is just gone. I feel ugly and gross."

"Calista, you're not ugly," Mr. Taylor said.

Jamie said, "You are so beautiful, Calista. Remember, you are not your scars. You have grown so much. You survived, and you're so fucking strong that you faced your abuser. I don't think I could face my brother without beating him to death. You are so much stronger than me. Every time I see your scars, I think of how strong you are. You have that many and you are way stronger than me. I have one and I'm still so weak. I'm so proud of you."

"You almost died though. Your scar is so much worse than mine. Mine are just surface wounds," I cried to him.

"No Calista, you survived. Your scars and wounds are not any less than mine. I was unconscious for mine. You actually fought yours and healed yourself. You were your own nurse." He said to me.

"I need you," I said to him.

"I'm right here, baby. I love you," he said to me.

"I just want to rip these scars off my body," I said to him. "I want nothing to do with him," I cried.

"I love them," Jamie said. "You know if I was there I would show you how much I love them. Can you touch them for me? That helped the last time, right?"

"You were there. You helped me. I didn't do it myself."

Jamie then sighed and said, "Matt is there."

Mr. Taylor said, "What?"

"I need you both to trust me okay?" Jamie asked.

"Jamie, what?" Mr. Taylor asked him.

"Calista, I need you to do this okay?" Jamie asked me. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes of course," I said.