Hi, this is part 9, I hope you enjoy it :)

Photo on the side is of Edward :)

Chapter 9- Mr James's POV

I walked around the room, putting easels away and closing the windows, with a cigarette in my mouth. I stopped for a moment and lit it, inhaling deeply.

Yes, I know teachers are not allowed to smoke in school, but I don't really care. I have always done things my own way, anyway. Except being with a student. I've never done that, and never even thought that it would pass my mind.

Ella had just left the room so there was no one around. I finished closing the windows and turned around to take a last look at the room. Apparently I wasn't alone, though.

Nathan was standing at the door, arms crossed. I almost swallowed the cigarette whole when I saw him, realising that he was seeing me smoke on school premises. He smirked when he saw my face.

"I didn't know you smoked," he said.

I took a deep breath and dropped the cigarette on the floor, stepping on it, then picked it up. What a waste, I thought to myself. I threw it in the garbage. "Bad habit," I muttered to Nathan.

"One of your bad habits," he said. I glared at him.

"I thought you had left," I said.

"I never left," he replied.

My eyes widened. "You were here when-"

He stopped me by nodding. "Yes, I stayed here while you were talking to Ella, but you were so busy touching her face and your hair that you didn't even notice."

I put my hands up to my face. "Why did you stay?" I asked in a muffled voice. Why did he hate me so much? Oh right, I knew why. I felt my face redden, and I looked up at him.

"Pfft, I just wanted to know what you wanted to say to her." He walked towards me, stopping in front of me. "I know you like her. You have ever since you first saw her on the first day of school, in the canteen."

I was shocked by his words, but I shook my head nonetheless. I could never admit to liking a student. Not to him, anyway. He had so much on me already...

"I don't like her," I said. My brain started screaming, Liar, Liar, and I knew it was right.

"Don't deny it because I know it's true, Edward," he replied. Ugh, I hate it when he calls me by my first name, even though I know I'd asked him to last year. But now it's different.

"I already told you, I'm Mr James to you, especially here."

"You call someone by their last name if you respect them, and you know I don't respect you." He moved closer to me, while I stood still, motionless. I admit that I was scared of him- he knew how to throw a punch, and he wouldn't hesitate much. I mean, he's done it to me before. He continued speaking, "Like I was saying, I know you like her."

"I don't," I interrupted once again. He glared at me. "You're just obsessing."

"Oh, but I know you do. Besides, I heard her saying that you two almost kissed." I flinched at the last word and Nathan smirked. "Aren't you like, violating a million rules by that?" he added. I raised my eyebrows, encouraging him to continue, and realising that I had suddenly gained a lot of confidence. I didn't need to be scared of him, did I? He was just a student.

"Well," he said. "First of all, you're in a relationship with a student." I opened my mouth to protest, but he stopped me. "Teachers aren't allowed to even touch students, let alone drive them around in their cars and kiss them. Second of all, she's underage. Does she even know how old you are?"

I flinched at his words once again, and he sniggered.

"You didn't tell her, did you? You are too old for her, like you were too young for my mum."

I shut my eyes. "Please don't go into that right now," I murmured, opening them again. The light almost blinded me.

"But you were. We all knew that. You knew that," he said in a lower voice, looking sorry now.

I sighed. "I'm sorry," I said.

Nathan looked up at me, looking angry once again. "Saying that you're sorry won't actually undo the action. What's done is done." He paused, seeming to think for a moment. "Although there is something that you could do," he said.

"What?" I found myself blurting out.

"Stay away from Ella. I like her as much as you do, and I want to go out with her myself." As he looked at me, I'm sure he saw me shuddering. "I mean it," he said.

I shook my head. "I didn't even say anything," I replied, trying to get out of the conversation. Speaking to Nathan felt just like being interrogated. He could see right through me. I narrowed my eyes. "You've been treating me like crap ever since we started school again," I complained.

He shrugged. "You didn't give me a decent mark in last year's exam and I had to repeat the year."

"You didn't deserve a decent mark."

He inched closer to me. "After what you put us through," he breathed. "After all you put me through during the scholastic year, I deserved a pass mark. But you didn't even try to help me."

"I never help students!"

Nathan smirked. "Not even the student whom you ate breakfast with in the mornings, because you were dating his mum? After you being the reason why they separated?"

"Stop." I muttered. Bad memories were already starting to flood my messed up brain... and he was not going to stop talking about it, I knew it.

