Lines crossed (chapter 4)

The moment class ended, Cindy knew she was in trouble. As the other students gathered their belongings, Lenny and Ella walked over to her.

We’ll come with you,” Lenny offered. Cindy shook her head with a weak smile.

“No… it’s okay. I should handle this myself. Are you sure?” Ella asked. She nodded. “I’ll be fine.”

Taking a deep breath, Cindy watched Sir Jade leave the classroom before quietly following him down the hallway to his office. He opened the door, stepped inside, and motioned for her to enter.

“Have a seat.”

Cindy sat nervously, her hands clasped together on her lap. Sir Jade took his seat behind the desk and looked at her for a moment.

“What’s your name?”

“Cindy.”

He nodded.

So, Cindy… why were you late this morning?. She lowered her gaze. I’m sorry, Sir. I had something important to take care of before coming to school, and it delayed me. I didn’t intend to be late. Sir Jade studied her expression before giving a small nod.

I see.”

A brief silence filled the room.

“This is your first offense, so I’ll let it slide. Just make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Relief washed over Cindy.

“Thank you, Sir.”

“You may go.” She stood, grateful that the conversation had ended much better than she had expected. As Cindy walked toward the door, Sir Jade found himself watching her. There was something about her that naturally drew attention. She carried herself with quiet confidence despite her nervousness, and her graceful presence made her difficult to ignore. He quickly pulled himself out of his thoughts and regained his professional composure.

Just before leaving, Cindy turned back. “Thank you again for not punishing me, Sir.” He gave a polite nod. “You’re welcome. Have a good day.”

She smiled faintly before leaving the office.

The moment she stepped back into the classroom, she was surrounded by curious classmates.

“What did he say?”

“Did you get into trouble?”

“Is he strict?”

“Does he have a girlfriend?”

The questions came one after another. Cindy simply smiled, shook her head, and made her way to her seat without answering. The curiosity around Sir Jade showed no sign of fading. When the day’s classes finally ended, Cindy packed her bag and left campus with Lenny and Ella. After walking them part of the way home, she waved goodbye and continued toward her neighborhood alone.

As she walked along the roadside, a sleek black car slowed beside her. She instinctively stepped back.

The driver’s window rolled down. To her surprise, it was Sir Jade.

“Good evening, Cindy,” he greeted with a friendly smile. She blinked in surprise.

“Good evening, Sir.” “Do you live around here?”

She mentioned her neighborhood.

A look of surprise crossed his face. “Really? I live in the same area.” Cindy raised her eyebrows. “What a coincidence.” “It certainly is,” he replied with a smile. “If you don’t mind, I can give you a ride. It wouldn’t make sense for us to head in the same direction separately.” Cindy hesitated for a moment before looking at him.

“Thank you, Sir.”

Sir Jade unlocked the passenger door

“Hop in.” After another brief pause, Cindy opened the door and got into the car, unaware that the unexpected ride home would be the beginning of a new chapter in both of their lives.

As they drove through the quiet streets, Cindy decided to break the silence.

“Sir… may I ask you something?”

Sir Jade glanced at her briefly before returning his attention to the road.

“Of course.”

“Are you married?”

A faint smile appeared on his face.

“No.”

She hesitated for a moment before asking another question.

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

He chuckled softly.

“No, I don’t.”

He stole a quick glance at her.

“Why do you ask?”

Cindy immediately looked away.

“Oh… nothing, Sir.”

She leaned back into her seat, pretending to admire the scenery outside the window.

A few moments later, Sir Jade smiled.

“Since you’ve been asking me questions, I think it’s only fair that I ask one too.”

Cindy turned to him.

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

She shook her head.

“No.”

“And why not?”

She smiled.

“I want to explore life a little more before settling down.”

Sir Jade nodded thoughtfully.

“That’s understandable.”

The rest of the journey passed in comfortable silence.

When they finally arrived at Cindy’s house, her heart skipped a beat.

Standing outside her gate was Gerald.

The smile on her face disappeared instantly.

Without thinking, she hurriedly opened the car door.

“Sir, I…”

Before she could finish, she noticed Gerald staring in their direction.

Panicking, she stepped out of the car and rushed toward him without thanking Sir Jade or saying goodbye.

Sir Jade watched her leave before quietly driving away.

Gerald looked at Cindy before glancing at the car disappearing down the street.

A look of disappointment crossed his face.

She’ll never change, he thought.

He let out a quiet sigh and turned to leave.

“Gerald!” Cindy called, catching up with him. “Why are you leaving already?”

He forced a small smile.

“It’s nothing.”

“Then why did you come?”

“I stopped by because I didn’t see you after class. I was worried you might have gotten into trouble.”

His concern warmed her heart.

“I wasn’t punished.”

“I’m glad.”

“I’ll walk you home,” she offered.

Gerald shook his head.

“No. Go upstairs and get some rest.”

After a brief pause, Cindy nodded.

“Okay… thank you.”

She watched him walk away before heading inside.

Back in her room, she changed into something comfortable, but instead of thinking about Gerald, her thoughts drifted back to Sir Jade.

Then suddenly, her eyes widened.

“Oh no…”

She had completely forgotten to thank him for the ride.

She buried her face in her pillow and let out a muffled scream.

“I can’t believe I did that!”

Determined to make things right, she sprang from her bed and began searching through her wardrobe.

“I need to look presentable tomorrow.”

After finally choosing the perfect outfit, she took a shower, completed her assignments, and went to bed.

The next morning, Cindy woke up earlier than usual.

She carefully got ready, making sure every detail of her appearance was perfect before heading to school.

The moment she arrived on campus, she went straight to the lecturers’ offices, hoping to find Sir Jade and apologize.

He wasn’t there.

Disappointed, she made her way to class.

The first lecture came and went, but Cindy barely heard a word the lecturer said. Her mind was completely occupied with thoughts of Sir Jade.

As soon as the period ended, she rushed to the restroom to touch up her makeup and straighten her outfit.

By the time she returned to the classroom, Sir Jade was already inside, writing on the board.

She froze.

Embarrassed that she had arrived after him, she quietly slipped into her seat.

Throughout the lecture, Cindy couldn’t take her eyes off him.

She tried to focus on the lesson, but every time she looked up, her attention wandered back to Sir Jade.

Unbeknownst to her, Sir Jade was struggling just as much.

Every now and then, his gaze drifted toward Cindy before he quickly forced himself back to the lesson.

Several students exchanged curious glances, noticing how often their lecturer seemed distracted.

Halfway through the class, Sir Jade suddenly stopped writing.

“Excuse me for a moment,” he said before leaving the classroom.

Without hesitation, Cindy stood up and quietly followed him, leaving her confused friends behind.

She knocked gently on his office door.

“Come in.”

She stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

“I’m sorry for yesterday, Sir,” she began. “I left without thanking you for the ride home. I was startled when I saw someone waiting for me, and I acted very rudely. I didn’t mean to disrespect you.”

Sir Jade looked at her silently for a few moments.

Finally, he nodded.

“I understand.”

There was another brief silence.

“You may return to class.”

That was all he said.

Cindy had expected at least a smile or a few reassuring words, but none came.

Disappointed, she quietly thanked him before leaving the office.

As she closed the door behind her, Sir Jade remained seated, staring at the desk in front of him. He had dismissed her quickly not because he was angry, but because he was beginning to realize that keeping a professional distance from Cindy was becoming far more difficult than he had anticipated.