Against All Odds

by Alexia Vella Deguara

  I looked at him in disbelief.“Oh my God Tyler,listen I know you won't like what I have to say but you should try to arrange things. You already lost your mother. Why do your want to lose your father too? I know how it is to grow up without a father,"I said in a sad tone which caught his attention. He tilted up my face and gazed at me.

  “Is he dead?” He asked.

  “No. Well I don't know actually because I don't know him. I don't even know his name. My mum got pregnant when she was my age and he left her as soon as he knew of my existence. He left my mum heart broken and alone. She raised me up with sacrifice, she suffered a lot but gave me all the love she could. I love her dearly and I know I'm lucky to have such a good mother but I wished I had a father as well. There is an emptiness in my life, something missing. Sometimes I look at my mum and I don't see so much physical resemblance. So probably I must look more like my father but I will never know. This is why I think you should talk to him,” I said feeling a lump in my throat. His gazed had softened.

  “I'm sorry Cas,you have suffered as well.”

  “Not really, my mother made my childhood happy. Ty,listen how old was your father when your mother died?” I asked.

  "34,why?”

  “Well he was still young. I mean I know that for a child to see his father marrying another woman must be awful but is it fair for a 34 year old man to live his entire life on his own? You left him.. and your brother and sister-"

  Tyler looked at me in a strange way.

  “Cas I don't have a sister, it's only my brother and I.”

  “Oh. I thought you said you had a sister,” I said startled.

  “What ?when?”he asked surprised.

  “Oh maybe I misunderstood sorry.,” I said.

  Apparently he had forgotten he had said that I reminded him of his sister when we were in class,so on that occasion he had lied...why?

  “What I was saying is that maybe if he hadn't remarried he would be all alone now.”

  “Probably you're right but now it's too late for reconciliation. I'm a man now. I don't need him anymore.”

  I shot him an angry look, sometimes he spoke without even thinking.

  “Don't talk like that it's not true. You're still angry but I know that in reality you regret not speaking to him. Think about it Ty,you're still in time. Arrange things before it is too late. Then you'll regret it even more.”

  He kept silent for a moment and then.

  “Cassidy.”

  “What?”

  “Thank you. I feel much much better. I never told anyone about this. I kept it a secret all these years. I don't know why but It felt so easy to bring it out with you,” he said softly.

  “You're welcome”. I smiled at him. He caressed my face and my hair and then hugged me again. We parted slowly. His faced was relaxed now. His sadness dissolved. He smiled at me.

  “Why don't we paint a little now. I brought you here for that reason but I got lost in memories.”

  He stood up and grabbed his bag and pulled out the drawing book and paints and gave them to me. I began to draw the cave while he just stood there looking at me with that look I really loved.

  “Aren't you going to paint?” I asked him.

  “Yes, but not right now. Please continue,it's just that I love the expression you have on your face in this moment”

  My face grew warm and I felt my cheeks colour.

  “And I love it even more when you blush,” he laughed softly.

  Here he was, the old Tyler was back. I smiled at him and continued to draw. After a while he grabbed another drawing book and began to draw . He was sitting opposite to me and I caught him gazing at me a few times,was he painting me?

  I was very satisfied of how my painting was turning out. Although I wasn't very good in seascapes, this came out very well. Tyler had stopped drawing and came near me..

  “Let me take a look Cassy.”He took the drawing book from my hands.

  “It's very good Cas but here you need to intensify the shadow. So that the rock looks more prominent, let me show you.” He sat near me and after mixing a dark blue colour he began to darken the shadows. I looked at him enchanted, more at his face than at what he was painting. I had been very close to him today. I had learned a lot of things about him and the more I learned the more I wanted him...

  “Miss Hastley, you're not paying attention,” he teased.

  “What?”

  He laughed.“You were looking at me and not at the drawing. What were you thinking about?”

  “You,” I admitted.

  His lips twisted in a smile. “Oh really,what about?”

  “That I like the New Mr Spencer more.. the real one.”

  “Oh yes, hope you don't use all the information I gave you against me now. Remember that I'm still your teacher,” he said jokingly.

  “I would never do that,” I retorted. His gazed softened as he bent down to give me back my drawing book. His face merely inches away from mine.

  “I know,you're different from all the girls I ever met. It's strange but I feel comfortable with you and sometimes I forget you're my student, which is bad.”

