Author's Note: Yes, the last one was short and so is this one, but you get two in two days, so I hope I'm forgiven. Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and alerts!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Mentalist and would not be foolish enough to claim to.
With only a little difficulty, Jane found his class, English this time, and got inside before it had begun. Like most of his previous classes, there was a general murmur of chatter, but this one was far more subdued than the others had been. He wondered if it was the sedative effects of the questionable food for lunch until the teacher came in.
She was a lovely African-American woman, whose hair was pulled back in a tight bun. Clearly, she was the reason for the good behavior. There was an aura of stern disciple about her, belied by the kind half-smile she gave to the class as she set her things on the desk. He was intrigued immediately, hoping that she would be as good of a teacher as he suspected.
When she looked up and spotted him, that same kind smile that reached her eyes tilted the corners of her mouth. "You're the new kid, Patrick Jane, right? Madeleine Hightower. Pleasure to have you with us. Just take a seat anywhere, there about three empty ones to choose from."
"Thank you." Jane turned and spotted the unfilled desks. There was one in the far back corner, which he dismissed entirely. It looked like it was going to fall apart. One was off to the right and two more to the left near the windows.
He spied a flash of blazing red hair and automatically looked closer. It was the same girl from his first period, the really nice one, Van Pelt. She was in the third row back, right next to one of the two empty seats, so he made his way over to her. "These seats up for grabs?" He asked casually.
She looked up at him, a smile dimpling her cheek a little. "Uh, this ones taken." She gestured to the one right beside her. "But that ones not." Again a gesture, but this time to the one in front of the other, in the second row.
"Thanks." He smiled back at her and slid into the indicated seat.
"Okay everybody, take out your books, we're gonna be going over the fifth chapter today." Hightower came over and set a book on his desk. "Just try to follow along until you get the chance to catch up. Don't worry, I won't call on you."
He nodded and took up the book, not even glancing at the cover.
Just as Ms. Hightower got back to her desk and started to talk, the door opened.
He blinked at the blur of the familiar dark hair and hole-ridden jeans of the girl from both his first and third period classes coming in the door, bag slung over one shoulder, hurrying quickly in front of the teachers desk with single-minded determination.
"You're late." Hightower commented, but didn't stop her from rushing past.
No longer wearing her jeans jacket but just a white tee shirt, the girl all but ran past him and threw herself into the seat behind him.
In front, Ms. Hightower narrowed her eyes at the girl, but went back to speaking to the class about their assigned reading without further comment.
"How come you're late?"
Jane's ears perked up at Van Pelt's whispered words to the girl behind him, curious himself and hoping to hear her voice again.
"Just late." Was the the murmured reply and it remained the only answer the red-head was given.
Jane felt uncomfortable with the need to turn around for the first ten minutes of the lesson, but then a foot settled against the back of his chair and he felt almost instantly calmed. He remained aware of its presence until the bell rang and it disappeared. He stood up quickly, hoping to maybe 'accidentally' bump into the girl and finally get a glimpse of her eyes. He needed to satisfy this insane curiosity of his, before his hyper-awareness of this girl drove him crazy.
However, she didn't move any further from her seat then the initial shift to put her stuff away.
"I'd like a word." Hightower intoned toward the girl as the other students filed past, who must have been expecting it because she still hadn't moved an inch.
With a start, Jane realized the classroom was almost empty and he had no choice but to follow his other classmates from the room.
As casually as possible though, he leaned against the wall just outside and strained to listen.
"This is the third time this week you've been late." Hightower sounded cross, but there was also a hint of concern on just the edges of her voice. "What's going on?"
"Nothing." The girl's voice murmured.
"If it was nothing, I'd expect you to be on time." There was a laden pause, filled only with the slight scuffle of a shoe. "Is it your brothers again?"
More silence, this even heavier than the first.
Hightower sighed. "I want to help you. You know that. I want to understand. But I can't if you won't tell me anything."
Still nothing.
"Alright then. You show up late again, I'll have to report you to the office for detention. You're dismissed."
Jane didn't move as the door was roughly opened wider and the girl hurried past him. At the speed she was going, her hair left her face a little so that he could see one cheek with a tear sliding down it.
Suddenly, he felt guilty for eavesdropping. For wanting to know more about her.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and trudged off to his next class with a heavy weight on his shoulders.