Seth Clearwater

It was a Friday morning which meant it was the last day of the week I get to go to school. Those were the few things I never thought I'd be thinking at twenty-three years of age but I do have to admit, being a teacher does have its perks. One, I get to boss teenagers around and two, I get to see the love of my life five times a week so that's a mega plus for me.

To anyone else who didn't know our relationship dynamic, they would think it was illegal. Maybe it was. I mean, a teacher having relations with an underage student does sound a little questionable and borderline just wrong but frankly, I didn't care! I should but I don't.

Alex was someone who was truly special to me, she was my imprint! She's not some girl I would –which I wouldn't – take advantage of and leave her to dry when she was done with high school, I was intending to be with her for the rest of my life. She was my perfect dinky dream.

"Uh, Mr. Clearwater?" The most beautiful voice chimed into my ear.

I lifted my head up from grading papers to see my light standing in front of me.

"Hello, Alex Mazzola." I replied with a smile I couldn't contain.

Her cheeks brightened and she bit her bottom lip as she pulled out her paper and extended it in front of me.

"I'm having trouble with the project and I was hoping you could help me?" She asked.

I smiled brightly, taking the paper –not without making sure our hands touched – and taking a good look at it.

"What do you need help with?" I asked.

She cocked an eyebrow at me. "Do you actually think I'd come up here to ask you for help on a stupid project?"

"It's not stupid it's…" I paused as I thought of it. "Yeah, it's stupid."

She laughed.

"So, have you picked a date for our escape from reality?" She asked me with a low whisper.

I smiled. I guess she was just as excited to take a trip away from Oakland Woods as I am.

"I have." I said with a soft chuckle. "And I'm not going to tell you when and where."

She giggled. "Come on, Mr. Clearwater! Just give me a little hint."

"No, Alex!" I snickered.

"Well it shouldn't clash with October the 31st! That's Halloween and you know about the costume party at Drake Mallory's house right? I can't miss it. I've got my bloody punch and Frankenstein costume ready." She said.

I smiled. "I promise you it won't clash with your plans."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't trust you."

"You should sit down before anyone gets suspicious of the innocence of this chat." I sniggered.

She rolled her eyes as she sat her butt on the edge of my desk, still facing me with a suggestive look.

"Everyone knows that I'm a flirt, Seth. It's only fair to use my expertise on the hot Geography teacher."

I blushed a little. Alex always has that effect on me.

"Well that's all nice and inviting but I'm quite busy here. Maybe we can try this a bit later. At my apartment." I whispered to her.

She smirked before gritting her teeth and holding a glare on me.

"Screw you, Seth!" She said with an eye roll as she snatched her paper and hopped off the desk, walking off to her desk.

I sighed as I watched her take a seat in the back row. She whispered something to Nessie –who I noticed wasn't herself today– beside her before fixing her eyes on me.

I shook my head.

This was going to be a long day. I can't wait to get home.

… …

Later That Day

The school day ended finally!

Thank god!

I was packing up and preparing myself to head out when Marley Wallowitz, an awkward-looking girl in one of my classes. She had a direct, creepy, uncomfortable approach when talking to people. It was so unnerving that I was certain she was a serial killer in the making. She had a massive, uncomfortable crush on me and she makes it known in the only way she knows best…

Freaking the daylights out of me!

"Hi, Mr. C!" She shouted out as she slammed her hands on the desk which caused me to jerk in fright.

"Jesus! Marley!" I laughed nervously as I clutched the fabric of my cardigan and pale blue shirt against my chest.

She giggled creepily.

"Leaving so soon?!" She said with a pouty lip.

I sighed as I slipped my MacBook in my bag.

"Yeah, well, it is afterschool after all." I said to her.

She giggled. "Oh, Mr. C! You are so hilarious."

She embedded her hand on my bicep and began running her hand up and down my arm.

I cocked my eyebrows and smiled politely.

"Wow! Your bicep is like half a watermelon!" She stated bluntly. I shifted uncomfortably in her grasp. "You work out, don't you?"

I smiled back awkwardly.

"Ms. Wallowitz, I really have to go." I said as I slung my side bag over my shoulder.

