by Seven Rue
“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow,” I called out as she left the classroom.
“Juno, come to my office, please.” I turned my head to look at Benji, and I nodded, taking one last look at Ezra who was still talking to Gus.
“Coming,” I told Benji, following him upstairs to his office.
“What is it?” I asked, sitting down on one of the chairs in front of his desk.
“I wanted to check in on you. How’s videography going?” he asked.
“Good. It’s fun. Probably the most interesting thing I’ve ever picked,” I told him. “But my camera is broken. It got all wet last night during the storm, but I could save the memory card, so that’s good.”
Ezra walked in as I told Benji about my camera, and he looked concerned. “Do you have a second one?” he asked.
“No. I’ll probably just use my phone to take the videos. No big deal,” I said, looking back at Benji because he didn’t make me blush.
“Glad you’re liking what you’re doing. It’s important that you keep that motivation up or else your movie will turn out floppy and boring. And we don’t want that, do we?”
“Of course not,” I said, and Ezra chuckled.
“All right. Then, go home. Both of you,” Benji said, motioning with both hands to leave the room.
I got back up and tried to avoid eye contact with Ezra, but as we left the office and he closed the door behind us, I had to turn around to look at him. “Hi,” I said, feeling like a shy and nervous little girl.
“Hey,” he said with an incredibly handsome smile. “You know, there’s a thrift shop just outside of town. Maybe you can look for a camera there. Shouldn’t be too expensive,” he told me.
“Sounds good. Thanks for the tip.” I smiled back at him, and before us standing there turned into an awkward silence, he pushed his hands into his pockets and leaned in closer.
“If you want, we can go there together. We can take my car,” he said in a low voice, and I was surprised by his suggestion.
“Right now?”
He nodded while he kept his eyes on mine. “Wait next to the park. I’ll pick you up there,” he told me.
“Okay.” I studied his face for a while, then left to go downstairs and walk down the street to the park. We were about to break another rule, but I didn’t care. I wanted him close, and sitting in his classroom all day without really talking to him was not enough for me.
I waited on the sidewalk for his car to pull up. I knew he drove a black car, but there were lots of those on the streets. Finally, a car slowed down in front of me, and the passenger seat door opened.
“Get in,” Ezra told me after opening the door from the inside, and I quickly climbed in.
“Did you tell your moms you’re not coming home right after school?” he asked.
I raised an eyebrow and looked at him while I put the seatbelt on. “You’re worried about my moms but not about us getting caught?”
“Of course I’m worried about that, Juno. Let them know that you’ll be home later,” he told me.
“All right, relax,” I shot back, receiving a warning look from him. I should try and be more polite when I get annoyed. “I’m sorry. I’ll text them right now.”
Ezra started driving and I texted my moms to let them know that I would be home a little later, and that I was going to the island again. That wasn’t suspicious at all, since the island was pretty much my second home.
Going out of town was not as dangerous as being on the island with him. It was much safer, but there was still a chance that somebody would see us. I didn’t want to think about that. I needed a new camera, and it was convenient for Ezra to take me there because he had a car. We didn’t own one, and taking the bus would take too long.
I leaned back in my seat and put the phone back in my backpack before looking over at Ezra. “Do you do this often?” I asked.
“Do what often?” He glanced at me, then looked back at the road.
“Hang out with students instead of people your age.” I was mocking him, and luckily, he didn’t take it seriously.
A laugh escaped him, and he shook his head. “You’re something else, Juno. Why don’t you turn your head and enjoy the view, hm?”
I laughed softly and turned my head to look out of the window. We were already getting too comfortable with each other again. And I was starting not to care what was right or wrong. He made me feel good, and I wanted to keep that feeling inside of me for as long as possible.
Chapter Twelve
Ezra
There weren’t many people at the thrift store. Juno was standing by a table with used electronics on it to find a camera that was good enough to take videos for her movie.
“This one’s almost the same as mine,” she said and held one of the cameras in my direction.
“Does it work?” I asked, standing behind her and looking over her shoulder.
“I think so. It turns on, but it says it has low battery. I think I’ll get this one. There’s a charger that comes with it,” she explained and pointed to the short cord on the table.
I nodded as she turned her head to look at me. She smelled amazing, and I couldn’t help but take in more of her scent. I placed my hand on her waist and leaned in to kiss the top of her head. “I’ll get it for you,” I whispered, hoping she would accept this gift.
“You don’t have to, Ezra,” she said with a smile and turned her head back to look at the camera.
“See it as a late birthday gift.” I smiled and brushed my thumb along her waist, wishing there were no clothes covering her. She leaned into me with her back against my chest, and I moved my hand to her stomach, showing her in that small gesture how much I wanted her close.
“Are you going to insist on buying it for me?” she asked softly, and I chuckled.
“Probably.”
“Okay,” she sighed, turning to face me with a smile. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. But it’ll have to stay—”
“Between us. I know, Ez,” she whispered with a hint of sadness in her voice. I wished it was easier. But whatever we had going on between us could not get out. It was our secret, and I wished she’d be older and not my student.
