Have a Heart 2

by Rachel Burns

  She started to cough and blood was spitting out of her mouth. He looked around and saw a pile of paper towels. He opened one up and laid it in front of her mouth. She grabbed onto his wrist and coughed into the towel. First then did she glance up and see that he was the one helping her.

  He saw the look in her eye. She was embarrassed again. “Hush, it’s all right. I think you are doing really well. It’s okay. You don’t have to be embarrassed. This isn’t even close to what Rebecca did the first time she came home drunk from a party. I think she may have had a bug too, but it was coming out of both ends with her, and it had been her own fault.”

  Brianna smiled slightly so he continued to tell her the full story. “My parents had gone away on a weekend vacation. They left me in charge. To make a long story short my hand hurt like hell by the end of the weekend.”

  Brianna shook a little as she laughed. No wonder Cathy had been so pleased to see him getting it too. She had to cough again.

  “Sit up.” He wrapped an arm around her and helped her up to sitting. She was even thinner than usual. She was gasping for breath.

  He still had his arm wrapped around her protectively. She settled down then. “I’m sorry, Scott. I don’t do it on purpose.”

  “I know that, Brianna.” He sat down so he was facing her. “I’m not mad at you.”

  “My timing is great again. At this rate, I’ll never finish school.” She turned her head to the side and coughed.

  “My brave Brianna.” He looked at her full of pity.

  Her eyes lit up. “If you use the word trooper, I’ll hit you. It wouldn’t hurt, but you would get the idea.”

  “Brianna, I just have to say that I think you are really being a good trooper.” He laughed at her.

  She laughed too, but her hand swung out and hit his arm. It felt like a love pat. He waited a few seconds before he spoke. “Ouch.” He grinned at her.

  They both laughed until Brianna started in coughing again. He wrapped his arm around her and held his hand over her mouth. He cleaned her up and leaned her into his chest. “Everything is all right, Brianna. I’ve got you.” He patted her back. He could feel her relaxing. She was going to fall asleep on his chest again. He loved it when she did that.

  Charles was watching them when Scott looked up. He wanted to jump away from her, but her father shook his head. Charles sat down and picked up the paper. Scott could hardly believe his luck. A normal father would have wanted to shoot him.

  That was far from Charles Banks thoughts. He had come in in time to hear them laughing together. He saw Scott jump to help her.

  Charles liked the boy. Scott loved his daughter, and he was good to her. What more could he want? Brianna obviously loved him too.

  Eva was right; she was just too young yet. Brianna would probably realize it soon too. He was already thinking of ways to push them together.

  Chapter 4 – Passing The Test

  Brianna was nervous. She came back to school on the first day of finals. All the other girls were nervous, and Brianna was just starting to study.

  She would be taking her finals verbally after everyone was gone. She hit the books too. Her parents had flown home already. They had wanted to wait, but her mother was now terribly sick too. It would be a very sad Christmas this year. Her father was taking care of her mother, and Scott had offered to drive her back home. Cathy’s parents had sent her a plane ticket so she would be long gone too. It would just be her and Scott on the floor. They would be arriving at home late on Christmas Eve. Brianna was extremely thankful that she was being given this chance.

  Brianna took a break and went to lunch with the other girls. One of the girls had trouble sitting. Brianna knew that she was giving Scott a hard time. He had to spank her often, and last night he had really gone at her.

  Jessica sighed loudly. “I really hate that pervert.” She looked over at the disciplinarian’s table. “Me thinks that he likes to spank too much. I mean seriously, you have to be a pervert to take a job like this one. This is a whole school of perverts. The way he rubs my behind while spanking. I will be telling my parents about this. I hope that they will join me in filing a complaint about him at the police station.” She dramatically looked off to the side as she wiped a tear out of her eye.

  Cathy sat up straighter. “Don’t you dare. If you honestly believed that he was a pervert, then you would behave, so he wouldn’t have to spank you. But instead, you go out of your way to get into trouble. I think you like it. You’re the pervert, not him. I’ll be glad to tell your parents that when they arrive. Maybe you should be moved to another floor.”

  All the other girls nodded. Jessica wasn’t at all popular on the floor.

  Brianna wanted to slap her. Scott really wasn’t like that. She had to remember how he had held her and helped her while she was in the hospital. Jessica had him pegged all wrong.

  The other girls were all waiting for Scott in the lounge. He was getting the last of their grades. He came in and grabbed Cathy and whispered something in her ear. She hurried to Brianna’s room. “Brianna, the Dean wants to talk to you.”

  “Why?” She was hit with another coughing fit.

  Everyone could hear her coughing.

  “Come along quickly. We can’t keep him waiting.”

  Brianna got her coat and put her shoes on. She grabbed a bottle of water as Cathy was pulling her out.

  “Hurry up.” Cathy was getting very impatient.

  “Where’s the fire?” Brianna looked in the lounge and saw everyone. “Oh,” she sighed. Scott looked mad again. If he had a thick nose ring, he could have passed for an angry bull. Brianna let Cathy pull her away.

  Once they were outside, Brianna turned to Cathy “Who?” she asked as she coughed.

