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Fifty Six
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The New Teacher Next Door Fifty Seven
FIFTY SEVEN DEVAN The wind had an eerie chill to it. It seemed like there was something in it, but I couldn't just place my hands on it. Something really sinister, really trying hard to pull out every fibre of my being apart. I buried my face in the newspaper that had been brought in, but yet there wasn't no news about Robb, or Ellen, or even Sam. I had imagined this whole game as a quick one, but life did know how to make a big fool of me. There was a sharp knock on the door, but I didn't pay any attention to it. I was in no mood to speak, or share thought with anyone yet. However, the knock persisted, and it began to seem really awkward to not answer it at all. Perhaps it was the doctors coming to do their routine checkup on me. "Come in, the door is unlocked." I ordered, as the door knob turned, and was pushed open. "Mr. Barker?" The nurse buzzed, as I took the newspaper off my face. "Yes ma'am, how may I be of help to you?" I quizzed, uninteres
The New Teacher Next Door Fifty Eight
ELLEN There was no need to hide anymore, Cullen had found me. I couldn't explain why it was so important to keep on running away, but the more I tried, the more unending the story turned out to be. I was alone at the table. Tommy had stepped outside for a smoke, and Big Joe had gone along with Cole to comfort him about his wife's disappearance. Although, it didn't seem necessary to me, Suzy wasn't dead yet, so why the pity? I sighed deeply, and felt a cold wind hit me. Winter had really set in, and I was barely prepared for it. A thicker jacket would have helped greatly, but it was the least of my priorities at the moment. "There you are." Tommy intoned vocally, walking into the room. "What do you want, Tommy?" I fired, barely glancing up. I heard him scoff, but I paid no attention to him. "You consider that to be a really good question to ask at this time? What do I want? That's crazy, don't you think." "It's a simple question, Tommy. You either answer
The New Teacher Next Door Fifty Nine
DEVAN TWO YEARS BEFORE... It was Robb's birthday, and as expected, the house was supposed to be bustling with activities. However, no one really cared about irrelevant issues as birthdays anymore. We had more on her hands than the usual. The house was really quiet now, and everyone was busy with one thing or the other. Mum was barely around anymore. She had become scarce, after securing that contract at the firm where she worked at. Dad tried not to be so hard on Mum regarding her consistent absence, but slowly he began to lose himself in the process, and now we barely knew him anymore. He was out drinking tonight with his buddies, just like the previous nights. And slowly, our once perfectly knitted family, began to loosen at its seams. "Devan," Matt called, walking into the room with a jersey on. I glanced over him quickly, and shook my head quickly. "No, Matt. Not tonight, I am not covering up for you tonight." I informed, as he started towards me.
The New Teacher Next Door Sixty
ELLEN Tommy turned Joe's truck around as we headed down the street again for the third time in a row, in search of Cole. We had driven through every single street that was close to Joe's house, but still we hadn't found him. I was terribly frightened. Perhaps something had happened to him, and he had had gotten caught bin Cullen's games as expected. That was barely possible though. There was no way Cole would have been taken, right under our noses. "We should go back to the house." I began, as Tommy shook his head, and continued driving. "Tommy, what if something has happened to him already, I mean what if Cullen took him already." I argued. "Ellen, you can't just blame everything on Cullen. A little thing happens, and you start insinuating or making up silly stories." "They're not silly, Tommy. He did take Suzy if you remember? That shouldn't be too difficult to remember, it happened just yesterday." Tommy exhaled, and patted the steering wheel li
The New Teacher Next Door Sixty One
DEVAN MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT... Sparkly whites, glowing faces, sweaty palms, and a bride to be handed off. It was Uncle Viktor's wedding ceremony today, and the whole family was present. I sat in my cheap suit that had bought at last minute from a thrift store downtown, all in a bid to make me as fashionable as the rest of the family. I cared less about fashion, than anyone I had ever met. Matt had always been the good-looking and most fashionable one between us. But still, most of the time, people failed to tell who was which one. "When can we leave?" Robb fired, beginning to feel uneasy again. He wasn't much of an outdoor person, and neither was I. Yet again, Matt was again handed the responsibility of being the social one amongst us. "Shut your mouth, Robb. We don't need any of your madness today." Matt fired. "Watch your tongue, Matt. Or I might as well cut it off, since you have no use of it." Robb retorted, as Mum glared at him. Robb had
The New Teacher Next Door Sixty Two
SIXTY TWO ELLEN Times were changing so quickly. With Suzy gone, every minute we spent frolicking about, was a gamble on her life. We weren't even decided on what to do yet, especially with this new found discovery of the dead crippled boy, and Cole being in possession of his stuff, which was weird. Partly because, who was stupid enough to trust a drunk person with privy information? A crazy prospect it was! "Don't you think we should bring the boy along?" Tommy quizzed, as he hauled Cole's drunken ass into the truck. "The dead boy?" I buzzed confusedly. "Yes, I mean. We could be able to get some answers, or understand what Cullen's game plan is." I rolled my eyes at him. "Hold on, Tommy. And you want to get all these answers from a dead crippled boy?" I fired, as he sighed, and shut Cole's door. "That's not exactly what I meant, Ellen..." "You didn't mean anything, Tommy. We've found Cole, and surprisingly he was useful in getting a few ans