  Why didn't he forget that when he was about to kiss me? In that moment my stomach growled and I looked at him embarrassed.

  “You're hungry?” he asked smiling.

  “Yes the last time I ate was this morning

  during breakfast,” I replied.

  “What? It's four o'clock, no wonder than your stomach is making all that noise.”

  He turned around and grabbed his bag.

  What are you doing?” I asked curiously.

  “Get you something to eat. I brought some sandwiches.”

  “Oh you thought about everything,” I said as I looked at him pulling out things from his bag.

  “Yes,I wanted this to be special... I-”

  He stopped and looked at me sadly.“Cassy probably there won't be another time for us to be like this.”

  I looked at him, my heart missed a beat.

  “Why?”

  “For the reasons we both know. Today I risked bringing you here and lying to the principal but I can't do that again. Although we didn't do anything wrong,it's still against the law.”

  All of a sudden I felt sad,I didn't want to return back,where he would be just my teacher. Although he didn't kiss me or anything he had sort of confessed feelings for me when he said that I was an important person in his life whom he didn't want to lose.

  “Don't be sad. Maybe we can do this again when I'm not your teacher anymore. Although probably I won't be seeing you again since then you will start college. Have you decided where you want to go?”

  “No,not yet but probably I will continue to study art or maybe interior design.”

  “That would be nice,” he said taking a bite of his sandwich.

  We ate in silence and then Tyler stood up.

  “Casy,I'm afraid it's time to go. It's nearly 5 o'clock and we still have a long way to go. It's better not to arrive late,” he said as he began to pack up.

  “Uuf ! I wish I could stay longer,"I grumbled. "OK..I'll pick up the colours and we can go. Ty What did you draw? You didn't show me.”

  Tyler looked at me and blushed a little.

  “Well it's not ready yet.. I will show it to you when it's complete OK?” He said avoiding my gaze.

  “OK.”

  Tyler grabbed the bag and than waited for me.

  “Now I help you to go up OK. Just stay close to me as you did before,” he instructed.

  Here we go again. I did as he said and he lifted me up. I was getting used to being hugged to his body,it felt so good. I inhaled his cologne. I loved his smell. I was so high in heaven that I didn't realize we were already up and he was waiting for me to release my grip.

  “For how long do you think we'll stay like this?” He asked with a teasing tone.

  I opened my eyes and blushed and then pulled back.

  “Oh sorry... I ..I didn't realize,” I stutt
ered embarrassed.

  “No problem. I didn't mean to embarrass you.”

  I looked down. He began to walk. I stayed back,for some reason I was beginning to feel nervous again around him. I wondered why. He stopped and I nearly bumped into him...

  “Why did you stop?”

  He didn't respond but grabbed my hand into his and kept walking until we arrived to his car. He opened the door for me and closed it when I got in, like a perfect gentleman, then he climbed in and started the engine.

  “Cassy,I want to ask you a favour, which I know it won't be simple for you to do.”

  I looked at him and...

  “What is it?”

  “Can you just not tell anyone about today. I know you tell everything to your friend Lucy but can you just keep this a secret between us? As I told you no one knows about my past and I would like it to stay that way.”

  I nodded.“Sure,I promise,it will be our secret.”

  For some reason I felt happy. We had a secret, him and me.

  “Why are you smiling?” He asked glancing at me.

  “Oh nothing,I'm just happy. I had the best time of my life. I really have,thank you Tyler.”

  “You're welcome. Glad you had fun. Cassy remember to call me Mr Spencer in front of the others OK.”

  “Yes. I hope I'll manage, I was getting used to calling you Tyler.”

  When we arrived he stopped a little far from the hotel...

  “Do you think you can walk till the hotel? I don't want anyone to see us coming in together.”

  “Yes of course.”

  “I'll see you later for dinner Cassy. Although probably I wouldn't be able to talk to you much. Anyway enjoy the rest of the trip. Tomorrow we shall be going to the city with all the students.”

  “I know, thanks again.” I opened the door and I was getting out when all of a sudden I don't know what happened to me. I turned to him and leaned forward and kissed him on the corner of his lips. Then I went out without saying anything. I didn't dare to look at him. I felt my face burning. Butterflies erupted in my stomach. I had wanted to do this all day and now it was done. I really wished to know what he was thinking right now.

