The Teacher's Pet

Chapter Twenty.

I'm including the trailer in this chapter.

Saturday.......................................

Saturday was usually his favorite day, he could sleep in and spend his days walking along the beach. He could read all day and watch whatever documentary he wanted on television. Today however he found that he wasn't as happy to have the free time, free time meant that it was two days before he would see Belle.

On Sundays he went to his parents mansion to have a miserable and dysfunctional dinner with his family. He would go and listen to his dad nag until he flipped out and was asked to leave, Maggie and his mom would cry but he'd promise to come back next week, even if he didn't want too.

He walked out to his fridge pulling out a beer and glancing at the clock, it was only nine in the morning. He sighed and put the beer back in the fridge, he could practically feel his sobriety slipping through his fingertips.

He went upstairs and changed into jogging pants and a t-shirt before going outside. It was a cold and cloudy day the ocean waves crashing noisily into the sore, it was going to storm. He could tell by the ocean and the dark clouds hanging over head. He jogged down the steps to the sandy beach and then broke into a run, heading towards the pier.

Before alcoholism consumed him he had found endless joy in running, he could out run his father's needless demands and block out the world. Soon though running wasn't enough and the alcohol was.

He reached the end of the pier stopping to inhale a deep breath of salty sea air, the misty morning made breathing seem easier. He loved living by the ocean, he felt free here and out from under his fathers thumb. Here he could admit in silence to himself that he was falling in love with a student.

Belle sat in her room, staring out the one window that she had. She couldn't see over the other buildings and skyscrapers but she knew that along the shoreline Mr. Reynolds was alone in his beach house.

"Hey Belle, what are you up too?" Jade asked, leaning against the door frame.

"Just....thinking..."

"About Alex?"

"Something happened in school yesterday, he wasn't himself. I don't know what happened."

"Did you ask him?"

"He didn't want to talk about it."

"So, why don't you go see him?" Jade asked moving to sit on the bed.

"I don't know if he'd want to see me," Belle admitted.

"Get dressed, and I'll drive you." Jade said.

Jade left and Belle waited a minute or two before standing and walking to her closet, she opened the door and stared at herself in the mirror. What on earth did he see in her? She was plain, ordinary and not even close to his league. She bit her lip and pulled down her fanciest blouse and nicest jeans, she could be in his league if she wanted to.

She moved across the room and opened the small wooden box that used to be her mothers. Opening it she pulled out her mothers favorite pearl necklace and red lipstick, she could look high class.

A small part of her positive that he could never really love her the way she truly was. When she walked into the kitchen Jade was drinking coffee.

"Woah, Belle.....what's with the get up?"

"Is it too much?" She asked nervously.

"No, you look beautiful....it's just he obviously doesn't care if you dress fancy."