Chapter Three

It was seven thirty in the morning, how the hell was Mr Denver already sweating? He had dark patches on his shirt as he lifted his arm to aim the pointer at the board. English Lit, Christian wondered sullenly what was the point in that?

As Mr Denver started to talk, his voice rumbling low in an almost monotone mumble, he wiped the beads of sweat from his brow with his shirt sleeve and Christian could watch no more. With a grimace of his lips he opened the text as the door opened, banging against the wall and halting Denver's words abruptly. Christian looked up to see Anastasia standing in the door way. Her shoulders hunched as she stood frozen in embarrassment, face scarlet as she clutched a bundle of books tightly to her her chest and stared at Mr Denver with huge startled eyes.

"Sorry- the door, I didn't mean- And being late, I didn't know where-" At that moment her eyes found Christian's as if she knew exactly where he'd be and despite himself he held her gaze until she blinked.

"Just take a seat where you can!" Denver snapped, his jowls shaking. He sounded slightly breathless just from getting a little exhilarated. Christian narrowed his eyes at him, holding his tongue, looking away from Denver and the way his discoloured white-grey shirt strained at the buttons to stay fastened, and stared blindly back at his book.

He was hyper aware of Ana looking around the room for what seat to take, he could just envision her biting her lip as she always seemed to do when she was thinking. The seat beside him practically pulsated like a live ticking time bomb, no one ever sat by him, he sat right at the very front; he had nothing to hide and certainly wasn't concerned about being called on for answers. He sensed her start to walk, could hear the shuffle of her feet growing closer and used all his resolve not to look up again, willing her to not choose his seat, to keep walking. Should he shake his head to make sure she knew she wasn't welcome? But what if that hurt her? Just as he caught his mutinous thought there was a sound of a chair being noisily scraped along the floor.

"Right here is free!"

Christian tensed and from the corner of his eye watched as she smiled broadly, grateful to Jose Rodriguez as she picked up her pace, a bounce in her step as she went to take the offered seat.

Christian let out the breath he'd not known he'd been holding and with it came a world of confusion. He thumbed through the page edges of the book. He was happy she hadn't sat next to him. That had been the last thing he had wanted. He nodded in silent agreement with himself. Rodriguez had done him a huge favour for once.

Denver slammed his book down onto his desk with an echoing slap jolting Christian from his reverie.

"Rodriguez! Err, New Girl! Mind telling the rest of us what is so funny?!" A bead of sweat ran from his balding head down his cheek and he fumbled for his crumpled handkerchief from his pocket. All eyes but Christian's turned to look at them. Jose simply cleared his throat.

"No? Then how about you recap for us what I had just said?"

Christian kept his eyes on Denver as his cheeks turned slightly purple the longer his request went unanswered.

"Fine! Trevelyn-Grey. Enlighten them" Christian Blinked, the fact he was clueless, for the first time ever when called upon completely eliminated the annoyance that Denver always insisted on using his double barrelled surname name. Christian shifted in his seat and stared first at his text book, gripped tight and bent in his hands, then back at Denver seeking some sort of inspiration, staring at the pulsing vain that had appeared straight down the crease of Denver's knitted brow. Finally Christian relented, shaking his head to admit defeat as Denver's eyes widened, he threw the book down onto his desk so hard it bounced back off, knocking a precariously stacked pile of papers skidding down over the floor and around the pupils feet.

"POP QUIZ! All of you, fail and you're back here on Saturday morning!" There was a gasp of horror that resonated around the room.

Mr Denver walked around the room knocking the text books to the floor desk by desk and leaving behind a scrap piece of paper in its place, As he reached Christian's desk he shook his head in dismay as he placed the paper in front of him. Then returning to the front of the class and demanding silence, he launched into a stream of fast paced questions followed by the furious scratching of pens.

The Quiz at least made the remainder of the lesson move on in silence and with plenty of distraction and as the bell sounded, Christian watched as Jose took charge of Anastasia's time table, escorting her from the room.

The rest of the day went without incident and as Christian walked down the steps of the school, his feet dragging tiredly and eyes aching thinking only of his bed he looked around the lot for Elliot. The Jackass had promised he'd leave work early to pick him up. Would Ana and Kate be getting a ride too?

His phone vibrated against his hip and he juggled his back pack to reach into his pocket to get it.

'Unknown' But he knew the number. He had it committed to memory. 'Staff Parking lot.'

He stared at the phone in his hand, ruffling his hair through his splayed fingers as he checked the school lot again for Elliot. Still unable to see him anywhere, he set off around the building, rubbing his eyes to try and wake up as he weaved his way through the throng of students all heading the opposite way to him. Elena had never met him from school before.

Just as he was about to round the corner and come into view of where Elena would be, he heard his name being called. "Christian! - Christian!"

At first Christian bowed his head and picked up his pace until he realised Ana would follow him around the corner straight into the view of Elena. He stopped and turned to see her being buffeted by the crowds, instinctively reaching out to steady her as she was knocked forward and stumbled.

"Thank you" She breathed in a rush as Christian's back blocked another blow. She continued to grip his fore arms tightly as he glared at the back of his assailants head. "Are you going to find Elli- What happened to your wrist!?"

Christian instantly pulled away from her grip and tugged down his sleeve. "Nothing"

"That doesn't look like nothing. How did-"

"I said it was nothing!" Christian snapped, he barely recognised his own voice. It was quiet yet full of malice and he felt as if he had grown five inches taller as Anastasia shrunk back and into herself. His breath caught at the look of wounded shock in her eyes, but he couldn't stop now. This was good. This needed to happen. He was a brick wall away from his Mistress and talking to a girl, not just any girl, the specific girl she had told him to avoid. The girl who had just seen a bruise he received because of her.

"I'm not going with Elliot! Turn around. Find him and leave me the fuck alone." He spelt out every syllable, his tongue caressing each word coldly.

Ana's lips clamped together tightly as if he had stolen every word from her, she nodded minutely, hurt clouding her blue eyes before she turned on her heel and silently pushed her way back into the melee and out of his sight.

Christian rounded his shoulders, telling himself he was relieved, proud of himself and happy that he would have pleased Elena, but as he turned and made his way to her there was a pang of something else deep inside him. Guilt? Shame?

He shook his head and as he rounded the corner he saw Elena's black Mercedes parked quietly in the corner and through the windscreen he saw her halo of perfectly styled blonde hair, her face half covered by designer sun glasses. Her expression remained impassive when she saw him and soon he was walking free of any other students around him.

He approached her door and stood patiently, awaiting her instruction. The window lowered slowly with a low electric hum and he sought out her eyes only to see his own wide eyed, weary reflection staring back at him. She pushed the glasses down her nose with a finely manicured finger.

He blinked when he first met her gaze. One look told him she wasn't pleased at all and he quickly lowered his gaze to his feet.

"I thought I best give you a ride home tonight. Your car was a little crowded this morning I hear."

Christian raked his hand through his hair as his pulse quickened and he inwardly cursed whoever was behind that curtain. Keeping his eyes averted to the ground. "I didn't-"

"Get in the car Christian."

A/N Thank you for all the reads, reviews and faves so far. they mean so much. I aim to post again next Friday or sooner. Thank you! xxx