ZO
ty mood when Mr. Reid to
lway in a loud wave of chatter and scraping chairs. Within a minute the room was empty.
den strips across the desks. Dust floated in the beams. The air stil
in his mid-thirties, tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair that never stayed perfect by the end of the day and that permane
," he
of his desk and crossed my arms. "This is
narrowed.
eet, fake smile.
ord was pure attitude. I saw
e enough that I had to tip my head back to meet his eyes. Up close he smelled even be
. Coming in late. That little performance today with your phone under the desk. Smirk
oked up at him through my lashes.
a long second. Something d
aid quietly. "And you won't like h
. I wasn't sure if it was nerves or
ed in t
that answer. "You'll spend the hour writing an essay on respect. One th
essay? That's really the b
him stop right behind me. The heat of his body was close enough t
said, voice low and close to
chair to look at him over my shoulder, l
nt to see wh
us changed. It go
second he decided not to take the bait - at least not ye
" he ordered.
ked up the pen he had left on the desk, but every part of my posture still screamed defiance - s
g me as he walked back to
I just sat there, tapping the pen against the paper, very
R
doing it
she had spent half the class with her phone hidden under the desk, glancing up at me every few minutes with that little smirk that said she knew ex
sent her straig
kept her
like detention was a joke and I was the punchline. Nineteen years old. Barely lega
ld her, keeping my voice even. "One thousand words. If it'
"You're really going to make me write
didn't turn, but I watched her shoulders tighten.
d leaned down just enough that
oe," I said quietly.
ked up at me over her shoulder. H
nt to see wh
gainst my zipper. I hated that my body reacted to her. I was her t
art of me - a part I usually kept locked down - wanted to sho
expression to
und. Start
verything about the way she sat was still defiance. Spine straight. Chin up. Legs crossed in a way th
blurred. All I could think about was how easy it would be to walk over there, pull her out of that c
t the clock
ne minut
g to be a long
the pen against the paper in a slow, deliberate rhythm, like she was bored. Every now and then
w tigh
actly what s
ngry part of me was already thinking ab
Z
feel his
t. I tapped the pen against the blank page in a slow rhythm and let my legs shift just enough
lassroom felt smaller than usual. Quieter. Like the rest of
e had looked at me when I said maybe I wanted to see what happened. There had been something
her way and felt the air
words on
et me sit here doing nothing be
oped it woul
. R
nd she still hadn't
der than necessary and
Zo
all innocence.
e es
e blank page, then bac
thinking' for t
vement made the neckline of her to
d around the desk again and stopped in front of her. This time I didn't stop a po
n," I repeat
tongue flicked out to wet her bottom lip. I t
Something that might actual
half-hard and getting harder the longer she looked up at me like that. I should have ste
tayed right
g a dangerous g
mine. "Then maybe you shou
that tone went st
t to make. Then I reached past her, slowly, and picked up the blank paper she h
e essay,
reath
e to her ear. Close enough that I knew
o learn respect
d up and point
ands flat on
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