This announcement is met by absolute silence from the class. I am shocked. Greek god is our new teacher. This guy is so young, not more than thirty I reckon. He's freaking hot too.
Who sent this dude down here? My thoughts are wandering when Stacey taps my hand lightly in an effort to call my attention back to the room. Apparently, my mates have been introducing themselves to Mr. Winchester while I was still in Wonderland. I look up to find him looking down at me. His eyes are the same deep shade of brown as his hair. They are intensely cold and distant, that chilly gaze was fixed on my face. The words catch in my throat as my tongue suddenly goes limp in my mouth.
"Well the class is waiting, Miss..." Those eyes hold me transfixed. It seems he has a sharp tongue too.
" Jo- Josie Geronimo." I stutter
" Well Josie, since you can speak why did you to keep us all waiting then? " Greek god asks.
' He said my name ' is all my mushy brain can come up with. Common sense comes through for me though.
" I am sorry Mr. Winchester"
" Right..." He says, his voice the same intensity as his gaze. Finally, he moves on to the next table. On and on till everyone has had their turn.
Mr. Winchester returns his table in front. He seats stiffly on the edge of his seat.
"The test you all were expecting is being cancelled. Instead, tomorrow we shall be having an interactive class where you all get to say why you chose to study this subject. Are we good? "
The class shrugs in response. At least we are relieved that we do not have to write a test.
"I take that as a Yes." Mr. Winchester says. Turning to me once again
" We are going to begin with interesting characters like you Miss Geronimo." He says and looks away from me.
I am surprised and embarrassed. An interesting character is not the first impression I wish to make on our new cute History teacher. The bell goes and the period is over. I feel his eyes trail me as I leave the class.
"See you tomorrow Miss. Geronimo." He says to me. Boy, I think History 101 is about to get started.
*. *. *
DANIEL
I'm thinking about the pretty little woman I saw in class today. She's so pretty with such dark lustrous hair and a body that any real man would die for. I am somewhat ashamed of myself. This is not the kind of thought a teacher should be having towards his student and on his first day too, it is also not my reason for coming down to Kansas. No, I didn't fly halfway across the South to start drooling over a girl who's barely twenty. But boy, is she pretty.
The class is empty. I am the only person in it right now. Silence. Just the thing I love which my mind would not give me. I pick up my laptop and start to leave. I have to be at the studio run by Stan, the artist I met on-line. The studio is where my only passion lies. I stop in front of the Principal's office and go in. The beautiful young woman behind the secretary's desk smiles warmly at me. I wave in reply and mouth a 'hello' through tight lips. The girls, I notice are attracted. Well, I figure that shouldn't be a problem as women have been at the bottom of my list for quite some time now, at least, not until today.
"Mr. Winchester, Ms. Conrad may see you now." says the beautiful secretary behind the desk. I smile at her again and go in to see the Principal.
A nicely carved nameplate boldly bearing the name, Irene Conrad sits on the mahogany table. The woman behind the table has silver -rimmed glasses perched stop her nose. Her snake green eyes looked fierce behind those glasses but when she smiled, the radiance and genuineness of herself captures the heart and sets one at ease in her presence. I figure that's how she's been able to cope around this much number of kids.
" Hello, Mr. Winchester, please do have a seat. Hope you had a good first day? "
"Hello Ma'am. Thanks." I reply as I seat.
"How was your first day on the job?" Ms. Conrad asks again, she had not missed my unwillingness to answer this question.
" Interesting" I reply. " I found it interesting. " My reply sets Ms. Conrad on the perfect path for another lecture on how great working with teens and young adults can be. I shut her out of the mind and stare straight ahead, I have heard this sermon twice over and wasn't going to listen again. I know what working with young people can be. A few years back I was sitting like them in a classroom back in Florida. Years along the line and OCD sends me down to Kansas to repeat the same hell of a circle, only this time I am the History teacher. Ms. Conrad's deep voice drags me back to the room.
" Mr. Jeremy insisted you were gonna do good despite how young you are."
" I will try my best ma'am." I reply.
"You would do great on this Daniel. I strongly believe that."
" Thanks ma'am. You are so kind." I find myself saying exactly how I was taught to.Soon it's over and I get up to go. I mumble what I guessed was a kind wish at the secretary desk.
Good Ol 'Uncle Jeremy. I know it has to be him. I am determined to do good, if only the demons in my head would let me.
I locate my car in the school's parking area. I start the engine and pull out. Looking in my review mirror, I sight Miss Geronimo from earlier standing with the friend who dresses in dark colors and wears equally dark make-up. My eyes meet hers but I pull them away almost immediately. Slowly, I pull out of Riverside High and drive to Stan's.
