Teacher's Pet

by Richie T Cusick

  But she had recognized something.

  And now, collapsing back onto her pillow, she saw those eyes again, wide and staring in her mind… the strange, wild expression masking then-gentleness….

  “Gideon,” she whispered. “Gideon… why?”

  “Are you positive?” Denzil asked again, scuffing his feet along the path. “I mean, are you absolutely—?”

  “Well, how can I be absolutely sure?” Kate’s voice raised, her shoulders shrugging helplessly. “It was dark and scary—but, yes, I’m almost positive it was Gideon.”

  “You’re not staying alone tonight, understand? Me or Tawney, take your pick.”

  “It isn’t really like he did anything,” Kate rambled on, more to herself than to Denzil. “He was just there. It’s not like he tried to get in or—”

  “Or what? Come on, let’s make up something really gruesome.”

  Kate glanced at him, but Denzil wasn’t smiling. “I shouldn’t have told you. Now you’re upset.”

  “Upset?” Denzil hooked his thumbs in his pants and gave a swagger. “Nah, I’m not upset. I think it’s fun when people I care about are being scared out of their minds. It makes life interesting.”

  “Denzil—”

  “I mean it, Kate. Till we find out what’s going on around here, I don’t think you should stay by yourself.” He nodded for emphasis, then cast her an almost hopeful look. “You’re positive you weren’t dreaming?”

  “I wasn’t dreaming. And don’t tell Tawney. If I stay with her, I don’t want her to be scared.”

  “Well, I’m scared.” Denzil stopped, shading his eyes from the sun. “There’s the kitchen and there’s Tawney outside—which means she did something—which always scares me.”

  As they neared the back door, Tawney was standing out on the steps, her hands on her hips, looking totally bewildered.

  “So there you are!” she burst out. “I looked and looked for you, and nobody knew where you were! I had to make muffins all by myself, and they burned, and the fire alarm went off, and we all had to leave the building.” She paused, her huge eyes going even wider. “And now they won’t let me back in.”

  “Oh, Tawney,” Kate sympathized, trying to hide a smile, “I’m so sorry. Was it really that bad?”

  “I didn’t think so, but everyone else got upset about it. And Gideon came by looking for you, Kate, and—”

  “Gideon? For me?” Kate exchanged looks with Denzil. “What did he want?”

  “I just don’t know,” Tawney shook her head. “But they won’t let me back in the kitchen now, so I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

  “Come on,” Denzil said, flinging an arm around her shoulders. “You can help me.”

  “They say I need a supervisor,” Tawney went on. “They say I’m a real case.”

  “You’re just very innovative,” Denzil soothed, winking back at Kate over his shoulder. “Don’t they appreciate talent when they see it in action?”

  “And since I had to stay out here,” Tawney said defensively, “I wrote a poem about it. It’s called ‘Muffin Madness, My Early Morning Sadness.’”

  “Please—” Denzil held up a hand. “Read it to me later. After I’ve eaten. You know how—emotional—your poems always make me feel.”

  “Well, I try to put so much feeling into them….”

  “You certainly do.” Denzil paused in the kitchen door and motioned to Kate. “Hey, what about some grub?”

  “Maybe I should try to find Gideon first.”

  “Oh, but he’s not here.” Tawney looked back, shaking her head. “He took Pearce’s truck and drove off somewhere.”

  “Come on,” Denzil insisted. “After breakfast we’ll go for a ride, and you can visit Miss B.”

  Obligingly Kate followed them in, but it was hard to concentrate on food. She scarcely heard the bustle around her in the kitchen and jumped, startled, as Denzil took her arm.

  “Earth to Kate. Come in, please.”

  “Sorry.” Kate gave a rueful smile. “I guess my mind’s on other things. What did you say?”

  “I said, that horror hunt tomorrow night should be fun.” He looked at her a minute, then sighed. “Horror hunt. ¿Comprendes, amiga?”

  “Oh. Right.” Kate’s attention struggled back. “I saw it in the brochure, but I wasn’t sure what it was.”

  “Like a scavenger hunt. Only we hunt for horrors and terrible, scary things. You know, like rats… and spiders… and Pearce.”

