Against All Odds

by Alexia Vella Deguara

  “Your name is Cassidy isn't it?”he said then. I looked at him astonished.

  “How do you know my name,do I know you?” I asked.

  “I don't know,could be.”He replied.

  “Can I know your name since you know mine?”

  I asked him hoping he will respond.

  “Sure, my name is Chris,” he said without hesitation.

  “Chris?” I didn't know anyone by that name.

  “I'm sorry I don't think I know you,” I replied as I tried to remember if I had ever met a Chris.

  “Now you do.”he said huskily.

  “The music had stopped, and we weren't in the hall anymore. I didn't even notice that he had slowly dragged me in the big balcony there was adjacent to the hall. He touched my lips with his fingers.

  “You're so beautiful, you look like a princess.”

  For a moment I froze,it was the same thing Mr Spencer told me when we had met in the corridor.

  “And you'll be my prince tonight?” I asked him.

  “Of course I couldn't ask for more.” Although I couldn't see his expression I knew he was smiling underneath the mask.

  I looked into his eyes and...

  “Please can you show me your face? You know who I am. Maybe if I see your face I will recognize you,” I said hoping he agrees, I was really curious.

  “No, not today,” he said calmly although I could hear a hint of panic in his voice.

  “But why? Do you have something to hide? A defect maybe or -"

  “Nothing of the sort. I don't have any aesthetic problems," he said interrupting me.

  “Then why? Please Chris,” I begged. I wasn't giving up. I lifted my hand to his neck. I touched his face and gripped the mask. I was going to take it off when he grabbed my hands and pulled me to him. His hand went down to my waist again and tightened,he embraced me and we stood there without moving, for what seemed an eternity when all of a sudden the lights went out. There

  was a total blackout,I panicked. I couldn't see anything. It was a night without moon so even if we were outside there wasn't any light. He sensed my panic and...

  “Don't move,it must be a fault, they will soon fix it,” he assured me.

  I was still in his arms when all of sudden I felt him pulling back, I felt his arm rise and I realized he was removing his mask. Without saying anything he grabbed my hands and lifted them to his face and he allowed me to touch him. I traced his lips, his nose, his eyes and eyebrows. His features seemed perfect. His skin felt so soft under my touch. He must be a handsome guy I thought. Then I felt him grabbing my hands and putting them down. I felt his hands touching my face. I thought he was going to do the same to me. He pulled away my mask and then in the darkness of the night I felt something warm covering my lips. He was kissing me. Initially I was shocked but I didn't pull back. For some reason I wanted to deepen the kiss which I did. I opened my mouth letting him in. He caressed slowly the inner of my mouth and involved me in a dance of love between our tongues. I lifted my hand to his neck and I leaned more into him .My hands ran through his hair under the wig he had on. His hair was thick and long enough to touch his neck bone. He kissed me hungrily and passionately as if he had been waiting to do this for ages. His mouth was so warm, his lips so soft. He was gentle yet captivating. I was breathless,without even realizing a soft moan had escaped from my open mouth. His hands stroked my back and I bet he could feel the beating of my heart which seemed to sprint for how fast it was beating. There in the darkness of the night, I felt lost in a world of my own where only me and this stranger existed. Then all of a sudden I came back and I felt terrible. Reality hit me like a punch. What the hell was I doing kissing a stranger? It could have been anyone, even the ugliest of the guys or a much older man for what I knew and then I thought of him, Mr Spencer. How could I kiss this guy? How could I be unfaithful to Mr Spencer? What a stupid thought. He wasn't my boyfriend. If I was being unfaithful to someone then this was to Julian. Julian?Who was he? In that moment I realized how far Julian have been from my mind and my heart in the past week. I pushed him away from me breaking the kiss. He froze for a moment and then I felt him fumble with the mask.

  “What's the matter? Don't you want to kiss me?”he asked catching his breath.

  “I can't... I... love someone else,” I replied shivering.

  Although I couldn't see him, I felt that he was hurt.

  In that moment his mobile rang.

  “Shoot... I'm sorry I have to go,” he said panicking.

  I heard the sound of his footsteps, he was walking away.

  “No wait. How do I know who you are? Please wait”

  “One day you'll know.”

