I Won't Give Up (Teacher/Student)

Chapter 18

Eighteen
Caden's POV

I watched her body shake as she gripped onto her best friend, and I so badly wanted to take her place. If it wasn't for our location, I would have taken her in my arms in an attempt to ease her pain and embarrassment, but I couldn't.

All I could do was watch her fall apart.

I was walking in the hall, on my way to my classroom, when I saw the crowd of students near her locker. I didn't think much of it at first, but as I approached, I saw them huddled around images, and I knew it couldn't be good. Students never stuck around for anything tame.

Pushing my way through the masses, I finally made it to the center of their circle and paused, my breath caught in my throat.

Attached were images of who I assumed was Diem. The photographs were of her clad in a black bra, exposed almost completely.

I reached over the students and snatched the photos away. I needed them gone before Diem arrived later today. She would be completely devastated, and I wasn't sure how much more betrayal she could take.

I hated all of the people who were hellbent on hurting her. They were ruining her slowly, stripping her of everything that made her her.

I remember the first day I met her in these halls. She was quick, witty, and absolute trouble. The mouth on her was unmatched. I knew she meant every word she said, and I loved every second of it.

She wasn't destined to be quiet or complacent. She belonged in the center of a room, commanding everyone's attention, taking their breaths away just as she did mine.

Diem Reynolds deserved more than she was given, and all of the people who took her for granted didn't deserve her.

And it all began with her mother. I should have known she was trouble from the moment I saw her standing in the driveway. I could see it in the look she gave her daughter— she didn't care about her, and she wasn't afraid of letting others know.

I had watched Diem from the window of the classroom door, waiting to see what she would do in response to the pictures. She needed the moment to herself, but when she stood in the center of the room, her hands pulling down her shirt and tears spilling down her cheeks, I couldn't watch anymore. I had to get in there and pull her away from another group of people who didn't seem to care about her but only about what happened to her.

Now returning to the room alone, I glanced through the window again and spotted the boy who had continued his previous conversations like the morning hadn't happened, like he wasn't one of the people destined to ruin her.

I bit the inside of my cheek, taking several slow breaths because I read somewhere that it helped calm you down, that it could keep you from doing something really fucking stupid.

My hand wrapped around the knob, and I yanked the door open. Heads snapped in my direction, and I could feel his eyes on the side of my face, but I focused on the teacher standing in front of the blackboard.

"I need to see Mr. Ekhart."

The room grew silent, and I turned toward the class now. Dustin was still seated, but when his teacher repeated my request aloud, he sighed and stood. I held the door open and waited for him to step out.