by Dawn Doyle
“Boys, keep it down and pay attention.” The teacher said from the front.
“Sorry” they replied and looked back to their work.
Alex risked a glance back at Holly and, sure enough, she was looking right back. But so was Dev, or was she looking at Ben? He just smiled and turned back, shifting his eyes to Ben who was now batting his eyes at Alex. He shook his head. It was a good job Ben sat with his back to Holly, or she may be punching him in the face.
After class, the girls hung back and they guys went to the gym. Alex wanted to wait, but the girls would be going in a different direction than they, so he and Ben took off.
Chapter 9
“Ok clase. Vamos a empezar. ¿Puede alguien decirme lo que aprendieron la semana pasada? Alguien? Holly?”
“Yes?” Said Holly.
She had no idea what Miss. Delaney had said, and she was not about to sit through another fifty minutes of her non-teaching.
“¿Qué aprendió la semana pasada?” Delaney said.
“I don’t know what you said.” Holly replied, growing more annoyed.
“En Español, por favor”
“I told you, I don’t know what you said.” Holly raised her voice a little. The were a few whispers at the back of the class.
“Qué. Aprendidó. La. Semana. Pasada?” The teacher said the words individually, and Holly had had enough.
“I. Don’t. Know. What. You. Said.” Holly replied in the same manner. Miss Delaney let out a breath.
“Holly. Hablamos Español en esta class.”
“Look…” Holly said as she leant forward in her seat. “…I took this class to learn Spanish. I can’t learn it if you just speak it and don’t tell me what the hell you said!”
Holly raised her voice further, enough that she was almost shouting at the teacher.
“All you’ve done is teach me how to tell somebody my name, address, and ask where the damn library and swimming pool are! What good is that?!” Holly was shouting now.
“Holly!” Miss Delaney shouted in shock. “There’s no need for that tone!”
“Well, today there is. I’ve been taking this class for two weeks and all you’ve done is show us that you speak fluent Spanish. Well bravo, teacher…” Holly clapped her hands, “…You’re a fantastic linguist. Now, when you’ve finished showing off, can the people who can’t speak Spanish actually learn to?!”
The rest of the class had fallen silent. Holly knew she had gone too far with that last statement, but she didn’t care. She’d meant every word.
“I think you should leave this class, and wait outside. I’ll talk to you later.”
“That, I understood.” Holly replied. “But don’t worry, I won’t be coming back to your ‘class’.” She said holding her fingers up in quotes.
Holly stormed out of the class, slamming the door behind her.
Holly leant against the wall, letting her head fall back and she closed her eyes. She had a sudden feeling she was being watched, and her skin prickled. That usually meant…
Holly opened her eyes and sure enough; Alex was walking towards her.
Alone.
His muscles moved with his T-shirt. His legs filling out his jeans with every step… she closed her eyes again before she said something out loud.
“Hi Holly.” He said as he neared.
She could smell his soapy smell, and the images of bubbles entered her mind. She cleared her throat, then swallowed as she felt her mouth fill with saliva.
I can’t drool now!
“Hi…Alex”
“What’s up? Why aren’t you in class?”
Holly opened her eyes but looked down at the floor. It seemed to be the only way she could communicate, if she weren't looking directly at him.
“I…um… said something I shouldn’t.” She replied as her face heated.
“What happened? Did Dev tell you to say some curse words?”
Holly could hear the smile in his voice and she wished she could look up without swooning. Holly shook her head and she risked a glance up, and she saw that he was genuinely concerned.
“I…I…” she took a deep breath and rubbed her forehead.
Alex was waiting, patiently, for her to carry on. It looked like he wasn’t letting it go this time.
Big girl pants…on
“The teacher…um…I didn’t know what she was saying. But, she…she” Holly let out another breath. “…She kept talking Spanish to me. I told her I didn’t understand…”
Alex’s phone chimed. Holly’s too. Holly took her phone out of her pocket. Dev had sent her a video…
”What the…?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Video” Holly groaned. She saw that Alex realised what she had meant.
Somebody had recorded the whole thing.
“Dev sent it.”
“Ben sent it to me.” Alex said as he checked his phone. “You mind?” he asked holding it up. “I won’t watch if you do, but I’m just going to ask you about it.”
Holly closed her eyes and leant her head back again.
“Be my guest” she waved her hand.
The video started with Holly saying “I told you, I don’t know what you said” As the video ended with Holly walking out, the person filming finished by whispering “and that’s how you say a big ‘fuck you’ to the teacher’ and they laughed.
“Well” said Alex.
“Oh God!” Holly groaned.
“You sure told her.” Alex was chuckling. Chuckling!
“It’s embarrassing.” She said as she opened her eyes, trying to look anywhere but at the perfect image of gorgeousness in front of her.
Holly had an urge to grab him, to tell him to kiss her. She stopped herself by clamping her mouth shut.
Please no!
That would be the worst thing that could happen to her today. He would just laugh at her…Wouldn’t he?
“I think you were right though” he continued.
“You do?” Holly was surprised.
“Yeah. She’s notorious for doing that to the kids in this school. Nobody has had the guts to say anything before though…until now.”