The New Teacher Next Door Sixty Three
DEVAN A MONTH BEFORE THE ACCIDENT... Black on white, and a red bow tie to match. It was Christmas again, and just like every other year, the whole family was here to celebrate it. However, Uncle Viktor's absence was greatly noted. He was the one who always one funny joke or a story to tell, but he wasn't here now. The last I had heard about him was that he had moved far away for holidays or vacation of some sort, after separating from his wife of a few months, over a cheating scandal. Heartbreaking, it was! And it didn't seem fair that he never got to enjoy his marriage as much as he should have. Howbeit, it was what it was, and there was nothing that could be done about it. "Pass me the sauce." Aunt Lisa ordered, as I obeyed without hesitation. I wasn't left with much of a choice though. Aunt Lisa, wasn't a friendly one, or someone who could be kept waiting. Her rage was always waiting to flare up into a wild engulfing fire. I passed the sauce to her
The New Teacher Next Door Sixty Four
ELLEN The room was tense, and the silence that we shared was thick enough to be cut through with a knife. The four of us stood in that sitting room with eyes fixed on each other. We all wanted different things at that moment, but there was no way to satisfy each of us at the same time. We had our different ideologies on priorities, and it was beginning to play out. "Suzy has to be first on our list." Cole yelled, with a glass of wine in his hands. "And why is that? Because she's your wife?" Tommy fired, losing his patience already. "That's one reason, and the other is because you all got her into this mess. She was innocent, and had nothing to do with all of this, until you all came along." Big Joe scoffed, shaking his head slightly. "Now is not the time to apportion blames, Cole." He warned, but Cole being the insensitive, drunk fool that he was continued. "Why shouldn't we? After all, Ellen got her into this mess, so why can't she get her out?" He que
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The New Teacher Next Door Eighty Eight
ELLEN The ceiling fan whirred softly, barely producing enough air to reduce the heat that enveloped the room. I turned around, trying to find a better position that suited me. BJ's snores took a higher tempo, and I could tell that he was fast asleep now. I turned to my side on the bed, again, grunting and grumbling, as the heat refused to subside. Exhaustion took the better part of me, and I forced myself to a sitting position. What had I expected from a motel as this one. This was the cheapest one I had been able to find. In fact, this was the only place I had been able to afford. Suzy wasn't back to the room yet. She had stepped out to take a call about an hour ago, and hadn't returned since then. I wondered what was taking her time. I stretched out on the bed, and stood to my feet, yawning tiredly. I couldn't sleep, and no matter what I tried, the sleep refused to come. "Ellen?" Suzy called, pushing the door opened, as she stepped in. I stood fac
The New Teacher Next Door Eighty Seven
DEVAN Regrets, and making bad choices went hand in hand. The house hadn't been the same since Mum had realised what she had done. She had suddenly withdrawn into her shell, barely speaking out anymore. I could barely imagine the amount of disappointment she felt at that point, but I wasn't ready to ease her agony so quickly. School was were I buried myself in now, mostly to keep myself busy, and keep the crazy thoughts away. It wasn't going to be the same anymore. Mum sat by the window side, staring blankly through the window, with a steaming hot cup of coffee in her hand. Each time I looked at her, I knew I had to help her, but it was going to be difficult. She always had a hand in everything that went wrong at home. What was a little pain compared to the series of insults that I had been forced to go through in her hands. I held unto the sides of the wheelchair I was seated in, and slowly forced an exhale out. "I see you, Devan." She said, breaking t
The New Teacher Next Door Eighty Six
ELLEN A loud, startling knock on the door, flung me off the bed in trepidation. I glanced quickly at my feet, and hissed lightly. My shoes were still on, I hadn't taken them off after getting into the room. I sat at the edge of the bed, and began to pull at them, when the knock came again. I took my shoes hastily, and stared blankly at the wall clock. The time read two A.M. However, the time hadn't served as enough deterrent to whoever was banging on my door. Maybe I shouldn't have rented a room at this motel, I should probably have gone for another one. A safer one, perhaps. A thousand and one thoughts ran through my head, as I held my shoe up in my left hand, just in case there was a need for it, and began to move towards the door. Was there a possibility that Devan and Robb had managed to find me so quickly? I couldn't tell, until I opened the damned door. "Who's at the door?" I quizzed, with shaky hands, and a shoe in it. The silence was enough
The New Teacher Next Door Eighty Five