I gave her an encouraging smile, then patted her lower back before nodding toward the checkout desk. “Let’s go.” I grabbed the camera out of her hands and reached for the charger on the table, then walked across the store to pay for the camera. It wasn’t that expensive, but I wanted her to save her money for other things. This camera wasn’t much of an investment. I gave it another year, then she’d have to buy a new one.
We walked across the parking lot to get to my car, and as I opened the passenger door for her, she put her hand on my wrist to stop me from doing so. “Would you like to go for a walk with me? We could walk along the creek. I don’t wanna go home yet,” she told me.
I studied her for a second. We were far enough away from people we knew, so taking a little walk with her wasn’t a bad idea. “Okay,” I replied. I put the camera on the seat, then shut the door again.
“Unless you’re not comfortable with it,” she added to her suggestion, but I quickly shook my head. “I’d love to go for a walk with you, Juno.” That settled her concern, and we started walking toward the creek leading into a small forest.
I pushed my fists into the pockets of my coat and looked straight ahead, taking in the beautiful colored leaves on the trees. “What’s your favorite season?” I asked.
“Winter.” Her answer shot out like a cannonball. I chuckled, turning my head to look at her.
“Winter? What’s nice about winter?”
“The snow. The lights. The coziness when you’re inside, cuddled up with your favorite blanket and a hot chocolate in your hands,” she replied.
“That’s so cliché,” I mocked.
She laughed. “But it’s the truth. Summer’s too hot. I don’t like the sun. I get sunburnt easily, and I have to put on tons of sunscreen before leaving the
house. You start to sweat the second you open the front door and sleeping at night is horrible when you can’t even open the window because you’ll get bitten by freaking mosquitoes.”
“Right,” I muttered, puckering my lips and trying to bite back a grin.
“What’s your favorite season?” she asked.
“I’m starting to like fall a lot,” I told her, turning my head to look at her again.
“Starting to like? What’s making you change your mind?”
“You,” I said bluntly. Her eyes widened, and then that infamous frown appeared between her brows again.
“Why?”
“Because you remind me of it. Your natural dark, copper hair matches the leaves, your eyes look like dark blue, stormy skies, and then there’s your whole aura…” I hoped I didn’t sound like a total creep, but I couldn’t hold it in any longer. She was beautiful, and I wanted her to know.
“My aura? How does my aura match a whole season?”
“When you’re around it feels like a breath of fresh air. It’s like a storm coming up, but in a good way.”
She couldn’t find words. Instead, she kept her eyes on me while her face relaxed and the frown finally turned into a smile.
Juno reached out her hand and hooked it around my arm, and while it slid down to my wrist, I pulled my hand out of the pocket to take hers into mine. Our fingers locked, and in that moment, everything felt right.
We kept walking with our fingers intertwined, and after a minute of silence, she broke it. “Why did your ex leave you?”
I never talked about Olivia, but I didn’t want to keep my past relationship a secret. Talking about it might even help to get over it. “I left her,” I said, brushing my thumb along hers and holding her hand tightly in mine.
“We fought too much. She’s very work-oriented, and prioritized her job. Not that that’s a bad trait, but the second she came home she let all her frustration out on me. I tried to push it aside in the beginning, but she soon started to use her hands to let out her anger. Again, I took it for the first few months and hoped that she would calm down eventually. But she never did.” I sighed, running my other hand through my hair.
“I wasn’t happy anymore, and we started fighting over the most senseless shit. I worked at St. Floyd’s High School back then, and she wasn’t the only one who had stressful days at work. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I told her to leave.”
Juno’s hand squeezed mine and she leaned in closer to put her head against my upper arm. “Sorry to hear. You’re a great guy, Ezra. I hope you know that.”
Instead of bringing Olivia up, she chose her words carefully, saying only positive and uplifting things. That’s one way to cheer someone up, and she did it successfully. I smiled at her, kissing her head before looking back into her eyes.
“You’ve got a beautiful soul, you know that? It’s like an old, wise woman is stuck inside of you. That’s incredibly fascinating. You’re only seventeen, but I’ve had better conversations with you than with most adults I know.”
As we kept walking along the creek, her smile wasn’t the only thing that grew. My heart was full, and for the first time since we met, I didn’t feel as if we were risking anything at all.
Chapter Thirteen
Juno
We reached the car after almost an hour of walking around in the forest and talking. Our conversations were seamless, and I had a few laughs thanks to Ezra. He wasn’t just an extremely nice guy, but he was fun to be around.
We didn’t let go of each other’s hands, but as we stopped next to the car door, Ezra put both his hands on my waist. He pushed me up against the car, and I put my hands on his chest to not let them hang awkwardly by my sides.
“I had a good time with you,” he told me, and I smiled at his words.
“Me too. Maybe we should come here more often,” I suggested, but he shook his head.
“I wanna explore more places with you. I’ll take you wherever you want to go, as long as I can get you home before your moms start to wonder where you are.” His hands gripped my waist tighter, and he leaned in to kiss my forehead.