JOSIESchool is out and Stacey offered to drop me off at work. I know she's doing this not because she's such a nice person.Stacey isn't a very nice person. She eats lunch at Patty's. I guess she figured she could get an extra cup of a milkshake if she saves me the ten minutes’ walk.We are standing beside Stacey's truck she prefers to call 'Reddie'. It is an old beat-up truck that used to belong to Frankie as a present for his sixteenth birthday. Well, that was years before I came to Kansas.Reddie is in bad form today and has refused to start. Stacey has this toolbox she takes around with her. It contains all she needs to fix the truck whenever it is in one of it's moods such as today. I stand by and watch her get down to fixing God-knows-what in the bonnet.
The smile that spreads across my face is genuine for the first time in a long while." Hey man!" Stan bellows " wanna spill some paint?"" Let's do it." Adrenaline is pumping through my veins. I can already feel the pleasure of holding a paint brush in my hand.The smell of a long-lasting friendship hangs thickly in the air.*. *. *I am tied to one of the dining chairs in the room. Randy is sitting on an empty beer crate before me, a can of beer in hand. The ropes cut deep into my wrists and I cry out in pain. Randy's face is a contorted mask of delight. Saliva po
Josie had just introduced me to the talkative old lady when she began to talk about Jeremy's nephew being in town. Obviously Riverside isn't aware of who I am. I don't think they know who my Mama was either. The papers, its the only way they must have known.I am blinded with rage by the time I pull up in my driveway. I had left the kitchen in a hurry leaving Josie and Patty confused. I haven't been this mad since I left Florida." I would only be the ruin of her. " I tell myself about Josie. She's young and pretty and would soon be leaving high school. Bringing my cursed self into her life would cause her nothing but pain. I am determined not to see Josie again to save her the pain and to stop myself from wanting her, only this would be near impossible to achieve.
Thinking about her makes me want to see her. I push away the thought." I don't need the girl. I don't worth her. " I say silently." What girl? " Trace asks. I must have said that aloud.My face goes red with embarrassment and I laugh nervously to hide it."Aww, Trace, nobody. There is no girl. "Trace looks at me with that cynical look of hers. I am convinced the lady is a mind reader. She laughs mockingly at me and sluggishly push her pregnant body away from the studio. I am left alone with Stan." I painted that during the one week I spent in Florida some years back" Stan says pointing to a watercolor hanging on the wall." It's be
Prom Night"Ann, Ann is that you? " Dad asked playfully upon seeing me in my mother's prom dress."No dad. It's Josie" I reply smiling" You look so much like her on that blessed night. " Dad walks up the short flight of stairs to me." Princessa, you know she's proud of you wherever she is right? " he asks taking my slender wrist in his large hand."I know. "" Good girl. So, what are you gonna do? "" Make her proud, Dad. " I reply. This has been our thing since mom died: Dad reminding me of how great I was and how mom expects me to make her proud from the great beyond. I know Dad wants me to be the perfect daughter, he's so scared o
JOSIESitting out here with Daniel is cool. I shock myself by using his first name. I feel like I have known him forever. While we talk, I can't see the clouds anymore in his eyes. His brown eyes are warm and friendly. They make me think about puppies."Josie" He calls. His voice is very small, yet deep. I look up to see him fidgety."Done the couple dance thing before? "" Uhm, no why? " I ask, genuinely surprised."Come. " He says, standing up to his feet. He stretches his hand towards mine. I think it's the timbre in his voice that does it. It calls me to him, it's beyond the simple command. It reaches out to my soul. I stand to my feet." Do you like the Judds? " he asks, wrap
Saturday morningIt is the buzzing of my cell phone that wakes me up. I had fallen asleep with the paper on which I sketched Josie plastered to my chest. The sweat on my body made the paper stay stuck. The events of the previous evening come rushing back. I smile, I can still smell her on me."Hello," I say picking up my phone"Hello Dan" It's Trace screaming at the top of her voice, she sounded traumatized."Trace, is that you? " Tension begins to rise in my chest."Where's Stan?" I ask apprehensively. How can he leave the woman alone at this time? She's near her due date for Chris sakes."Stan's not here, he has some businesses up in Detroit to handle."
JOSIEDaniel Winchester is Mr. Jeremy's nephew, the one who moved down here from Florida. The guy whom they say killed his father. This is so much information for me to process at the same time. I have been moving around the house like a shell-shocked person since breakfast. Stacey had left to an errand for her father. Dad does not seem to understand the sudden change in my mood. I have never been one for hiding my emotions."Hey Hijita, " Dad calls from the doorway, I turn towards him eyes blank and revealing nothing."Are you okay? ""I am, Dad. " I answer and nod my head."You look like one who has seen a ghost, are you sure you are okay? ""I am. "
"How could you let him leave Italy and come here to the US" Mrs Johnson said on the call, she glanced at Cassandra who slept peacefully on the couch."You don't expect me to keep him captive for so many years Vivian, Dennis is now an adult and he can detect for himself. It has been years since you helped me take him out of the hospital twenty five years ago but right now, I don't have any other thing to do anymore to keep him from doing what he wants". John Dutch responded as he smoked his pipe slowly."But you shouldn't have" Mrs Johnson snapped with anger,"Now things are so messed up because my daughter is in love with him without knowing that he is no one else but her nephew" she fired back, glanced at Cassandra and was happy that she is still asleep.
