Thirteen

Adonis

She must have thought I drugged her.

It wouldn't surprise me if she slaps me with that accusation when she wakes up.

But then, it's not my fault she lacked so much sleep that my very reliable sleep-inducer could not help but knock her out so fast.

After settling on the little space left on her bed, I took a second to study her relaxed face. The things I heard about her in the corridors of the school were enough to tell me why she was so pale.

And that made me wonder who Ruby offended that he or she would think it was necessary to release such provocating images.

I sighed hard. Trying to figure that out was another issue on its own.

A small smile found its way to my lips and my right hand attempted to reach out for the large mass of her shiny, nice scented, black hair that scattered all over her pillow.

I quickly pulled back.

I shouldn't be getting attached to her. I should not try to befriend her. But still, I need to protect her. And to do that, I need to be close to her.

It would be silly of me to reprimand myself for wanting to start a new life by getting a job as a teacher. It would also be stupid to blame the girl who was deep into her slumber for showing up at the exact moment I was trying to get rid of my crazy past.

It was terrible timing that she showed up at the back of the school while I was there, but did she have to look on as if she knew me?

I can still recall the way she briefly scrutinized me as if she was trying to tell a lot about me without asking.

Because of her presence behind the school building that day, they think she is affiliated with me. So they are more than willing to do a good job of getting back at me by using her.

And that is what I want to stop. No matter the number of times I assure them that she doesn't know me, they won't back down until they hurt her so that they can hurt me.

So, I have to stay as close as possible to her. Even if I don't know her.

But then, there is this side of me that keeps jumping each time I catch a glimpse of her small face.

Some wired craziness in me made me follow her into the library the other day and it made me blurt out the first thing that came to my mind when my eyes met hers behind the school building.

That day, within a second, I had studied how she looked. And of all things my mind could think of, it kept replaying the image of her full lips that begged to be treated nicely.

Adjusting my position, I took my eyes off the ceiling and looked at Ruby Powers again.

She is interesting, no doubt. Especially when she suspects me of being someone who threads the path of psychopathy.

As my lips wore another smile, a small voice reminded me again, of my partial unwillingness to be romantically tangled with her.

It happened in the past and it didn't end well both on the girl's side and mine.

So, it became clear as crystal what I was supposed to do.

Protect.

And that is all I will do until they don't bother me anymore.

My legs crossed each other and my hands clasped over my knee to give support, then I took another second to study her face again.

Her face was pretty in a very unforgettable way. As I tried not to make my eyes wander to her lips, I wondered what she would look like smiling.

My head liked the image it created.

Then, like running water which had met a diversion, my mind changed course and asked more questions that only the asleep girl could answer. That is if she doesn't try to stab my eye with a needle first.

My phone's notification tinged and I released my knotted legs. I took my phone out of my bag which was packed in preparation for a situation where I would have to flee again.

I don't see myself running away soon. But it never hurts to be ready.

After I saw that I was almost late for the next class I had, I got up. As my hand reached to draw the curtain close, a feminine voice entered the room, calling for Ruby. When I turned my head, my eyes fell on the girl who had intruded on my class last Friday, saying that she was looking for Ruby.

"Oh, Mr. Klaus." Her eyes transformed from fiery to mellow within a second and I almost winced.

That is something that still makes me uncomfortable even though I experience it everywhere I go. Actually, it is worse now. Ever since I resumed work in the school, I keep getting weird gifts and notes from the female staff.

The worse part is when I have to listen to tales that are far from interesting with a small smile on my face. Trust me that smile will soon change into a scowl and chase them away.

But since I am working on being a better version of myself, I'll keep the repelling part of me at bay for a while.

"Hi," I simply greeted.

"What are you doing here?" she sounded and looked gentle. " Did you get hurt?" Her legs approached me with concern all over her face. When she saw there were no signs of injury on my body whatsoever, her eyes fell towards Ruby. "Did you come to see her?"

The look in her eyes cornered me for a second. But when she wore a smile after, I became less confused. "You are worried about her, right? I am too."

Her shoulders relaxed and my building thoughts about her fell apart.

"Is she going to be fine?" I asked one of the questions that tugged my mind earlier and her friend gave a small nod.

"I am hoping that she would be. Ruby doesn't like to talk much about her problems and that's why she is this way. I just wish she would do more of sharing than bottling up."

My hands formed into loose fists and my mind asked more questions which still didn't get to be voiced. If I ask all the questions in my mind, the girl might run away. Besides, some things are best gotten after going through a pace slower than that of a snail. But in order to confirm a thing or two, I asked the tall girl in front of me, "Does she know who did it?"

"You have seen it too?" Her eyes wore sorrow as that topic came up. Hugging herself, she looked to the side and answered my question. "Yes, she does."

I gave a curt nod and she asked, "Won't you ask who it is?"

Her question was disguisedly extending towards me a part of their friendship and that made me smile.

But the keyword; protect kept ringing in my head. So I just smiled, gave her shoulder a little pat and walked out of the room.