"It's been a long time, since I've felt the way that I do now. Like I need you, but I don't know how. It's been a while, since I smiled, and I meant it for all my heart."—Ruth B.

🌹🥀

••

"The Winter Ball. I am gonna need a new tuxedo. My dad took the only one I had." Derrick complains.

Kelly laughs, shaking her head as they peruse the poster advertising the end-of-year dinner.

It's an annual event that Camber High puts on at the closing of the first term. It's only a week until they officially go off on Christmas Holidays, and today is the last day of their examinations. She couldn't be any more relieved.

She has the last subject, Advanced History after lunch. The ones before weren't difficult, and for her to admit that is a great improvement. Most of what she studied showed up on the tests, and she is grateful to Mr. Todd for assisting her at every step of the way. Everything he predicted came on the papers.

However, she has not seen him all week—since her exams began, rather. Almost as if he is deliberately avoiding her. And the times before when she had after-school sessions with him, he had stayed at an arm's length—confusing her.

"Balls are not really my thing. I can never see the hype about it." She shrugs her shoulders, uninterested.

The bell goes off, and they begin to walk to the Exam Theatre.

"It's cool. You get to see how people look outside of Camber High's ugly green uniform." Derrick notes.

Kelly settles into the frame of focus as she checks her pencil case to ensure she has all her necessary resources.

"The history study sheets I sent you, did you look over them this morning?" She inquires, and Derrick nods.

"Yeah. I got this." He thumps his chest.

"Make sure you do." She squints her eyes at him. "I want us to end up in the same classes for term 2."

"It's alright. No worries." He ruffles her hair. "I love how focused you are."

"Well, I am trying." She smiles a little as they enter the room, stopping at the door to get their IDs checked by Ms. Peterson.

They find the desk with their names on it. The seats are in alphabetical order, and since the first letters of Kelly and Derrick's last names are close, they aren't seated too far away. He's two desks across from her.

Kelly leans back in her chair, closing her eyes and saying a small prayer. She has to do well; she needs to do well. She has to prove to Ms. Smith and others that she can be a brilliant student. She needs to show her worth. Plus, she wants to make her teacher proud. If not anyone else, Mr. Todd. He spent so many hours tutoring her.

She looks out to where the double doors are, watching as students make their entrances. Henry waves to her excitedly before being scolded by Ms. Peterson about communicating in an exam room. He apologizes with an embarrassed face before venturing to find his seat.

Kelly smiles and shakes her head. Who gets excited right before an exam? She can feel her heart jumping from her chest.

But then, surprisingly, it relaxes a little when she spots Mr. Todd outside of the room, speaking with Mr. Oliver.

Dressed in full black, her teacher couldn't look any more attractive. It isn't fair. Someone as handsome as he shouldn't be among humans. He should be locked away in a gold case, where people have to pay millions to have a look at him.

He rakes a hand through his silky hair, leaving it a curly mess before he nods to the man and motions to the door.

She drops her gaze to her desk as he enters the theatre, the air conditions transporting the fresh smell of him.

"Good morning, guys." He stands at the front of the room, and suddenly the stickman on her desk looks interesting. She wonders if it was drawn with a pen or pencil.

"Good morning!" The batch replies.

"Students from my class, please kill it. I don't want anything below 80%. Don't give me a headache." He begs them, and a chorus of chuckles drifts through the room.

"I am so serious."

"Sir!" Gabriella, who is next to Kelly, raises a hand, and Nikolai walks down to her, setting one of his feet on the stretcher of the desk.

"Yeah."

"The essays. Will they only cover the Vikings' Incursions?"

"No, there will be four questions to choose from, so you just choose the ones that work best for you."

"Okay." She shrugs. "I studied them all, so."

Kelly curls her lips at her. Such a damn show off.

Nikolai returns to the front. "Only black and blue pens are to be used. Red, pink, or any other color will be an instant 0%. Legible handwriting. If I can't read what is on the paper, it is an instant 0%. I won't even strain my eyeballs. I'll just move on to the next. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

"No cheating or copying. I will know." He claps his hands. "Guess that's it. Any questions?"

