Babysitting the Bad Girl's Brother: Who do you protect?

7) A man gasped for air once more

Monday came once more and with it, October's cold winds became colder. The third week into October had arrived and with it came a jacket on my person. A much-needed jacket as the cold winds hit my body as I sped down the roads to school, a trickle of rain would clearly end in a downpour later today. With the inevitable downpour approaching sooner than later, I got to school quicker than usual.

Putting my bike away in the bike shelter it was usually left in, I approached the school.

The halls were empty. Like I said, I had arrived early, but, that didn't detract from the strangeness of hearing the silence come from the halls. The halls, once full of loud sounds of the adolescence youth was now filled by a deafening silence.

There were two reasons why I was earlier than usual. The first, as mentioned before, was the ever approaching blizzard of rain. The second was answering a question posed to me on Friday...

"So, Phillip" Mr Draydon said, "I was hoping you'd take me up on the offer." I had failed to notice the ever-present kettle in the infirmary on Monday, the said kettle had been one of the many items in the room that made the two cups of tea on the table before me, one for my teacher and the other for myself.

My cup became half empty as I took a large swig of the tea. The contents poured down my throat in a fluid, smooth like fashion "So," I placed the tea on the coffee table that sat between me and my teacher "to run this by me one more time," I allowed my brain to gather all of the information I had been relayed before sending back a more condensed notion "you want me to act as a substitute nurse during math class?" I asked in a rhetorical tone but my confusion was still ever present.

A nod was given back to me as a reply "I'm sure you can understand that I can't be teaching and nursing patients at the same time." A sip of his own tea "That's why I want to enlist you in helping me"

...

"Wouldn't it be against the school's rules to not do a key subject, especially one as important as math?" I asked, the idea of the school allowing me to completely skip over a key subject seemed to far fetch for them to do.

"Not at all," he replied "That's why I asked if you learnt anything in my class. If you did then I would have been more concerned. But, revising seems to be the main factor as to why your grades haven't slipped. Personally, I don't see an issue in you not attending the lesson." The teacher's voice dried slightly as he said 'personally'

"Personally?" I asked, repeating his own word to make sure my hearing wasn't off.

The teacher tapped his cup with his index nail making a satisfying clink before replying "Personally, that's enough for me. However, I still have to get permission from a higher-up faculty member. I'm sure I could convince them to at least consider the idea, and you being one of the highest graded pupils, helps out spectacularly." Excitement seemed to spread throughout the man's body movement as he talked about my grades and I couldn't help but let my ego raise slightly as I noticed his form change to that of eagerness.

"Okay then," I said finishing my cup of tea "I'll consider it." the cup was placed on the table.

"Thank you, could you give me an answer by Monday? You'll have the whole weekend to decide" Mr Draydon replied finishing his own mug.

"Okay"

Today was Monday, the dreary light that broke partially through the thick rain clouds told me such. My mind had lingered on Sunday, contemplating my answer, the memory of the offer seemed to simmer in my mind endlessly throughout the weekend. Helping out Mr/Dr Draydon would get me out of a lesson that I personally didn't learn anything in, and the added bonus of having some form of medical experience could be help on my future CV.