Stranger From Last Night

Chapter 4

Stranger From Last Night.

Lyla Atelo.

The last twenty four hours lay heavily on me. I was emotionally drained of everything. I had cheated on my husband. I didn't even wait to hear his explanations before doing something so stupid.

A steaming cup of coffee was pushed in front of me, and I lifted my gaze to stare at my husband. Did he even consider me as his wife? Were we going to get divorced? What would my good-for-nothing family say if that happened?

I stared at him nervously before averting my gaze. I couldn't look at him. The guilt that clawed my chest was too much to handle. I felt guilty that I wasn't guilty enough for cheating on him.

"I don't blame you for what you did, Lyla." He inched closer to me with another mug of coffee in his hand. He had a somber expression on his face. "If anything, I also have a part to play in it. I understood what you saw and how betrayed you felt. I am also to blame for what you did."

"I cheated... On you." My voice was hollow. Hollow because I did not add the last sentence that was on the tip of my tongue.

He settled his mug on the table and squatted to my face level. He held my hand in his and shook his head.

"Lyla, no. We are going to get past this, okay? This will not define our marriage." He squeezed my hand softly before standing up. "Why were you over at Kendra's place, anyway? You didn't text me that you were going to be there as usual." He sat down on the adjacent sofa.

I took a deep breath and shook my head. "About that... Oh... I just got offered a job as a teacher. I wanted to share the news with Kendra since she encouraged me to apply."

"Oh?" There was excitement in his voice as he leaned forward. "Congratulations, my love. When do you start?"

"On Monday." I replied absentmindedly.

This didn't matter. I needed to fix myself and fix my head at the same time.

"Lyla, look..." Michael's voice turned softer. "I know you're guilty and everything, but don't let it swallow you whole. We are still a beautiful family, and in fact... I will be staying for a very long time. No more overseas travelling. It would just be you and me, together again. And maybe... we could even plan for children. I know you love children."

My heart ached even further at how genuine he sounded. I was such a terrible woman. A terrible wife. I forced a smile on my face.

"I honestly don't know what I've done to deserve you, Micheal. I—" my voice faltered and I choked on my tears.

"Hey, hey, hey..." He shook his head at my tears. "You're not going to cry, Lyla. You're not going to teach your students with a puffy face tomorrow, okay?"

"Tomorrow?" I felt my brain go silent. "What's today? Sunday? Tomorrow is Monday?"

*

Early the next morning, I woke up quite early to prepare for my first day in school. I wasn't as nervous or excited as I expected to be. My mind still reeled with everything about yesterday. I took a deep breath when I settled into my car, giving one final look at the house.

Michael stood on the porch, looking fine under the early morning sun. His hair was tousled and he had an excited expression on his face. He had spent the night trying to cheer me up, and at the same time preparing my work clothes. It seemed really weird that he had forgiven me just like that. No fights. No shouts. Nothing. Just calmness and reassurance. It didn't sit too well with me, but what did it matter? I was in the wrong.

The drive to Oakland Academy took almost an hour. An hour of listening to the old rusted engine of my grandmother's car— like the stranger had mocked me last night.

I shivered at the thought of him. Thinking of him wasn't going to do my marriage any good. He was my past now, and it had to stay that way.

"Good morning, Mrs. Michelle Constantine." I greeted the woman who sat behind the desk. She seemed to be going through some documents when her eyes reached up to me.

"And you are...?" She tilted her head to the side in askance.

"Lyla..." I said, beginning to feel nervous. "Mrs. Lyla Atelo. The new staff."

Her eyes lit up in happiness. "Welcome, Lyla! I was beginning to worry that you weren't going to show up after we did not receive an email from you. Please, sit down." She gestured to the chair that was opposite her, and I obliged, resting my bottom on the expensive chair.

Everything here was expensive. Hell, the school was a state-of-the-art kinda thing.

"Sorry about that," I almost smiled sheepishly, but I had to pull myself together. "I read the email yesterday evening. My phone has been under repairs for the past few days, and I just got it yesterday evening." I lied smoothly. In truth, the email had been sent last week Monday, but I rarely checked my emails.

She smiled warmly at me, and it struck me how young she looked. I expected her to be an almost old woman in her late sixties or something.

"Then, I'm sorry that you have to start work immediately." She started her tone had turned strict, and I straightened my back. "I wouldn't expect much from you on your first day, Mrs. Lyla. You can just familiarise yourself with the students. After the first period, you can come back to my office and I will show you around the school. Is that okay with you?"

I nodded my head like a lizard. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Let me direct you to your first class."

*

"Tyler's house party last night was banging!"

"I mean, did you see all the sexy ass college girls that attended? They were fire!!!"

"Joey managed to get one of their numbers, he's been texting the chick since last night."

Giggles erupted from all corners of the class. I started feeling anxious. The class was extremely rowdy. Students yelling over the others to be heard, while some were on their phones and some their headphones, legs on the tables, students chewing gums.

I stepped into the class, but they didn't seem to notice they had a teacher. I went behind the desk that sat in front of the class while staring at the vandalized white board in front of me. Was this how elite kids behaved? It was appalling.

"Good morning, everyone." I tried to make myself heard, but it seemed futile. No one was paying attention. "Hello?" I tried again, but my voice was drowned by the rowdy students.

I wondered what I could do to gain their attention, but there wasn't even a ruler in sight to hit the table. Then...

"Can you all just shut the fuck up? Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?" The voice wasn't as loud as everyone else is in the class, but the way the class assumed a pin drop silence shocked me.

Everyone began to find their seats to sit down, some were even shocked when they looked up and saw me.

I smiled tersely. "I'm glad I didn't have to do something extreme to make you all calm down." I looked at all of them one by one. "Good morning students. I am your new Business and Economics teacher, Mrs. Lyla Atelo."

"Good morning, Mrs. Lyla." They all responded in unison, so calmly like they weren't behaving like rabid dogs a few moments ago.

But still, I was pleased with how far the things had gone. Now, it was time to set some boundaries.

"First of all, I have ground rules, and the first one is—" I paused. The boy who shut them all up still had his head on the table.

Could that be their class coordinator? But, why would he be trying to sleep when a class was about to start?

"Someone should tap the student with his head on the table. If there is one thing you wouldn't be doing in my class, it would be sleeping!" I raised my voice slightly to sound strict. "Didn't you have enough sleep from last night? What would a student be doing up all night to be sleeping in class very early in the morning?"

It seemed like everyone stayed frozen in their seats. No one dared to turn their head towards the boy I was talking to. I was about to march down to his seat in frustration when he lifted up his head. His hair tousled with sleepy eyes and an unsightly expression on his face.

My heart raced to my throat. My body remembered him. The way he narrowed his dark eyes at me...until they softened when he recognised me.

The stranger from last night was my student. I had sex with my student! No, not only that, but I was the one who initiated it. Teased him... Had him bend me over... I was wet under the fingers of my student!

He pulled himself from the sleeping position he had assumed and stretched fully to lean into his chair. The corners of his mouth lifted imperceptibly, and I could see the amusement dancing in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I wouldn't sleep in your class again." His voice had lost all the chill in it, instead it had a playful tone in it.

Not only was I shocked, the rest of the class had the same expression on their face. An uneasy feeling began to pool at the pit of my stomach... Something told me that my life or my marriage wouldn't get better, and I hoped that I could be wrong.