No one raises their hands, and he nods. "Okay."

His eyes drift over to Kelly, who is idly doodling patterns on the wooden desk. He walks down to her, and she stiffens when his trousers appear over her head. She looks up at him.

"Any questions?" He asks her.

She shakes her head in a daze. "N-no."

"Sure?"

She nods again.

"Alright. For the essays, remember, don't choose a question you don't have many points on. Don't overdo it. Just choose the simplest one, the one you feel you'd be able to manage. Don't try too hard to prove a point, alright?"

"Okay, sir."

"If you're having trouble with a question, make a note of it and move on to the next. Then come back to it after, don't spend too much time on it."

She nods her head, her lips tugging slightly.

"Good. You'll do great." He smiles a little, and it takes her breath away.

She wants him to smile at her more often. It gives her this tizzy feeling in her stomach, a feeling of warmth.

So, she'll do better.

Not only to make herself happy but also to make him proud. To see that cute smile again.

It adds to her motivations.

"Alright. Good luck, guys!" He announces before walking away.

Kelly watches as he plods out of the room, a small smile forming on her face.

"Ha. You'll do great? I think not." Gabriella mocks.

She rolls her eyes at the annoying girl, discreetly jerking her a middle finger when Ms. Peterson isn't looking.

"Okay, no more interactions." The lady begins. "Time to issue the papers. Please put your hands in your laps."

Kelly follows the instruction, ready to kill it.

There are no doubts in her mind. Just her need to prove what she is capable of, and she will.

••

♡♡

"Hell yeah!" Kelly pumps a fist in the air, twerking on the school corridors. "That. Was. So. Freaking. Easy!"

A group of kids laughs among themselves as they pass by her, but she could care less.

Derrick smiles and shakes his head. "For you to say that it means it was. It wasn't so bad, to be honest, thanks to your study sheets. It was tolerable."

"It was!" She grins as they continue walking. "The three first essays were exactly what Mr. Todd revised with me at our last session. Do you think he was the one who set the paper?"

"Maybe. He's the head of the history department."

"I need to go see him. I have to tell him how amazing his paper was." Kelly hands Derrick her pencil case. "Keep this for me."

"I'll be at the playfield with some of the guys, alright?!" He calls out, and she nods as she scuttles down the hallway.

••

♡♡

"Yeah...I already have a student that I am tutoring." Mr. Todd speaks into the phone, jotting down into his logbook at the same time.

He's currently sitting in his office, having a conversation with one of his student's mother, who is already booking her spot to make him her daughter's tutor for the next term. But Nik already promised Kelly that he'd tutor her the following semester.

"Oh, that's just too bad. She really would love it if you'd tutor her. We would pay you double the money. It's just...I don't want to disappoint her."

"I understand. Teresa is a hardworking young lady. I would hate to disappoint her as well, but I am booked out. However, I know a few teachers who would be just as competent. Would you be interested?"

The lady sighs down into the phone, trying to affect his conscience, but Nikolai's heart is as hard as the desk he's writing on. After a while, she agrees. "Okay, sir."

"Alright. I can send you an email with their contact information. Can I have your email address, please?"

"One second."

She tells him her email contact and he writes it down on a yellow stick-note.

"Alright. Will definitely get back to you before the day ends."

His door knocks, and he removes the call for a second. "Enter."

As the door creaks open, he places the phone to his ear again. "Okay, give them a call, and I will put in a word for you as well when you've made your decision."

"Okay, sir. Thanks."

His eyes move to the door to see Kelly poking her head in from behind the sill. Reluctant to enter since he's speaking on the phone.

"You're welcome. Have a great afternoon." He hangs up the telephone, putting it into its place and not having time to think before Kelly jumps into his arms, hugging him.

He blinks his eyes, taken aback as she wraps her tiny arms around him. "Yay! I loved the test, Mr. Todd; it was so amazing!" She chuckles into his nape.

Breathe, Nik, breathe.

He has been trying to keep his distance all week, mainly because whenever he sees her, he remembers the night he stroked himself and came all over his chest.

