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Chapter 11

As if by a reflex Clara reached for the armrest but found it already occupied by John, so instead of clawing at the furniture she dug her fingers into his lower arm and he immediately stiffened under her touch. John didn't like people touching him but while it brought him pure discomfort with most people, Clara's touch was infinitely stranger and left his skin tingling.

"What are you doing?" he whispered.

"Shhh!" Clara shushed him immediately, still holding a tight grip on his arm. Her eyes were fixed on the screen. "Oh, please, tell me they're getting out of this."

"They're getting out of this," he replied coldly and in a low voice while he tugged at his arm, trying to free it from Clara's grasp when she finally let go and turned around. Even in the darkness of the movie theatre he could see her glare at him.

"Stop spoiling the movie!"

"What?" John asked in confusion. Somehow the spot on his arm that she had touched still felt weird. "You asked."

"Doesn't mean I wanted an answer," she argued and turned back around to face the screen.

John rolled his eyes. "Okay, that really doesn't make any sense at all."

"Shhh!" Clara hissed again and John instantly fell silent. He looked at Clara's face that was barely illuminated by the moving pictures in front of them and he realized that she liked the movie. John felt a stab of pride that Clara was enjoying herself in his company, though why he couldn't quite say. He hadn't wanted to meet with her in the first place and now he was sitting here next to Clara and suddenly he felt almost glad of her company. The heart transplant had changed him, he had known that for a while now. It had left him with a void in his life that he couldn't explain or seem to fill. Was Clara right when she had said that he was feeling lonely? He had never felt the need for a friend, but maybe he needed one now?

"I loved it," Clara said as soon as they were back inside his car, "The movie was great. Thank you so much for taking me!"

"Glad you liked it," John commented as he started the engine and set the car into motion when he suddenly felt Clara's eyes on him, almost boring into him.

"They didn't butcher your story, did they?"

"No," he replied with a sigh, "They stayed quite true to the book."

"Good," Clara said determinedly and John could still feel her watching him. It was beginning to make him feel a little nervous. Why couldn't she just look at the road ahead? "I like how you always build up suspense. It's like you know exactly how to keep the reader spellbound."

For a brief moment John dared to look at her and found only admiration on Clara's face and somehow it made him sad because he knew that once she got to know him a little better, saw him for who he really was, he would never see that look on her face ever again. Unless. . . unless he was no longer the person he used to be before the surgery. Unless it had miraculously changed him into a better person.

No, that was a silly thought.

They talked about the film all the way home and Clara didn't even try to conceal her excitement about it when eventually their conversation came to a halt as a he parked the car in front of her apartment complex.

"Thank you," Clara granted him a warm smile, "I've had a lovely evening."

"Yeah," he nodded, "I thought it would be worse."

She giggled in reply and suddenly Clara launched forward and before John could react her arms were around his neck and her upper body was pressed against his own, making him tingle all over. He had no idea what to do, so he remained rigid and hoped that the strange feeling and the hug would pass quickly. But now that he was so close to her John noticed something else. The scent. That scent he had already noticed in her flat and associated with candles. It actually came from Clara and it smelled so familiar that for a moment he forgot why he hated hugging. His heart started hammering wildly against his chest in response to her touch and the lovely, familiar scent of her perfume.

"Clara," he swallowed hard, "I'm not really a hugging person."

She was still laughing when she pulled away and John found that his hands were shaking a little and his heart was still trying to jump out of his chest. Maybe it wasn't healthy for him to keep Clara around? He should ask his doctor about it.

"I'll see you around?" Clara asked him, still smiling and John couldn't help but smile back. He was already looking forward to it.

"Yes," he replied happily.

The kids had stormed out of the classroom the second the bell had rung, leaving Clara to pick up the rubbish they had left all over the place. She was about to curse ever having had the idea to become a teacher when suddenly there was a knock on the door and she turned around to see Danny, the maths teacher, standing in the doorway.

"Oh, hi," Clara greeted him as she straightened herself up, "Need help spelling a fancy word or what brings you here?"

"Ha-ha," Danny gave a mock laugh, smiling as he stepped closer and on his way he bent down to pick up a piece of bubble gum wrap. "I just thought you might need a hand."

"That's very nice," Clara replied, "For a maths teacher."

They had been teasing each other over their choice of subject since Danny had started at the beginning of the school year. He was a nice guy and definitely a good teacher. Clara liked him, especially now that he was helping her clean up her pupils' mess.

"Okay, I've got to be honest here," he said after a moment, "I didn't actually come here to help you clean up the classroom."

"I never would've guessed. So, what's the fancy word you need help with?"

Danny cleared his throat. "I was actually wondering if you want to go out for a cup of coffee some time."

Clara immediately dropped the pencil she had been about to pick up and shot back up to look at him. Danny granted her a shy, sweet smile.

"Danny," Clara blurted out, "I, erm-"

The smile faded from his lips when he realized that she was going to say no and for a moment he looked so heartbroken that Clara felt the urge to justify her decision.

"I'm not really ready to date at the moment. You know about Jamie and you know it's only been five months. I'm not ready for something new," she explained quickly, "I'm sorry."

"I know, Clara," he replied, his voice nothing but kind, "And I only asked you out for coffee. It doesn't have to be a date. Friends go out for coffee, too, you know."

"Yeah, I know," she breathed in reply.

"I like you, Clara. You're funny and smart and you were nice to me from the first day on. I just want to spend some time with you outside the staff room."

For a moment Clara had no idea what to say.

"It's just coffee, nothing more," Danny repeated and he sounded sincere, "So, what do you say?"

Clara granted him a soft smile. "Just coffee?"

Danny nodded.

With a sigh Clara found herself agreeing. "Alright. I guess a coffee can't hurt."

When Danny's face turned into a wide grin Clara couldn't help but think that maybe he still had a little more in mind than just coffee. And maybe it was time for Clara to at least try to get her life back.