Holly groaned again as the teacher walked out of the classroom.
“Ok, Holly.” She said and paused when she saw Alex.
“Mr. Valencia. Why are you not in class?” she asked, raising her chin to look down her nose at him even though he towered over her.
“Free period” he said and just stared at her.
“Well if you could excuse us, I need to speak to Miss. Edwards.”
Alex didn’t move. There was no way he was leaving Holly alone with that woman.
No fucking way.
“I’m staying.” He said, without breaking eye contact.
“Do I have to get the principal, Mr. Valencia?” Delaney said, folding her arms.
As if that was going to get him to leave his Holly.
My Holly. Mine.
“Please do” he snapped. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to find out how you try to intimidate your beginner Spanish students.”
Delaney’s eyes widened as she glared at Holly.
“Oh Holly didn’t say anything. I saw what happened.” He said as he held out his phone and pressed ‘play’.
Delaney watched in horror at the video of the ‘evidence’ that she did, indeed, try to intimidate the students by showing off the linguistic skills that they lacked.
Once the video had ended, Alex took back his phone. He knew how to get back at the teacher.
“Si alguna vez tratas de Holly esa manera otra vez, yo personalmente te he suspendido. Le diré al director todo. Todo.” He said. Keeping it in Spanish so Holly wouldn’t know what he’d said.
Delaney’s face went white, and Alex was glaring menacingly at her. She put her head down and walked back into the classroom.
“Class dismissed.” She said quietly.
“What…What did you say…to her? Holly asked him, nervously. She looked up at h
im with her big green eyes, and he wanted to kiss her. He felt as though he was leaning forward when the students came out of the room.
“Hell yeah!” one guy said to Holly and held his hand up for a high five.
Holly weakly held her hand up politely, Alex could tell, and the guy slapped it.
“That was fucking epic!” another said.
“Way to go Hols!” The guy, Alex recognized who shot the video, turned to Holly.
“You’ve got balls girl.” And he nodded a greeting at Alex which he returned.
“Thanks man” Alex said
“Just doing my duty, dude.” He said grinning as he walked off down the hall.
Holly noticed the principal, Mr. Lawson, walking towards them.
“Oh crap.”
“Don’t worry” Alex’s voice was soft as he looked into her eyes. It was as if he could see into her and it made Holly feel uncomfortable, but only because he might know she’d been having thoughts about him.
Holly turned her attention to the principal, and she could see a slight smile on his lips.
“Holly Edwards.” Mr. Lawson said as he approached.
“Sir.”
“I’ve been made aware of the situation and, while I don’t condone back chat, I took on board the reasons for your behaviour.”
Holly dropped her head down and waited for the punishment she was sure to receive.
“It was totally justified” Alex backed her up.
“Be that as it may, Alex…” Mr Lawson turned his attention back to Holly. “…Any problems and you need to come to me Ok?”
“Yes sir.”
“Ok you two, get going.”
“Really?” Holly thought she was in big trouble, but Mr. Lawson was telling them to go.
“Really. Go on.” He said as he walked into the Spanish class. “Miss. Delaney…a word.” He said, and he closed the door behind him.
“What just happened? Holly was unsure. She had expected to be given detention at least.
“You’re off the hook, that’s what happened.”
Holly looked to Alex and blushed…again.
Oh God, not now!
He just smiled at her.
“We have class in five, so we may as well get going.”
“Uh…yeah…ok.” She said, and they started to walk to class.
Crap, here I go again!
Alex was so happy to be walking next to Holly for a change. They were alone too. That is, for the whole ten seconds before Ryan and Kyle showed up.
“Duuuuude!” they shouted in unison.
I can’t catch a fucking break!
”Hey guys”
“That was awesome Holly!” Said Ryan.
“Sweet!” added Kyle.
“You saw too?” Holly groaned beside him. Alex was so tempted to put his arm around Holly to comfort her.
“Babe…”
Alex’s eyes snapped to Ryan
“…The whole school saw!” Ryan noticed his glare, which only made Ryan grin like a madman.
“Yeah…” He continued as he looked at Alex. “…You’ve got quite a mouth on you, sweetheart.” Ryan was biting his lip to stop his laugh from escaping and Alex knew his face was like thunder.
They were almost to class, and Alex was tempted, this time, to put his arm around Ryan…to choke him.
Holly walked through the door for Business class.
“Holly!” the girls screamed.
Well shit she groaned internally whist trying to smile at her friends.
Why couldn’t I have just kept my mouth shut?
On Saturday, the girls came over to Holly’s house for pizza and movies. Holly had invited Dev to stay over, and she’d almost cracked a rib when she’d hugged Holly, excitedly.
Before Riss and Kayla had gotten there. Holly had shown Dev the garden. She’d already been amazed at the pond in the front garden. With it’s mini waterfall and different flowers, shrubs, and cattails.
Dev had been mesmerised by the fish and had sat for at least fifteen minutes just looking at them. When they’d gotten into the rear garden, Dev had stood frozen to the spot.