He clears his throat, a bit discomforted in his pants, but Kelly takes that as her cue to come to her senses.

She gasps, backing up quickly with her palm to her mouth. "Sir...I am so sorry."

"It's alright." He says hoarsely, hauling his chair closer to his desk to hide his erection. "It was easy, you say?"

"Yes." She grins, plopping on the chair across from him. "It was awesome. The multiple choices were cool, and the essays...the essays were too manageable. Who did you set that paper for? A sixth grader?"

Mr. Todd laughs. The sound of it is like music—deep and pleasant, rich in texture, causing the air to leave her lungs for the second time today.

No, stop. You're too cute...

"It wasn't easy. It was difficult, but you studied, so it appeared that way." He shrugs, his lips settling into a small smile. That too is enough to give her a heart attack.

He isn't lying. He didn't set the paper easy as Mr. Todd is known for giving hard examinations. He has zero mercy when it comes to tests.

"I am happy you managed it." He reaches a hand out to pat her head, and she sinks into her shoulders, her face blooming. "Good..." He was about to say 'girl,' but quickly switches it. "...job. Good job."

She smiles brightly. This is what she wanted to hear.

He returns a smile before focusing on his work laid out on the desk. He was busy logging the students' grades in. "Did you have lunch?"

"Nah. I was too anxious."

"Never skip a meal before an exam, okay? Always go in on a satisfied stomach. Not empty but not too full either."

"Got it."

"You need to eat. I am about to order lunch; you want something too?" He's writing as he asks this.

"It's alright. I don't want to be a—"

"It's not a bother, and I don't want you getting sick under my watch." He cuts her off. "Would you like something?"

"Okay... thank you."

He drops his pen and types a few times on his keyboard before steering the monitor to her.

"Choose what you want from those lists."

He retrieves his cellphone from his desk, keeping himself occupied while Kelly skims over the menu in front of her.

The Restaurant is called Green Meals, and it's located on the outskirts of the province. They have all types of food, and she feels as though she'll get a headache choosing from all these varieties.

"What's Chicken tikka masala, sir?"

Nikolai rolls his eyes upward, thinking. "I think it's boiled chunks of chicken in creamy tomato sauce."

"Oh." Kelly nods slowly. She needs to choose something; anything. She hates to keep people waiting, although Mr. Todd doesn't seem to mind as he scrolls down his Twitter feed.

"Grilled Chicken Fajitas. I'll take that." She finally decides, and Nik rests his cellphone down.

"Ever had that before?"

She shakes her head. "Nope."

"So what if you don't like it?" He grabs the telephone, punching in the numbers.

"That's impossible. I'll eat anything except crayfish."

"Allergic to crayfish?" He places it to his ear.

"Yeah, I get these small red rashes whenever I eat it."

He nods, secretly taking a mental note of that. "Hello, Pax. Yeah...it's Nikolai. I would like a delivery."

He begins to place their order in, asking Kelly what she would like to drink. She chooses Cappy Raspberry since it's the first thing she spots on the menu.

When Mr. Todd hangs up, he gets back to his work while Kelly uses her cellphone to burn some time until the food gets here. Her stomach is starting to get noisy; she's happy she took his food offer.

Soon the door to his office knocks, and Nikolai gets up to answer it. He pays the delivery guy, who he's acquainted with, offering him a generous tip before closing it and returning to the table.

"I don't allow people to eat at my desk, but I will make an exception just for today." He says, and Kelly smiles.

"Okay."

He sits in his chair, pushing his files away to give them adequate space. He opens the carrier, the mouthwatering aroma filling the room.

Kelly eagerly slides to the edge of her seat, her tongue tingling from just the smell. "Woah, they smell delicious."

Mr. Todd tries to hide his smile as he takes out her food. It's in a black plastic container with a clear cover. He slides it to her with a fork and her drink.

"Thank you." She uncovers the plate then unwraps the plastic utensil, sticking it into a slice of chicken. It easily sinks into the tender flesh, the seasoning juicing from it. "Sir, I thought you didn't eat from take-out places?"

