Actors.
Chapter Three.
Alex flicked his eyes across the details about Matilda Collins on his laptop. Was it wrong that he was basically spying on one of his students? Alex didn't think so. He was telling himself that, as a new teacher to the school, he should be expected to research about his students.
So far, Alex had learnt that Matilda was put into foster care five years ago after her parents had passed away. He also had found out that her birthday was a day before his, 13th December.
Alex loaded up the school photo of Matilda, and studied her face closely.
Her long, auburn hair was straightened, with her side fringe sweeping across her forehead. Her grey/blue eyes were glinting, underneath her long, black eyelashes. You could still see her freckly cheeks, which Alex liked. She had her septum pierced in this photo, and in someway it suited her. One wouldn't have guessed that a girl like Matilda would have such a piercing, yet it just made her features stand out more. It was gorgeous.
With a heavy sigh, Alex shut down his laptop. He shouldn't be doing this. He shouldn't be wanting to find out as much as possible about one of his students. More importantly, it shouldn't be about Matilda. Just by reading what was put on her school file, Alex figured her life had been stressful and confusing enough. She probably didn't need some weird, new English teacher harassing her.
"You okay, man?"
Alex raised his head at the sound of his flatmate and best friend Jack Barakat. When Alex had announced he was moving to England, Jack was more than happy to accompany him.
"I don't know Jack. I'm just thinking.. Do you think that maybe, coming here was a wrong choice?"
"No way!" Jack grinned. "The English girls are way better than the American ones. Their accents arehot.. Why, do you want to go back to America?"
"Naah. It's just, well I'm teaching this bunch of sixth formers, and there's, there's this girl in it, and-"
"Wow, wow, wow, wow! You have a crush on one of your students?" Jack interrupted Alex, and Alex replied by a loud groan and falling back onto the sofa.
"I have no idea! I've only been here for a few days and already I can't take her off my mind. I can't wait to teach her class. Everything she says to me sounds perfect, and ugh what am I going to do?"
"Okay, listen to me Alex, whatever you do, you can't fall for this girl. She's what, seventeen, eighteen? You're her teacher!"
"Like I don't know that! Oh forget it, Jack. You don't understand!" With that Alex left the living room and went straight to his bedroom, refusing to come out for the rest of the night.
- - -
"So basically, Pride and Prejudice is just the same as now, but in the Victorian era." Mr Gaskarth tried explaining to his class. Walking around the whole room, he was trying his hardest to be as far away from Matilda as possible. Trying to follow Jack's advice from last night.
"For instance, you have the rich, handsome man, that every girl wants to be with..." All eyes looked over to Cole, who smiled smugly, enjoying the positive attention he was receiving.
"And you get the poor, not well known, girl." This time all eyes flicked onto Matilda who pretended not to notice.
Alex noticed this too, and he couldn't help but wonder why all the teenagers in this class, felt the need to embarrass Matilda whenever they had the oppurtunity.
"However, the poor girl is described as good-looking."
"Ayyy sir, you got a crush on Matilda?" Jeered Josh Franceschi. Matilda's cheeks flamed red, and she quickly looked down, pushing her fringe to cover up her face.
"I was referring to Elizabeth Bennet, the character in the novel. Of course, you'd know that if you wasn't too busy trying to humiliate other students." Alex replied smoothly.
Alex Gaskarth did not have a crush on Matilda Collins. Not at all. Crushes were for lovestruck teenagers, not fully grown men. Alex had to keep reminding himself of that.
Alex kept telling himself that the only reason why he felt strange around the girl was because she was the only girl who Alex hadn't heard gossiping about him. She seemed to keep herself to herself which was something Alex admired about her. The fact that she was gorgeous was just an added bonus.
When the lesson was over, the class of sixth formers filed their way out of the classroom.
"Matilda!" Alex called back the teenager. "Can I just have a quick word?"
Matilda nodded her head, and walked over to the desk, of which Mr Gaskarth was sat on. She studied him closely.
The light bags around his eyes suggested that he hadn't gotten much sleep the previous night. His hair was as messy as it always was, and light stubble was etched around his mouth.
Alex waited for the room to be empty before he spoke;
"Is Josh upsetting you at all?"
Matilda focused her attention back onto her teacher, a small tinkle escaped her lips as she shook her head.
"You mean by trying to embarrass me every chance he gets? Nah, he's been like that ever since I came to this school."
Alex couldn't believe what he'd just heard. "The-the bullying, doesn't bother you?"
Matilda laughed at Mr Gaskarth's facial expression. "I'd hardly call it bullying. He's just trying to wind me up, and I've just learnt now that he's the cool type of person, and I'm just a loser. I'm fine with it, honest."
"Matilda, you're not a loser at all. I don't know you very well, but from what I do know, you're the most sane person in this school. Don't beat yourself up with thoughts like that."
"Thanks Mr Gaskarth. That's one of the kindest things someone's ever said to me in a while." The girl beamed which made Alex's stomach do summersaults.
"Hey, I like your piercing. It's pretty sweet." Just like her school photo, Alex noticed the girl had put in her septum piercing. Matilda smiled and touched it lightly.
"Thanks Sir." She began to walk over to the door. "Well, I'm going to be late for sociology, aren't you teaching?"
"Free period." Alex winked. Matilda groaned just as she reached the door.
"Lucky you." She replied with a suggestive smile, and then she left the room.
