A/N: Madison, thank you for requesting part 3 and thank you all for reading, I sincerely hope you enjoyed it x
Part 3
Laura wasn't sure how much time had passed but the biting cold told her that dawn would soon be arriving even if the sky was as dark as could be.
As she sat with her back against a wooden post that they tied the boats too, Laura thought back to when Miss G had hurt her.
She had always known that there was something wrong with the other teacher, that she did live in her own head; delusions were truths to her and that Laura was just someone she wanted to possess and had no intention of even trying to love her.
If Laura were honest, she knew that her feelings for Miss G would never be anything stronger than mild curiosity and she had hoped that Miss G's feelings would fade after a time and she could be on her own again.
Laura looked down at her scuffed boots and felt tears behind her eyes once again. She had gotten herself into a situation that she felt she couldn't escape from and she didn't know what to do, everything seemed so hopeless.
"So this is why you couldn't help me with the cake. You'd rather be looking at boats." Tessa's husky voice said from behind her with a teasing tone.
Laura quickly got to her feet, turning to face the baker.
Tessa's full lips parted and her brown eyes softened when she saw Laura's injuries.
"What happened to you?" She whispered, reaching out to move Laura's hair back but Laura took an instinctive step back.
"Nothing." She said, bowing her head.
Tessa frowned.
"Who hurt you, Laura?"
Laura wiped her nose on her sleeve.
"No one. I-I fell."
Tessa arched a dark eyebrow.
"You fell?" She repeated and her tone told Laura that she didn't believe a word of it.
Laura swallowed but said nothing.
Tessa licked her lips and then folded her arms.
"Tell me who hurt you."
"Why?"
"So I can go and beat the shit out of them, why do you think?"
Laura sighed.
"It doesn't matter. If the school knew-"
"So it's a teacher." Tessa cut in sharply.
Laura watched as Tessa started thinking and she could see her coming to a conclusion of her own.
When her honey brown eyes met Laura's, her lips parted as realisation hit her like a blast of cold, icy wind.
"It's her... that woman that warned me to stay away from you."
Laura felt her heart sink.
"What...did she look like?" She asked Tessa slowly.
"Dark hair, blue eyes, wide but nervous, tall, pale skin..."
Laura nodded as she put a hand to her head.
"It's her."
Tessa's eyes darkened.
"She did this to you?"
Tears fell down Laura's cheeks as she nodded, her lip trembling.
Tessa pulled Laura into a hug and held her tightly.
Pain throbbed in her aching body but Laura loved the feeling of Tessa holding her. She was so protective, so kind; she was nothing like Miss G and if it hadn't of been for the manipulative teacher, Laura would have liked to get to know Tessa better.
Tessa pulled back and looked at Laura.
"Have you reported this..."
"Miss G."
"Miss G then, have you reported her?"
Laura shook her head and Tessa frowned.
"Why?"
"Because I did nothing to dissuade her. I should have said no but she was so-so captivating at the start and she seemed like she could be nice. As time went on, she just got more and more possessive. Besides, she's been there longer than I have and Miss Nieven- the headmistress- she'll take her word over mine."
Tessa nodded as she listened.
"You have a point."
Laura nodded her head sadly.
"We'll have to deal with her ourselves then." Tessa said, raising her chin.
"How can we do that?"
Tessa straightened.
"I'll talk to her. Make her see that you're off limits."
Laura shook her head.
"No, she'll hurt you too."
"I can take care of myself and I don't care enough about her not to hurt her back." Tessa added and Laura detected a hint of bitterness.
She frowned at the dark haired girl.
"You think I care about her?"
She nodded and her eyes turned a little sad.
"You must do. You wouldn't have been taken in by her act otherwise."
Laura opened her mouth to protest and then shut it.
"That's true."
Tessa let out a breath and then grabbed Laura's hand.
Laura remained firm.
"What are you doing?"
"You're coming back to mine and we're going to clean you up."
"And then?" Laura asked fearfully.
Tessa bit the inside of her cheek.
"We'll decide what to do in the morning." She said softly and with that, Laura let herself be lead to Tessa's house.
...
Miss G went around Laura's classroom tidying things up as she went.
She wanted to make everything look nice and tidy for the blonde teacher when she came back.
She had only gone for a little walk, she probably needed time to think about how wrong she'd been, Miss G thought.
There was a strange small smile on her lips as she put paint brushes into a pot on the table and stood it upright.
There. All better.
Images of Laura laying on the ground flashed through Miss G's mind; she saw her curled up in the foetal position, she could see her split lip and the black eye that was sure to form by the morning.
Miss G closed her eyes and shook her head as if to clear the image.
It wasn't her fault. Laura had pushed her to do it; she hadn't been making sense and she wasn't listening, what else had she been expected to do?
The dark haired teacher distracted herself by looking at Laura's paintings, she had done a few more since the last one when Miss G had first been entranced by her.
She smiled when she saw the painting of the rain splashed window, it looked like the window in her own room.
"By hurting me? Look at me... look at what you've done to me!"
