~A Once and Again Series~
Now and ThenDimitri's Side
:) Ah! Thanks for the reviews! It's wonderful to know that people out there actually care about this story. I love the comments. So true, so true. I have a tendency to just write the story in one shot, let word do all the spell checking and grammar checking, and not really reread it again. LOL. So, that was a fear about writing in Mr. D's point of view.. I don't automatically think in perfect grammar :)! LOL, but I'm trying. Oh, and sorry about the 'Thank god' thing, and I'm a Christian too, and I mean 'Thank God', I just don't always write it that way. Anyways, I'm so glad for the helpful reviews. Hmmm.. and the show must go on..
Chapter 11// Factoring the Equation
"Dimitri!"
August Dimitri turned at the sound of Alabaster's voice in the hall. Students moved around them as they walked closer to each other. "Yes?"
Alabaster smiled and led him towards the dining room where they sat at a small table in the back. "How's the class going?"
"Fine."
"Didn't I tell you?" Alabaster said, making small talk. August felt there was something Alabaster was just waiting to say.. something he was building up to.
August nodded, glancing at the clock. It was almost one. He could just imagine Grace waiting for him to arrive, waiting to talk to him. But, was he ready to talk to her?
"So, I saw, uh, something in your file." Alabaster said uneasily.
August looked back at his friend and saw the look in his eyes. Only one thing in his file could make Alabaster look like that. He waited for him to say the words.
"You were suspended - with pay - for the second half of the semester at the high school."
"Yes, I told you that."
"There wasn't a reason listed, but I noticed it was in connection to a student," Alabaster continued.
"I told you the reason, Jonesy. There was a student that I was close to - that I was a mentor to- and rumors spread about it, and they decided the acquisitions were unfounded. At the end of my suspension, they offered to take me back, but I refused. And I came here."
"Oh, yes," Alabaster nodded, but the tense look remained on his face. "I remember you saying that."
August looked at the clock. He should really be getting to class. "..But?" He prompted Alabaster.
"No buts. I just, I know that what happened at the high school is supposed to be sealed, but as a friend, I had to talk to you." Alabaster leaned across the table. "I know it was Grace Manning, who you had this incident with. And I happened to notice that she was listed as in your class."
"Oh?"
"You didn't notice?" Alabaster asked. "Well, maybe she dropped the class."
"No, no. I did notice. I talked to her, in fact." August said, unwillingly.
"Oh, August.." Alabaster said with disdain.
"It doesn't mean anything, Alabaster." August said reassuringly, "That was then, this is now. Besides, even if.. something happened, she's 18 now."
Alabaster looked to August in shock, "What about your wife?"
August own eyes widened as he realized he hadn't even been thinking about her. He had been making excuses so it would be okay if he and Grace were to be together. He hadn't even factored Angelina into the equation.
"August, are you thinking of cheating on your wife, with a student?"
"No, no," August managed, "I was just saying, the girl is 18 now, she's not a minor."
"Oh," Alabaster said, not convinced. "But she's still a student, and the college's rules forbid teacher-student relationships."
"I know that." August assured him. "And it's not going to happened, believe me. I have Angelina.."
"Yes, Angelina.." Alabaster added, his face developing a dreamy smile at the thought of August's face. Alabaster had never tried to hide his crush on Angelina from August. "Alright, but be careful around this girl. She probably still has a crush on you, and these college girls have their ways of getting close to their teachers." Alabaster smiled slyly, "I know that from experience.. I used to teach, you know."
"I know." August said. "Look, I have to go teach my class." They exchanged goodbyes, and August headed off to his class. He arrived just at one and noticed Grace looking intently at him. But he couldn't look back at her. He couldn't see her as anything but another student.
* * *
After class ended, August knew that Grace would want to talk to him. He didn't think he was ready to talk to her, but he wasn't going to just avoid her. He couldn't hurt her like that. But still, part of him wondered if it would be better if he did avoid her. How could he talk to her after all this time? What should he say? Should he tell her about his wife? His heart ached at that thought and he decided he would wait until the right time to tell her.
"Was there something I could help you with?" August asked her, tapping his briefcase nervously.
"Don't act like that!" Grace snapped at his teacherly question.
August felt like screaming, 'It's the only way I can act, with you!' But instead all that came out was a cool sounding, "Like what?" He looked to her, wondering if she was going to bring up their past. Half hoping she wouldn't, but half hoping she would.
"Like nothing ever happened!"
She was still the same Grace. August was pleased. He looked uneasily out the window and then at the door, wondering how to respond. He looked back to her; she was still waiting for him to say anything. "Grace.." He said, the word coming out with more sentiment than he intended it to have. "I don't think this is the place, or the time," August said firmly.
"Come on," Grace said persistently, "I'm not a child anymore. You can talk to me..WE can talk.