Alex fell back onto his chair. Did that seriously just happen, or was the whole 'suggestive smile' his imagination? He wasn't too sure.
So far, Alex had learnt that Matilda was put into foster care five years ago after her parents had passed away. He also had found out that her birthday was a day before his, 13th December.
Alex loaded up the school photo of Matilda, and studied her face closely.
Her long, auburn hair was straightened, with her side fringe sweeping across her forehead. Her grey/blue eyes were glinting, underneath her long, black eyelashes. You could still see her freckly cheeks, which Alex liked. She had her septum pierced in this photo, and in someway it suited her. One wouldn't have guessed that a girl like Matilda would have such a piercing, yet it just made her features stand out more. It was gorgeous.
With a heavy sigh, Alex shut down his laptop. He shouldn't be doing this. He shouldn't be wanting to find out as much as possible about one of his students. More importantly, it shouldn't be about Matilda. Just by reading what was put on her school file, Alex figured her life had been stressful and confusing enough. She probably didn't need some weird, new English teacher harassing her.
"You okay, man?"
Alex raised his head at the sound of his flatmate and best friend Jack Barakat. When Alex had announced he was moving to England, Jack was more than happy to accompany him.
"I don't know Jack. I'm just thinking.. Do you think that maybe, coming here was a wrong choice?"
"No way!" Jack grinned. "The English girls are way better than the American ones. Their accents arehot.. Why, do you want to go back to America?"
"Naah. It's just, well I'm teaching this bunch of sixth formers, and there's, there's this girl in it, and-"
"Wow, wow, wow, wow! You have a crush on one of your students?" Jack interrupted Alex, and Alex replied by a loud groan and falling back onto the sofa.
"I have no idea! I've only been here for a few days and already I can't take her off my mind. I can't wait to teach her class. Everything she says to me sounds perfect, and ugh what am I going to do?"
"Okay, listen to me Alex, whatever you do, you can't fall for this girl. She's what, seventeen, eighteen? You're her teacher!"
"Like I don't know that! Oh forget it, Jack. You don't understand!" With that Alex left the living room and went straight to his bedroom, refusing to come out for the rest of the night.
- - -
"So basically, Pride and Prejudice is just the same as now, but in the Victorian era." Mr Gaskarth tried explaining to his class. Walking around the whole room, he was trying his hardest to be as far away from Matilda as possible. Trying to follow Jack's advice from last night.
"For instance, you have the rich, handsome man, that every girl wants to be with..." All eyes looked over to Cole, who smiled smugly, enjoying the positive attention he was receiving.
"And you get the poor, not well known, girl." This time all eyes flicked onto Matilda who pretended not to notice.
Alex noticed this too, and he couldn't help but wonder why all the teenagers in this class, felt the need to embarrass Matilda whenever they had the oppurtunity.
"However, the poor girl is described as good-looking."
"Ayyy sir, you got a crush on Matilda?" Jeered Josh Franceschi. Matilda's cheeks flamed red, and she quickly looked down, pushing her fringe to cover up her face.
"I was referring to Elizabeth Bennet, the character in the novel. Of course, you'd know that if you wasn't too busy trying to humiliate other students." Alex replied smoothly.
Alex Gaskarth did not have a crush on Matilda Collins. Not at all. Crushes were for lovestruck teenagers, not fully grown men. Alex had to keep reminding himself of that.
Alex kept telling himself that the only reason why he felt strange around the girl was because she was the only girl who Alex hadn't heard gossiping about him. She seemed to keep herself to herself which was something Alex admired about her. The fact that she was gorgeous was just an added bonus.
When the lesson was over, the class of sixth formers filed their way out of the classroom.
"Matilda!" Alex called back the teenager. "Can I just have a quick word?"
Matilda nodded her head, and walked over to the desk, of which Mr Gaskarth was sat on. She studied him closely.
The light bags around his eyes suggested that he hadn't gotten much sleep the previous night. His hair was as messy as it always was, and light stubble was etched around his mouth.
Alex waited for the room to be empty before he spoke;
"Is Josh upsetting you at all?"
Matilda focused her attention back onto her teacher, a small tinkle escaped her lips as she shook her head.
"You mean by trying to embarrass me every chance he gets? Nah, he's been like that ever since I came to this school."
Alex couldn't believe what he'd just heard. "The-the bullying, doesn't bother you?"
Matilda laughed at Mr Gaskarth's facial expression. "I'd hardly call it bullying. He's just trying to wind me up, and I've just learnt now that he's the cool type of person, and I'm just a loser. I'm fine with it, honest."
"Matilda, you're not a loser at all. I don't know you very well, but from what I do know, you're the most sane person in this school. Don't beat yourself up with thoughts like that."
"Thanks Mr Gaskarth. That's one of the kindest things someone's ever said to me in a while." The girl beamed which made Alex's stomach do summersaults.
"Hey, I like your piercing. It's pretty sweet." Just like her school photo, Alex noticed the girl had put in her septum piercing. Matilda smiled and touched it lightly.
"Thanks Sir." She began to walk over to the door. "Well, I'm going to be late for sociology, aren't you teaching?"
"Free period." Alex winked. Matilda groaned just as she reached the door.
"Lucky you." She replied with a suggestive smile, and then she left the room.
Alex fell back onto his chair. Did that seriously just happen, or was the whole 'suggestive smile' his imagination? He wasn't too sure.
Notes
Pretty short and boring, hope you enjoyed it!:-)comment/subscribe pweaseeee xx
3/20/13