Laura's words surged to the fore in Miss G's mind and she closed her eyes tightly to fight against them.
"You deserved it." She whispered but her voice shook as she said it.
"You beat me."
"You wouldn't listen. You never listen!" Miss G raged as the newly tidied paint brushes went skittering across the floor with a sweep of her hand.
Breathing hard, Miss G licked her lips and then bent to retrieve the brushes, putting them back in the pot once again but her movements were hurried and frantic, like she was worried someone would catch her.
"She never listens." Miss G muttered as she put the pot back on the table and stared at it as though it was the reason for all her problems.
"Is that why you beat her?" A voice asked from the door way.
Miss G whirled around to find Tessa standing there, her arms folded.
Instantly, the dark haired teacher's blue eyes darkened.
"You."
Tessa came into the room, showing no fear at all.
"You hurt her. You made her suffer because she wouldn't continue this sick little fantasy of yours'."
"Fantasy? I love her."
"You'd never beat someone you love to within an inch of her life but then you are unhinged so maybe that's why you think it's ok." Tessa challenged with a tilt of her head.
"If she had of stayed away from you then I wouldn't have had to raise my hand."
"You shouldn't have raised your hand at all!" Tessa shouted.
Miss G found herself circling Tessa. She was small but she looked strong.
"So you're here to what? Tell me to leave her alone?"
Tessa shook her head, her expression completely serious.
"No...I'm here to make sure you leave her alone."
"Ooh, I'm terrified." Miss G mocked.
Tessa suddenly grabbed Miss G's wrist.
"You should be." She growled.
Miss G pulled on her wrist, trying to free it from Tessa's grasp.
"Let go of me!"
"Not until you promise to leave here!"
"You can't make me go anywhere! I was here before her!"
"If you stay, I'll go to your headmistress, I'll tell her everything." Tessa snarled as they continued to struggle.
Miss G let out a bark of laughter.
"Ha! Who do you think allows me to live here? Who do you think has covered up more of my mistakes than anyone?"
Tessa's brown eyes widened in realisation.
Miss Nieven knew what Miss G was like?
Taking this moment of revelation as a distraction, Miss G pulled her wrist free and slapped Tessa across the face, hard.
Tessa fell to the floor but before she could get back up, Miss G had grabbed a plant pot and as hard as she could, she threw it down on top of Tessa's head.
The younger woman went limp and blood began to pool around her head like some macabre halo.
Miss G stared down at her.
"I warned you." She panted.
...
Laura awoke the next morning to find herself on Tessa's couch.
She sat up and winced, she still had pains in her side and when her fingertips gently grazed her eye, she found it was bruised but thankfully not swollen.
"Tessa?" She called out.
The house was silent.
Laura frowned and got to her feet.
"Tessa?" She tried again.
Still nothing.
Where was she?
Laura made her way into the hallway and found a note on the small side table.
Picking it up, she read the simple words;
I have to do what you can't.
Laura's heart started to pound and she felt hot all over.
No, she couldn't of and if she did, then when did she?
Laura dressed quickly and ran out of the house.
She looked across at the bakers and could only see the rude lady in there.
Her heart in her throat, Laura ran towards the school and straight to Miss G's room.
It was far too early in the morning for the girls to be up so Laura managed to run through the hallways easily enough.
It was empty and so was Miss Nieven's office.
She then ran to her own classroom and that was empty too.
Laura stood there; her classroom looked perfect; everything neat and tidy and clean. She frowned but decided to ponder on that once she found Tessa.
Laura ran outside and down to the lake, simply because she didn't know where else to go and that was when she saw her.
Laura froze.
Miss G stood at the edge of the lake, cigarette in hand, her back to Laura.
Laura licked her lips and approached her.
"She's not here...your little friend." Miss G said as she heard Laura walk up behind her.
"Then where is she?"
Miss G turned around, a pleasant smile on her face.
"How should I know?"
Laura did her best to calm her racing heart.
"She left me a note...I know she was coming to see you."
Miss G just shrugged lightly.
"I haven't seen her, Laura."
Laura let out a breath and looked around as though Tessa would just come walking out of the trees.
"Maybe she left you." Miss G said softly.
Laura frowned, looking back at her.
"No, she wouldn't."
"People do strange things, Laura. I didn't peg Tessa for the settling down type, did you?"
Laura thought about it.
No, Tessa looked like she would have loved to travel, but the note, it just didn't make sense.
"I just love water, don't you?" Miss G said wistfully as she turned back to the lake, pulling Laura out of her thoughts.
"What?"
Miss G didn't turn around as she replied.
"The water. How it moves with the moon controlling the tide...there's something mystical about it-"
Laura stopped listening as Miss G prattled on.
Tessa wouldn't have just up and left. The note said she was going to do what Laura couldn't and there was only two things that Laura couldn't do; talk to Miss Nieven and confront Miss G.
Miss G took a long drag on her cigarette before throwing it to the ground and stubbing it out.
"Water also hides a multitude of sins." She muttered.
Laura looked up at that.