I closed my eyes, and I couldn’t hold back a frown. “Aren’t you scared?”
“I’m scared shitless,” he admitted, looking back into my eyes. “If this gets out, it can cost me my job and teaching license.”
“Then why are you putting it all at risk?”
He studied my face for a while, then his hands came up to cup my cheeks. “Because of you. I know it sounds stupid, and it’s probably the dumbest thing I’ll ever do…but I can’t help it, Juno. I know you feel it, too.”
“So…what are you saying exactly?” I asked softly, looking at my hands on his chest.
“I’m saying that for now, and for as long as we can keep this a secret, I wanna keep you close to me. We can find ways to see each other outside of school. But…we have to be careful at school. No flirting. No eye-contact that lasts longer than we would usually look at someone.”
I laughed softly and nodded. “I think I can manage that.” I looked back up into his eyes while his thumbs brushed along my cheekbones.
His eyes moved to my lips. “Do you mind if I—”
“I don’t mind,” I interrupted him, knowing exactly what he wanted to ask. I was only seventeen, and he was already an adult, but who said that it wasn’t okay to catch feelings for someone who’s older or younger than you?
That’s the whole point of love. You fall for one person, no matter who they are. Hell, you can fall in love with two, or three people at once. Who the hell cares? As long as your heart’s pure, and as long as you go into it for the right reasons, who’s to say who you should and shouldn’t love?
A low chuckle made his chest vibrate, and he leaned in while his tongue came out to lick his lips. This wasn’t the first time a guy had kissed me, but I knew this time would be different.
This time, I felt something deep within me. Not sure what it was, but the tingles told me that I was already in too deep.
As his lips touched mine, I closed my eyes and immediately felt my knees give in. Thankfully, I could hold myself up by tightly grabbing on to his shoulders. His lips moved against mine, and as the tip of his tongue brushed along my bottom lip, I opened my mouth for him to let him taste more.
I’ve enjoyed kissing other boys before, but Ezra put so much passion into it that it was a whole new experience for me.
He kept me close with his hands on my cheeks, and by tilting his head slightly to the side, he dived deeper into my mouth with his tongue.
A soft moan left my throat, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, making him move his hands down to my waist again.
They didn’t stay there, instead, his left hand moved up to cup the back of my head, and placed his right hand on my lower back between the car and me.
His lips moved gentler now, and his tongue licked against mine one last time before he broke the kiss. He leaned his forehead against mine, and while I tried to catch my breath, he brushed my hair behind my ears.
“We should go back. It’s getting dark,” he whispered, and I quickly nodded.
Ezra leaned in once again, placing a soft kiss at the corner of my mouth before pulling me a few steps away from the car and opening the door for me.
I thanked him, then climbed in and put my seatbelt on. I breathed in deeply while I watched him walk around the car. He looked pleased, and I didn’t feel any different.
“All right, let’s get you home,” he said as he got into the car. I smiled at him and nodded.
“I had a great time with you today, too.”
He started the engine and turned his head to look at me. His hand reached for mine, and he pulled it up to his lips to place a kiss to the back of my hand.
Words weren’t needed, and the whole way back home, I couldn’t tear my eyes off him.
Chapter Fourteen
Juno
“You look perfect on camera, Pixie. I promise you I will make this mo
vie just as aesthetically pleasing as you are,” I told her as we walked back to our bikes. We spent the whole Saturday on Clark Island, taking videos. She read my script on the way there, and she thought the words were beautiful and meaningful.
I didn’t put too much time into the writing part of the movie, but I wanted it to represent my feelings of when I’m on the island.
“Okay. But if I look horrible, I will steal that tape and burn it. I wanna watch it before you let anyone else see it.”
I nodded, holding out my pinky so she could hook hers with mine. She did. “Promise,” I told her, letting go of her pinky again.
“Tomorrow, same time?” I asked.
“Sure. Are you going somewhere?”
“Uh, yeah. I have to go visit my aunt on the other side of town. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I told her, then got on my bike and rode off.
I had no aunt living on that side of town, but I had a handsome man waiting for me in his apartment. Ezra invited me for dinner, and after texting each other all week long and not getting to hang out other than that Tuesday afternoon, he asked if I wanted to spend some time with him tonight.
I couldn’t say no, and although my excitement was going through the roof, there was a part of me deep inside my brain telling me that I shouldn’t go, and we would get caught sooner or later.
Ezra assured me that none of the other students knew where he lived, and that his friends wouldn’t go to his home unannounced.
Ten minutes later, I arrived at his apartment building and locked my bike next to the entrance. The door was open, so I walked up the stairs to get to his apartment. I knocked a few times, then looked down at my clothes and breathed in deeply to calm my nerves.
The door opened, and Ezra stood there in his loungewear. “Hey,” he greeted, and I smiled brightly at him.
“Hi,” I replied. I let my eyes wander down his body, then up to his face again where a smug grin appeared on his lips.
