Martha checked the Post when she got off the bus the next day and was excited to find a note already. She couldn't wait and opened it, slumping to the ground as she read:
* * *
Dear M
I'm so sorry about what happened last night. It's inexcusable and there are no circumstances where a teacher can lead a student on. I've let my personal situation at home encroach on my relationship with you, which should always have been professional. My concern for your artistic future blurred into our personal lives, and that was wrong.
You have your whole life before you, not just your artistic career. I'm getting in the way of that. I see it now. Obviously, I shouldn't have let things go on like this. I was being selfish and it was unfair to you.
Please don't be upset, but we can't write to each other anymore. After stopping our correspondence, I should never have started again, but I wanted to encourage the work you had returned to after Joan's death. My mistake, not yours. You must see that I don't want you to be hurt. It's got out of hand because I've let it go on too long. The temptation to transgress is there because you are special, but there are no extenuating circumstances: I am your teacher. You deserve more than what I can give you.
I hope you will understand that it is better this way.
D
YOU ARE READING
The Keeper
RomanceEvery schoolgirl has crushes, but could a schoolgirl crush last a lifetime? When 17-year old Martha starts at a new school, she carries a glimmer of hope that this time will be different. She doesn't seek popularity, but rather a quiet space where s...
