I'm sorry if this is crap

Trapped In Love

Chapter 1

She watched on with as much boredom as she was to expect in this class. She could feel her eyelids almost starting to droop as she observed the clock. 10 minutes. Her hand absent-mindedly doodled on her blank and empty writing book. She never did any work, it was a waste of time. Her hand cupped her cheek impatiently while her eyes wandered to the rows of other people writing or talking. She neither lifted a finger nor spoke to anyone and she didn't see how the structure of a paragraph could ever be useful in her life. She willed time to go faster so she could finally go to lunch and her stomach rumbled hungrily at the thought. She stared moodily at the woman sitting at her desk, marking books with a concentration she certainly lacked. She hated her and her stupid English lessons. Everything about the teacher annoyed her, but mostly for other reasons. She was Miss Oswald, and she was currently living at her house.

As soon as they had moved, her father had settled as another English teacher at her school and not long after he was seeing another teacher. Everyone found out, even now sometimes they would take the mick, which was absolutely fine because she did too. They were such an awkward pair. She glared at the woman who had ruined everything. Her life, her education, her dad, her sanity. Why her father was so attracted to her she had no idea. She was only a pretty face. The rest of her personality was as dull as her subject.

Her dad was the poetry and art teacher, Doctor John Smith. And she had every day since regretted ever moving here. Her father being her teacher had been embarrassing enough, but then going on to literally dating her other teacher was just plain humiliating and extraordinarily wrong. A wound to her pride.

She watched as Clara Oswald tucked her hair behind her ear and shifted in her seat, still writing furiously. She remembered when she had moved in, around a year after they had settled. It had come as a shock when her dad told her he was dating her, but that shock had been an understatement when he had then announced she was moving in. She remembered feeling almost pushed aside, cheated and wishing she lived with her mother. All her stuff had moved in with her, her books and horrible curtains and ugly dresses. There were now two women in his life and she had absolutely hated how Clara had him wrapped so easily round her fingers. He acted like a teenager around her, forgot he had ever been with her mum and sometimes forgot she was there too. She knew he didn't mean to, but when he was with Clara it was like he was under hypnosis. She wouldn't be surprised if that was the case, if she had put him under a spell like a witch. She certainly was a witch, alright. Liked to think she was so damn perfect every time she defended her to win her approval. But that would never happen.

She was suddenly woken from her thoughts by the bell ringing and with a relieving sigh she scrambled out of her seat to collect her bag. As they filed out one by one she glimpsed that same sickening smile on her face she had to bear with everyday. As if on cue she directed it at her but she walked briskly away and toward the canteen, waving away her previous musings and focusing instead on the food ahead of her.

Another tiresome lesson later and she made her way to Clara's office. She was amazed how she of all people had her own office and not her father, he deserved to be the head of English, not her. As she walked in and sat down she once again wished she could just walk home with her friends like any other person would. Having to wait for both of them every day just so she could get home was wearisome at best. They both took so long too, but she had no choice. There were no buses round her area remotely near her school and it was too far to walk. At least they had permission to do all of their work at home rather than stay later. That would have killed her. Clara entered with a flustered smile in greeting and gathered up her paperwork, and John walked in a moment later with his usual perky grin, kissing Clara's cheek while she made a face of disgust. It had been her default for the past six months they had been together.

'You okay, Katie?'

She nodded in reply to her father's usual question and rose to her feet to start walking to the car park. She didn't like the way the grounds looked so deserted without the rush of people walking home, and it was something she had missed. She put her headphones on and music filled her ears as Clara pulled out of the drive. She never liked listening to their sappy conversations, but unfortunately she could still see. John was holding Clara's free hand, talking with an adoring smile and she stared at their intertwined fingers. It was embarrassing and nauseating to her stomach, but that's how they mostly were, with their cheesy, romantic, lovey behaviour that put bile in her throat. The journey was even longer than usual from traffic and every time they stopped she could see Clara laughing at something he'd said and him inching closer with every minute. They didn't break hands until they parked in the driveway and got out of the car. It bothered her particularly that they held hands, which was not so much an intimate gesture, but that intention of holding on and never letting go, like they were inseparable, bonded, tied, was something she feared with their relationship. They were getting closer and soon it would culminate to something bigger if she wasn't careful. When John instinctively followed Clara to the kitchen, she raced upstairs like normal and shut the door behind her. She didn't want to see nor hear them, just in case she threw up.

••••

'How are you, then? Good day?'

'Stressful day.' She remarked, stirring in the spices to the pan of stir fry. John's hands wrapped round her waist tightly and his chin rested on her shoulder.

'I can help with that.' He smiled, kissing the side of her neck consolingly.

Clara was slowly becoming distracted from cooking and revelling in his soft touch. He could her soothe her so easily.

'What was so stressful, then?' He asked. John always persisted and tried to help with any problem she had. It was one of the things she loved about him.

'Everything. Mostly just being in the same building and not being able to be near you all the time,' She laughed, 'I could use the company in class.'

'Ah, you can't get enough of me.'

'Don't start getting cocky.'

'Of course not.' He grinned, 'where's Katie?'

'Probably in her bedroom.'

'She's always in there.'

'I know.'

'Why?'

'If I knew, I could tell you, John.'

'It's like we hardly ever see her except in school and at breakfast.'

'Maybe you could start making her come down at dinner rather than disappearing upstairs. But she's a teenager, John, she has her own things to do, she probably prefers her own privacy. It's only to be expected.'

'I have been thinking lately, though,' he continued, pressing harder against her shoulder as if he was physically weighed down with his problem, 'am I doing anything wrong?'

Clara laughed at his question, rubbing his shoulder in reassurance.

'Of course not, it's me she doesn't like.'

'I don't understand why, you're beautiful.' He grinned, holding her even closer to him.

'Stop it, you're hair's going to go into the stir fry in a minute, and you'll be the one eating it.'

He chuckled adorably at her humorous reply, making her smile.

'What's for after?'

'You always want a dessert, don't you?' She said, 'but I was thinking of making soufflé.'

'Yum.'

'Help me with it, won't you?'

'Why wouldn't I? You're the great soufflé girl.'

She spluttered. 'Really? Well then, if I'm your soufflé girl that must make you my chin boy.'

'Oi, what is wrong with my chin?'

'Careful, dear, you'll take someone's eye out.'

He grumbled but continued to joke around with her. She loved how easy he was to talk to. He hardly let go of her the whole time she was preparing dinner, but having him there by her side was always immensely comforting.