Chapter 04: The Past Caught the Net
Markeith
Excitement rushed through her as the bus moved. Seated with Rian and Andrea, they chatted softly while Revi ticked off the ones who were present for the trip. Of course, she took the window seat while Rian and Andrea were exchanging a small chatter on a new club they wanted to check.
"You should go, you know," Andrea nudged her. "You should relax more often."
"I am relaxing," she said, raising her book entitled Dreams of A Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole, one of her favorite authors.
Andrea scoffed and shrugged, leaving Markeith to read in peace as she plugged in her headset. The song that played was on Avril Lavigne's Let Me Go, singing the lyrics as they came closer to the building.
Revi spoke through a microphone, ordering them to file out according to their teams. Everyone followed suit, and as Markeith walked through the bus's doors, she noticed how Revi ignored her, which, she couldn't but admit, stung a bit.
"In groups," he said, "you are to move around, examining the paintings and artworks. You will hand over a group paperwork on how each one of you interpret your chosen art. In two hours, we'll meet up here. Amscray."
Everyone started their rounds. Andrea and Rian were both dragged to the Renaissance area by a fangirling Markeith, who kept on sighing over Vincent Van Gough and Leonardo da Vinci despite the artworks were all imitations.
"They're so beautiful," she sighed.
Rian nodded, looking at Andrea, "She sure is."
Andrea smacked Rian, who only rubbed his shoulder.
Markeith shivered, saying, "I feel ants all over my skin."
Andrea reddened, her face looking like a tomato when someone called out to her, making Markeith stiffen.
"Kyle," Andrea said coldly.
Markeith turned around and nearly fell on her knees from shaking. There he was, in all his handsome glory with his long dark bangs that covered his forehead and that handsome charismatic smile of his. His eyes were of brown that made Markeith want to melt despite all the hurt she suffered.
Kyle swaggered, looking at Andrea and Rian. With a frown, he said, "Slumming with an ugly guy just for his dick?"
Rian's jaw hardened as Markeith instantly placed a hand on his arm to warn him off.
Andrea spoke in her passive-aggressive tone, "Why are you here? Wait," Andrea sneered, "You were running away from the police in our place because of all the drugs, am I correct? Yeah," she smiled not so kindly, earning a clenching glare from Kyle, "Now, I remember."
"Andrea," Markeith warned, and Kyle's attention turned to her. Blinking his eyes twice, a cold smile graced his features.
"Markeith," he said, and went for her. Before anyone could react, his hand was already on her arm, making her yelp in painful agony.
Andrea gasped as Rian tried to pry her away.
"Get away from her," Rian glared, trying to pull Markeith away from him.
Kyle turned his attention to Rian, boxing him at his jaw, saying, "Listen, you bastard. This between me and my girl. You have no right to interfere. And you," he roughly pulled Markeith, pulling her hair and making her tears flow easily, "will pay for the humiliation I suffered. You will feel hurt worse than you suffered, and I will make sure that no one can recognize you when I'm through with you."
Kyle threw a punch at Markeith, making her land on the floor, breaking her glasses in the process. He pulled her up again, making her whimper, "I'm sorry," repeatedly.
Make it stop...
Please, make it stop! It hurts!
Her eyes began to blur as Kyle raised his hand. She closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to come but was more surprised as the sound of someone's voice saying placidly, "That's my student you're molesting right now, you fucktard."
At that moment, she welcomed Revi's presence, making Kyle exclaim, "What the fuck, you retard?"
Revi faced Andrea and Rian. He said in his normal teacher tone, "Thank you, Ms. Thompson and Mr. Doyle. I'll take it from here." He turned his attention to Kyle and whispered something. Kyle's face widened in fear. He took off, never looking back.
Revi extended a hand towards her, and she took it gladly. Leaning against him, she cried on his chest, grasping the front of his attire.
"I'll look after her," he heard him say. "I suggest you brats go tell the others."
Markeith heard Andrea protesting, but was silenced by Rian's firm yet gentle voice as he said, "Are you sure, professor?"
She felt Revi nod as he pulled her away. She couldn't register what was happening, only to find out a few minutes later that she was in a taxi. The taxi drove them according to Revi's instructions. When she looked up, she could see familiar buildings that she never had been to, but knew that she was close to her dorm.
"We're here," Revi said.
Gently, he pulled Markeith as he took out a pair of keys. He turned the doorknob to reveal a highly maintained apartment. He gently settled her on the couch of his small living room and left. When he returned, he gently placed an icepack on her painful cheek, making her sniff as she held back fresh tears.
"Thank you," she whispered.
She tried to take the icepack from him, but he kept his hand there as if he was afraid that she won't try to quell the swelling of her cheek.
Revi held it there and asked the question she didn't want to be asked, "What happened there? And don't make excuses unless you want me to be the one to smack you this time, Markeith."
The way he said her name made her heart swell.
Gulping loudly, she whispered, "He...Kyle Marcus," she began, looking down as tears streamed down her face, "was my ex."