  CHAPTER 16

  I ran to the hotel and entered the lift, leaned against the cold metal, which felt so cool against my skin. My heart was beating fast both because I had ran and because of what I had done. Oh Tyler,how will I face you now?I arrived to my room like a lost soul. When I entered someone's voice made me jump out of my skin.

  “Sorry I didn't mean to frighten you ,but where have you been? I came here around three o'clock and you were gone.” Lucy said from behind me.

  “I..” I paused. What could I tell her?I had promised Tyler that I wouldn't say anything,so even if I was sorry I had to lie to Lucy.

  “So?Were you with him by any chance?” she asked impatiently.

  I nodded,“Yes but we only went to the hospital.”I said avoiding her gaze.

  “What why?You weren't feeling well?” she looked at me with narrowed eyes as if she was not believing me.

  “I'm OK but Mr Spencer insisted that I must be seen by a doctor,so he took me to hospital,” I invented.

  Lucy didn't seem convinced.“He took you in his car?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, you went in that car?! How lucky, it's so cool,” she said dreamily. I smiled, I knew I was lucky but not because I had gone in that car.

  “Well yes it is and I must say it's pretty comfortable as well,” I retorted as I sat down on the bed.

  “So you were with him all this time?" she asked again.

  I sighed. "Well yes,there was quite a queue at the hospital. We had to wait and it's quite far from here

  too.”

  She came closer and sat beside me. I knew she wasn't giving up, not until she knew everything.

  “And did anything happen?You were so red when you came in,” she said looking at my face.

  Well surely this I could tell her, I thought.

  "Well actually yes. We hugged a lot, he kissed my forehead and I -" I stopped feeling my face growing warm again.

  “What? Tell me I'm dying with curiosity,” she said with a grin on her face.

  “I kissed him on the corner of his mouth and ran away,” I said in a single breath.

  Lucy opened her mouth in astonishment and got up abruptly and her mouth stretched into a grin. “What! Oh my God. You're crazy you know that?”

  I smiled happily.“I know. I don't know what I was thinking and I don't know how I am going to look at him tonight at dinner, after this.”

  Lucy nodded in agreement. “You're risking a lot . Does anyone know he took you to hospital?” She asked then with concern.

  “Yes,we bumped into Mr Daniels while we were leaving,” I confessed.

  Her eyes widened with apprehension.

  “What? And what did he say?”

  “Nothing really just not to be late for dinner,” I said as I lay down on the bed, stretching up my arms.

  “Oh. I'm glad you had fun with Mr Spencer. Anyway what did the doctor tell you?”

  “That I'm fine. Tyler was relieved,” I lied.

  “Tyler?”she asked with a half laugh.

  Oh lord, I had called him Tyler. How stupid.

  Lucy smiled with amusement.

  “Woho,we're on first name terms now. His name is Tyler?How strange I would have thought Brian or Ryan, he looks more like a Brian.”

  I shot her a hard look, “What,Brian? No,I love the name Tyler. It's just that since we were alone and out of school, he told me I could call him by his first name that's all.”

  “Be careful not to do that in front of someone else. Now it's better if you go and get ready,it's already 6'o’clock,in half an hour we have to be down,” she said, finally satisfied with my replies. I got off the bed.

  “You're right. How was your day with Logan? Anything new?” I asked her, I knew she was dying to tell me about her day.

  “Yes actually,we have kissed,” she said happily.

  “Really? And how was it?”

  “Nice and hot as I had imagined it would be!”she replied.

  “I'm happy for you.”I said before I closed the door of the bathroom and stepped into the shower. I felt guilty to hide things from Lucy. I had lied to her. I had never done this before. I got ready in no time at all. I put on a white dress and let my hair hanging down. I applied some make up and put on my sandals. Lucy was waiting for me.

  “Are you ready Cas?”She asked impatiently.

  “Yes coming.”

  We left our room and went down,as soon as I entered the restaurant I looked for him. He wasn't there yet. I followed Lucy who had gone near Logan. He had reserved a table for us. We sat down. All the teachers were already there. Why was he so late? I looked at the teachers who were seated at a table in the corner. Miss Leighton was talking with Mr Bayne who didn't look very interested in what she was saying. He continued to yawn. Mr Daniels instead was constantly looking at the door. Probably he was waiting for Tyler as well. The buffet table was opened and everyone rose up to go and get the food. Lucy and I got up as well, he hadn't showed up yet,I was beginning to worry, what was taking him so long? Lucy noticed my worried face and she whispered in my ear while we waited for our turn.