"What did you say?" She asked slowly.
Miss G turned and gave her a cold grin.
"You heard me."
Laura's heart started racing again.
"You know...you know where Tessa is, what did you do to her?!"
Miss G took a step back as Laura strode towards her.
"Nothing."
"You're lying! Where is she?!" Laura raged.
"I assure you, darling, I don't have the slightest clue what you're talking about."
"You...you killed her didn't you?!"
"Killed her? Me?" Miss G said, hand to her heart and Laura could hear the mocking tone in her voice.
The dark haired teacher could deny it all she wanted but in her heart, Laura knew the truth; Tessa was dead and Miss G was responsible.
"I'll tell everyone what you did. I'll tell the whole school, the whole world if I have to."
"Tell them what?" Miss G asked, a deep frown on her face.
"That you killed Tessa!"
Miss G laughed loudly as though someone had finished telling her a very amusing joke.
"I've never heard of anything so insane!"
"You did...you killed her!"
Miss G sighed like she was bored and then walked slowly towards Laura.
She lowered her voice to a husky whisper.
"Even if I did...who would believe you?"
Laura stared into those mad blue eyes. How could this woman live with herself, knowing what she'd done? Didn't she feel any guilt? Any remorse at all?
Miss G snapped her teeth at Laura, making her flinch and that caused the dark haired teacher to laugh again.
Laura started walking backwards until she found herself turning tail and running back into the school.
She ran straight to Miss Nieven's office and found the headmistress just putting her coat on the rack.
"Miss Nieven!" Laura panted as she skidded to a stop in the doorway.
Miss Nieven looked shocked.
"Laura? What ever are you doing?"
"It's about Miss G, I have to tell you something."
Miss Nieven's lips tightened and she nodded, beckoning Laura to come in.
Laura walked into the office and started pacing the small room, wringing her hands.
"She-she-"
"Easy, child. Sit down." Miss Nieven said as she went to the door and locked it.
"Now, tell me...what about Miss G?"
Laura licked her lips and tried to control her breathing.
"She killed someone."
Miss Nieven frowned but for an instant, Laura thought she saw panic flicker through the headmistresses' eyes.
"Who?"
"There was this baker, a young woman named Tessa." Laura said, her voice breaking on the woman's name.
She could have loved her. She thought sadly, in fact she was pretty sure she would have.
"Why would Miss G kill a baker girl?" Miss Nieven asked with a kind smile.
Laura looked down, feeling ashamed.
"Me and Miss G, we erm, we became...close."
"Close." Miss Nieven repeated.
Laura nodded.
"I wanted to...not be as close anymore and she-she developed an- I can only call it an infatuation-with me. I liked Tessa and she- Miss G-became possessive."
Miss Nieven sighed sadly and shook her head.
Laura continued talking while Miss Nieven reached into a draw and pulled out a long, thin book.
Laura wasn't taking much notice as she continued;
"Tessa went to see her and she's...she's missing. When I confronted Miss G about it, she denied it but then she said to me, 'even if I did, who would believe you'? I mean, that screams murderer, doesn't it?"
Miss Nieven put her pen down and then handed Laura a check.
"I know this doesn't make up for the loss of your...friend but it should be enough to help get you set up on your own...somewhere far, far away from here."
Laura took the cheque and looked down at it, a frown on her face.
"You're paying me off?"
Miss Nieven clasped her hands together on the desk in front of her.
"No, Miss Lloyd I am dismissing you. This is your severance pay?"
Laura stared at the headmistress.
"I'm not lying...I wouldn't lie about something like this."
"Laura, Miss G- Anna... she is a very confused woman. She does things sometimes that others would not consider...normal. Surely you must have noticed this? She doesn't leave the school often, if ever, she gets upset over the tiniest things...she needs help, Laura. Help that I am trying to give her."
"By covering up her murders?"
"Laura, you're young, bright, gifted. Leave here. Make a life for yourself somewhere else, a good life."
Laura got to her feet as tears steamed down her face.
"I wanted to..."
Laura let the check fall from her fingers onto the desk.
"You still can, that's more than enough to help you." Miss Nieven insisted gently.
Laura sniffed and wiped at her face angrily.
"Your money won't bring Tessa back." She snarled through her tears.
Miss Nieven said nothing.
Laura moved to the door.
"Unlock the door."
Miss Nieven did as she was told and Laura left the office.
She went up to her classroom, packed up all her things and headed out.
As she walked up to the gates that separated the school from the main road, Miss G stood there waiting, a smirk on her face.
"She dismissed you, didn't she?"
Laura didn't reply as she just moved past her.
"I told you no one would believe you. You didn't believe me." Miss G said to her back.
Laura kept walking.
"Now you have nothing. Not even Tessa."
Laura stopped walking and turned around to face Miss G who still had that irritating smirk on her face.
She walked back up to the older woman and smiled coldly back at her.
"And you, Anna...you'll die alone."
Laura could see how hard those words hit when Miss G visibly flinched.
Laura scoffed at her before she turned and walked through the gates.
END