"Okay!" She smiled with a nod as I walked past her. "But before you do!"

I exhaled a breath as I spun around to face her.

"We should go out together."

"What?"

"I want you and me to go out together." She said again, this time with much more confidence as she spoke through her braced teeth.

I looked at her.

Was she for real?

"I'm your teacher, Ms. Wallowitz. That'd be inappropriate." I said.

"We are compatible for each other, Mr. Clearwater! I know it." She expressed.

"Marley, please go home." I told her, shaking my head as I headed for the door and held the doorknob for her to leave.

She was being ridiculous!

She was crazy to think I'd go out with one of my students.

"Hopefully this will change your mind." Marley said as she pulled her phone out and flashed a picture of Alex and I petting each other in my Durango in a very, very empty school parking lot.

How did she…?

"I know about you and Alex! Who is a student in this school, by the way?!" She said with a devilish grin.

"H-how did you get that?"

"It doesn't matter! It's clear that you don't believe in the rules of the law that stipulates that sexual relations with a student of the school is a federal crime and borderline statutory rape. You could go to jail for this. Which is one of the reasons why I love you, how you're such a daredevil." She said with a squeal.

I pursed my lips together as I closed the door shut.

"You do know that accusing someone of something and holding evidence of this would also be a felony?" I probed. At least that's what I heard from Embry.

She scoffed. "So you're not even going to try to deny the fact that you're canoodling with an underage girl?"

"What do you want from me, Ms. Wallowitz?" I asked nervously.

She smiled as she flashed her phone to my face with the option of deleting the photo blinding my eyes.

"I can make this all go away if you give me a chance."

"I can't do that."

"Then break things off with Alex." She said with a determined, warning look as she pressed the delete button and I watched the image just disappear.

Wait! Why would she do that?

"See you in my dreams!" She said grossly as she walked up to me, feeling my hard-rock stomach and giggling uncontrollably as she walked out of the classroom.

I clenched my fists as I felt anger awaken inside of me. I was on the verge of phasing right here in my own classroom and Alex wasn't here to calm me down. A girl is threatening to get in the way of Alex and I's relationship and if the word gets out that we're together, I could potentially face prison time for life and I would never get to see her again.

I was enraged!

I felt my body heat intensifying as my muscles clenched forth.

I all of a sudden just began picturing her beautiful, smiling face in my head and I automatically felt my anger-meter decline.

I exhaled a shaky breath.

Abruptly, pulling me from my calming, trancelike state, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket.

I pulled it out to read a text from Embry.

Yo! Boss Jake and I are pumping iron at the gym RN to blow off steam. Wanna join?

-Embry

What perfect timing.

… …

"And she threatened to let the school know if I didn't break up with Alex." I growled as I threw punches to the punching bag.

"Whoa!" Embry stated as he lifted some heavy weights with Jacob acting as his spotter.

"Yeah!" I snarled. "And that's not it." I said as I slammed my fist roughly on the punching bag. "She did the zaniest thing. She deleted the picture."

Embry jolted up from the plank.

"What?" Jake said as he placed the weight on its holder and moved over to grab the fifty pound medicine dumbbell and began wood chopping –a form of exercise.

"Yep." I said, panting heavily as I threw a couple more punches.

"She's a pure bitch!" Embry commented as he did a few bar dips, gripping onto the parallel bar.

"What are you going to do?" Jake asked me as he lifted the fifty pound dumbbell with ease as he faced the large gym mirror.

"Honestly, dude." I began as I paused my punching. "I have no idea."

"Well, you gotta talk to Alex about it first. And probably tone it down when y'all are loving each other at school." Embry said, winking at the woman who were working out on the opposite side of our station.

I guess they were checking out as we worked out.

And Embry –being Embry – was enjoying the attention.

"I can't talk to her about it just yet. I mean, our one-year anniversary was next week and I wanted to do something special for her. And since we planned to head out of town for a week because she…well, we, can't handle the pressure of life right now, I think bringing this on her won't make anyone happy."

They didn't reply. And really, they didn't have to. I knew it was ridiculous.

"Well, it's not so sweet and dandy on my side either I suppose." Jake said.