"Grace, you were never a child." The words slipped out without thought. But the idea of Grace thinking she had been a child back then, was laughable. She had been as grown up as he, himself, was - perhaps even more grown up, because she never backed down from her feelings for him. It had taken all his effort to turn down her advances, to pretend there was nothing between them. And in the end, he couldn't resist it any longer, and they had kissed.
"So, can we just talk?" Grace asked, with hope in her eyes.
No, they couldn't talk. Not really. Things were different. And if they talked, he would have to tell her about Angelina. How could he explain Angelina to her? He, himself, didn't even understand his relationship with the woman. It was too complicated to explain in the few minutes he had before his next class. "I really can't, Grace. I have a class to teach in another room in a few minutes."
"Fine. Fine." Grace's eyes looked betrayed.
"Grace, no," August wanted that look to disappear. "We'll talk, sometime, okay?" He asked, not even sure if he meant it.
"Yeah, yeah," Grace said unhappily.
"Grace, I.. things are.." August head was screaming to tell her that he was married. But if he told her he was married, wouldn't that end things between them? Wasn't that what he wanted.. or at least what he should want? If he just came out with it and told Grace about Angelina, then they could just be teacher and student again. So, why couldn't he tell her?
"No, I get it," Grace said bitterly.
"We will talk, okay?" August tried to reassure her. Grace's eyes looked so empty. He didn't want to leave her feeling this way. He felt a need to comfort her and to be there for her. Grace turned away from him, and August pleaded, "Okay?" She didn't answer and August felt drawn to her, and he found his hand landing on her shoulder. He found himself standing no less than a foot away from her. He found himself staring intently at the back of her head and at the soft curve of her neck. Her shoulder felt so warm. He found himself thinking of the KISS.
Grace turned around, surprising him with all his emotions laid out on his face. He moved to his desk, and snuck a glance up at Grace, who looked pleased with what she had seen. Now, he had to tell her about Angelina. He had to say SOMETHING. He couldn't mislead her like this. But, he was going to. He was going to leave her thinking whatever it was she was thinking, and not tell her the truth. What kind of man was he? "I'll see you on Monday."
"Weren't we going to talk?" Grace asked.
'Yes!' the inner good August screamed, 'Now tell her!' 'I don't want to tell her, not yet' the inner bad August said firmly. The two fought it out and August found himself saying something in the middle, "Uh, yeah. Sometime. I'm very busy now with all new students and classes to teach. But, uh, sometime." He left her with that, his troubled self leaving the room.
* * *
Now and ThenDimitri's Side
:) Ah! Thanks for the reviews! It's wonderful to know that people out there actually care about this story. I love the comments. So true, so true. I have a tendency to just write the story in one shot, let word do all the spell checking and grammar checking, and not really reread it again. LOL. So, that was a fear about writing in Mr. D's point of view.. I don't automatically think in perfect grammar :)! LOL, but I'm trying. Oh, and sorry about the 'Thank god' thing, and I'm a Christian too, and I mean 'Thank God', I just don't always write it that way. Anyways, I'm so glad for the helpful reviews. Hmmm.. and the show must go on..
Chapter 11// Factoring the Equation
"Dimitri!"
August Dimitri turned at the sound of Alabaster's voice in the hall. Students moved around them as they walked closer to each other. "Yes?"
Alabaster smiled and led him towards the dining room where they sat at a small table in the back. "How's the class going?"
"Fine."
"Didn't I tell you?" Alabaster said, making small talk. August felt there was something Alabaster was just waiting to say.. something he was building up to.
August nodded, glancing at the clock. It was almost one. He could just imagine Grace waiting for him to arrive, waiting to talk to him. But, was he ready to talk to her?
"So, I saw, uh, something in your file." Alabaster said uneasily.
August looked back at his friend and saw the look in his eyes. Only one thing in his file could make Alabaster look like that. He waited for him to say the words.
"You were suspended - with pay - for the second half of the semester at the high school."
"Yes, I told you that."
"There wasn't a reason listed, but I noticed it was in connection to a student," Alabaster continued.
"I told you the reason, Jonesy. There was a student that I was close to - that I was a mentor to- and rumors spread about it, and they decided the acquisitions were unfounded. At the end of my suspension, they offered to take me back, but I refused. And I came here."
"Oh, yes," Alabaster nodded, but the tense look remained on his face. "I remember you saying that."
August looked at the clock. He should really be getting to class. "..But?" He prompted Alabaster.
"No buts. I just, I know that what happened at the high school is supposed to be sealed, but as a friend, I had to talk to you." Alabaster leaned across the table. "I know it was Grace Manning, who you had this incident with. And I happened to notice that she was listed as in your class."
"Oh?"
"You didn't notice?" Alabaster asked. "Well, maybe she dropped the class."
"No, no. I did notice. I talked to her, in fact." August said, unwillingly.
"Oh, August.." Alabaster said with disdain.
