Her Teacher's Temptation

by Vos, Alexandra

  “Yeah, hopefully.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “Hi, have you made a reservation? Oh,” Ollie’s guilty expression greeted me. “Are you coming here to actually have dinner? Or do you just want to talk?”

  “You weren’t in my lesson yesterday morning. I couldn’t get in touch with you since I dropped you off on Sunday night.”

  I made sure no one else was waiting before deciding I could continue our conversation. “I went for coffee with Meg. We needed a good chat about things.” Our original plan sounded far better than what we’d actually ended up doing. “And my mum’s confiscated my phone and my laptop and stuff.” A couple entered behind him. “You should really just go, I have to work.”

  “I’m here to eat,” he decided, eyebrows knitted together as his gaze swept over me. “Are you okay, though?” He questioned as soon as I was guiding him to his table. His hand hovered as though it was going to brush against my skin, but he stopped himself. “What’s going on?”

  “Listen, I have to work. I’ll talk to you when I can, but I’ll get into trouble if I’m just giving you all the attention.”

  It was painful to be brash with him, but he wasn’t making any of this easier. I needed to stay away from Ollie, but going by the black circles under his eyes, he’d been worrying about my fate and it would be unfair not to let him know exactly what was going on. My mother had decided to accept unrequited love on my side as the full extent of the story, but my phone and laptop were still off limits.

  She was disappointed in me and herself, which wasn’t good for anyone. We hadn’t talked about my dad again yet. I’d said I wasn’t interested in knowing her side of the story.

  Back at the front of the restaurant, I was interrupted this time with a giggling Meg outside the front doors. Excusing myself for my smoking break, I couldn’t stop my grimace. I only got one break per shift and having to use it within the first fifteen minutes was less than ideal, but if I used it with Meg at least I wouldn’t be forced to go through a painful chat with Ollie.

  “Hey, what’s up?” Meg’s eyes were the most dilated I’d ever seen them, even in the darkening December day. She frowned, as though just realising it was me stood in front of her. “Meg, are you okay?” I was almost wary to approach as Meg continued to just stand and stare.

  I only just caught her before she collapsed.

  “Shit,” I muttered, arms straining under her weight as I reached for my phone. It wasn’t there, of course. Placing Meg down in the car park was the last thing I wanted to do, but I didn’t hesitate. Sprinting back inside, keeping my job didn’t even come to mind. “Ollie!” I all but screamed. “Call an ambulance! Meg’s just passed out, I think she’s on something.”

  I returned to Meg once I saw him pulling out his phone, remembering that I should try and get her in the recovery position. She was so tiny that it wasn’t difficult, but my blurred vision didn’t help. Neither did the crowd of people that had gathered after my outburst. I wanted to shout at them all to stop staring, but it wasn’t worth making the commotion worse.

  Ollie dipped down beside me and took her pulse. “The ambulance said they’d be here in five minutes. I’ll come in the ambulance with you.”

  A nod was all I could manage as I stroked Meg’s hair. She vomited and coughed, but didn’t regain consciousness. Ollie wrapped an arm around my shoulder and helped me into a standing position. “She’s going to be fine, Maddie. She’s going to be fine.” He told me in a mantra, keeping to a friendly position out of habit. We were still in public.

  It was unbelievable that no one here happened to be a doctor or nurse. All the gaggle of restaurant goers could offer was gossip, most of the snippets I heard were about our tainted generation. It had me balling my fists at my sides.

  When the ambulance screeched into the car park, I was back to full alertness. Slipping out of Ollie’s comforting hold, I rushed to answer the paramedic’s questions. “She’s seventeen, and more than likely on MDMA. She’s done it pretty regularly over the past two months. She just stood and stared at me then collapsed.”

  “We need to get her into the ambulance and to the hospital,” he nodded with thanks for my description. “Are you coming with her?”

  “Can two of us come?”

  “Yes, but no more.”

  Beckoning to Ollie, we were ushered into the ambulance after Meg was wheeled in. Now plugged into a monitor, I kept myself focused on Meg’s steady heartbeat. It was reassuring, at least. “You’re certain it’s MDMA?” The paramedic could do nothing until we were actually at the hospital, I supposed, but the sight of him sitting there rather than busying about made it seem somehow bleak.

  “Not certain. I know her boyfriend has been into a few legal highs and research chemicals, too. It’s mainly MD, though.”

  He nodded, jotting down my response on a chart. “Have you got any specific on the legal highs and chemicals?”

  “Nothing, sorry.”

  As the dialogue died, I returned my gaze to Meg’s face. She looked so peaceful like this, without that constant line of worry which seemed to have been invading her face ever since she found out about her mother.

  “She’ll be okay,” Ollie assured me once more.

  “I’m sorry, but I have to ask,” the paramedic jumped back in, pen at the ready. “Do you think this could have been intentional?”