  “Well, that’s not very hard.” Tawney frowned. “We already know where to find Pearce.”

  Denzil faced her, all seriousness. “How do you catch a zombie?”

  “I don’t know. How?”

  “In a zombie trap. Oops, too late. Someone already beat us to it.”

  Kate gave him a withering look. “You are one sick person.”

  “Thanks.” Denzil grinned. “Shall we go?”

  Kate was glad when Denzil and Tawney let her out at the clinic, promising to pick her up again in an hour. It was getting harder and harder for her to focus on what was going on around her, and the stark, sterile atmosphere of the clinic was a welcome relief. When she peeked in at Miss Bunceton’s door, her teacher was propped up in bed watching a soap opera.

  “Kate! How lovely to see you!” Miss Bunceton managed to get the greeting out despite her swollen face. “Well, honestly, can you imagine such a thing as this! Who would ever have thought I’d be so allergic to some wretched plant! That’ll teach me to have my passionate hero woo my heroine on a bed of pretty green ivy in the woods!”

  Kate laughed, relieved. It was good to see her teacher again. Somehow it put everything into a sane, proper perspective.

  “Having a good time, I trust?” Miss Bunceton went on. “Learning a lot? Enjoying yourself?”

  Fun… I was here to have a good time…. Kate blinked, startled. She’d almost forgotten about the fun part.

  “Well, I love Gideon’s class. And we’re going on a horror hunt tomorrow night.” She forced brightness into her voice. “There never seems to be a dull moment.”

  “Splendid! I feel ghastly for abandoning you like this. I’m a circus sideshow, my dear, just look at the size of me!”

  Kate chuckled. “Do you know how long you’ll have to stay? I can bring some more of your things, or if there’s something you need—books—food—”

  “How sweet of you, but don’t trouble yourself. Good heavens, I’m going to try and get some rest today if I can—I certainly didn’t get any last night! You remember that ill-tempered Pearce fellow who picked us up the other day? Well, he came in with some emergency, and they put him in the room next door. Good heavens, he moaned and groaned all night—talking out of his head—nightmares or whatever, I’m sure I don’t know, but I didn’t get a wink of sleep.”

  “Well…” Kate’s heart sank, imagining his pain, “maybe the nurse can give you something to help you sleep tonight.”

  “They should give him something,” Miss Bunceton retorted. “Like a gag… or a transfer to a soundproof room!”

  The time passed cheerfully. Promising to keep in touch, Kate said good-bye, then stood out in the hall, staring at the next door down. There was no telling what kind of mood Pearce might be in after a restless night… still, what he’d been through was too horrible to ignore. She approached the door cautiously, part of her wanting to turn back. You’re a hypocrite, Kate Rawlins, you’re not just worried about Pearce, you’re wondering if he’ll remember that moment you shared… the kisses… that tenderness so unlike him.

  She started to knock… heard familiar voices inside… and dropped her arm back to her side.

  The door was partway open. From where she stood, she had a clear view of the hospital bed without being seen. Pearce still looked pale. Gideon, in a chair beside him, leaned forward, his face drawn and troubled.

  “I know it can’t be true,” he said slowly. “I know… it’s impossible… but it just doesn’t make any sense.”


  Pearce’s head moved slightly against the pillows. “It’s got to be one of William’s friends—you remember that girl, especially. I can’t remember her name—she’s always doing weird things to get his attention.”

  “But that’s something else,” Gideon said, shaking his head. “Where is William?”

  “Gideon, this isn’t anything new. He’s done this hundreds of times before.”

  “But this time is different,” Gideon insisted.

  “How?”

  “I… I don’t know. I just… feel it.” Gideon stared at a spot on the wall. “Yesterday when you called me away from Kate because you’d found William’s jacket by the lake… and then… that thing with his glove—”

  Pearce moaned, whether from pain or exasperation, Kate couldn’t tell. “You know he’s just on a binge somewhere. You know he’s just lost his gloves, that’s all. He wouldn’t remember his own head if it wasn’t attached, you know that.”

