ETHAN

She keeps invading my mind. Ever since our meeting last week I've been looking forward to seeing again, not because I want to pick up where we left off, I just want to see her.

Do I find her attractive?

No...Yes, maybe a little.

She isn't the type of person I should be thinking about because I don't think about a woman twice especially not the one I haven't fucked yet. I don't want to fuck Hilsa but why does my dick get hard whenever I think about her?

Seeing her today was unplanned, I didn't know she comes to Flops, well then, I should have guessed since Flops was right around the corner from where she was walking that day and she had coffee in her hand.

She isn't looking any different today except her hair is braided. I don't notice these things, so why the hell am I noticing the small things about Hilsa?

"What was grumpy looking for?" I ask Freddie after leaning on the counter.

She answers, "She comes in here every morning, and don't call her grumpy."

Resisting the urge to roll my eyes. "You can't deny that she's grumpy, I've seen her three times including today and all times she wasn't smiling."

"Did you say she comes her everyday?" Darren asks, speaking for the first time since we got here.

Freddie nods. "Good morning, welcome to Flops, what can I get you?" She addresses the customer standing beside me.

The man lifts his head and scans the special meals banner pasted at the top before making up his mind. "I'll have the breakfast special and a cup of coffee, medium size with one sugar and almond milk."

Freddie nods to Darren's question. "Coming right up sir," she gives him a smile and goes to make his order.

I walk to where Darren is standings, his elbow on the counter and he looks lost in thought. "Hey."

"What's up, E?"

"I'm sorry but I gotta ask, how do you know her?"

He frowns as if my question is out of line. "Who?" I raise my eyebrows at him. He knows who I'm talking about.

"Hilsa. How do you know her?"

He glances down at his wrist watch and clicks his tongue, making the tick tock sound. "As much as I would love to chat, I can't, I'm sorry mate, I have class in ten minutes," he lies and pat me on my shoulder before leaving without another word.

I know he's lying because his schedule is with me, he doesn't have class until afternoon which is hours away. He's avoiding the topic but why? Did they date and ended things badly?

"Why are you curious about her?" My head spins to Freddie's direction where she has the biggest grin on her face after a customer leaves a big tip.

I shift to her front and answer her. "You, Landon, Wally and Darren knows her, you see her everyday, and I've never seen her before until last week. Why is that?"

She blows a raspberry kisses. "You are asking me?"

"What does she order?"

Freddie frowns as she wipes the counter with the towel always hanging on her shoulder. "Are you asking me about one of my favorite regular customer? I'm not going to tell you anything about her, there's something called customer confidentiality."

Customer confidentiality my ass. I know Freddie well enough to know that her yes is yes and no is no, she won't tell me about Hilsa.

"Okay, will you tell about you instead?" She gives me a warning looking that means 'drop it' but I won't. "Why did you leave D.C?"

"Stay out of my business, Ethan and I will stay out of yours." Her tone turning serious all of a sudden.

I was just trying to get to know more about my friend, not poking around her business.

"Why did you never enroll? Does Flux knows you aren't a student?-"

"For fuck sake, Ethan!" She slams her towel on the counter and glares at me. "I left Washington because I wanted a fresh start and I'm a fucking dancer."

Lies lies lies. She looks like someone that's running but I can see my curiosity about her is starting to upset her, so I won't ask anything.

Why do I have friends that gets upset quickly?

I need a drink.

HILSA.

Mark's sister, Michelle is waiting for us in front of the school, looking smart in her blue pant suit. She and her brother are almost identical, and since Dawn looks so much like her father, whenever I see Michelle she reminds me of her, and the amount of rage I feel whenever I think about Dawn-Aurora is uncontainable.

I kick the door shut behind and approach Principal Potts. As I walk towards her, I see the reluctant fake smile build on her face, she doesn't even try to hide her distaste and dislike for me. It doesn't bother me because I don't care what people think of me, if I did I wouldn't leave my house but here I am besides the feeling is mutual.

"It's nice to have you here, I was so thrilled when Marklin said you agreed," her mouth are saying one thing and her eyes are saying the exact opposite.

I stop in front of her and shove my hands into my pockets. "Really?" Who does she think she's fooling? I'm only doing this for Marklin. He's been there for me, much to my dislike and he deserves a little something in return, if it means teaching bunch of teenagers how to draw, then why not?

Mark walks up to us, which is a good thing because who knows what will happen if we continue staring at each other like that.

"Michelle," he calls her name and pulls her into a hug, she doesn't hug him back, her cold eyes boring into mine. If that's supposed to be an intimidating look then she needs to get a refund from where she's learning.

Why does Michelle Potts hates me? Easy, I punched her son in front of her on his eighteenth birthday, I was fifteen and Joseph was being too touchy for my liking. I put him in his place and the pussy cried like a little bitch. Everyone at the party asked me to apologize, even my parents but I would never apologize for defending myself. No one knew what happened but the twat and me. When they asked him what happened, he said, "she just punched me out of nowhere."

Who cared if he was lying? I already gave him a broken nose and made him bleed. It was enough for me. Anyway, since then Michelle hasn't been my biggest fan.