  He was already far gone. I stood their not believing what had just happened,asking myself If I was dreaming. Then all of a sudden the lights came back. I went into the hall running like a freak. I wanted to find him. I looked around trying to see him when I met his gaze. No it wasn't Chris,it was my real prince,Mr Spencer. He stood behind Mr Daniels looking at me with a strange look which I couldn't decipher. I trembled. I felt lost. I just wanted to cry and I couldn't understand why. Maybe I knew. I was still hoping that Chris

  and Mr Spencer could be the same person but they weren't. Mr Spencer still wore the same casual clothes he had during dinner. He wasn't smiling at me. He seemed somewhat angry. Maybe he had seen me with Chris, at least he couldn't have seen me kissing him. He said something to Mr Daniels and after looking at me for the last time he left. I wanted to cry. I needed to cry. I was going to go after him, but why? What could I tell him? I needed his embrace. The embrace he had given me when we were near the sea. I love Mr Spencer. Oh how much I love him. This realization made me more depressed. He was getting under my skin. I had put myself in a trap. I had to stop this. He is my teacher. I grabbed a chair and sat down in a corner and burst into tears. It was then that my friend Lucy came near me....

  CHAPTER 17

  “Cas, what's wrong? Why are you crying, what happened to you?” asked Lucy with a concerned voice.

  “Nothing. I'm leaving Luc,” I said sobbing.

  “I'll come with you,” she replied.

  “No,you and Logan-"

  “We'll see each other tomorrow don't worry. Wait for me here. I'll tell him I'm leaving,” she said interrupting me.

  “No, wait,"I said grabbing her arm and stopping her. "Just come with me a second outside so I can tell you everything but don't leave,stay with Logan, it's still early.”

  Lucy looked at me for a moment and then she came with me to the balcony where I told her everything. She was astonished.

  “I can't believe it, it's so unreal. I mean it's like a fairytale," she said stunned.

  “I know. I still don't believe it myself,” I agreed with her.

  “And how was the kiss?” she asked looking at me with a grin on her face.

  I shivered at the thought of it.“The best of my life,no one had ever kissed me that way,with so much expertise,so much passion,” I said as I felt my stomach contracting re-thinking at the feel of that guy's lips on mine.

  “And if it's Mr Spencer?” Lucy threw.

  I shook my head.“No,it can't be him.”

  “But why,you don't know. I mean who would be interested in kissing you this way without showing you his face?” She asked as she leaned against the wall.

  “A vampire maybe,"I said trying to joke about it.

  Lucy ignored my comment and kept silent for few moments. She was thinking.“Can't you remember anything that can help us to recognize him? I don't know a mole maybe, hair colour anything”. she asked me then.

  "I told you,he wore a mask which covered his entire face, his hair was covered with a wig, even his hands were covered with gloves. All I know is that his hair is not so short,it touches his neck. I felt it when I kissed him,” I replied.

  “Well Mr Spencer's hair is not that short. I'd bet all I have that it was him.” Lucy chuckled.

  “How could it have been him? I mea
n as soon as the lights were back he was near Mr Daniels. How could he have been so fast, to leave,take off his costume and go near Mr Daniels,it's impossible.”I sighed disappointed, deep down I really wished it was him.

  “Not that much, especially if it was all planned,” she concluded.

  “I don't know,why would he go into all this trouble just to kiss me?”

  “Well,it was the only way to do so without him actually admitting that he has done it,” she said quickly. I looked at her confused trying to grab the meaning of her words.

  “I didn't get that,” I said then in surrender.

  Lucy sighed.“Well,he is a teacher,he couldn't show you his face, he couldn't tell you what he feels but wants you so much that at least for a night he wanted you to be his. This was the only way, try and think about it.”

  “It makes sense but couldn't it have been a student? I mean everyone knows I'm with Julian and that I wouldn't accept someone else courtship.”

  Lucy laughed.“You really entered in the part, you're talking like a historic damsel and no I don't think so. Cas you let a complete stranger kiss you,you responded to his kiss,can I ask you why?”

  I stared at her. She was right, why did I let a stranger kiss me? I didn't know the answer.

  “I don't know, maybe in the depth of my heart I hoped and wanted to it to be him,"I admitted.

  Lucy was silent for a moment but then she looked at me with a grin on her face.

  "Listen I have an idea,tomorrow I go and speak to Nicholas,one of the members of the student's council and ask him to give me a list of the students that came here,so we see how many Chris there are, that would be our start OK."

  “Oh Lucy what would I do without you?!" I said happily hugging her.

  "I know,I'm extraordinary,"she laughed.

  I went back to my room while Lucy returned to Logan. Now I felt much better. I undressed slowly, washed my face and then went to bed. I really needed to sleep,it had been a long day with so many events. I had nearly died, I had passed unforgettable moments with Tyler, and received the most passionate kiss ever from a complete stranger. I fell asleep immediately and the following morning I woke up early. I prepared my luggage and at 7.30 I woke up Lucy. We went to breakfast and at 9.00 we were waiting for the coach to take us to the city. Mr Spencer was busy and didn't have time for me,he still seemed a little angry with me. I went up in the coach and took a seat and waited for Lucy to come near me but she seemed to have other plans. She waved at me saying she would sit at the front. I leaned against the seat and closed my eyes to relax.