  “Yes… yes, I know.” Gideon stood and began pacing, hands in his pockets, head down. “Pearce… I… I know it’s painful to talk about….”

  Pearce stared at him for several moments. Even from where Kate stood she could see his eyes darkening with sadness. “Please, Gideon,” he whispered at last. “Please don’t do this to me.”

  “Just tell me again.” Gideon stopped and faced him. “Just tell me again that she’s dead.”

  Slowly Pearce’s head dropped back, his cheeks going whiter, his eyes closing. One hand brushed at his forehead, as if trying to catch an elusive memory. “Gideon…”

  “It’s just that I can’t stop thinking about it—even after all this time—how she was alone and none of us were with her—”

  “Stop.” Pearce’s head moved back and forth upon the pillow. “I don’t want to hear this again—”

  “None of us were with her, and I can’t get it out of my mind! And all that time I had to think about things—after I had that breakdown—all that time, trying to get better, trying to forget—but I can’t! She was so beautiful, and she loved us so much—and she died like that—trapped—and no one to help her—”

  Tears squeezed from the corners of Pearce’s eyes. “Don’t! I can’t think about it anymore—please!”

  “And now Kate says she saw her! Do you hear me, Pearce? She saw Rowena—dressed in black, talking in rhymes, outside the gates, for Christ’s sake!”

  “Gideon—”

  “The girl said her name—said Rowena—my God, Pearce, outside the gates—was she trying to get in?” He stood there, arms out in appeal, and Pearce lay still, only the sound of his choked breathing disturbing the painful silence. “Pearce,” Gideon murmured at last, “Pearce, I’m sorry… I’m…”

  Pearce drew a shaky breath. “Why are you doing this? You know what happened. You’ve seen the grave.”

  A shudder went through Gideon as he stood there. “I know what I was told. But I wasn’t there. I wasn’t at the funeral… and neither was William.”

  Pearce’s eyes slowly focused on Gideon’s face. “William couldn’t come because of his burns. They wouldn’t let him out of the hospital. And you…” He left the sentence unfinished, and Gideon threw him a guilty look.

  “I know. I fell apart. I wasn’t any use to you when you needed me.”

  “Well, what did you expect me to do?” Pearce whispered. “I couldn’t just wait for you. I had to bury her.”

  Gideon crossed to the window and looked out, his face creased with suffering. “Kate said the girl’s voice sounded as if her vocal cords had been damaged. If a person were burned badly enough in a fire—”

  “Christ, Gideon!” Pearce struggled to sit straight, a wave of pain making him gasp. “Why don’t you just dig up the damn grave? Just go home and get a shovel and—”

  “William is missing!” Gideon’s hands slammed down on the windowsill. “She was trying to kill William that night—you know it, and I know it—”

  “So now her ghost is back to finish the job?”

  “Look. Look what I found. Last night. I went to the cemetery and—”

  “Oh, Gideon, why—”

  “Just look at it! Her scarf!”

  “A piece of material! What does that prove? It could be anyone’s!”

  Gideon pushed it into his face. “Smell it!”

  “It smells like the woods smell… like everything around camp smells this time of year—”

  “It’s her smell, you know it is! Her perfume! The flowers in her room! And it was on her tombstone!”

  Pearce fell back once more, gripping the sides of his head. “Gideon, don’t put yourself through this—please—don’t put me through it! You couldn’t deal with it last time, you were seeing her in every crowd, in every shadow, she was talking to you in your dreams, for Christ’s sake—don’t dredge it all up again!” His voice had risen, pleading, but now it sank again, barely a whisper. “Please, Gideon… please….”

  As Kate watched through tears, Gideon leaned down and hugged Pearce, then turned, and started for the door.

  “Where are you going?” Pearce demanded.

  “Home. I’m sorry. Forget about all this. Try and rest.”

  “Wait—what are you going to do?” Pearce tried to scoot to the side of the bed as if he would follow, but his pain stopped him. “Gideon? I’m coming home, do you hear me? I won’t stay in this stupid—Gideon, will you stop? Damn!” He hit the bed as hard as he could, then let out a groan.

