Between Us Two
The next class came all too soon as Erik anxiously awaited the group of upperclassmen - and Christine. He had seen her work from her senior year and he was thoroughly impressed. He wondered why she picked his class to take, out of all the English classes offered at this university. She was a hard worker and her writing was phenomenal for a girl her age. She scored a 5 on her AP Literature exam (a rare occasion) and on the first exams Erik gave out, she only missed two questions. She stunned all of the upperclassmen. She even got some questionable stares. People doubted that she was actually eighteen, but she showed them her license and made sure they knew that she wasn't lying. She was intelligent and Erik needed to let her know that what they did was to never happen again. With a future as bright as hers, she didn't need to tangle herself in a mess like that.
"Good morning class, I hope you have that outline I mentioned yesterday." More groaning emitted as Erik cringed at their responses. Christine raised her paper, ushering the teacher over to her desk.
"Here you go, Professor Lantier." Her eyes were innocent, as if nothing had happened. Maybe that was a good thing. "I didn't know how detailed you wanted it, so I just went up to the fifth paragraph."
"That's fine, thank you for actually doing your homework." With a gentle smile, the professor made his way back up to the front of the class. "Anyone else do their homework?" A few other papers were raised in the air, but not enough to satisfy the teacher. "Guys, it's not a hard assignment. It's just a simple outline of the book. It's only September, why is everyone so lazy?"
"Why do you give so much homework?" The de Chagny boy groaned, throwing his head back in defeat. "It's like I'm back in high school!"
"Well, Mr. de Chagny, homework helps you learn and if you want to be a business major, you're going to have to learn how to type up a report; a detailed summary of your trades and investments. You don't want to sound like an educated fop, do you?" Christine giggled from the back of the classroom, catching the teacher's attention.
"What the hell are you laughing at, curly?" de Chagny spat back, rolling his eyes.
"I'm laughing at the fact that he called you a fop. Do you even know what that is?" Christine smiled widely at the professor, her eyes beaming with adoration. "In any case, Raoul, it was a joke and you should learn to take one. It'll help with the essay writing." Raoul de Chagny held up his middle finger towards the back of the classroom, earning another giggle.
"Hey! We'll have none of that. Please, sit up and learn some manners. We're not going to be flipping people off, especially a lady, Mr. de Chagny." The professor sighed. This was going to be a long class.
The alarm on his phone went off, signaling that the painful class was finally over and to his dismay, the curly haired girl had stayed back while the rest of the class left the room. She sat in the back of the classroom, waiting a moment while she cleaned off her desk, stuffing her books into the purple Jansport backpack. With a huff of aggravation, the sound of the zipper finally filled the almost empty room.
"Hi there, Professor Lantier." She chirped, making her way to the desk. The sway of her hips distracting him momentarily.
"Hello there, Miss Daaé. What can I help you with today?" His voice was calm as he tried his best not to let his nerves get to him.
"I wanted to thank you for what you did for me - with Raoul. He can be a bit of a douchebag." She smiled warmly, tightening the straps on her backpack. "We've been family friends for a long time and sometimes he gets mad when I tease him like I did today." Erik nodded, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that he was talking to a whole new Christine.
"Well, it was a common courtesy that he should have learned a long time ago. You're welcome." Christine bit her lip, scrunching up her face. "Is there something else you wanted to talk about?" Erik grew weary.
"Listen..." She started, placing her palms down on the desk in front of her. "About yesterday..."
"Christine, I think it's best if we just pretend it never happened." Erik stated flatly, trying to avoid the situation as much as possible.
"But-"
"I'm getting married soon, Christine. What we did was stupid and neither of us should have consented to it, even if it was just... Oral sex... I can't stress enough just how stupid it was, okay? Just please, I think... I think it would be best if we just move on and never bring it up ever again, okay?" She was blinking profusely, gripping the straps of her backpack tightly. "Christine?" He whispered, reaching out to the quiet girl.