  “Cassy!”

  It was him. I shivered as I heard his deep voice. I opened my eyes and looked lazily at him.

  “Hi Mr Spencer.”

  “Are you OK?” he asked with a concerned look.

  “Sure.”

  “You look a little pale,didn't you sleep well?”

  Why was he asking me all these questions?

  “I slept like a baby. I was just relaxing,” I replied.

  “Oh OK,see you later then.”

  He looked at me again as if he wanted to tell me something else but then walked away and went to sit near Witch Leighton.

  Lucy's POV

  Hope Cassidy didn't mind that I didn't sit near her but I need to find out some things and Miss Leighton seems rather pissed off this morning. She reserved a seat for Mr Spencer who has eyes only for my friend,even in front of 50 students he can't stay away from her. I really would like to know what was he telling her. Here he comes, better if I turn around as I don't want him to notice that I'm seated just in front of him. I felt my seat moving a little he must have sat down.

  “So aren't you telling me where you have been last night?” Ms Leighton asked him in an angry tone. He sighed and although I couldn't see his face I knew he was annoyed.

  “Do I have to tell you about every move I make?” He retorted angrily.

  “During dinner we said that we were going for a drink. I came for you but you weren't in your room,"she told him.

  “I didn't say that I was coming with you,David came out with the idea not me,” he said calmly.

  David? Oh.. it must be Mr Bayne I thought. Very interesting, so Mr Spencer was not in his room and was not with the teachers either, then where was he?

  “So where did you go or is it a secret?” She asked again.

  “I was in my room hearing some music when Mr Daniels called me, he said that he needed my help because there was a black out on the 5th floor ,” he replied sighing, clearly annoyed with all her questions.

  “I didn't know your were an electrician as well,” she said sarcastically.

  “I'm not,he wanted me to get help that's all as he couldn't move from there, the lifts were blocked and the stairs were too dark to be used.”

  So if the lifts weren't working then how could he have been there when the lights turned on?This is news. I hoped to find out more but Ms Leighton had changed the subject and they were now discussing something about the mid term exams which didn't interest me much. As soon as we arrived at the city I got down and waited for Cassidy. I wanted to tell her about my discoveries.

  Cassidy's POV

  Finally we arrived,this has been the longest one hour of my life. I wonder why Lucy sat there. I stood up in search of her but she had already gone down and she was waiting for me.

  “Cas, come I have some things I need to tell you.”

  I walked near her and gave her a curious look.

  “So.”

  “I have some news for you, well the first thing is that there are only two guys with the name Chris and I have already ruled out one of them,” she informed me.

  “Why?”

  “He's very short, much shorter than you so it can't possibly be him and the other thing is that. Mr Spencer was not with the teachers yesterday. I heard him talking with Ms Leighton, he was suppose to go out with her and Mr Bayne but he didn't. He said Mr Daniels had called him when the lights went out.”

  I was confused.

  “Lucy I don't understand.”

  “ Cas he told her Mr Daniels called him,you said the stranger had a phone call before he went away right? Could that phone call have been from Mr Daniels?”I stopped on the spot and glared at her.

  “You think so? Oh I don't know,” I replied, although this news gave me some hope.

  “Cas there is only one way to find out we have to get his mobile number and call him and see if the ring tone is the same,” she suggested.

  “And how can we do this? It's not that simple.”

  “I know but I will find a way,” she replied.

  “Luc,what about the other Chris,how is he?” I asked then.

  “Well quite handsome to be honest but I think he has a girlfriend and probably was with her yesterday,anyway I'll find out.

  We enjoyed the 3 hours we spent in the city. There were a lot of shops and Lucy bought many things. I had fun and for some time I managed not to think about Mr Spencer. I didn't see him much. When we returned back to the Hotel we had lunch and then prepared to leave Lagoon Beach. At 6'o'clock we arrived at school. I was trying to find my luggage when I felt someone grabbing my arm. I turned around and saw Julian.

  “Cass,can I talk to you for a moment please?” He asked.

  Although I was still angry with him. I accepted.

  “OK,tell me.”

  “Cas I'm sorry. I didn't know that you couldn't swim. I was only joking,I never thought I could hurt you. Please forgive me,” he pleaded as he made an attempt to grab my hand. I made a pace backwards retrieving my hand and looked at his face.