  Kate didn’t have time to hide. Gideon was upon her so quickly that all she could do was stare at him and try to stammer an explanation.

  “Kate.” Gideon stopped, his body going rigid. “I didn’t hear you knock.”

  “Oh, Gideon, hi!” she said, knowing how forced her cheerfulness sounded, how phony, and yes, those are the eyes, the ones that watched in my window last night, that strange look of—what? “I… that is… I just got here. This very second, in fact. I just came to see how Pearce is doing.”

  “Excuse me.” Gideon shoved past her, and as she cast a despairing look at Pearce, he sank back with a sigh.

  “Let him go.”

  “But look at him—he’s so upset—”

  “You don’t understand. You…” Pearce shook his head, his eyes closing wearily. “Just… stay away from him. And from me.”

  Chapter 17

  FOR A LONG MOMENT Kate couldn’t believe what she was hearing. But you kissed me—don’t you remember?—and I stayed with you and kept you safe and told you everything would be all right…. His indifference hurt her now, but she tried to sound casual.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “How long have you been there?” His look was so intense that a lie stuck in her throat. “I thought so.” He nodded.

  Kate hung her head and leaned against the door frame. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I was visiting Miss Bunceton next door and I—really—wanted to see how you were.”

  “Couldn’t be better.”

  “I was worried about you,” Kate said in a small voice.

  He cast her a sidelong glance, then fixed his eyes on the window. “It’s not as bad as they thought. I’ll just be laid up for a while.”

  “That’s good. You should rest.”

  “I can’t. I’m worried about Gideon. I have to get home.”

  “It’s probably everything… William and the conference… all the pressure.”

  “No,” Pearce said softly. “No. It’s… something else. It’s…” He lapsed into silence, and Kate took a cautious step toward his bed.

  “Pearce… tell me about Rowena.”

  There was no surprise on his face when she said it. There was nothing at all. He stared out at the autumn afternoon, and his face was as still as stone.

  “She was beautiful,” he said. “She was…” A humorless laugh sounded in his throat. “Unusual.”

  “Were she and Gideon very close?”

  “Inseparable.” His eyes shifted onto her puzzled face. “Closer than anyone could
guess.”

  Kate nodded slowly. “It’s very sad, isn’t it.”

  “He went to pieces when she died. He still hasn’t gotten over it.” A thoughtful silence, then, “I don’t think he ever will.”

  An unexpected coldness crept over her. She rubbed her arms and said, “I didn’t imagine what I saw. I told Gideon the truth. The girl did say her name was Rowena.”

  “I’m not surprised,” Pearce said without hesitation. “William’s friends will do anything for effect. But I’m afraid it’s stirred up all the old emotions in Gideon again.”

  “I’m so sorry. If I’d known, I’d never have mentioned it.”

  He gave a vague nod and looked as if he believed her. “I think he still blames himself because he wasn’t here when she died. Like maybe he could have stopped it. But it was better for him to be away. Some people hold on too tight to those they love. They never want anything to change.”

  “Are you talking about Gideon?”

  “No. Rowena.”

  “What did she look like?”

  “Light brown hair… strange-colored eyes. A lot like Gideon’s, actually. She looked a lot like Gideon.”

  The eyes… at my window… Rowena? Not Gideon but Rowena? “And what… what happened to her?”

  His head moved slowly upon the pillow. “Just stay away from him. You can’t help him. It’s too…” His voice faded, and Kate was beside his bed, reaching gently for his arm.

  “But I’d like to help him, if I can.”

  “You can’t. All you can do is stay away. From both of us.”

  “I… I don’t understand—”

  “Gideon really likes you,” Pearce said huskily. “I can see it.” He thought a moment, then added, “Rowena would be jealous of that.”

  Part of her wrestled with instant fear; part of her with confusion. “Last night… I guess you were in shock. There’s probably a lot you don’t remember.” Turning for the door, his voice stopped her.

  “I remember,” he said quietly.

  She froze, one hand upon the door. When she turned and faced him again, he looked uncomfortable and averted his eyes.

  “You know,” she said softly, “I don’t think you’re nearly as scary as you’d like people to think you are.”