"Mhmm. What's up? Trouble in grossly Vampire/Werewolf paradise?" Embry said, pumping up thirty pound weights and winking at the ladies.

"Hey, ladies!" Embry flirted.

I rolled my eyes.

"What's up with you and Nessie?"

"Well, a few nights ago she dropped a bombshell on me that she wanted to get married in the future."

"And you don't?" I asked as I hopped onto the treadmill and began my mile jog.

"It's not that I don't. I mean, I was fine with not being married because the institution of it all seemed stupid to me but now that she does…I'm confused. But what's worse is Eddie thinks our relationship is getting too serious too quickly and thinks it's putting pressure on her. Hey, she's even considering not going to college with her friends to start a life with me."

"Hey, that's great!" Embry said, flashing his biceps as he undressed the girls on the opposite side with his eyes.

"That's what I thought but then I realized that I don't want to be the reason she put her dreams on hold."

"Yeah, you're in quite a pickle dude." I stated.

He nodded. "Now she stopped talking to me for a short while because she thinks I don't want to get married in the future. She does talk to me now but I can tell she's still pissed at me."

I hissed.

"Sorry, dude." I told him.

He sighed.

We continued our workouts for a couple more minutes, talking about random things. It was good doing this. It really helped in calming my anger from earlier. I have a feeling this is going to be a tradition.

"Who would you rather, that hot blonde with the yoga pants or the cute little brunette with the short shorts?" Embry asked us.

I shook my head as I hopped off the treadmill to grab some water.

"Dude, we can't answer that." Jake said.

"I was talking to myself, you big doof!" Embry snarled as he pulled his muscle shirt off and jumped onto the pull-up bar.

"What happened to your plan to woo Jennifer?" I sat down as I gobbled down water.

"She claims she's not into me so I'm just laying back a bit. Waiting for her to come to me. I told you before, I ain't going to tie myself down to one girl when many are still around." He said but I watched as he smiled at the thought something.

Probably Jennifer.

"You really like her don't you, dude?" I teased.

"Bro." Embry warned.

"You really like her but you just don't want to seem like a puppy so you're acting all mucho and man-whore type to hide the fact that you wuv her!" I mocked, throwing kissy-faces in the air and pretending I was caressing an imaginative girl.

Jake laughed hysterically.

"Shut up! Just shut up, okay!" Embry demanded.

Jake and I burst into fits of laughter.

"You wuv her! You wanna kiss her! You wanna hug her! You wanna touch her!" I sang.

"I'm going to kill both of you."

"But you're not denying it." I said, pointing my finger at him.

He rolled his eyes.

"At least my girl issue seems to be glowing up while you two can't even get laid at this point." He laughed.

This time, Jake and I rolled our eyes.

"What are you planning on doing for Alex for the big 1st Anniversary anyway?" Embry asked me, before gagging.

Changing the subject.

I shook my head. "I was thinking of whipping something up for dinner and then for our trip out of town, I'd take her back home."

"To La Push?" Jake and Embry questioned in unison.

I nodded.

What's wrong with that?

"Are you sure you're ready for that?"

I frowned. "Why wouldn't I be? She's my imprint."

I was sure everyone would love her. My mom keeps asking me when she was going to meet her and the guys keep giving me a hard time about how they believed she wasn't real –even though they have pictures and my mind to prove it – or that I was dating a teenage girl. Hopefully this trip will show them why I was so in love with her. How she was way mature for her age.

"Of course but I mean…Leah will be there." Jake said.

"So?" I said.

I don't get it.

Why does my sister…

Oh no!

"Crap!" I whispered to myself.

They both nodded.

"Your sister is very possessive of you and who knows what she'll try to do to Alex."

"My sister couldn't do anything to her knowing that it'd hurt me."

"It's less about what she'll do and more about what she'll say to Alex." Jake said.

"And sure, with any normal circumstances and with any normal girl, it would be a lot better and easier but your girlfriend also has a mouth on her. So put two and two together and you've got a recipe of bitch-fight disaster." Embry stated.

"Damn, man you're right." I replied.

… …

Alex Mazzola

I was livid!