It was the early dawn of winter, the moon seemed to be at sleep, the stars mocking me from above, if you listened well enough, you could hear the light whispers of the winter wind: to walk through the woods at that time of year was like a death wish, the worst could happen. Remembering stories of ghosts and witches in the woods got me frightened at the least. It took courage to walk through those woods. The chilly weather wasn’t any helpful, neither were my clothes. A white off-shoulder lace top and a red mini skirt are not an outfit for weather like this. I couldn’t remember why I was in the woods in the first place, and with the clothes, I was on for that matter, I rarely go out like this, my mom always nags about how I should cover up my blossoms, to keep men from preying on me, I never quite understood it though, to me the blossoms aren’t anything special, they feel too big and my pointed nipples always make it seem I’m tur
Mrs Johnson quickly let go of Cassandra's grip and stared at her daughter with stunned eyes. Cassandra could see her mum's face suddenly turn white as a ghost, her face not leaving her daughter."You mean you have seen Kate's son?" Her mother asked still in shock, her eyes not leaving Cassandra who nodded in affirmation.Mrs Johnson glanced at the door expecting whoever it was to walk into the house, "Where is he?" She asked as tears slowly appeared in her eyes.Cassandra looked down at the ground and back to her mother's face, she shook her head, "He isn't here with me mother but you have met him".Mrs Johnson stared at her daughter so confused, she couldn't understand Cassandra at all and w
Dennis started a Cassandra speechless, he never knew that he was a stolen child, no one told him about this.He glared deeply at Cassandra with tears in his eyes. If he is kidnapped, his parents must know something about this, they only told him that he is their foster son and nothing else."What is the name of my father?" He asked Cassandra who looked up at him.She looked like she was thinking deeply to remember his name, "His name is John Dutch" she replied and Dennis eyes some in shock.He looked at Cassandra as great shock filled his body, his ears unable to believe her words because John Dutch is no one else but the name of his foster Mafia father.
Cassandra felt her whole world collapse, she glanced at the paper in front of her and looked up at the serious face of Dennis.Right now, she knows that the truth has been let out to Dennis and lying to him won't be good at all.With agony in her heart, she closed her eyes and looked down, her eyes unable to look at Dennis face."Yes, I know who your mother is, Dennis". She confessed and her heart shattered into pieces.Dennis, frozen at where he stood, he stood straight, his shocked wide eyes fixed on Cassandra who didn't look up at him, with the guilty look on her. Dennis knew that Cassandra knew all along and didn't tell him, the realization alone broke his heart into pieces.
Dennis looked up at the blonde in front of him as he tried to understand what she meant by her words."Do you think that you will be able to say those words to me after I show you this?" Bella revealed with fury, placing a picture and a piece of paper in front of him, her eyes not leaving him.Confused, Dennis glanced at the paper in front of him, he looked up at Bella still not understanding what she was trying to point out."What is the meaning of this ?" He implored pointing at the paper in front of him.Bella smirked, "Why don't you open it and see for yourself" she pinpoint not trying to look away from him.At first, Denni
A figure of a woman was seen sitting inside her car with a stick of cigarettes, she puffed out a smoke, her eyes fixed on pedestrians who were walking down the street.With her pair of black sunglasses on, she glanced at her wristwatch, looked up and took another puff of smoke, longer and bigger this time around."Why the hell is he always late?" She asked herself, her body filled with nothing but impatience. It's already been a week since she gave him this job and now, she is here to take the result of the work she paid him for.With a frown on her face, she smoked nonstop as the car was filled with smoke, her eyes constantly checking her car.After a few minutes, she saw a huge white man in
Cassandra stared at the image right in front of her, her heart began to beat so fast than it has never been before. She couldn't move her body, it was like her whole world had just crashed down in a single blow and she thought that everything was finished right now. Hot tears welled up in her eyes as she couldn't let go of the image which stared back at her, memories kept crawling in like wildfire.Dennis noticed her indifferent behavior, he turned to her wondering what's wrong, his gaze surveying her face which felt like she had just seen a ghost."Are you all right?" He implored with a softening voice, his look very concerned.Cassandra quickly pretended like everything is fine, she looked up at him and smiled charmingly, "I am fine dear, I just feel so b
Cassandra watched Dennis walk into the nearby kitchen and arrange the food which smelled so nice. Soon, they found themselves eating and laughing heartily as the moonlight shone brightly into the house.After dinner, they both sat on the couch, Cassandra laid her head on his chest with their eyes fixed on the images on the TV set."This movie is a bit boring," Cassandra confessed, letting out a sigh."Do you want to watch anything else?".She shook her head, "No dear, I don't feel like watching a movie, I guess that's why it seems boring to me. I just want to do something else with you" she raised her head and stared at him.Dennis s