Bending The Rules

Chapter 19

CH 19

Christian POV

I punch the player button and the music plays as I shift and reverse out of my parking spot. The Police are belting out a tune about a teacher and his student having an affair. Huh, How fitting...

...Young teacher, the subject
Of schoolgirl fantasy
She wants him so badly
Knows what she wants to be

...Inside her there's longing
This girl's an open page
Book marking, she's so close now
This girl is half his age...

I leave the parking lot and signal to turn right. I look down at the flashing light my phone sitting on the passenger seat. I am caught between the urge to drive around the city imagining where Ana may live against the urge of accessing school files to get her address. It's definitely a darker shade of gray getting information that way and I could get reprimanded severely.

...Don't stand so, don't stand so close to me--"

The last sound I hear is glass shattering and metal crumpling inside itself. Time is stuck in glue and I know every second feels so heavy that the cubes of fragmented glass move sluggishly and the shimmers of light trapped between them escape as it explodes. My phone is somersaulting toward the dashboard and my arms which have foolishly left the security of the steering wheel cage my face as I hurtle toward the dashboard... 

Ana POV

12:06pm

Ana, need to talk.

Please forgive me. I was

an idiot on Friday.

-JR

1:11pm

*Crickets*

Please, please text me back.

-JR

2:30pm

Come on! Just call me back.

Just let me apologize to you.

-JR

I toss the phone on my bed. I am frustrated with José, but the softer and kinder side of me wants to forgive him. It's my fault; I should have expected something like that to happen. He has been touchy-feely all week and but I didn't have the guts to stop him. I turn back to my homework. José can stew for a bit. I want to get these assignments completed quickly to have Mr. Gray grade them tomorrow.

I sigh and pick up my phone and reply:

2:45pm

José I am still mad

but you are forgiven.

We'll talk tomorrow.

-AS

Christian POV

Images blur past me but don't make any sense. It's like being on a subway train in a tunnel where lights flick quicker as it speeds faster along the tunnel. My body is yanked and thrown and my eyes are being torn open and lights blinding me. Muddled voices are asking me my name and telling me to stay awake. I think I hear Elliot screaming but it still seems kinda dreamy.

I hear fabric being cut and I feel the chill on my chest as my shirt is ripped open. I feel a brace being forced around my neck. I want to speak but I can't make my lips move. It is like I forgot language. I raise my hands to push them away but they are stilled and pushed back as iron straps lock them to my sides.