"Professor Lantier, I really like you..." She murmured through her almost closed lips. The broken tone of her voice shattered Erik's heart. He closed his eyes, pressing a hand to the uncovered side of his face. "I know you don't like me and that's okay, but I don't want to pretend it never happened... It was the best thing to ever happen to me..." She began to turn away, wiping away the stray tears that began to fall down her cheeks. Erik sighed heavily, rubbing his eye. Getting up from his chair, he slowly made his way over to the short girl. His heart was heavy and his mind was running every which way.
"Christine, wait." His voice was timid, tender. He grabbed her wrist, pulling her back ever-so-delicately. Caressing her cheek, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I don't want to pretend either, okay? We just have to... Have to find a way to make this work, okay? Can you wait while I figure a plan... For us?" She looked up at him with her green eyes, searching for the catch in his voice, the lie in his sentence. "I promise that you can be my little secret soon... You just have to patient, okay? Can you do that for me, sweetheart?" His voice was low, soft as his thumbs traced her cheeks. With a nod that could barely pass as a nod, she smiled weakly.
"I would do anything for you."
On the way home, Erik couldn't think straight. What the hell did he think he was doing? Was he insane? She was his student! He was engaged! He loved Bailey and he loved her... Yet there was something about Christine that made him want to comfort her, that made him want to give her the world. Erik had no clue as to what he had gotten himself into, but he didn't know what else to do once he saw how incredibly sad Christine got. She was like a kicked puppy and god, did he love her eyes. The way she would look up to him, because she was so short. Her voice was so innocent, so tender. He couldn't just let her walk out of his classroom door with that pathetic skulk! Erik slapped a hand to his forehead. What was he doing? He had no idea. He just knew that he had to get through tonight, just so he could see Christine tomorrow.
"Bailey?" Erik spoke through the narrow hallway. Walking through the hallway, he saw that none of the lights were on in any of the rooms. What day was it? Pulling out his phone, he quickly saw that it was Wednesday. She had Zumba tonight and after class, she always went out to dinner with her friend Gina. Making his way into his office, he sat down in his chair and dialed Christine.
"Hello?" She answered on the third ring.
"Christine, it's Erik." He heard some shifting as he propped his feet on his desk.
"Well hello, Professor Lantier. What brings you to the phone tonight?" She giggled softly into the phone, leaning against the stack of pillows she had on her bed.
"Bailey is out until about ten tonight. Do you want to go out to eat? It's only four." Erik smiled to himself, trying to hide his excitement.
"Why don't you come to my apartment? It's a one bedroom place and I have take out already here. We can be alone." Erik paused, trying to think of the best option.
"Christine, I can't go into your dorm room. I work at the school." She giggled more.
"I didn't say dorm! I said apartment. I live off campus, silly." Erik stood up, gathering his things.
"You're only a freshman, how'd you manage that?" She shrugged her shoulders, walking around her small apartment.
"My step-mom paid the school a lot of money to let me live off campus. Trust me, no one will ever know that you were here! I'll text message you my address. Hurry!" She clicked off the conversation, only to text message her address seconds later. Erik smiled at her eagerness while getting into his car. Plugging the destination into his navigation system, he soon arrived there in fifteen minutes. The apartment building was small, but it was suitable for a college student. Christine lived on the fifth floor, apartment 5c. It wasn't too fancy, just a few pieces of nice furniture here and there. Her cat was orange and white, fat too. That was her favorite part about living off campus, the fact that she could have her pet cat.
"This is a neat place, Christine." Erik smiled, taking off his coat. "What's your cat's name?" The cat curiously sat in front of the stranger, meowing at the tall man who stood at the door.
"André! He's very friendly. Just stick your hand out and let him sniff you first." The petite girl began unpacking the white bag of Chinese food, rubbing her hands together in excitement. "See... He likes you." André the cat was putting loudly as Erik picked it up and held it like a baby in his arms.
"Bailey is allergic to cats..." As Erik put down the cat on couch, he slowly made his way to the petite girl, resting his hands on her curvaceous hips. "It smells delicious."
"Chinese food is my favorite." She leaned back against his chest, snuggling against the warmth of his body. "Since you're tall, do you want to get the plates?" She pointed to the cabinet, smiling sweetly to the masked man. He brought down two red plates, setting them down on the counter. "Wine or beer?"