"You dated the guy?" was his question.
She bit down a, "No, duh," as she continued, "We dated only for a month. He...was an alcoholic, drug-inducing addict. He would always hit me, tell me I'm ugly and that he was only using me for..." her bottom lip trembled.
Revi raised her chin with his fingers. His expression remained neutral, but she could see something burning deep within him. In a low voice, he said, "I promise you that he won't do anything to hurt you again. This, I swear. I already threatened to report him to the police and sue him for harassment. He won't be back, Keith."
The dam truly broke this time as she cried, leaning herself against his well-formed body, feeling the rush of heat at the way he spoke Keith.
"I was so scared, Revi," she said, shivering. "He threatened to hurt me and beat me up until I was unrecognizable. He even insulted Rian there and I couldn't do anything! I was so scared that I couldn't move!"
Then Revi did something that was out of character for him, even on his best days. He hugged her.
"Calm down," he said. "There's no point in crying over spilt milk."
Markeith nodded, trying to calm herself down as he caressed her hair.
After a few more minutes, Markeith's phone rang. The song Diary of Jane by Breaking Benjamin echoed. Excusing herself, she answered the phone.
"Andy?"
"Thank goodness! Where are you?" Andrea sounded tense and worried at the same time.
Markeith looked at Revi, who nodded at her as a sign of affirmation.
Reluctantly, she replied, "I'm at Professor Anderson's apartment. Why?"
She could hear two people arguing over the other line. This time, it was Rian who spoke, "Girl, suggesting you stay there to stay safe."
Revi saw her change of expression. He pulled the phone from her hands and talked to Rian in a calm voice. All she could hear were cusses and a few nods of affirmation. Finally, he said, "Thank you, Mr. Doyle. Tell Ms. Thompson that I will pick up Ms. Darkwood's things."
-.-.-
Revi
He hated how she was cowering in fear at what he said, but he couldn't do anything about it. With a sigh more to himself, he dropped her things on the couch as she scanned the channels. She rested on HBO, her eyes going wide with fascination at the scenes that entangled her in awe.
Revi cleared his throat, catching her attention.
"You'll be staying at the room adjoining mine upstairs." There was a ball forming in his throat.
Her eyes were wide with curiosity, and her face!
He was not sure, but there was a possibility that Lunaris and Markeith were the same person. He just had to have her investigated if worse comes to worse.
"Thank you, professor," she said.
Revi replied, "Tsch. What did I tell you to call me when we're alone?"
She blushed, muttered something he couldn't understand and went with a tight, "Thank you, Revi."
"Good," he whispered.
He went to the counter of his kitchen and dialed the number of a Chinese fast-food. He ordered what Andrea told him he should for Markeith and some noodles for himself, which he thought was safe. He rarely dined out and preferred home cooking to restaurants unless Errin invited him, which happened more often than not.
He returned to where Markeith was sitting and observed how she seemed pretty oblivious to her surroundings. Her eyes were glued on the television, watching every flickering scene with interest.
In thirty minutes, their orders arrived. At the smell of the dishes, Markeith instantly perked up like a dog, her face bright as she said, "Is that Chinese I smell?"
The two of them ate as Markeith gobbled on her food. He observed her, shaking his head mentally in disgust as soy sauce dripped onto her black pants. He held back his tongue, looking on the bright side of things.
When all was done, he showed her to her room. She looked stunned yet happy as she trailed her fingers against the navy blue wallpaper.
"Well," he said, "If you need anything, you know where I'll be."
She nodded, her eyes still glued to the wall.
Revi quickly walked to his own room and cussed. Now that Markeith was with him, it would be harder for him to calm down. He would have to be extra vigilant with his every move, to make sure that he doesn't toe the line. He was only going to be her protector.
Speaking of Markeith…
Revi raised his cellphone and dialed a number. A tired voice made him flinch as the guy said, "Yes, bro? What can I do for you?"
"Velcan," he said, rubbing his own forehead. "Is it okay for me to ask you a favor despite deserting the gang?" He was sure that he was going to die if he didn't move slowly from here.
Velcan let out a throaty one as he replied, "Once a part of Death Scythe, always part of Death Scythe. So, what can I do for you, man?"
Revi relaxed as he explained his situation.
"I need you to threaten this guy called Kyle Marcus. Just beat him up until he gets the message." Then, he added some few details, making sure he sounded as apathetic as possible as to why he wanted the guy down and as to how it was supposed to be done, omitting certain parts about Markeith. Making sure that it was more as a debt rather out of charity.
On the other line, Velcan went with the, "Yeah," and, "Uh-huh".
After he made sure the thug on the other end understood how important it was, Velcan asked, "Are you sure that you're doing this for her, or for yourself? Honestly, you sound as if you're in love, bro."
"Tsch," Revi scoffed. "Just do your work."
Velcan replied softly, "I got it, man. But, you know, it doesn't have to end with Izzy."