Nathan glared at me. "You do remember that you didn't even tell me that you and my mum were in a relationship, right? You didn't tell me, mum didn't! Okay, I was never close to mum but you were my favourite teacher! I told you all about the problems in my family and I thought you were trying to help, but then I suddenly found out you were seeing her! And how did I find out? I was preparing to go to school FOR YOUR LESSON and you came out of the bathroom in your boxers!" He paused, probably to take in breath. I waited for him to continue. We'd never really talked about it before. He was too angry, and I was too embarrassed.

And he was right.

"Aren't you going to answer me after I practically performed a monologue?" he asked. "You know how long I've been wanting to say all of that?"

"I know... I'm sorry," I said in a low voice. My voice always gets tiny in weird situations, I hate that.

Nathan shook his head. "You betrayed all of my trust, and all you can say is sorry? What the hell are you?" He raised his voice. Oh, I'm thinking that punch in my face will be arriving soon.

But of course, I deserved it.

"Go to hell, Edward," he said. I saw his arm inching out towards me. I gulped. He hit my stomach, not my face. But it still hurt. I gasped, then tried to suppress it immediately. Nathan smirked.

"Get out," I muttered. He turned around abruptly and left me on my own, holding the left side of my stomach. Ouch, it really did hurt.

Immediately I remembered that Ella was probably waiting for me outside, next to the block. I hurriedly grabbed my bag, closed the art room and rushed down the stairs.

Thankfully, she was still there, waiting for me. But she wasn't alone. Nathan was with her, and he smirked once again when he saw me.

"Hi, Mr James. You left Ella waiting," he said cheerfully.

I glared at him. "Sorry, I got held up," I explained to her.

"It's okay," Nathan barged in for the second time. "I kept her company, and while waiting for you, she agreed to go out with me."

I knew that my eyes bulged out right then, and I'm sure both of them saw it. "Oh," I said. "Good. Though I'm sure that's none of my business."

"It's a group outing," Ella said. Nathan rolled his eyes, and turned to her.

"See you, babe." He kissed her cheek once again, grinned at me and turned around, and started walking away.

I flinched for the millionth time that day, but managed to smile at Ella. "Hey. I'm so sorry for being late, you waited ages, right?"

She nodded. "Yup," she said, popping the 'p'.

"I am so sorry, a student barged in in the last minute." We started walking out of the block and towards my car, which was parked on the other side.

"What kind of student?" she said, looking at me cautiously.

I could see in her eyes that she was worried. "Male," I replied. She nodded and we continued our walk in silence, till we reached the car. I unlocked it and got in, opening her side.

During the journey home, my mind drifted back to what Nathan had said. It was last year, his first year in college. We'd become quite good friends, even though he was my student, and he'd tell me how things were going badly around the house, and how his parents were always fighting, and his father threatening to leave. Then, on the Parents' Day, I met his mum, and she was really nice. We exchanged numbers in order to keep in touch, see, she knew Nate had told me about their problems, and was grateful for my help. But it ended up badly, because well, it got too far between us, and her husband finding out was the last string to their already wrecked up marriage. Then, after that, and after Nathan telling me their marriage had ended, and me consoling him while hiding that I had been the reason for it, he found out, and hasn't treated me in the same way ever since.

Last year ended horribly, and that was the reason why I asked Beth out. I did it just after breaking up with Nate's mum, in order to feel better, and to be in a relationship with someone who hadn't been married.

Beth didn't know about this. No one did, except for John. I only had the guts to tell him. If anyone else knew, I'd probably be fired from my job. And I'd have deserved it.

See, I'm not really the nice guy that I appear to be. I've done a lot of things that I regret in my life. And now, it's all the more complicated, because of Ella. I like her and this cannot be. I try walking away but always end up in the same step again. Here I was, driving her home.

Right then, she turned to me and said, "Weren't you supposed to talk?"

I sighed. "Yep."

I didn't really know what to say, but I surely didn't want her to know about my dark past. Problem was, I was scared that Nathan was going to tell her.

I flinched, realising that I had been pressing my stomach to the car door, right where Nathan had punched me.

Thank you for reading, it really means a lot to me :) Please leave feedback, I really would like to know if you guys like it :) I don't think this was one of the best parts I've written, but I did try :) Thanks!

Dedicated to my best friend once again,, because she's awesome and always listens to my complaints, which, mind you, is often :P thank you! Love you xxx