Teacher's Pet

XIV

Mollie

"Wh-wher-" I tried to sit up but couldn't without wincing. My head was pounding and my body ached terribly. With a trembling hand, I lifted my fingers to my forehead and the skin felt extra tender. Stitches? I looked around the room, too much white and blue with the smell of cleaners just made my head pound harder. This was a million times worse than that hangover, minus the nausea.

The dingey blanket lying on top of me was nothing like my fluffy duvet, and more like my blanket from home. I would've gotten just as warm if I had covered up with a newspaper.

Home. I wondered what my mother would've thought at the sight of me. I could picture her big, green eyes looking at me with pity. 'Oh my sweet girl...' her soft spoken lips would say. My father wouldn't give me a second thought. Out of the house and out of the way.

Dreven!

"Dreven! I'm coming!" I tore the IV out of my arm and pulled my legs to the edge of my bed. Pain rippled in my arm and my side as I sat there trying to steady my breath. My feet hit the cold tile floor with a loud slap, making me shudder from the vibrations it sent through the balls of my feet. "Margaret..?" I heard a sleepy voice from across the room groan. "Ah!" I jumped back, placing a hand over my beating chest, "what're you doing here?"

"Who do you think brought you to the hospital, sweetheart?" He stood, not needing to rub the sleep out of his pretty blue eyes. I felt embarrassment rise through my cheeks when I realized what I was wearing, a hospital gown. I gripped onto the paper-thin fabric, clenching it tightly in my fist hoping I wouldn't expose anything indecent. My breath hitched when I felt a cool breeze on my backside through the opening on my loose gown.

He brought me? All I remember was running, and running, then I fell. The last thing I saw was Dreven hovering above me, but it must've been Mr. Thomas... He came after me?

"Thank you, really, for all that you've done, but I must go." My voice shook with each word, while I looked for my sneakers. Are you going with your butt hanging out? Right. Clothes. I scoured the room until I found my tattered garments resting on the cabinet beneath the television.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, looking at me incredulously, but for once, I couldn't pay him any attention. With great difficulty, I leaned against the wall, relying on it to support my body weight. I managed to get my legs into the pants, and shimmied them about halfway up my thighs before my head began to pound like thunder. Is this my karma for giving up on him? Tears brimmed my eyes as I tried to dress myself. I was tired, frustrated, and heartbroken, but none of that mattered now. My pants were on and next was my hoodie. I turned to face the wall to keep Mr. Thomas from seeing my naked chest.

"Mollie, you're bleeding. Come on and sit down," he told me in his no-nonsense manner.

"Ugh, dammit! I can't get this shirt on!" I growled, flustered

"Mollie! Calm down, baby. Please you need to-"

"No! I can't calm down! He is out there doing God knows what. Did you see him?" His ghostly figure came to the front of my mind and I shuddered. My lip trembled at the thought. My brother no longer looked like my brother, thin and muscular with rosy cheeks. No, his black, sunken eyes and cheeks haunted me. It was as if he hadn't slept in a year, or all the life was gone.

"I know what I saw, and he needs me! Why would he leave me? He was supposed to take care of me!" A sob raked through my throat like a searing, white-hot iron. It caused my whole body to shake.

His hands cupped my cheeks and his lips were on mine before I could utter out another syllable. It wasn't demanding, or rough, but a gentle, nearly calming kiss. I could tell that was his intention, at least to shut me up. But I couldn't bring myself to pull away from the man old enough to be my father. I found myself gripping onto his shirt and melting into his warm, muscular body. My heart stopped as I cherished this moment, never wanting it to end. Either I was kissing the Devil himself or Mr. Thomas was strong enough to chase my demons away.

I pushed up onto my tippy toes, leaning into the kiss. His musky, sandalwood cologne engulfed my senses and I relished in it. Electricity ignited every nerve in my body, and I needed him to soothe the unfamiliar feeling. I opened my mouth, begging for him to explore more of my uncharted territory. His plump, delicious lips curled into his dashing smirk and his baritone chuckle warmed my heart.

"Please, talk to me," he asked, resting his forehead against mine. I could barely catch my breath, and I yearned for his lips to be on mine again. Well if anyone would be my first kiss, I couldn't think of anyone better than him. A miniscule smile tugged at my lips while the butterflies flurried around in my stomach. I could only nod a 'yes' and allowed him to usher me back to the hospital bed.

"Come on. I know you must be tired still." He kicked back onto the lumpy mattress, and motioned for me to follow him. I looked at him wondering if it would be okay to lay down with him, but given what had just taken place, surely that wouldn't be a problem. Right? After a few moments of fiddling with my fingers, he gave me a knowing look I knew I shouldn't push any more buttons.

I layed down on his strong chest and he began to stroke my hair gently. "You know, I really should bend you over my knee for ripping your IV out and talking me like that, little one." He said and I felt a shiver run down my spine at his words. Heat bubbled in my core remembering how it felt to have his palm hit my butt-

"But something is clearly going on, and I can't help you if you won't let me." He cooed, continuing to stroke my ratted hair. I sighed, trying to figure out where to begin. Would he even care? I've caused him so much trouble in one weekend, I wouldn't be surprised if he kicked me out onto the street.

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and took in his scent. Okay, Mollie. "M-my brother died along with m-my pa-arents in an awfully gruesome car wreck right before I graduated high school," I began with a trembling voice. "The car blew up and caught on fire, so I wasn't able to identify their bodies and they were cremated. I never got to say goodbye." A sob escaped my throat and tears trickled down my face, soaking into his shirt.

My chest hiccuped when I tried to silence my cries, but Mr. Thomas just held me tighter. One arm wrapped around my back, and the other with his hand on the back of my head. "It's okay to cry," he assured me, his minty breath fanning my forehead. I couldn't stop the tears from coming as we laid on that hospital bed.

"B-but my brother, I saw him at the cemetery! I swear it, you have to believe me Mr. Thomas!" I looked up at him with bloodshot, soaking eyes. His brows were pulled together forming a 'v' at the base of his forehead, causing little lines to crease in his golden skin. "And I have to find him," I pleaded. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, he just laid there looking at me. Concern filled his sapphire eyes, but he must've thought I was going crazy. That would be a logical assumption of course, it's not everyday you see your dead brother standing before his headstone.

He tucked a lock of chocolate hair behind my ear, and rested his palm on my cheek. I leaned into his touch, loving the warmth of his skin on mine. This room was far too cold and chilled me to the core. "I'll help you, if that's what you need." He told me. I wrapped my arms around his torso, trying to pull him closer to me. I don't think he understood what it meant to me for him to believe me, let alone help me. I knew I couldn't do this alone.

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シ M. Reeds