Coach Hoffman put me on girl locker duty for the rest of the week which basically means I am acquired to look after the freshman girls on the swimming team. I'm a babysitter to freshmen! Being the school's best swimmer and captain has its cons it seems.

I couldn't wait for the escape-from-reality trip Seth has planned for us –wherever it is he wants us to be at. Speaking of Seth, I was angry at him. He rejected me in front of the class. Of course, they weren't paying attention but it still feels wrong! And also, I guess he had to because he was my teacher and he still valued his job and didn't want people to think he was giving me special treatment and –

Okay! I guess there were so many valid reasons why he rejected me but I was still definitely not giving him any this week!

"Alex!" I heard a grotesque, squeaky, hoarse –like a bad case of the flu – voice call from behind me.

I furrowed my eyebrows as I shut my locker door and spun around to see a short, plummy girl with bad facial and body acne with frizzy brown hair in pigtails.

"Stay away from my man!" She attempted to warn me as she stared up to my 5`11 frame.

I laughed.

"And who are you?" I questioned.

"Marley!" She retorted.

I laughed.

"Isn't that the dead dog movie?" I asked.

She growled, gritting her teeth. "I know you are into him but he's mine!"

I scoffed. "Okay! What's wrong, you little gargoyle?"

"You and Mr. Clearwater! You're delusional to think he loves you! I get that he's super-gorgeous, and easy on the eyes and has the kindest heart and face but it doesn't mean you should take advantage of him! He's too good for you!" She spat in my face.

"Um…you're crazy! So I'm gonna go." I snorted as I tried to walk past her but she gripped on my arm, forcing me to glare at her.

"Excuse you!" I growled.

"Leave him alone! He's mine."

"Okay so now you've just awaken a beast because now that beast is all aboard on the Bitch-Town Express!" I introduced as I stared down at the girl.

"Listen here, honey! I've got little needles and razor blades hidden in my hair! Tons of them! They're just all up in there! Mhmm, and I can definitely use them to slash that hideous mole on the side of your chin! Maybe that we'll make you at least not barfable…hmm, not even that will take away from your ghastly hunchy back, Mrs. Hunchback of Rotterdam-You-Need-A-Makeover." I expressed.

"And honestly, do you think Mr. Clearwater would ever go for someone like you? I mean, I'm not mean, believe me and I understand, you're trying to compensate for something you don't have. A personality. Just because Mr. Clearwater is nice to you, you all of a sudden believe he's going to propose any second and you're full on cray-cray to think that way. But I don't wanna be caught up in it so… Stay on your lane, please chicka?

"So you can't come up to me and threaten me because do you know who I am? I'm freaking Alex Mazzola! Nobody messes with me. But hey, how would I know because like Medusa, everyone tries not to make eye contact with you in fear they'll probably get turned to stone by those snakelike things on your head you call hair."

"Well I never!" The disgusting sleaze bag stated.

"Mhmm! That's not all! I can let my fist meet your braces and I'm sure they'll be great friends."

"You're defensive because you know I'm right." She stated.

I snorted.

"How is it like to look at him every day sitting on that comfortable chair of his? How does it feel to receive special treatment from the hot Geography teacher? Is that what you ask him to do in between quickies on his teacher's desk?" She whispered as she came closer to me.

I clenched my hands into a fist.

I was so close to punching the BeeJeezus out of her.

I smirked. "You seem like you know the answers so you tell me…actually, why don't you tell the entire school? Hmm? I'm sure they're dying to hear the gossip from a not-so-popular senior with acne problems. They'll believe you."

"You don't think I have evidence?" She replied lisped-like as she spoke through her braced-teeth.

"I think you're delusional with spit problems." I said, wiping her nasty saliva off my nose.

Oh! I know her! She was Sickie-Marley, the girl who sounded like a dying cat with a hairball clogged in her throat.

"But wouldn't it be fun if I expose things you aren't even a part of?" She questioned.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, let's just say…you can get rid of all of this if you just lay off my man or else I'll expose all of your friends' dirty, juicy personal lives." She pressed.

"There's nothing you can do to threaten me! You're ridiculous, Marley, is it? There's nothing you can do to scare me."

"You know, all this time you haven't once denied the fact that you and Mr. Clearwater have a thing?"

