I - The Bet

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***You can now read Tempting Her Teacher in Spanish - "Tentando A Su Maestro" - just follow the External link to @jolielune's translation***


"Juliet Martin, are you wearing lipstick?"

Oh god. The first day of term and already Miss Villiers was on her case.

"Go and wash your face immediately. And don't be late for class."

Juliet dragged herself off into the nearest cloakroom. Her best friend Margot was in there, sitting up on the washbasins and leaning against the mirror, her eyes half closed. She was listening to music on her iPhone, supposedly a banned device but everyone had them. Several of her braids had escaped her ponytail and she hadn't taken her second ear studs out, as you were supposed to.

"Villiers?" she asked, seeing Juliet wiping her mouth with a tissue.

"Such a bitch."

Margot, like Juliet, wore as much make up as she could get away with. Even though St Gillian's was a girls-only Catholic school, appearances mattered. Plus there could always be some random event like half a dozen hot paratroopers accidentally landing in the school yard.

This had never happened, but they lived in hope.

"You're going to be late," Juliet said, tying her own blonde hair back neatly in case the teacher was still lurking outside. She got in enough trouble as it was, she didn't need any more on the first day. She and Margot both had the same Latin class to get to so they headed there together.

Margot looked at her through heavily mascaraed lashes that definitely wouldn't have passed Miss Villiers' inspection, any more than her multiple earrings. "Tell me again why the hell I ever decided to take Latin?"

The answer to this was quite simple. Old Mr Bryan, who taught Latin, was considered to be a soft touch and his classes were very laid back.

Truth be told, Juliet had secretly grown to love the Roman poetry they translated. Even more than the Romantic poets they studied in English. But she kept this quiet from her friends who might have mocked her.

"It's stupid, all these rules. We're eighteen now, legal adults, and we're still treated like little kids," Margot said as they walked down the corridor together.

They arrived and went to take their seats at the back as usual. It was such a small class that there was plenty of choice where to sit, though no one ever dared sit on the back row. It was established as Juliet's and Margot's territory.

"Oh look, what joy, it's the charity case foster slut and her sidekick."

It was Cynthia, their nemesis, scowling one of her usual greetings.

Juliet stiffened but Margot wasn't going to give Cynthia the satisfaction of seeing Juliet upset.

"I think you have chocolate on your chin, bitch. Oh wait no, it's just the shit that comes out of your mouth."

Without giving Cynthia a chance to respond she brushed past her desk, pushing Juliet along with her so she didn't try to retaliate as well. Cynthia always managed to make trouble for Juliet.

They took their places and got ready for the class. Margot still had her earbuds in as she figured Mr Bryan wouldn't notice.

The class was kept waiting for a few minutes for the Latin teacher to arrive. The conversation level rose as students relaxed and chatted, even though they were supposed to keep quiet.

Suddenly the room fell silent.

"Ave Caesar, what do we have here?" Margot suddenly murmured.

Juliet had been buried in her exercise book, doodling while she awaited Mr Bryan. She looked up.

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