A Night to Remember

We sat in silence on the couch.

"I'm not letting you go home tonight," he said as he placed his hand over mine.

I felt my face grow hot. "Wh-what do you mean?" I asked. I felt slightly embarrassed by this gesture and I slipped my hand away as if pretending he hadn't done that.

"I'm not letting you go back out onto the street to sell yourself. I know you never have... but that is why I intend to keep it that way. I want you to live with me," he said.

My eyes widened and I turned away from him. "What are you saying?!" I demanded, my face flushing madly.

"I don't know..."

"What?" I turned back to him. "If you don't know, then don't say such things! It confuses me!" I said and I stood up. "Excuse me. I have to leave," I said quickly and I walked towards the door. I gasped when Mr.Quinn's hand slammed against the door, blocking my escape. I turned to face him, my face burning with heat. His face was only inches from mine and I but my lip paying no attention to my pounding heart.

"Don't leave..." he said quietly.

"I won't do anything, I promise," I said. "I won't go onto the streets... but please... let me go home."

"Just stay. One night," he said.

"Mr.Quinn."

"Alexander. My name is Alexander Quinn," he said. "Please call me by my first name."

I blushed. Calling a teacher by their first name? It was too embarrassing. "N-no! I prefer to call you Mr.Quinn," I replied.

He didn't respond but merely nodded. "I understand."

"Are you alright?" I asked.

He nodded again. "Yes. You can go home," he said and he removed his hand from the door.

I bit my lip and sighed. "I-I'll stay the night," I told him. "Just this one time," I said. "Damn, I don't know what I'm doing."

"Good," he said. "And you don't have to know."

"What?"

"Nothing..."

~~~~~~<><><>~~~~~~<><><>~~~~~~

That night I slept in the guest room. It was quite comfortable... more so than my bed at home. But I woke up in the middle of the night. I had had a dream of my parents and their death... I often had that dream and I hated it... it was a reminder that I was meant to be alone. Punished... For not being able to save them instead of just myself.

There was a knock on the door. "Jane?"

"I-I'm alright," I said.

Mr.Quinn ended up coming in anyways. He was dressed only in pajama pants which made me blush.

"Are you really?" he asked. "That scream was..."

"I screamed?"

"Quite loudly actually. Are you okay?"

"Yes..."

He came and sat next to me on the bed. He lifted a hand to my forehead and them pulled it away. "Your face is flushed and warm. You're also sweating... what happened?"

I didn't answer.

"I see..." he said and he stood up. "Well I'll just go get you a cloth to cool you down."

As he began to walk towards the door I sat up and reached out to him and grabbed his hand. "D-don't go," I said. "Please..."

He only looked at me before he came back. He slowly lifted the covers and sat down next to me. I laid my head on the covers over his lap and he placed his hand on my head, gently running his fingers through my hair.

"It's alright," he said soothingly. "What ever happened... it's done now."

I felt tears form in my eyes but they didn't fall. I didn't want to cry. "Thank you," I said.

"I'll always be here if you need me Jane. I'm your teacher and your friend. If you need anything just come and talk to me. I will listen and hell you get through your difficulties."

I smiled and nodded. "Thank you," I repeated.

The rest of the night felt warm and cosy. It almost felt as if Mr.Quinn was a parent to me at that moment. A parent who loved their child. A promise to keep that child safe from harm. That's what it seemed like. And I was happy knowing that someone was there to look out for me...

 

What..? 

 

Go away