Honor Student - By Teresa Mummert Page 0,31

a reason to get up in the morning, a reason to show up to class. Here he was feeling as if he had ruined my life, but I felt like he had saved it. He had saved me. I was finally living.

I washed myself quickly and climbed out of the tub. I grabbed the oversize white towel that hung on the hook beside the sink and wrapped it loosely around my body. Wiping away the fog from the mirror, I stared at my reflection. I was pale, heavy dark circles under my eyes. I pulled open the drawer under the vanity and found an unopened toothbrush and tube of toothpaste. I brushed my teeth quickly and ran my fingers through my hair, trying my best to detangle it. When I looked as good as humanly possible, given the circumstances, I slipped the towel off, letting it fall to the floor. With a deep breath, I opened the bathroom door. I glanced around. Mr. Honor was nowhere in sight but I could hear his muffled voice coming from the other side of the room. I walked across the expansive space to his bedroom door. It was open and he was inside, his back to me with his phone at his ear. He was angry and I wondered if I should sneak back to the bathroom and grab the towel. My arm brushed against the door and it opened wider, creaking. Mr. Honor turned around and his eyes locked on to mine. I bit my lip nervously as I stood in front of him, forcing myself not to cover my body.

“Call me back if you hear anything. I have to go.” He said into the phone as his eyes narrowed, dancing over my body. He sat his phone on the dresser as he walked slowly towards me.

“Emma” he whispered quietly and I could not tell if he was upset. His moods changed so often it was hard to keep track of how he felt about me from moment to moment.

He stopped, inches from me, taking in the view.

“Are you mad at me?” I asked. He laughed at the idea.

“How could I ever be mad at you?” he looked genuinely hurt at the idea. He leaned down, kissing me softly on the fore head. I pressed my head harder against his lips and placed my hands softly on his muscular chest. “I’m mad at myself.” He confessed. “Get dressed. I need to take you home.” He turned to his dresser and pulled out a white t-shirt and an old pair of his dark wash jeans.

“But…you said it wasn’t safe for me there.” I took the clothing from him and held it over me.

“It’s not safe for you with me.” He had a pained expression on his face. I stepped towards him but he held up his hand for me to stop. Running his hands through his dark hair, he let out a deep sigh. “You can have the bed, I’ll take the couch.” He walked passed me and out into the main living space, not giving me the chance to object.

I slipped on the oversized white shirt and pulled opened his drawer to put the pants back in. Tucked between the other pairs was a small picture of a woman with long brown hair. I glanced behind me at the door to make sure Mr. Honor was still out in the main area. I flipped the picture over to see if there was a name on the back. In perfect cursive writing was the name Abby. I tucked it back into the drawer and slid in the extra pair of pants. I crawled into the bed and slipped under the covers. That night I dreamed about Mr. Honor with the mystery woman. I pictured him kissing her and holding her. I awoke suddenly, my heart pounding out of my chest, unable to catch my breath. Mr. Honor stood in the dark doorway, his face hard as stone.

“It was just a nightmare.” I reassured him, biting my lip. I could tell by the look on his face he knew I was dreaming about him. He turned and left the room without saying a word. I fell onto the pillow and drifted back off to sleep.

Chapter Twenty-One

Sun poured through the giant bay windows. I sat up, rubbing my eyes and stretching. The smell of coffee wafted through the air. I climbed out of the bed, realizing my bottom was still incredibly sore as I slid