  “He hasn’t said yet, but Scott arranged for you to go into the Dean’s warm office.”

  Brianna had been in there twice before. Once when she had tried to get out of her first spanking, and the second time had been to drop off a gift for Jennifer.

  The Dean was waiting for them and smiling. “Come along, girls. I made hot chocolate for you.” He ushered them in and sat down in his soft leather chairs. Brianna smiled at Cathy. She felt like she was sinking. He brought them their hot chocolate and asked them about their future plans. Cathy confessed that she wanted to be a nurse like her mom.

  “I think you would make a great nurse.” Brianna could easily picture her friend in that job. It suited her.

  “Why not become a doctor?” the Dean asked, worried that she didn’t think that she could be more. He saw it as his job to help the young women here see their potential and work to achieve what they could.

  Cathy tilted her head to the side and thought about it. “I think, I’d rather be a nurse.”

  “That’s fine, Cathy. I’m glad that you have found a refuge at my school. Have you heard anything from the young man who was bothering you?”

  “He was in my hometown this summer asking about me, but he never showed up at my house.” Cathy gave a little shrug.

  “Why didn’t you tell me that?” Brianna was shocked.

  “It was after you got out of the hospital, and I didn’t want to stress you.”

  Brianna looked stressed. She even had another coughing fit.

  The Dean stood up, but she stopped him with her hand. She pulled out her water bottle and took a sip again and again whenever her coughing would let her.

  Once she had settled down, the Dean sat down. He wished she could have a normal life like the girl sitting next to her.

  “Brianna, what are your plans for the future?”

  She smiled too. “I want to study music. I’d really like that. I feel happiest when I am playing the piano.”

  “Have you picked out a school that you would like to attend?”

  “Samford has a great music program, and it isn’t too far from home. I think I would feel better being closer to home again.”

  “Your father gave me a call this afternoon. They have ac
cepted you at Samford.”

  “Really? Cathy, did you hear that?” Brianna hugged her best friend with joy.

  “Of course I did. You are so gifted. It is only right that you get a spot there.”

  “There is only one draw back,” the Dean said. “I will have no one to sit with at church anymore.” The Dean had enjoyed her presence here. It hadn’t been an easy time in life for her, but she was facing the difficulties. Just as elegantly as her mother always did. He could remember being young and looking into eyes that were so similar to the ones he was looking at right now. Poor Scott didn’t stand a chance. She had him hook, line and sinker. And she didn’t even know it.

  “We will enjoy the time we have left together.” Brianna said it with such determination that he raised his mug as if it had been a toast. They all smiled at each other.

  The Dean invited Brianna to eat with him here after everyone was gone. He explained that the cafeteria would be closed, and that she and Scott would be very welcome to join him.

  The phone rang, and the Dean answered. It was Scott, telling him that they could come back.

  After he was finished, he sent them back to their dorm. He called out Merry Christmas after them. They waved and left.

  Brianna gave Cathy a kiss and a hug goodbye. Scott was going to drive her to the airport. Cathy felt grown-up flying for the first time and all alone. She smiled from one ear to the other.

  Brianna had the entire floor all to herself. She studied hard in that time. She didn’t want anything under a ‘B’ in anything.

  Scott heard her reading aloud. Brianna was working so hard, and it was late afternoon. He knocked on her door frame. She rarely closed her door, and it was open now too. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m back from the airport.”

  He moved back to his own room where he called his parents and told them that their grown up daughter was safely in the airplane on her way to them. He showered and changed.

  At six, Scott knocked on Brianna’s door again. She opened it and smiled at him. She was wearing a green dress again. Brianna looked fantastic. Not as good as in the light olive dress, which had been cut shorter but still fantastic. This dress was more for cold weather.

  He gave her a slight bow and led her out of the dorms. They had been invited to have dinner with the Dean. Scott was worried that the Dean was up to something. He didn’t want anything to happen to her.

  Brianna had her arm wrapped around the arm that he had offered her to take. Her hair was pinned up again. And she could feel the cold wind biting at her neck.

  Scott noticed her shiver. He was glad once she was inside. He slowly led her up the stairs to the Dean’s private office and living quarters. They both looked at each other and said ‘hmm’ at the same time. Whatever they were having it smelt wonderful.

  Scott pulled out a chair for Brianna and sat her down. They said their hellos and complimented the wonderful smell. The Dean poured Scott some wine, and he gave Brianna water. They practiced their skills at short talk until the Dean was truly seated, and the cook brought in the first course. It was a plate full of salad. Brianna would never be able to finish it.

  The Dean watched both of them all night. They did have a way with each other. They moved like clockwork. Each knowing what the other would want. At one point Scott lifted his empty plate to Brianna, who swapped it for her unfinished plate. Neither seemed to really notice that they were doing it.

  Brianna was talking to Martin about the musical piece that she was working on. Her eyes stayed on him, proving that they had done this whole plate exchange before. Scott finished her food like he had done it a thousand times before.

  Martin could see what her parents meant. They were a very cute couple.