"Get your butt away from my problems," was all Revi said, dropping the phone.
Iziona… that name he had tried to forget time and again right after he lost Lunaris in that accident.
He took a long warm shower, trying to wash away the filthy virus that rotten fucktard, Kyle, left on his skin. He scrubbed roughly until his arms were all tinged with red.
After toweling and dressing up, Revi headed to check on Markeith, who was sleeping peacefully in her bed. She was snuggling against the woody brown colors of the comforter, her hair a mass of disarray. Both of her arms were entangled in one pillow.
He moved on to her belongings, taking out her sketchpad and watched as images came to life. Most of them were about that girl she was always with. One of them involved Andrea Thompson with wings and a halo, which he couldn't see at all, with a mouth like hers. Others were mostly about cats, and a certain cat in particular.
He got tired of scanning most of the pages and went to look for other things he might need to know about his new charge. He wanted to make sure that he understood everything about her, and an investigation like this always comes with satisfaction.
He came upon a leather book, its skin already peeling off at its edges. An engravement at the bottom told him that it was a very expensive notebook indeed, considering how the silver letters formed her name. Opening it, he scanned the entries, somehow amused by her messy handwriting.
This is college, huh? Only at first day, and I already earned the ire of my teacher! Gah, here and there. Am I ever going to survive this? - xoxo
He scanned the next pages, hoping to find something worth reading until he came upon an entry about the punishment she was going through.
My hands hurt as I write this. It couldn't be helped. Dammit, if I only knew how to keep my mouth shut, I would have had more time in going to the book sale! Gotta scram. Hand's aching. - xoxo
… and her latest entry.
Professor Anderson has a softer side, I just realized. He can be cold and annoying, but, I've seen the way he protected me. It made me feel safe. He made me feel as if I didn't need anyone else to defend me. I'm honestly going crazy here! Is it just me, or my crush for him is developing into something more? Honestly, though, I couldn't keep the kiss away from my thoughts. See you soon. - xoxo
Markeith reciprocated his feelings. For some reason, this made him feel happy, not annoyed, not…anything negative at all.
Closing the book, he returned it to its proper place. Before completely closing the door, he tucked her in into a more comfortable position and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, whispering, "Je t'aime."
I love you.
-.-.-
Markeith
She woke up to hearing her own screams with Revi shaking her back to her senses. Her eyes wide with shock, she panicked. Where was she? How did she get here? And why the hell was Revi with her?
Then, she remembered the fiasco at the museum and groaned.
"You were having a nightmare, you brat," Revi exhaled. "Woke me up from my fucking sleep. It's annoying."
She whispered, "I'm sorry."
Looking down on her palms, she whispered, "I dreamt of the time Kyle forced me to do…it."
Beside her, she felt her bed sink. She looked up and saw something in Revi's eyes that somehow scared her out of her wits. Somehow, she was beginning to be more attuned to Revi's moods. Could it be because of her infatuation for this man right before her?
In what she could call a Revi would-be-calm voice, he asked, "What else did he do?"
She shook her head. Talking about it made her feel dirty in the most unpleasant way. She didn't like opening up this specific topic, afraid of others knowing.
"Keith," he said in a commanding tone, "I need you to open up to me."
"Why?" she asked, feeling irritated. "What's in it for you?"
Revi looked at her straight in the eyes. With a firm grip on her shoulders, he said, "I am your teacher. It is my right to know what's bothering my students when they're currently at the point of breaking down."
"That's not what you implied when you kissed me," she said, frowning.
She should have kept her mouth shut. In that instant, Revi's grip on her shoulders hardened as he hissed, "Do not ever bring that up to me ever again. Am I clear on that? What happened that night didn't happen at all. I am your teacher, and you are my student. That's it." He got up from the bed and was about to proceed towards his other room but was grabbed onto by Markeith.
"Listen, Revi," she said, trying to keep her cool intact with every ounce of her fiber, "If it's really about our positions as student and teacher, why don't we experiment and see if where this would lead off?"
"You're fucking crazy as shitty glasses, brat," Revi replied, pulling away and walking onwards.
Markeith got up, following him.
"You're evading my question, Professor Anderson," she said, trying to tick him off without success. "If I were to drop out, would you even bother considering us entering a relationship?"
"No," Revi quickly responded. "Besides, I'm too old for you, Markeith, and you know it. Even if, let's say, I give a damn about you, what makes you think that I would pursue you?"
Markeith wasn't going to give up. Turning things around a bit, she asked, "If, let's say, you didn't give a damn about me, how come you did what you did in the museum?"
"I did it as a teacher," Revi responded.
Markeith shook her head. "I meant the other one. Bringing me here and taking care of me. I want to know, Revi, because, if I indeed feel something for you, and you feel something for me, then you have to learn to open up to me."
And just like that, she pressed her lips against his.
Before he could register what was happening, she pulled away and retreated to her room, back to her little sanctuary, wondering if Revi did actually care.