Holly was proud of her garden. It had taken her four weeks to put it together, and she’d only finished it a few days earlier. There was a seated area, under a square, wooden pagoda that was surrounded by azaleas, rose bushes and the new saplings that she’d planted.
At the side of the house, was Holly’s greenhouse that contained the trays of seedlings she had sewn a couple of weeks ago, plus the peony-tulip hybrids she’d cross pollinated with her Dad, her real Dad.
To the left of the door, across the lawn was a pathway, lined with arches that led to a wooden bench, side tables and outdoor lamps. The arches had twinkly lights threaded through with climbing flowers, and canes. The whole area, the reason Holly had chosen the space for her ‘hideaway’ had lots of medium sized trees and a couple of small ones that were thick, full, and had the most beautiful mixture of coloured leaves that Holly adored. The bench was only visible when walking through the arch lined path. The rear of the garden, adjoining the hideaway, was a large flowerbed with a large mix of flowers of all colours, blooming shrubs, azaleas and decorative grasses. The kind of things that she and her Dad had loved to plant together.
Her Mum had joked and said that Holly had turned their garden into a show garden and she had expected people to show up to buy entrance tickets.
Holly’s pride and joy was a small rockery at the back, straight ahead from the door and between the seated areas, visible from the kitchen and dining area. Between the rocks, Holly had planted Tulips and daffodils. A name plaque attached to the largest rock. Her Dads.
When Holly had finally been able to drag Dev back inside the house, she’d introduced her to her Mum and Step-Dad and they’d loved her immediately. Riss and Kayla too. Anybody who had made Holly happy was good in their eyes.
“What work are you having done?” Riss asked when they got to her room. The scaffolding outside was huge, and it was obvious a lot of work was going on at the side of the house.
“Oh, were changing the pool into a garage.”
“Why?” Kayla asked. “Pools are awesome!”
“Well…” Holly explained “…It was originally a garage, but the previous owner converted it. We’d never use it and it’s more practical as a garage. We have three cars and only space for one.”
“I’d rather have a pool. I always use ours.” Riss said as Kayla hooded in agreement.
“Me too”
“Yeah well you’re on the swim team so you would.” Said Dev with a smile.
“Yeah” they shrugged.
“My Mum and Dad don’t get the time and it doesn’t interest me, so it’d just be sitting there using up resources for no reason.”
“When you put it that way, it makes total sense.” Said Dev.
Holly didn’t want to tell them the real reason it was removed. She felt a little embarrassed and decided to change the subject. She would tell them; eventually…but not that day.
“So who likes cookie dough ice-cream?” she asked.
“I do!” the girls shouted out and Holly laughed.
Thank goodness for that.
“Have you had any run ins with Stacey?” Kayla asked as she was tucking into a large bowl of ice cream.
Holly had seen Stacey lurking in the background, her face screwed up as though she’d sucked on a lemon, but she hadn’t said anything to her. Although, Holly thought she saw Stacey taking a photo of her with her phone. She couldn’t be sure because as soon as Holly turned her full attention to Stacey, she had walked away. It was as if Stacey was watching her, which wouldn’t be too surprising after what had happened in the hallway, but it still felt creepy.
“No. Not at all, but I swear she’d taken a photo of me yesterday.”
“What? That’s just fucking creepy.” Said Riss.
“Extremely creepy.” Added Dev.
“I swear, that girl is a whack job.“
“With any luck, the scare you gave her will have her backing off now.” Riss nodded as if what she’d said would actually happen.
Holly doubted it.
The look in Stacey’s eyes said that there was more going on in her deluded head than they knew about.
They changed the subject to lighter topics and then decided to watch their movie. Anchorman. A much better choice than their last one.
After Riss and Kayla left, Dev stared at Holly with a grin.
“So…” she began as her eyes lit with excitement. “...You had quite the conversation with Alex on Friday.”
Holly choked on air.
“He told you?!”
“Yep” Said Dev. “He was telling me what happened with Miss. Delaney. He said you’d talked to him.” Dev was bouncing up and down as she sat on Holly’s bed.
“Well I wouldn’t actually call it a conversation, more than I can usually get out, I was a bag of nerves!”
“You’re getting a lot better.”
“I guess.” Holly replied before turning the conversation back on Dev.
“So?”
“So what?”
“Tell me about Ben.”
“There’s nothing to tell.” Dev said as she shrugged a shoulder with indifference.
“Yeah. Uh huh.” Holly said, cocking an eyebrow.
“Seriously!” Dev’s voice was going higher in pitch.
“Ok. Nothing to tell except you stare at him, and sometimes you blush.”
“I do not!” Dev looked shocked.
“You do” Holly was trying hard not to giggle. Now, she knew why Dev found it funny seeing Holly’s reactions to Alex. Fun to see, not so much fun for yourself. Dev let out a long breath.
“We make a right pair don’t we?”
“We sure do.”
Alex had been on edge all day Saturday. Dev was staying over at Holly’s, Riss and Kayla had gone over too. Now, it was evening and he hadn’t heard a word. He ran a hand over his face, knowing that his overactive mind had no reason to behave that way.