"I don't make it a habit." He unwraps his fork. "But my mom owns this restaurant, so it's usually where I get my lunch."

"Oh." Kelly nods her head, slipping a piece of meat into her mouth. The smoky taste of it widens her eyes, and Nikolai chuckles, shaking his head.

"What?"

"This." She points her fork to the food. "This is heaven, sir."

She drops her gaze to see what he got, frowning at the vegetable salad alongside his Glazed Salmon. "Leaves."

"It's healthy. Green leafy vegetables are packed with micronutrients. It maintains your blood glucose level and builds your stamina. It's vital for a man to eat this stuff."

"Stamina?" Kelly scrapes the sautéed onions off the chicken. "Stamina as in?"

Nikolai reddens. "Never mind that. It is pretty good; I am not missing out."

"Is it?" She stares at his plate.

"Want to try it?" He offers, chewing slowly.

She thinks for a second, then smiles. "Alright."

He slides his plate to her. "You can use your fork."

She takes up a variety of vegetables, sliding them into her mouth. He leans back while he waits for her reaction. She slowly chews it around, then raises her eyelids, impressed.

"Wow. It doesn't taste like vegetables at all. What did they put on it?"

"Vinaigrette. It's the salad dressing. Made of oil, vinegar, and seasoning."

"Woah. I like it." She grins, and Nikolai smiles.

"Alright. Here." He sits up again, taking the plate and sharing some of it into her dish, giving her more than half of it.

"Thank you." She beams, quickly trying it with the chicken.

Nikolai watches her silently before shaking his head with a smile.

As they eat in silence, her phone vibrates from her pocket, and she wipes her hands on her napkin before retrieving it.

Nikolai looks up from his food, his eyes settling on her cellphone, wondering if it's that band boy again. His jaw clenches, but he decides not to pry and refocuses on his meal.

"It's Mia, sir," Kelly says, and his heart relaxes in his chest. However, he remains unfazed.

"Oh. What is it?" He straightens his spine.

"She's having a birthday party tonight."

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. It'll be at my brother's house, Nathan. He's her father."

Kelly nods. "Oh, I see..." She chews on her lip. "I really want to go. My brother won't be home to take me, though."

While she deeply contemplates, Nikolai comes up with a suggestion. "I will come by your house to pick you up at 6. Would you want that?"

She looks up at him, instantly blushing at the offer. "Okay... Thank you, sir."

"Mm." He nods, reaching for his fork again. "Finish your food."

She smiles brightly and continues to eat the delicious meal.

••

♡♡

When she's through, she goes to find Derrick at the playfield. He's sitting with a bunch of boys from the football team. They normally hang out under a white tent at the corner, a bunch of steroid-looking lads.

"Hey." She walks over with a smile.

"Hey, what took you so long?" Derrick wonders, standing up with her bag and his.

The boys are openly checking her out, and he doesn't like that.

"Yo, keep your bloody eyes to yourselves." He puts his arm around her neck, and the guys laugh as they walk away.

She takes her bag from him with a smile. "You act like Kevin."

"Fuck them. They just want to hook up with any girl they can find."

She chuckles. "Anyway, I had lunch with Mr. Todd."

"Woah. A date?" He waggles his eyebrows, and her cheeks flame up.

"N-no, it wasn't. He just offered me something to eat."

"Yeah, right. I think he was indirectly implying a date."

Kelly wrinkles her nose. Was he? No way. That's not it.

"Lucky you," Derrick says as he taps on his cellphone. "Hey, Gabriella left me on read. Should I be offended?"

Kelly shrugs. "I have no idea."

"I'll give her some space then. Maybe I am coming on too strong."

"You're not." Kelly stops in her tracks and rests a hand on his shoulder. "You're going at the right pace. She's just a...bitch."

Derrick shrugs his shoulders. "Can't argue with that. I am ignoring all these girls in my dm, just because she's the only one I want."

"Word of advice, my man. Don't ignore those girls in your dm. Talk to them, alright?"

He sighs. "Alright."

"Mm. Let's go. I want to buy ice cream at the shop next door." She says, and they begin strolling again.

••