I didn't reply.

She laughed.

"He's too good for you, Alex! You don't deserve him. After high school, you're going to leave him to dry and I'll be the one to pick up the pieces in the end." She stated.

"You need help, girlfriend! Like serious mental help." I said to her.

She shrugged. "Maybe! But at least I don't roll in the sheets with a teacher."

"Listen here, you pathological bitch!" I said.

I was fed up.

"I don't know what you think you know but I'm not one to be messed with, okay? I'll break you and your teeth! Before you even call your dentist for help." I warned. "I don't do jealous-girl-drama okay? If you want Mr. Clearwater, then whatever! But I'm not gonna be caught up in your little fantasy."

She rolled her filthy brown eyes as she chowed on her chocolate bar.

"By the way, I'd worry about your own life since you've got a lot more problems what with, you only having a day or two left before you start swelling to your natural weight of eight hundred thousand pounds and start building a house made out cookies and chocolate while everyone in town calls you the fat ugly witch!"

"Your words mean nothing to me. I have all I need to bring you and your friends down." She said, biting another chunk of her chocolate before walking past me.

That bitch was pure evil!

"What was that about?" Felicity said to me as she came up to me, watching that fat skank walk away.

"Nothing," I snorted as I put my locker combination in and locked it before slinging my bag over my shoulder.

"Are you ready to get out of here?" She asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah, let's go." I said as I took her hand as we both walked out of the school building.

… …

Felicity and I were in the study room of my house, by the fire place as we both worked on the History project we were both assigned to.

After the altercation with that Marley girl, I needed to get my mind out of it and if it meant looking at boring literature over the internet with a network savvy, sometimes just as boring Felicity Stone then so be it.

"How far are you with the research?" Felicity asked me as she typed away on the MacBook.

I shrugged as I scrolled through the internet on the iMac.

"Nothing much really. It just talks about how the war hero turned president Theodore Roosevelt won the Nobel Prize for his work regarding the Portsmouth Treaty, where he invited delegates from Japan and Russia to solve the Russo-Japanese War through diplomacy." I stated, shrugging my shoulders as I read the piece of information I didn't know.

"That's what we're looking for, Alex." She said to me.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Oh…"

She chuckled as she asked me to give her the link to the website so that she can continue typing for our Senior History Project.

"How's the college hunting going? Settled on going to any yet?" I asked Felicity.

"Yeah…" She stretched. "My heart's set on Columbia University but Princeton really wants me and that's my dad's alma mater so…I don't know. We'll just have to wait and see. The only two schools that offer pristine Theoretical Physics majoring fields of study and I'm having trouble picking between the two. I mean, I know I would be great in either one but…Oh my god! I just got an e-mail from Harvard!"

I glanced at the four-eyed beauty with my eyebrows cocked. She furrowed her eyebrows as she saw me looking.

"What?" She asked.

"Those are some really big schools." I said with a sigh.

"I want to get as far away from Oakland Woods, California as possible!" Felicity explained. I chuckled.

One thing both she and I can agree on!

"Well, okay then!" I said.

"I heard Nessie's thinking of Colombia University too, Luke's thinking of going to Yale and Rea's thinking of Photography school in Sydney, Australia." She stated.

"Mhmm…" I hummed as I scrolled through images of delicious bagels.

"You never told me where you and Justin wanted to go?"

"Justin needs to get his grades up before thinking of going to college."

However, he did tell me he wanted to go to UC, Berkley for a Hurling scholarship.

"I don't think I'm going to college like I told you before."

"I mean of course I remember that," She laughed. "But you were lying so I was wondering if you'd tell the truth this time."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Spare me the barrage, Alex! Your dream since we were kids was to go to dance school." She told me.

I sighed. "Yeah, well, that can't happen if my parents don't support my dreams so I just accepted the fact that it will never happen. Plans change and people change."

"Alex…" She said sadly.

Oh no! Here we go! Another schmaltzy, crying crap fest.

"Can we talk about something, please?" I demanded.

She sighed and gave in, not even trying to fight with me. Good girl.

"Well we lost the Pep Rally and now I'm thinking we'll lose the game next week." She told me.

