How to make your teacher fall in love with you

Chapter 4

Chapter 4- Ella’s POV

I took a step back, now feeling really uneasy. "I- um, why would you do that?" I asked, stuttering. Mr James lurched forward once again, and I automatically moved back, bumping into the classroom door as I did so. I took a deep breath.

He stepped forward once again, and was now standing really close to me. "There's no one else in here, is there?" he asked. He sure knew how to look scary. I didn't say anything, but I managed to shake my head. His eyes locked on mine, looking intense, and he bit his lip. "Good," he said. I swear, he looked just like a mass murderer would.

I gulped for the second time, knowing that I was trapped and that I couldn't run away. There was almost no light, and apart from Mr James's dark figure, there were only shadows. "I, uh, have to go," I said, trying to make my way out of there. He stopped me by putting his hand on my left shoulder. Maybe Nathan's right, I thought. This guy really is something.

"Where are you going?"

"I have a lesson."

"You don't have a lesson, I heard you saying that it's a free lesson." He smirked.

"Well uh, it was the wrong door-" Before I could finish, I felt Mr James place his other hand on my right shoulder so that he was almost holding me. I stopped talking.

"Lessons don't start until 8am, it's only 7.45," he said. He put both hands down and stepped back. "Ella, why don't you want to talk to me?" he asked. I saw a gleam in his eyes.

I shook my head. "I didn't say that. It's just, you're kind of scaring me," I said. Okay, so maybe it was my plan to get close to this guy, but not like this. I was expecting him to rape me or kill me or whatever right there.

Mr James chuckled. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to look scary." His jaw relaxed, but then he looked troubled once again. "I don't know why you hang out with Nathan. I saw the way he was twisting your arm."

I heaved a sigh of relief. Oh, so he just wants to talk. About Nathan. Worry washed through me once again. "I know, I saw you looking," I admitted.

"I'm worried about you, Ella. Nathan is not a nice person, and I'm sure you've noticed that by now. I mean," he said taking a deep breath, "he even bullies me. You saw that twice, you were there." He paused. "I don't want him to hurt anyone else."

I looked up at him. "Why don't you go to the principal, then?" I asked.

"He's vindictive, I don't want to risk anything."

"So you're just gonna let him control your life." I said this in the form of a statement, not a question. I knew this was true. He was trying to control my life as well.

"Yeah I.." Mr James looked down. "I'll think about something," he said. He glanced at me. "Are you okay? You looked really worried in the hall."

"Yeah I'm okay, thanks," I said, still thinking about what would happen if Nathan got suspended from school or something like that. I pushed the thought away, realizing that no matter what happened to him, Nate would still get back at me for not doing what he told me to. So this is it, I thought. I still need to flirt with this guy.

"You don't really look okay," Mr James said.

I smiled faintly. "But I am."

"If you need anything, you know I'm here for you, right? Even though I'm your new teacher and it may seem weird for you."

I nodded. "Thanks, sir."

He smiled back at me. “There’s nothing to thank me for. It’s my duty to help, really. And you seem like a nice person, so it’s even more of a pleasure for me to help.” He looked down once again, and then back up. “I have to go now, I have to prepare for my lesson. What are you going to do?”