  “Of course not.” Only as soon as I’d said it, I was forced to look at Meg’s face and remember all the misery she’d felt over the past few months. “Her mum has breast cancer. I guess… I guess it could be intentional. I really don’t think so, though.”

  He noted that down.

  At the hospital, we were directed to the waiting area whilst Meg was taken to a private room where the doctors could hopefully find out exactly what was wrong. Ollie opened his mouth to speak, but I beat him to it. “I have to ring Meg’s mum. I’m allowed to use my phone in here, right?”

  “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

  “Shoot, can I borrow your mobile?”

  “Oh, right, of course.”

  I felt ill as I listened to the dialling tone. If she wasn’t at home, I didn’t know her mobile number off by heart. Meg’s mum didn’t deserve this. Meg didn’t deserve this. They both deserved a break. “Hello?”

  My words caught in my throat and I had to cough to cover up my pause. “It’s Meg. We’re in the hospital, I think she’s overdosed on something. I’m so sorry.”

  “I’m coming right in, which ward?”

  After giving her the name, I passed Ollie back his phone. “Meg’s going to hate me when she wakes up.”

  “She’ll understand. You had to ring her mum, it was the only thing to do.” Ollie shifted in his seat, obviously wanted to change the topic, but knowing it was the wrong time to do so.

  “Look, I told my mum about us sleeping together in summer but nothing else. You’re not in trouble with her, I am. I told her I knew about my dad. She’s just mad and doesn’t want me to see you and doesn’t want me out of the house in case I’m sneaking into clubs or whatever. It’s really fine. We’re still in exactly the same position.”

  “I wasn’t going to ask.”

  “I know, but for once, I’d rather talk about us than the alternative.”

  Ollie looked like he was longing to wrap an arm around my shoulder so that I could snuggle against his chest and block out the world, but it would have been inappropriate. “I hope you’re okay. I never meant for her to find out, obviously. I should have asked Luke to drop you off around the corner. It was stupid of us not to think of it.”

  “It’s as much my fault as it is yours. Well, there’s nothing to be done now, anyway. It’ll all work out fine. You don’t have to worry about me at all.”

  “I do, though.”

  “It’s probably better if you don’t say it.”

  When Meg’s mum came bursting through the door, I shifted away from Ollie even further automatically. “Maddie! What’s going on?
Is she okay? Can I see her?”

  “I don’t know. She showed up to the restaurant and then just passed out. I think she must have taken something,” I cringed at saying the words aloud. “She’s in with the doctors. I’m sure we’ll be able to go in soon.”

  “Meggy took something? I didn’t realise she did anything like that.” Meg’s mum took a heavy seat opposite me and Ollie, resting her head in her hands. Tears gathered in her eyes and I glanced at Ollie hopelessly, looking for some advice on what to do.

  I made myself stand up and sit beside her, unsure if we were close enough to share a hug. “Meg will be fine. She’ll always pull through.”

  “I didn’t even know.”

  I couldn’t really respond that no one did. It was my fault she hadn’t stopped doing this kind of thing earlier. I had known and I’d failed to stop this happening. The hand I’d been contemplating rubbing Meg’s mum’s back with fell to my lap and my gaze moved towards the ceiling instead. All my fault.

  “I’m going to fetch some coffee. Does anyone want anything?”

  I shook my head and Meg’s mum looked confused as to why he was talking to us. “He’s here with you?”

  “That’s Mr. Wright. He’s our English teacher, he happened to be at the restaurant when Meg fell down. He said he’d come with me.”

  “That was nice of him,” Meg’s mum was visibly trying to collect herself. “I got the all clear on my cancer today.” It didn’t sound anywhere near as happy as it should have done. “I had a bottle of champagne ready for me and Meggy when she got home.”

  “Congratulations.” That would be some good news when she woke up, at least. “The celebrations can be doubled when Meg comes home.”

  A man poked his head around the door. “You can come and see her now.”

  Meg was asleep, or at least unconscious. Her face was peaceful and it even looked as though she was wearing a slight smile. “Is she going to be all right?”

  “She’ll be absolutely fine,” the doctor offered a warm smile that soothed my nerves. “I know it was a scare, but there’s no lasting damage. Only a bit of grogginess for a few days. I am going to bring in the psychiatrist just to have a chat with her when she’s woken up, though.”

  I wasn’t sure Meg’s mum had even heard him, but she nodded along anyway, her gaze never leaving Meg’s pale face. I felt rude standing and watching, so I decided to find Ollie. I’d realised I had things to ask him, anyway, before we properly parted ways.

  I almost knocked his coffee flying when we rounded the corner at the same time, but Ollie was agile enough to catch himself. “Meg’s going to be okay.”

  Ollie breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad. Did the doctor say what she’d done? Did they give any more information?”

  “No. Not yet. I just felt like I was interrupting Meg’s mum, I know how hard she’s taking this. I wanted to ask about your brother, anyway. What happened with that?”