Marklin kisses his sister on both cheeks and pulls back, he wraps his around my shoulder to push me forward gently. "All yours," he says and ruffles my hair before releasing me with some wise words. "Be nice, they are seven grader," he repeats like I didn't know that, "remember seven graders. Seven graders as in kids as in thirteen-"

"I will try not to make anyone cry home to their mommy," I cut him, saying with a cold smile, my eyes lock with Michelle.

Marklin looks between the both of us and chuckles nervously. "she was just kidding," he assures his sister, "right, Hilsa?" He nudges my stomach with his elbow.

My smirk deepen with no reply to Marklin.

"See, she's just joking. Anyway I'll see you guys later," he kisses his sister's cheek one last time before pressing a kiss on the side of my head and whispers, "please behave."

He leaves after that. Both Michelle and I watch him drive away. Good. He's gone. I can do whatever the hell I want now.

"Follow me," she orders and turns her heel, walking inside.

Scoffing at the childish behavior, I take a deep breath and follow her. She starts the tour with the library, and takes me around whilst giving me the rules and regulations in serious and also nonchalant tone. My favorite rule is not being rude to other teachers, I know that isn't a rule, she just told me that, knowing me and all.

She stops in front of a class, the class I'll be teaching. "This will only last a month, won't be up to that if the teacher returns. I will give you one warning Hilsa, one warning," she faces, straighten her back and squaring her shoulder, trying to look intimidating but it's not just working on me, "If I see you take a step you aren't supposed to take or say the wrong things, you are gone. I will be watching you."

"Good to know. Anything else?" I run my tongue in my mouth.

She tries not to let her glare show by masking it with a void expression but I see it and I see through her. It's obvious that she doesn't want me here, why did she agree with Marklin to let me come.

"Shall we?" She gestures for me to follow her.

I enter the class and do a quick sweep of the room. They all look cheery and bubbly like they're happy to be here, well, all except for one, a girl with two ponytails braided with green ribbons that matches her green dress sitting at the back of the class.

She is the only real thing in this class.

"Good Morning kids, as you all know Ms. Ghafar isn't available, this is Miss Fries, she will be substituting for your Art teacher." She faces me. "Miss Fries." She calls my name with a warning, "I'll leave the rest to you." Her hidden words are 'don't make me regret this'.

She leaves after that.

I walk to the board, and pick up a chalk and write my full name on the board. "Hey guys, my name is Hilsa Fries as in Fries, the French fries, and today we will be getting to know each other before we walk down the Art lane, why don't you start?" I point at the redhead boy sitting in the front seat.

He doesn't seem nervous as he stands up and introduce himself, I like a well spirited young lad. The next person does the same and the next. Getting to know the kids isn't all bad, not as bad I thought it would be. Maybe I wouldn't be bad at this after all.

While they introduce themselve, I study each and everyone of them. "It is your turn," Talking to the sad girl I notice when I entered the class.

She stands up and swallows. She's nervous, I can tell from the way she keeps looking around in fear when others were doing their own.

Unfortunately I know how she feels because this anxiety is something I dealt with when I was younger, it still affect me sometimes as an adult.

She meets my eyes, and those green eyes are begging me not to let her do it. I gave her an encouraging smile.

"Hmm...my na-name is...Will... I... I... My..... Umm... Um," She stutters, the whole class erupts in mocking laughter. She looks around and see all of them laughing at her.

She runs out of class. Without thinking, I go after her.

She pushes the door of the gym and enters her. I catch the door before it closes, I let myself in and see her sitting on the floor, hugging her legs to herself and sniffling with her head buried down.

"Hey there little one," I call quietly and go down to seat beside her.

The girl lifts her head and faces me, not looking surprised to see me, she probably heard me running after her. "I'm not little." She glares at me, looking offended that I called her little.

"You aren't little, I'm sorry."

What am I doing?

"Forgiven." She smiles through her tear and wipe it with the back of her hand. "Miss Fries, what are you doing here?"

"Isn't that obvious? I'm here for you, you just ran out," I answer her without looking at her.

She sobs again which makes me look at her. "I'm sorry Miss Fries, I just couldn't do it."

This is deep than the stage fright. Something is going on with her, I could tell from the moment I saw her this morning.

"It's okay, we all get nervous, it is totally normal, what is your name little one?"

I'm taking a liking to this one which is weird. I don't like people especially kids.

"It's Willow, Willow Willows," she introduces herself with a knowing smile.

Willow Willows? What sort of name combination is that?

"If you have the same last and first name, what is your third name?"

"Christine."

Christine. Why couldn't they have names her Christine then.

"Blame my parent, they are stupid."

"My middle name is Shimmer," I confess to let her know she isn't the only one with weird name combination. Hilsa Shimmer Reneé Fries.

Willow looks curious. "Really?"

I nod and add, "my sister and brother were Shine and Glimmer, my Mom was obsessed with it," I admit.

"Were?" Willow might be shy but she is not stupid.

"How about we work on your stage fright?"

This isn't all bad.