The trouble maker

Chapter - 37

"The moment I realized I was falling for you, it was already too late to back off, I was already in too deep, the excitement I feel whenever I knew I was going to have your class could not be suddenly erased anymore, or the warm feeling I had whenever I caught you daydreaming in my class, just so I could call out your name." He smiled but his smile disappeared in a second as if it was never there, "I know this is wrong, and that is why I'm leaving." He breathed deeply, "I thought I would leave without telling you, but I don't want to leave with any bits of regret." He added, "Forgive me if anything I said offend you." His tone as he said the last sentence was so low that I almost had trouble hearing it.

"I... wow." That was all I could force out of my mouth.

"You need not say anything, Andrea." He offered me a shy smile, a little bit of guiltiness hanging around it. "I just want you to know it since I'm leaving anyway."

I could not return a smile, no you don't have to leave just because of what you feel towards me, it's not a crime to like one another, though I can't return your affection for me, you need not my forgiveness for anything! I thought, I wanted to say that out loud, but I was still too amazed to even say anything, my mind worked incredibly fast and well, but I always had issues saying my thoughts out loud.

"You need not my forgiveness." I finally managed to spit it out, "Instead, I want to thank you for always looking out for me, you were nothing but a good teacher, my favourite, even."

This time, he gave me a bigger smile as he took out his hands which was in his pockets and extended it to me, "We're cool, yes?"

"You don't have to leave you know...just because of me." I commented, but he shook his head, "No, I already made up my mind, it's best if I leave, for you and for me." He kept his palms outstretched, waiting. "I don't want to make anything complicated for you."

I took his hands and shook it, then finally smiled. His intentions were so pure that I was thankful, he had no intention of forcing or even considering his affection for me, instead he was willing to leave so that it would all be better for me. The lass who will be Mr. Phil's wife would be one lucky woman.

"Thank you, for everything." I whispered, "No, thank you." He corrected me, "For not reacting in the worst way possible I could imagine."

"And what's that?" I asked as I cracked a small laugh, curious to know what he imagined for my reaction.

He gave me a nervous laugh, "Ah, you could yell at my face for having the feelings I have for you."

"Why would I do that?"

He thought for a while, "I don't know, but I've seen colleen doing it when teachers have feelings for them in movies."

I shook my head. "Or you could spread bad news about me to your fellow classmates, and honestly I would deserve it so."

"I would never do that." I promised him, he was just too good to believe that he deserved all that bullshit just because he had feelings for me. "We're cool." I assured him as he gave me a smile, this time, the smile looked genuine.

"Now go on in, it's brass monkey as you said, but I just don't want any other students to see us, I'm sorry to let you stand in the cold for too long."

"It's fine, Mr. Phil."

He laughed, "Go on first, after I'm sure you're inside, I will come, just to be sure nobody sees us together, it could be a disaster for both of us."

I nodded as I wish him a goodnight and a goodbye, in advance.

I could not believe all that happened just now, Mr. Phil having real feelings for me? It was absurd, but also...beautiful. He was my favourite teacher but I knew what I felt for him was not love, or any sort of feelings for a lover, I admire him, how he always looked so poised and how well he could control a class full of noisy students.

I believed it was when I was passed building 1 that I heard my name called out loud, "Andrea!" With the snow and the howling gale, I could not hear the voice clearly, at first, I thought it was Mr. Phil, so I looked back to search for him, but there was no human figure behind me as I peeked back.

"Andrea!"

Then I turned to look at my front in a haste to find one man running towards me, the dim light combined with my bad eyesight didn't let me get a hold of the man's face for a moment, but he soon reached where I was standing, and as I look closely to the man who stood in front of me breathlessly, I found out it was, no other than, "Alex?" I shot out in amazement, "What...what are you doing here?"

"I told you to not go anywhere, did I not?" His tone was close to a scream, and his expression was exceedingly strained, "What did he do to you?"

"Alex, you're drunk."

"What did that bastard do to you?" He yelled, "Who are you calling a bastard?" I asked keeping my tone as soft as I could knowing he was drunk, and he was not in his right mind, if I get worked up, I would only make things more complicated than it already was.

"You know, oh you know so well." He huffed, the looks in his eyes were unmistakable, it was dangerous and threatening, as if he felt like he was out for blood.

"I don't under-"

"That bastard Philip, do you think I don't know that you went to meet him at this time in the night alone?"

"You don't have any reason to be mad." I remonstrated. "But I'm mad, palm-twitchingly mad!"

I was completely shocked that Alex knew I went to meet up with Mr. Phil, there was only one person who knew that: Ashlynn.

"He likes you, am I wrong?" He asked as my jaw dropped in astonishment, "How...how did you know that?" I asked a little too quickly.

"Do you think I'm blind? I saw the way he looked at you in the hall, only a fool would not understand it." His tone was still in between shouting and screaming.

Was it that obvious? Was I such a fool to never notice it?

"What did he do to you?" He asked again, this time grabbing both my arms, his eyes were demanding an answer.

"Is it a crime to like me?"

"Yes!" He huffed, "Have you forgotten what I told you before? It is a crime for everyone else to like you or to even breath around you!"

Oh, how could I forget? He'd told me that during a class, I still remember every minute of it clearly, I tried to tell him that Mr. Phil had no further intentions to pursue me, but before any words left my mouth, Alex ran off, towards where I just came back from, towards Mr. Phil.