  He continued to watch them throughout the meal. He asked them to come back tomorrow evening. They were enjoying themselves so they both agreed after looking at the other for permission.

  Martin laughed later on as he said goodbye to the young couple. Scott had made sure Brianna was wrapped up tightly before they left.

  Martin just had to talk to someone so he called Charles and told him what he had seen. They both laughed together. He asked about Eva. She was starting to feel better, but Charles was now running a fever.

  Martin sent his love to Eva and wished that his friend would get well soon.

  Scott was present at Brianna’s test. He would be there for all of them. That put extra pressure on her. Today she had three tests. The first one was music.

  The teacher came in and started firing off questions. Brianna answered them without blinking. The teacher stopped asking questions and asked Brianna to play the piece she had prepared on the piano. Brianna sat down and went right to work.

  Scott smiled at her. He had never heard her play something that she didn’t sing along to. She was truly gifted. She would be at Samford next year. He hoped he would get into the Law school of his choice. Being in the same city as her would be very nice. Maybe they should all get an apartment together. He could keep the girls in line, and he could stay close to Brianna.

  “Scott, I’m finished. I got an ‘A’.” She waved her hand in front of his face.

  “That’s great. Shall we move on to the next one?”

  She nodded nervously. The next one was astronomy. The planets all looked the same to her. Earth and Saturn were the ones that she was good at. The rest were more difficult.

  The teacher greeted them and asked her to sit down. He too fired questions at Brianna, and she knew them all. When he started to show her pictures, she got nervous. She made a couple of mistakes. The teacher sat down and quietly added up her score. She turned to look at Scott, and she shrugged a little.

  Scott smiled back, thinking that she was so cute.

  The teacher looked up and smiled. “You made it. An ‘A’.” Brianna was pleased.

  Scott took her off to the next one. This one was German. Her teacher rose and took her in his arms. He was saying something in German that Scott couldn’t understand. Scott was getting nervous.

  Brianna beamed up at her teacher. He was telling her how glad he was that his best student was feeling better. He wasn’t going to test her. She got an ‘A’ because of all of her hard work from before she had gotten sick. She told him about her previous two tests. He let go of her and patted her on her shoulder, proud of her. He sent greetings to her mother and wished her a Merry Christmas.

  “Scott, we can go now. I’m finished. An ‘A’ again.” She smiled at him.

  He jumped up and took her hand. “What was that all about?”

  “He basically said if I could understand him, that I had passed. Then he asked me to say hello to my mother.”

  Scott nodded. He didn’t like that the teacher had hugged her.

  They dined with the Dean in the evening, and Brianna told him about her day. He was pleased that she was doing so well. They talked a little later that night. Brianna was eager to get back to bed so she would be rested in the morning for the last two tests. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve. They would be leaving right after she finished.

  Scott checked in on her. She was sleeping with her book still on her lap. He closed it and set it aside. He gently gave her an evening kiss on the forehead, and then he went to bed himself.

  Brianna had been able to make a repeat performance from yesterday. She got straight A’s again. Scott was especially proud of her. The Dean had been waiting to hear her results. He too was pleased.

  Scott had packed the car this morning while she was still studying. They were ready to go home.

  He praised her, and they talked about this and that. Scott had just asked her if she would be playing the piano tomorrow morning at church.

  “I don’t know if I’m going. My parents are both sick.”

  “I’ll pick you up at 8:30. You can sit with my family.”

  Brianna thought about that. “All right, but I can’t stay too long because I’ll have to check on them again.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll
take you home when you say.” Scott dreamed about standing next to her in church when he saw something odd.

  “Say, is that smoke coming from my car?” He pulled to the side of the road and popped the hood. He swiped his hand back and forth to get rid of the smoke. It didn’t look better when the smoke was gone.

  “Do you think I bring you bad luck? Every time I sit in your car something goes wrong.” Brianna leaned against the car on the side pointing to the road. Her long hair was blowing in the wind.

  “I didn’t think of that until you said something. I’m pretty sure it is your fault and not that the car is just really old.” He smiled at her nicely as he looked under the hood. “Truthfully, I think we need to be towed.” He pulled out his cell and called for help.

  Several cars stopped and offered to help. Mostly men who had seen Brianna standing next to the car. Scott shook his head, thinking how silly Brianna was for thinking that no one would be interested in her. He would be fighting them off with a stick pretty soon.

  Brianna stood there with her eyes closed and looked into the sun. She smiled as she did that. All the men who had stopped to help watched her. Scott was just like them; he couldn’t look away from her either. She was an especially beautiful woman. She would be a feather in any man’s cap, but he wasn’t about to let it be just any man. No, she would be his. He smiled thinking ‘I won’ as the other men looked at her.

  The pick-up arrived just in time. If it had come any later, he would have said something stupid to get the other men to stop looking at what he considered his.

  “I’ll tow your car to town. So I can look under it. See what needs to be done then.” Even the man towing them was watching Brianna. Scott was starting to feel his jealous streak.

  Chapter 5 – Improper

  “It’s Christmas Eve, mister. You should be glad that we even have the one room.”