The class sat back down in the choir room. The teacher was taking role call, but had yet to reveal his name. The girls giggled and the boys were upset that a teacher was taking all of the attention. The teacher looked up from his desk.
"Alright, since it's too late to begin any song, I'll give you the rest of the period to do what you wish. Within reason of course."
Serena stood up. "Excuse me, but don't you think that we should know something about you?"
"Like what?" He was smirking.
"Like, how about your name?" Serena seethed. 'He's mocking me!'
"You may all call me Mr. Destler." That was it. No commentary, no biography. This man didn't like to talk. The students turned back to their unfinished homework. Some had their laptops out. Serena was searching the school's website in hopes of finding something about this Mr. Destler. With no luck, she packed up her things and stood up to leave the room.
"Excuse me, Miss Montgomery. But what do you think you're doing?"
"Well, our teacher let's us go to the practice room if we have a free period. They're right across the hall."
"Very well. But it's almost time to leave for you're next class."
She flashed him a brilliant smile. "That's alright. Seniors have free period third period. I usually just stay here or the band room."
…………………………………
The bell rang as expected, and Serena stayed where she was. But she was the only one. Free period to others meant talking or shooting hoops. To her, it meant studying and practicing.
'Well, it can't hurt to practice for auditions.' She flipped through the practice book that Mrs. Safford, the choir teacher on maternity leave, gave her.
For all those
times you stood by me
For all the truth that you made me see
For
all the joy you brought to my life
For all the wrong that you
made right
For every dream you made come true
For all the
love I found in you
I'll be forever thankful baby
You're the
one who held me up
Never let me fall
You're the one who saw
me through
Through it all
Her fingers flew across the ivory keys as her voice pierced the air. She felt very liberated when she sang alone.
You were my strength when I was
weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes
when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted
me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me
Well, therein lay the problem. She wasn't alone. Mr. Destler was watching her and listening from his room.
You gave me wings and made me
fly
You touched my hand I could touch the sky
I lost my
faith, you gave it back to me
You said no star was out of reach
You stood by me and I stood tall
I had your love I had it all
I'm grateful for each day you gave me
Maybe I don't know that
much
But I know this much is true
I was blessed because I was
loved by you
He was mesmerized. Never in all of his years of school, which he was fresh out of, had he heard such raw power. Although the song could easily be sung by an alto, he could tell that her voice yearned to go higher.
You were my
strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there
was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me
faith 'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved
me
You were always there for me
The tender
wind that carried me
A light in the dark shining your love into
my life
You've been my inspiration
Through the lies you were
the truth
My world is a better place because of you
You
were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I
couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw
the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You
gave me faith 'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because
you loved me
He walked out of his room, entranced by her voice. Unbeknownst to Serena, he was leaning in her doorway as she sang the last line.
I'm everything
I am
because you loved me
……………………………………
He began clapping loudly, causing the poor girl to fly out of her chair. She whirled around, and glared at him. "Mr. Destler, that's not funny. You scared me."
"Oh, did I? I wasn't aware that the all-mighty Serena Montgomery could get scared." He grinned at her.
"Ugh! Don't think that just because you are a teacher, you can walk in on people like that. It's called privacy." She crossed her shapely legs and flipped through the book looking for another piece.
"Forgive me. I was merely admiring your talent. Is this for mere pleasure?"
Serena shivered. 'Damn. Why did he have to say the word pleasure so pleasurably?' "No, it's my audition piece for the musical we do here."
"Well, you must always have the lead with that voice."
Serena snapped out of her reverie with that comment and sighed dramatically. "Sadly, no. The lead always goes to Jo Daniels, or Jo D. We just call her Jodi. She gets the lead every year. I don't care. As long as I am on stage, I am happy."
"Is she as good as you?" Mr. Destler whispered. Serena shook her head.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"Is she as good as you?" He repeated.
"Um, I don't know. I'm not one to compare her trained voice to mine."
"What, you have no training?" He was surprised. How could someone with such a beautiful voice not have any training?
"No." She looked upset. "My parents don't approve of me singing at all, let alone paying for lessons. They think that art is a waste of time."
The minute those words left her mouth, Mr. Destler turned red. 'Art? A waste of time?'
"Well, I have to go; it's almost time for fourth period. Bye Mr. Destler." And she left the small room quickly.
………………………………………
Fourth period, English, passed quickly. It was now fifth period, or the lunch period, and Serena was looking forward to eating quickly and then going to the library. The cafeteria was too noisy to do anything constructive.
Alex, Kathy and Rachel were already eating. They waved for her to sit. "So, how was you're singing lesson with Mr. Destler?" Alex gushed.
Serena was genuinely confused. "Oh, don't give us that look. We know that you were singing, and he was talking to you afterwards."