DEVAN I could almost swear that she had noticed that our gazes were fixed on her, yet, she busied herself about the room, as if she didn't care. My heart ached to ask her all the crazy questions that burned at my heart. Why was she doing this? I heard Dad say something loudly, but we were all too preoccupied to even care at the moment. Mum began humming a song, as she went about her duties. I didn't know what to feel at that moment, anger, or resentment that she had only noticed me, after Matt's death. "Ms Barker, could I please get something to eat? It was a long walk from school." Sam pleaded, as Mum beamed a wide smile at him. "Of course, Sammy Boy. You're always welcome here. What would like me to get you?" She quizzed, scratching at her elbows agitatedly. Sam's fingers flew to his head, for a brief moment, as if trying to come up with something, and then thy dropped to his side again weakly. "Anything is fine, ma'am. I wouldn't want to be so much o
The New Teacher Next Door Eighty Four
ELLEN My eyes opened as Robb brought the car to a halt. I exhaled deeply, excited all over again. I was finally home, and although I didn't know where my home was yet though,but I was excited. "You look happy." Robb commented, as the engine died down. I nodded, and beamed a smile at him. "Well, I should be. I was away for too long." He chuckled lightly, and stared at me with a confusing gaze. "You think so? Things aren't the same as you left them." "Oh, come on, Robb. Everything's just fine." "No, it isn't!" He snapped, slamming his hands against the steering wheel. I was taken aback by his reaction. I lifted my hand gently, and rested it on his arm, as he sighed. "What's going on, Robb? Tell me." "Ellen..." He began swallowing deeply. "There's something I should have told you before, but I couldn't bring myself to do it." "What are you talking about, Robb? Spill it already." "It's not good, I promise ." I faked a smile, and patted his a
The New Teacher Next Door Eighty Three
DEVAN Time they say, had a way of doing things to you, changing you, breaking you, or making you. In all of these processes, you were considered as a chief factor, and I was in this one, somehow. Mornings were usually the busiest, school work, and having to endure the taunting and long stares from everyone at school. Not like I cared much though, but driving through the school halls always had a way of reminding me of a life I had once lived, in fear and in the shadows. That life was due for a change. Maybe, it was time I did something really meaningful with my life. I didn't know what it was then, but I was getting there. It was only going to take a short while now. I tapped my hands gently against the wheelchair, as I drove through the halls receiving the usual whispers, and hushed talks from the bunch of students around the hallway. Exhaustion got the better of me, as I shook my head slightly in pity. "You don't look so good, Devan." A voice said behind m
The New Teacher Next Door Eighty Two
ELLEN Cups of coffee sat on the table between us, and the rising sun behind us. I was clearly exhausted, and how much I ached to free myself from Cullen's piercing eyes. He was quiet, and a little distant than I had known him to be. With eyes fixed on me, watching every move, and every gesture that I made. I didn't know what to do, or think. I mean, after all the time I had spent rehearsing, and coming up with words to say to him, when I finally got the chance to, yet here I was, as mute and silent as a lamb. "What's in your mind?" He quizzed, staring intently into my face. I shook my head slightly, regaining myself. "Nothing," I said hurriedly. "I mean, you're the one who's been withdrawn. You weren't like this the last time I saw you. What's happened to you?" He chuckled softly, and sipped at his coffee. "I'm the same person, Ellen. You just didn't know this part of me." I nodded in pretense. And of course, I didn't understand a word he had uttered.
The New Teacher Next Door Eighty One
DEVAN Somehow, all of this still seemed pretty new to me. I had my memory back, and honestly, I had never felt as alive, as I did right now. I rode my wheelchair around the house in impatience, I was alone at home. Robb hadn't returned since he left, and now Mum also was taking too much time at the hospital. It had been a long while since I had been at the house, it seemed different from the last time. Probably because I had my legs then? Sad. A car honk blared loudly, and I drove to the window hurriedly. And just as I expected, it was Mum helping Dad out of the car. Matt's death had tightened the cords that held us as a family. Maybe that was what we had ended? A little it of something macabre? I shook my head hastily to clear it of the thoughts that filled it. Mum was at the door now with Dad. I didn't know what to do, I just sat there waiting for the door to be pushed open. In a moment, Mum stepped into the house, and Dad began turning his head around hu
The New Teacher Next Door Eighty
ELLEN I clearly didn't look forward to the break of day. I knew what Suzy was going to do, but still, I wasn't ready to succumb to her demand. It had been a long night, and as far as I could remember, I had barely blinked an eye. Suzy had barely slept also, as I had felt her toss from side to side on the bed next to me. She wanted to get her life back, and I wanted mine also. And there was no possible way I was going to sacrifice living the very life I had fantasized about living, just because she needed my help. That wasn't fair to me. That morning, I had gone about my regular business just like the previous night, and from what I could tell, Suzy wasn't interested in me, just as I wasn't also. I mean, we were both so different, but yet, there was this kind of connection that I felt like we both shared unknowingly. I was bent over a bag, as I arranged a few stuff I had left into it. Big Joe hadn't even been kind enough to let me come back to the house to