  “He told me I was an idiot. I kind of told him everything.” Ollie ran a hand through his hair, pausing around the corner from Meg’s room. “I think he just pitied me to be honest, but whatever. He wasn’t mad or anything, so it’s okay. I’m really sorry about your mum.”

  “We’ll get over it. Me and my mum have never really fallen out before, so I’m sure we can get past this. I don’t like falling out with her.”

  “Does Meg’s mum know who I am?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, well, I think I should probably head off then.” He looked incredibly guilty, but he really did have to leave. Hanging around would look odd. His hand reached out and grasped my arm, his thumb rubbing a gentle circle through my waitressing uniform. “I hope everything works out. Let me know about Meg in class. I want to know how she’s going on with stuff.”

  I nodded, managing the smallest of smiles as I committed Ollie’s caring expression to memory. His stubble was growing back already. “I will do. Thanks for coming to the hospital with me, it really helped.”

  “I’ll see you around.”

  “See you.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “Where have you been, young lady? I thought I specifically said-”

  “Meg is in the hospital.” That shut her right up and she appeared in the doorway, panicked expression replacing any kind of anger.

  “What’s happened? Is she okay?”

  “What happened to your face?” I fired back, eyes widening at the blackened flesh around her eyes. “Did he come back? He punched you? What a piece of shit,” the word fell from my mouth without me even realising. “I’m ringing dad up right now. Is Lily here?”

  My mother shooed my hand away from the landline telephone, staring at the floor. “My face is fine and Lily is fine. You certainly don’t need to be ringing your father.”

  “Mum he’s hit you again. That’s not okay. You either need to ring dad or the police. It can’t just continue to happen and he shouldn’t ever get to see Lily.”

  “Tell me about what happened with Meg. Is she really okay? I can drive you down to the hospital whenever you need me to.” Sitting on the couch, my mum patted the seat beside her and I made myself sit down.

  “She overdosed on something. She’s going to be absolutely fine, but it was just so terrifying.” I didn’t want to interrupt Meg’s mum’s privacy. I’d go back tomorrow.

  My mum wrapped a secure arm around my shoulder, but I didn’t miss the flinch as I touched her ribs. “I’m glad she’s okay, honey. I didn’t know Meg was into anything like that. That’s so sad. She’s such a clever girl.”

  “I’m just glad she’s going to be okay.” My mum would be horrified if she knew the things I did and that was the reason I didn’t tell her. It was difficult for her generation to understand that it wasn’t all bad if you knew what you were doing. Just because I might have taken a few silly risks with drugs every now and then wasn’t the end of the world, it was only the same as the silly risks people took playing on train tracks and the like when they were younger. “I’m sorry for everything that’s happened with Ollie and for not telling you. I don’t want us to fall out about it.”

  “I know, I don’t want to fall out either. I was just so shocked and I just don’t like to think about the fact you lied to me about these things, I thought we told each other everything. And I know I lied about your father, I hope you can forgive me for that, too.”

  “Of course I can.”

  “I just don’t want you going out and doing things when you’re this young. There’s a reason that the drinking age is set at eighteen. You shouldn’t be trying to get around it.”

  I groaned. “I don’t want to talk about this.” She might have been right, but I didn’t feel like I wasn’t old enough to be doing these things. I was practically an adult. I’d be eighteen so soon and the change over from one day to the next wasn’t going to be a big difference. “I want you to ring the police about Nick.”

  “Sweetie, you don’t understand me and Nick. This is something we can work out and you don’t need to be getting involved.”

  “Mum, he beats you up. That’s something someone needs to be getting involved in. You can’t just let it keep happening.” I squeezed her hand to show her that I meant it. I could at least try and help and be there for her.

  “I’ve got enough on worrying about you, you don’t need to worry about me. I know what I’m doing.”

  ***

  “I’m really sorry to have to ask you to do this, but I really just don’t know what else to do,” I apologised to Ollie whilst doing my seatbelt up. “My mum just isn’t listening to anything I say and I know it’s going to get worse.”

  “I understand, you don’t have to apologise. I’m quite happy to give you a lift anywhere you need to go.”

  Finding my father’s address in the phone book had been a lucky break considering I didn’t have my laptop or phone to check on. Now I just had to hope he was the only person with that name in Nottingham. There hadn’t been many other Ashton’s list
ed.

  “Okay, well, thank you. I really appreciate it.”

  “How is Meg holding up?”

  I’d been back to Meg’s this morning during my free period, but my mother had come with me just to make sure that was what I was definitely doing. I couldn’t blame her for breathing down my neck really, but it wasn’t something I was a fan of.

  That was why I’d failed to mention the fact work had given me the rest of the week off with compassionate leave and requested Ollie’s assistance at the end of my English lesson.

  “She’s doing fine. I think she’s dreading leaving the hospital and having to sit down and chat with her mother. Looks like we’ve both managed to mess up our relationships with our mums.”