Chapter 11

[Chapter 11]


[Mr Alister’s P.O.V] ~ [2 Months Later]


I watch from afar as Reign talks to Byron, a smile on their faces. After Reign was in the car crash and everyone heard what had happened the school quieted down and whoever continued with the inappropriate behaviour was punished. It’s no surprise now that Byron and Reign are going out, I could see it happening, anyone could.


The only person who continues to give them trouble is Tex, not even his group of friends continue but for some reason Tex just won’t let it go. He seriously has some unsolved problems with them. Their relationship to me is like a slap in the face. I can remember when Reign first told me they started going steady.


It was at the dinner table; we were eating macaroni and cheese and drinking cola. He seemed nervous the entire time and when I would ask him about it he’d just brush it off. It wasn’t until we’d finished eating that he finally told me he was gay, which wasn’t a surprise, and that he was seeing Byron. At first all I felt was nothing, it seemed like I’d just been kicked in the gut by a footballer. The pain after it was much much worse however, like I’d had my heart ripped out but I was still alive, an empty hole in the centre of my chest.


Now they walk through the halls, laughing and holding hands, kissing and throwing notes across the room. Nothing suggested they were doing more than that but every time they went to see each other my mind would drift and I would always feel a slight ache in my stomach telling me they could be. It was a possibility.


I don’t know why I still bother with Reign, but no matter how hard I force myself to let him go I just can’t. Waking up every morning and seeing him there in my very house is finally getting to me. I’m at the breaking point where I have to force myself to look away from him. It doesn’t help that he rarely wears a shirt. The scar showing off like a birthmark on his stomach.


He’s never once asked about it but when his doors cracked open slightly I can’t help but see him from my room sitting on his bed, poking at the scar with a confused look across his face. A look that’s cute to his features.


The worst thing that’s happened so far is when I walk in the bathroom and he’s in the shower, naked and glowing. He’s going to be the death of me and he doesn’t even know it.


I force myself to turn away and back into my classroom, just as the bell rings. Great, another lesson full of energetic and horny teenagers.


~@~


I drive us home in silence apart from the radio playing a soft piano symphony. Reign sits with his arm resting on the door and his chin in his hand, looking out the window at the quick passing houses.


“What’s up?” I ask, when I close the front door behind me.


He blinks himself from whatever dream he was in and looks over at me. “Just thinking… of, stuff.”


“What kind of ‘stuff’?”


When he doesn’t answer I stop walking and turn to look at him but he’s gone. I sigh quietly and make my way up to the bathroom. As I pass his room I consider knocking and discussing it more but I let my hand fall to my side and continue walking.


If he wants to talk he’ll talk, I can’t force it on him. After all, he only sees me as a teacher now, that’s all I’ll ever be, or the man who looked after him.


I turn the shower taps on until it’s warm and strip off my clothes. With the bathroom full of steam I step under the relaxing water. The water washes away all the hassles and problems that happened at school today.


With my black hair wet and covering my forehead I reach for my towel and pull it over my waist. Using another one I rub it through my hair until it’s dry enough to spike up and off my face. I hang it back up on the rack and leave the room. As I stand outside both Reign’s and my door I listen. He’s got the music up loudly, an unfamiliar song playing.


I stand there for a little longer and just as I’m about to turn around and walk into my room, the door opens. Reign freezes in place as so do I. We stare at each other until he finally clears his throat and walks away and downstairs, not glancing back once.


When he’s out of sight I finally turn and walk into my room, closing the door tightly. I lean my back against it and run a hand through my hair. I can never get used to seeing him in my house, walking around so casually.


I quickly get changed into sweat pants and a hoodie before leaving the room. I walk downstairs slowly and when I turn into the living room, a head full of dirty blonde hair belonging to Reign is resting on the back of the couch, South Park playing on the screen.


I fall into the single sofa and watch the TV but let my mind wonder elsewhere. To the conversation we had earlier. Taking the remote from Reign I press the power button and the TV turns black. “Hey.” He groans, trying to get it back but I hold it out of reach.


“I want you to tell me what’s up,” I say, “You’re not talking to me any other way so I’m going to force you to tell me.”


He sighs and leans back into the couch, “I don’t know what you want me to say.”


“I want you to say how you feel.”


“About what?” He asks, his hands in slight fists.


“Everything.” I reply, If this doesn’t work I don’t know what will.


“You want to know how I feel about everything?” He laughs sarcastically, leaning his head on the back of the couch.


I nod and he sits normally again. “Okay, I don’t know what’s going on even after 2 months of being here! I don’t know where my mum is, I haven’t even met my dad and then there’s you!” He yells with frustrated tears in his eyes threatening to spill, “You frustrate me more than anything! I don’t know why you’re doing this for me, keeping me here when you’re only my teacher.”


I sigh and relax back into the char, “You’ll see your dad eventually and your mum’ll be back.” I say, “And as for me, I’m doing this because I care about you.”


“Why would you care about me? Why didn’t I go stay with Byron or Drew?” He says, “Or even Floyd, they seem to know me more than you do.”


I shrug, “That’s just how it is, some things you just don’t get to choose.” I say, “Is there anything else on your mind.”


The fight seems to drain out of him and his eyes glass over, “Why’s my dad in jail?” He asks, “What did he do that’s so bad?”


I swallow sharply, the saliva feeling like a blade cutting at my throat. “He hurt you.” Is all I can think to say.


He shakes his head, “He wouldn’t do that, he’s my dad.” He says as if he’s trying to fight off a piece of him that’s telling him otherwise, “Dads don’t hurt their children.”


I shake my head, “Some do, and it just happened that yours was one of them.”


His hands shake in their fists, “No, you’re lying.” He says standing up, “He loved me, I know it.”


I mimic him and stand, “You can’t even remember him, how would you know if he loved you?” He takes a step back.


“I can remember, only just, but I can remember.”


“What can you remember exactly?” I ask, hopefully.


His eyes zone out to another world, “I remember him touching me, loving me and all of my body.”


My face drops as I relise what he’s remembering, “Oh Reign.” Is all I can manage to say at the minute.


“He did love me.” He says, “He loved me more than anyone else did, everyone else left me!” He yells and attempts to run away but I reach out just in time and wrap my arms around him.


He struggles against me as the tears fall over his eyes. “I know he loved me, he had to.” His body goes rigid in my arms and I sink to the floor with him in my lap.


“Some people are incapable of love.” I say truthfully.


What seems like hours he stays in my arms, crying until his tears run dry. I pull him closer to me and he pulls his head up, looking me in the eyes. It’s as he’s looking at me that I finally notice the small piece of heart that’s been left in my chest, the smallest piece that loves him the most.


He’s the one to lean forwards and press our lips together, they sync together so smoothly that it’s first nature. I run my tongue over his bottom lip, the salty taste of tears against them. He grants me entrance and I use that to memorise every bump and groove I can. At first the kiss is slow and tempting but as the seconds roll past so does the caged feelings of lust and temptation.


It turns to a more urgency, our lips pressed hard together as I push him to the carpet and lean over him. He wraps his legs around my waist tightly, never wanting to let go. I tangle my fingers in his hair, pulling at the tips slightly. I pull back and lean my forehead against his, out of breath and sore. My lips tingle with the ghost of a kiss and my hands shake from the fading adrenalin.


He looks up at me, his hair falling over his eyes, mouth ajar with heavy breaths. “What just happened?” He asks with a shaky voice.



That’s when reality finally comes crushing down on me. But this time I don’t let it push me into the ground, no, this time I press my lips against Reign’s until I don’t care anymore. “Love, that’s what happened.”

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