"Oh, that. Yeah, I was singing. But he heard me and just wanted to talk. It's no big." That comment caused Kathy to screech.
"No big! Jo D's jealous. No one gets her jealous." Serena was just smirking to herself. 'This is a great chance to pay back Jo for always kicking me out of the lead role.'
"Well, yeah." She responded. "I mean, who wouldn't be. I guess she's just upset that she wasn't first pick this time." Jo just happened to be behind her.
Jo flipped her long ebony hair around her shoulder. "Well, when this Mr. Destler hears me sing, he's drop you like last week's lunch." Serena shrugged and finished her sandwich.
"Think what you want. I'm off to the library." She scooted out of the cafeteria, leaving behind a fuming Jo D.
…………………………………
Serena walked the halls, pondering to herself. 'How can people think he's hot if they've never seen his entire face before?' He was always hidden in shadow.
The teacher's mailroom was between the cafeteria and library, so she passed it everyday. She saw that Mr. Destler was talking to Principal Alicia Simmons.
"Well, Erik, I would like to say on behalf of the staff that we are happy you took this job on such short notice."
'Erik, so that's his first name. Nice.' In fact, that wasn't the only nice thing. He had discarded his blazer leaving him in his gray shirt with the sleeves rolled up. 'Nice arms.' The first button was undone showing off the slightest bit of his muscular chest. 'Nice chest.' His face was the best by far. At least, the left half that she saw was. He had high cheekbones and a dimple in his chin. He had green gray eyes and dark wavy hair that reached his neck. 'Beautiful face.'
'What the hell am I thinking? He's a teacher! And he's six years older than me. Well, that last part's not that bad.' And she ran off to the library, trying to hide her blush.
Erik leaned against the wall outside the mailroom, showing the right side of his face. A white porcelain mask covered a third of his face. 'So, you liked what you saw? Let's see if I can get more of a reaction out of you while I'm actually present.' He walked down the hall, passing by a group of swooning girls.
…………………………………
Serena sat at one of the wooden tables in the library, typing away at her essay assigned that day in English on her laptop. She wanted to get it over with so she had personal time after school. She liked the library. Because with the exception of the librarian, who rarely came out of her office, she was alone. No one went into the library.
She thought that today was no exception. She heard footsteps and spun around to be inches away from Erik's face.
"Are you stalking me?" She said darkly, trying frantically to hide her obvious blush. No such luck.
"Maybe." Came the curt reply. 'Aw, she looks so cute when she's trying to hide. Wait, something's wrong. I've known this girl naught a day and I already think she's cute?' It was Erik's turn to blush.
Serena fell back into her seat and continued typing. She thought about his now shown mask. 'Why does he wear that?'
"Serena, I have a proposition for you. I'd like to tutor you. Refine your voice for these auditions. Perhaps you can finally beat out this Jo D." Serena smirked.
"Certainly. I would love to show her up for once."
Erik broke out into a smile. "Wonderful. Meet me in the practice room after school." He grabbed her hand and placed a soft kiss on her hand. This only caused her to blush even more. She simply nodded while he swept out the door.
………………………………………
Jo D was furious. She watched what had happened between Erik and Serena. There was nothing that she wanted that she didn't get. A man would be no exception.
………………………………………
School was over, and Serena was at her locker. She opened it up to get her Physics book, and a note fell out.
Serena,
I regret to say that something came up. I will still be able to attend our 'date,' but only if we can push it up to 7 pm. Same place. The school will still be opened. I will be waiting.
Erik Destler
P.S- I know you know my name, so there is no harm in you calling me that in private.
Serena blushed profusely at the word date. She clutched the note to her chest. 'Erik, how appropriate.' She glanced at her watch. 'Crap, three fifteen. I hope the bus is still there.'
It was. She plopped down next to Rachel and showed her the note. This only earned her a shriek. "I knew it! A date!"
"Shut up!" Serena hissed. "It's not a date. He's training me."
"But he called it a date."
"But it's in quotes."
"He is letting you call him Erik."
"Hush. No one must know his name but us." Rachel fought back a shriek. "Promise me!" Serena said menacingly.
"Okay, okay, I promise."
……………………………………
'Well, I finished my homework and I still have half an hour to kill before I go back to school.'
Serena got up, inspiration hitting her. Fine, if Erik wanted to play games, she'd play too. She stripped herself of her cream blouse and blue jeans. She put on a low-cut dark red shirt that had quarter length sleeves and black dress pants. She pinned up her locks to expose her creamy neck, on which she placed a black choker. "Perfect."
Actually, when she looked at her reflection, she was horrified. 'What am I doing? I am flirting shamelessly with a teacher! My teacher no less!' She glanced at her watch once more. There wasn't time to change again, so she went back to school as is. There was no going back, now