"It doesn't mean anything, Alabaster." August said reassuringly, "That was then, this is now. Besides, even if.. something happened, she's 18 now."
Alabaster looked to August in shock, "What about your wife?"
August own eyes widened as he realized he hadn't even been thinking about her. He had been making excuses so it would be okay if he and Grace were to be together. He hadn't even factored Angelina into the equation.
"August, are you thinking of cheating on your wife, with a student?"
"No, no," August managed, "I was just saying, the girl is 18 now, she's not a minor."
"Oh," Alabaster said, not convinced. "But she's still a student, and the college's rules forbid teacher-student relationships."
"I know that." August assured him. "And it's not going to happened, believe me. I have Angelina.."
"Yes, Angelina.." Alabaster added, his face developing a dreamy smile at the thought of August's face. Alabaster had never tried to hide his crush on Angelina from August. "Alright, but be careful around this girl. She probably still has a crush on you, and these college girls have their ways of getting close to their teachers." Alabaster smiled slyly, "I know that from experience.. I used to teach, you know."
"I know." August said. "Look, I have to go teach my class." They exchanged goodbyes, and August headed off to his class. He arrived just at one and noticed Grace looking intently at him. But he couldn't look back at her. He couldn't see her as anything but another student.
* * *
After class ended, August knew that Grace would want to talk to him. He didn't think he was ready to talk to her, but he wasn't going to just avoid her. He couldn't hurt her like that. But still, part of him wondered if it would be better if he did avoid her. How could he talk to her after all this time? What should he say? Should he tell her about his wife? His heart ached at that thought and he decided he would wait until the right time to tell her.
"Was there something I could help you with?" August asked her, tapping his briefcase nervously.
"Don't act like that!" Grace snapped at his teacherly question.
August felt like screaming, 'It's the only way I can act, with you!' But instead all that came out was a cool sounding, "Like what?" He looked to her, wondering if she was going to bring up their past. Half hoping she wouldn't, but half hoping she would.
"Like nothing ever happened!"
She was still the same Grace. August was pleased. He looked uneasily out the window and then at the door, wondering how to respond. He looked back to her; she was still waiting for him to say anything. "Grace.." He said, the word coming out with more sentiment than he intended it to have. "I don't think this is the place, or the time," August said firmly.
"Come on," Grace said persistently, "I'm not a child anymore. You can talk to me..WE can talk.
"Grace, you were never a child." The words slipped out without thought. But the idea of Grace thinking she had been a child back then, was laughable. She had been as grown up as he, himself, was - perhaps even more grown up, because she never backed down from her feelings for him. It had taken all his effort to turn down her advances, to pretend there was nothing between them. And in the end, he couldn't resist it any longer, and they had kissed.
"So, can we just talk?" Grace asked, with hope in her eyes.
No, they couldn't talk. Not really. Things were different. And if they talked, he would have to tell her about Angelina. How could he explain Angelina to her? He, himself, didn't even understand his relationship with the woman. It was too complicated to explain in the few minutes he had before his next class. "I really can't, Grace. I have a class to teach in another room in a few minutes."
"Fine. Fine." Grace's eyes looked betrayed.
"Grace, no," August wanted that look to disappear. "We'll talk, sometime, okay?" He asked, not even sure if he meant it.
"Yeah, yeah," Grace said unhappily.
"Grace, I.. things are.." August head was screaming to tell her that he was married. But if he told her he was married, wouldn't that end things between them? Wasn't that what he wanted.. or at least what he should want? If he just came out with it and told Grace about Angelina, then they could just be teacher and student again. So, why couldn't he tell her?
"No, I get it," Grace said bitterly.
"We will talk, okay?" August tried to reassure her. Grace's eyes looked so empty. He didn't want to leave her feeling this way. He felt a need to comfort her and to be there for her. Grace turned away from him, and August pleaded, "Okay?" She didn't answer and August felt drawn to her, and he found his hand landing on her shoulder. He found himself standing no less than a foot away from her. He found himself staring intently at the back of her head and at the soft curve of her neck. Her shoulder felt so warm. He found himself thinking of the KISS.
Grace turned around, surprising him with all his emotions laid out on his face. He moved to his desk, and snuck a glance up at Grace, who looked pleased with what she had seen. Now, he had to tell her about Angelina. He had to say SOMETHING. He couldn't mislead her like this. But, he was going to. He was going to leave her thinking whatever it was she was thinking, and not tell her the truth. What kind of man was he? "I'll see you on Monday."
"Weren't we going to talk?" Grace asked.
'Yes!' the inner good August screamed, 'Now tell her!' 'I don't want to tell her, not yet' the inner bad August said firmly. The two fought it out and August found himself saying something in the middle, "Uh, yeah. Sometime. I'm very busy now with all new students and classes to teach. But, uh, sometime." He left her with that, his troubled self leaving the room.
* * *