"Christine, you're not even 21..." He cautiously warned. She shrugged her shoulders, taking out two beers of her refrigerator. "Beers it is, then." Moving to her couch, she brought the four containers of food over and sat down beside the tall man.
"Where is Bailey tonight?" She asked, getting to work on the box of Chow Mein.
"She's at her Zumba class. It's two hours and then she teaches a class. Then she always goes to dinner at her friend Gina's house until about ten." Christine nodded, her mouth full of noodles. "Do you always eat dinner alone?"
"No, I have André," With a grin, Christine wiped her mouth of the middle grease. "And now, I have you... At least on Wednesdays."
"Erik, Erik!" Bailey's voice shook Erik awake from his deep sleep as he groaned, turning on his stomach. "Erik, come on, get up - you fat ass!"
"Come back to bed..." He tugged on her shirt, trying to get her back to bed, but he soon lost the battle when she stepped away from the bed.
"We're going to be late for Mindy's anniversary barbecue! It's already ten thirty! You never sleep in, come on fatty! You still have to shower and it starts at noon! It takes at least thirty minutes to get there and I know how you love your long showers!" Her voice was getting high pitched and annoying. Her tiny hands pulled at his arms, trying to lug the man out of bed. "Fine, suit yourself. Just stay in bed all day!" Erik laughed into the pillows as he turned over, exposing his smile.
"If you kiss me, maybe I'll get up and shower." Reaching his arms up like a child, he brought his fiancée on top of him, bringing her face down for a nice smooch! "There, now go and let me shower!"
At the barbecue, Mindy and Gavin were celebrating ten years of being married. The happy couple were going around, announcing the news of their third pregnancy. With many congratulatory remarks, the oldest daughter, Diana, was the happiest. Mindy was from Iran, but raised in London and Gavin was from New York. Mindy's brother, Nadir was Erik's best friend. Nadir and Erik met in graduate school, getting their master's in Professional Writing. While Nadir was going towards a more non-fiction way of writing, he was paired with Erik in an assignment to write a piece on a musician he knew absolutely nothing about. Having to document the life of the musician, Erik was happy to share with Nadir his knowledge of music and the specifications of Mozart that would help him with his documentation.
"How is teaching going at the university?" Nadir's voice broke Erik's train of thought as he nudged his shoulder.
"It's great, yeah..." Erik smiled awkwardly, gripping the bottle of beer. "I teach four times a week to this group of upperclassman and one freshman." The image of Christine giggling soon entered his mind as he gazed out over the cliff side.
"Just one freshman? She's very smart, then?" Erik nodded, smiling at the thought of Christine.
"She's the smartest in the class." Nadir nodded along, patting Erik on the shoulder.
"She legal?" With a wink, Erik suddenly became very nervous. "A smart girl like that is hard to come by, my friend."
"What? No! I don't think like that! Nadir, no... Bailey, I love Bailey!" Erik protested, his palms beginning to feel sweaty. "I'm engaged, for Christ's sake!"
"Hey, hey. It's okay! I was just wondering." Nadir took a sip of his beer, scratching his nose. "A lot of professors have a thing with their students, Erik. It isn't uncommon."
"Well... I don't have a thing with any of mine... No... Christine is... Just a student..." Erik winced at the words, the taste of her name feeling sour as he lied through his lips. "I love Bailey." Suddenly, Erik's phone vibrated. "Sorry..." Erik clicked the phone on, seeing that he had one text message.
From: Christine
To: Erik
How is the BBQ? I miss you.
Erik sighed heavily, turning away from Nadir. Placing the beer bottle underneath his arm, he quickly replied to the message.
To: Christine
From: Erik
It's lonely without you. I wish I was with you instead. I'll call you tonight. EL.
Putting his phone in his pocket, he searched for the blonde locks, trying to be sociable. Finally landing on his fiancées ponytail, he casually strode over to her. She was talkative as usual, completely ignoring the fact that he was standing next to her. She was going on about the wedding once again, talking about flowers and centerpieces. Erik decided that he was bored. Placing a kiss on her cheek, he left to go inside and find somewhere to sit. Finding an empty couch, he sat down and pulled out his phone.
