Chapter 6 - Troublemaker

Talk about coincidences, huh? The girl who helped me a few nights ago, the one whose name is Bella Steele, is also my teacher. Life can be funny from time to time, that much I have to admit. After all, it’s not every day that a woman as gorgeous as she is falls in your lap. Figuratively, of course. I don’t think I’m going to get that lucky for that statement to have literal meaning.

Either way, I’ll take what I can get, even if that is just a few minutes after the class ends. Moreover, it usually isn’t me who initiates those little chats. She always asks me to stay behind to talk, and I always run off because I get too flustered in her presence, which is enough to take my mind off of my shitty life.

However, I decided today would be different. If I want to find out something about her, I have to offer something in return, isn’t it so? Thus, when the class came to an end and everyone left, I stayed behind. She must have been shocked to see me not trying to flee.

“This is definitely a first.”

I just laughed her little remark off.

“And you are in a good mood. Shoot, I forgot my umbrella, it might as well start raining frogs outside.”

Alright, that was genuinely funny, I had to give her that.

“Do excuse me, Miss Steele, for not always being a grump. Or maybe I am always like this, but you just fail to notice it.”

She rolled her eyes at me and scoffed. I’m not sure why, but it wasn’t only for her, I was actually feeling semi alright today. It might have something to do with the fact that I finally managed to gather enough money to pay for a room for myself, away from my parents. It kind of does help when I’m not getting beaten and insulted every day. Just a bit, you know? Another Tuesday.

“Trust me, Meldy, your mood is contagious, I would have noticed if it was this way before.”

All I could do was shrug and offer her a grin. Gosh, do I feel like a child right now. But I wasn’t here to talk about my mood swings. I am a girl on a mission.

“Miss Steele, I was wondering something…”

“What is it, dear?”

My heart wanted to beat its way out of my ribcage when she called me dear. I get that teachers sometimes do that, but, in my mind, it wasn’t just an empty word. Instead it symbolized that she cared about me. As I said, in my mind, of course…

“I would love to ask you to get a latte in some café, or something, but that’d be inappropriate, so, would you accept if I asked you to get a black coffee from the machine and sit in the hallway?”

Real smooth, Meldy, real smooth… NOT! I instantly regretted what I said. I am a disappointment.

She seemed not to mind, as she simply laughed, and nodded her head.

“Sure, why not?”