"Oh please! The only reason Sunset High won the Pep Rally was because that creepy, pervy, skeleton dude was flipping high as a kite!" I exclaimed.

"And Jennifer wasn't there."

"We didn't need Jennifer," I snarled.

"Why do you and Nessie hate her so much?" She asked.

"I don't hate her. I just think the whole sweet-girl act of hers is fake, s'all! And I don't know why Nessie has a problem with her." I replied.

"Whatever," She said.

"How's your dad doing?" I asked nervously.

Felicity never talked about her father –who was still in a coma after the plane crash and she never showed how she felt about it but I knew she was hurting.

"I-I'm going to see him tomorrow." She told me, her face saddened as she stopped typing.

"Are you ready for that?" I asked her.

"I guess I have to be." She said with a nervous chuckle.

I smiled.

"Omigosh! Can you believe we're graduating? Remember how when we were kids in kindergarten or fourth grade we'd make a pact to be best friends for life before and after graduation? Now that it's finally here it's getting crazy…We're headed into unchartered territories. We don't know what we'll meet in the next year. We'll be all on our own in this big, big world. It's so exciting!"

Wow! I never really thought about the future. I mean, I knew it was going to be different but I didn't exactly think of the intensity of how that difference will be. Whenever I thought of my future, I always sure dancing as being the sole part of it –and of course I can't forget about Seth Clearwater.

However, even as a kid, I dreamed of being a professional dancer –heck, even dreaming I'd go on Broadway– and when I retired from dancing, I'd open up a dance studio for kids with big dreams like mine.

I know, sentimental crap right? I fantasized of being the next Abbey from Dance Moms –I love that show.

"Yeah, it is!" I laughed. "But it would be sad to leave you girls behind." I stated.

She smiled.

"When I'm around you girls, you make me feel hot and smart. I feel like Michelle Obama." I added.

"Well, that's high school, Alex. We have to separate at some point but we'll still keep in touch." She stated.

I shrugged. I guess she was right.

"I guess I won't know what is left high school until I actually leave, you know." I said. "I just had a genius idea! We should do something before graduation. Maybe during Spring Break! We could go to Cancun or even close by, Mira Loma."

We needed to enjoy ourselves before graduation –where we will all leave each other.

I thought about all the people that will be leaving me. My friends, my brother…it's all going to be different for them and I'll be stuck here, with my annoying parents. And although, I thought about Seth as well but I didn't know if he wanted to stay here either. We made a pact that when I was done with high school, he and I would drive off into the sunset and never look back but…I wasn't confident that was going to happen what with what's going on.

Suddenly, out of the blue, Felicity screeched out in pain. Her hand flew to her forehead as she winced in agony, hissing as she dropped the books on her lap.

"What's wrong?" I demanded.

"I don't know. I just all of a sudden felt something, like a migraine." She stated, still holding onto her temple.

"Okay, I think I have some aspirin or tequila!" I stated as I hopped off the chair.

"I need ice." I heard her whisper to herself.

"Ice? Well–" I questioned but immediately stopped myself when I felt my bare feet collide with the edge of the hard wall.

I shrieked out in agony as I fell onto the ottoman, clutching my reddening toes.

Unexpectedly, Felicity entered the room with an ice pack in her grasp and she handed it to me before taking a seat on the couch with the laptop on her lap.

I furrowed my eyebrows as I eyed the now okay looking Felicity. It's like the pain she experienced seconds ago never existed.

How did she know I'd need ice?

"How did you know I'd need ice?" I voiced out as I placed the ice-pack against my foot.

She frowned at herself. "I guess it was coincidental," She laughed.

Hmm! Just as coincidental as my hand snatching a bagel from someone's plate and putting it in my mouth at the same time as I drink their wine at a restaurant.

Something was fishy.

She had been having a lot of these moments. I mean just two days, at the pep rally, she predicted that one of her cheerleading girls will fall and break their neck when forming the pyramid and that actually happened. And last week, she talked about how OWHS would a see a ghost return from the grave and then a janitor who went missing for years finally returned –who looks like a zombie by the way.

If that's all coincidental crap then I'd think I would be the next president.

She wasn't herself lately and it worries me.