From: Christine
To: Erik
What would we be doing if I were with you? Hopefully not standing around at a boring BBQ. ;)
Erik smiled widely at the text message, hitting reply.
From: Erik
To: Christine
I could think of one thing I would be doing... It rhymes with shoe. Do you know what I'm thinking of, Christine? EL
Erik pressed send, feeling antsy. Placing the phone on his lap, he looked around for any loitering guests. With a satisfied nod, he waited patiently for a reply.
"Erik? Erik Lantier?" Erik turned around, quickly shoving his phone into his pocket. Standing to his feet, he met his eyes with a brown eyed man. "It is you!"
"Brandon Firmin! I haven't seen you in ages!" Truly, Erik couldn't be more annoyed at the moment. Brandon was an old college acquaintance of Erik's and he was more dull than an unsharpened pencil. They worked together in Paris on a project and to Erik's misfortune, Brandon was the manager. He made poor decisions, but in the end, Erik convinced Brandon that his notes were better and that he was the better owner.
"I know, it's been over ten years! Wow, you look great. I hear you're getting married." Erik smiled, shaking his hand politely. "Bailey LaFavre is a babe." Erik cringed, trying to hide his discomfort. "What are you doing these days, anyways?" It's, 'anyway,' you dingus.
"I'm a professor at the university. What are you up to, Brandon?" He shrugged his shoulders in a nonchalant manner.
"Surfing mainly, I teach it too. Hey! We're both teachers. Wow, we've always kind of been like... One." Erik squinted, nodding along. Suddenly, Brandon gasped. "I gotta go man, the wife is expecting me back home!"
"The wife?" Erik was thoroughly confused. How could a dull dud like Brandon Firmin land himself a wife?
"Yeah, man! Her name is Paisley. She's also a total babe!" Brandon shouted as he ran the opposite direction. Erik exhaled a long huff of air, rolling his eyes. Just as if it was planned, his phone vibrated, making him believe in humanity once again.
From: Christine
To: Erik
Just get to my apartment ASAP. I need you.
Erik groaned at the text message, trying to clear his mind. He needed to find a way out of this stupid barbecue. They had already cut the cake and they already did the toasts. It was just a bunch of standing around and talking. Maybe, just maybe... He could convince Bailey that he needed to escape... With an irritated exhale, he pressed reply and nodded with an affirmative smile.
From: Erik
To: Christine
I'm working on it. I'll let you know if I got away from this party. EL
Erik made his way through the kitchen, patting the familiar bodies on the back. Making his way to his fiancée, she had migrated to Gina's table. With a margarita in hand, he knew that she was beginning to get a little bit tipsy. He took a seat beside her, rubbing the small of her back. Finally catching her attention after about five minutes of calling her name, she turned to him with a grin and a giggle. Yes, she was definitely tipsy.
"Yes, my love?" She giggled some more.
"A student just called me to tell me that they tried just dropping off an assignment, but my door was locked at the school. I need to go get the essay from them before the building locks, okay? I'll see you at home. Get Gina or Nadir to drive you home, okay?" She nodded with a head full of alcohol, kissing Erik sloppily, before taking another sip of her margarita. Erik turned towards Gina, making sure she got the message.
"Yes, I'll take care of her. Go." With a nod, erik turned to go, before Gina beckoned him back curiously. "Which student is it?"
"Raoul, Raoul de Chagny. He's always turning in things late." Erik was thankful that his name came out of his mouth instead of Christine's. With a convinced nod, Erik sped out of the house and to his car. Taking out his phone, he dialed Christine with a grin on his face. "Christine?"
"Erik!" She screamed into the phone. He flinched at her excitement, pulling away from the phone. "Are you coming over to my place?"
"I am." He simply stated as he started his car.
"Good. I'll see you soon, then?" With a giggle, he couldn't help but smile in response.
"I'll be there very soon. I promise."