The Protector

Malibu, CA.

5:45 AM

Mondays are the best.

You may think that getting up at 4 in the morning would make me change my mind about that, but it doesn't.

The reason I get up so early is to experience this.

I'm laying on my surfboard, flat on my tummy, letting the calm waves roll under me.

"So beautiful." Liam, my best friend states.

The sun is just rising, peaking over the ocean, like a child bundled in a blanket.

The sky is a dazzling red, casting light shades of purple on the clouds.

We stare at the beautiful horizon until the sun is hanging low in the sky.

I want to stay here all day and never leave. The beach is my happy place.

"We better get going." Liam sighs. (He doesn't want to leave either). "It's already 6:30."

And we're already late for school.

It takes a good 45 minutes to get to school from here, but we still come here every Monday morning anyway.

We paddle back to shore, pack our equipment in my Volkswagen bus, and make our way to school
~~~

We're only 15 minutes late.

I've managed to change into some shorts, a tank top, and sandals on the car ride here. My beach hair is
done up in a messy bun, still slightly damp from the ocean spray.

I'm strolling down the hallway with Liam by my side, not caring about our tardiness.

"I'll see you later Athie, good luck getting past Mr. Horan." Liam waves goodbye teasingly as he walks into the safety of his classroom.

I glance down the hallway, just to see if Liam is bluffing, but of course he's not. Mr. Horan, the school's principal, is doing his daily sweep of the hallway to see if there's any stragglers neglecting to get to class.

Maybe I can turn down the hallway and avoid being seen. I quicken my pace to see if I can but sure enough, Mr. Horan spots me and strides towards me with a frown on his face.

" 'ello Athena," He nods at me, his blue eyes judging me and his Irish accent sounding a bit annoyed.

"Why are you 15 minutes late to class?"

This is my umpteenth time being late, but the first time I've got caught.

"Um... I was having car problems." I say, terribly unconvincingly.

"Nice excuse. I don't believe you. Nice try."

His hand reaches for his pink slips, ready to write me up for detention or Saturday school.

"Mr. Horan, my parents will kill me if they find out I have detention." He can't do this, my parents will ground me, take away my car, and take away my debit card. I CAN'T have that happen.

"Well, you should've thought about that before you were late Ms. Walker." His tone is accusing, like being late was my fault and not the fact that I was stuck in traffic on the way here.
Before I can argue my case any further, a tall boy comes up next to me, and puts his hand on my shoulder.

"May I help you Mr. Styles?" Mr. Horan raises a wondering eyebrow at the boy next to me, confused.

"This student is late because of me."

I glance over at him. Who is he? And why is he vouching untruthfully for me?

"Why is she late because of you?" Mr. Horan crosses his arms over his chest, obviously not believing this Mr. Styles' fellow.

"I sent her out of my class to the teacher's lounge to get me a cup of coffee." Mr. Styles lifts up the coffee cup in his hand, as if to confirm his story.

Mr. Horan studies us and then sighs in defeat. "Okay, whatever, just don't let me catch you again or it's Saturday school."

"Where your next class?" Mr. Styles turns to me. "I'll walk you to it."

"It's just up the hall, Mr. Malik's class."

We start walking, giving me the chance to get a good look at him. This boy can't be older than 25. His brown-curly hair and pink lips give him a boy-ish charm that I'm sure makes girls fawn over him.

"Thank you for saving me from him. My parents would have been so angry at me..."

"Don't worry about it." He smiles and shrugs. "I use to be late all the time when I was your age."

"I cant thank you enough. I also haven't seen you around here, are you a new teacher?" I would have noticed him. He's extremely attractive, charming and young: three characteristics that almost no high school boy has.

"I'm the new substitute for the music class. The music teacher had a baby so she'll be out for the rest of the year."

It doesn't surprise me that he's into music. He's wearing a flowy pink shirt with ripped jeans and brown shoes, giving him a hippie look. He looks like someone who would prance through a meadow with flowers in his hair.

When we finally reach the door of my classroom, he turns to me.

"What's your name? I didn't want to ask in front of Mr. Horan."

"My name is Athena. It's nice to meet you."

His eyes flash a spark of interest at my not-so-common name.

"Beautiful name."

"Thank you," I cant help but blush at his compliment. "My dad is obsessed with Greek mythology."

"Beautiful name of a beautiful gal..." His comment shouldn't make my heart skip a beat, but it does. He obviously meant it in a harmless way, I know that, and I shouldn't let myself think too far into it but I do.

"Get to class before Mr. Malik gets pissed... It was nice meeting you..." And just like that, there he goes, disappearing around the corner, probably to the music room.

I take a deep breath and push the door open, readying myself for the whole class to stare at me.

I try getting past Mr. Malik with no luck, he spots me right away as I take a seat next to Louis.

"Ms. Walker, can you tell me why you're late?" His authoritative voice is definitely a turn on; you can practically hear the girls in this class swoon.

"Ummm... my music teacher sent me to get his coffee from the teacher's lounge." This is a stretch but I have to keep attune to my story.

"Interesting, I didn't know you were taking a music class. I never have seen you preform at any school events."

Sh!t. He saw right through my lie, great.

"I... uhhh.... I'm in the beginning piano class so we don't really get an opportunity to preform for the school..."

"Really?" Mr. Malik crosses his arms over his chest, his biceps bulging out a little in hit fitted shirt, making me lose focus on what I'm saying. "Interesting, because I teach the beginning piano class and I've never seen you."

Why the hell do I keep talking? I should have told the truth, that would have saved me from complete embarrassment.

"See me after class."

A collective intake of breath comes from my classmates' mouths as Mr. Malik turns back to his lesson that
I interrupted.

I shouldn't be so nervous to see him after class, but I am. His attractiveness really gets to me.

When class is finally over, the students file out of his classroom, babbling excitedly while I stay at my desk.

He sighs, sits down at his desk, and smiles at me.

"Sit here."

Those two words make my heart quicken in my chest. I get up from my table with trembling hands and sit on the chair across from him.

"Athena, you don't have to be shy with me..." Mr. Malik flashes his beautiful pearly-whites at me and pats his lap. "Come here..."

My face blushes, but I go to him anyway, hesitating before I straddle his lap.

"I've missed you little one..."

Mr. Malik grips one hand on my hip and the other on the nape of my neck, pulling me in to brush his lips against mine ever so softly.

We've been seeing each other for about two weeks now. It happened one day when he wanted to talk to me after class and I "accidentally" dropped my pencil and had to bend over to get it. Since then, he's asked me to stay after class only a few times, not wanting to make it obvious that we were seeing each other.

He kisses me deeper and grips my hips even tighter, making my heart beat erratically.

He pulls away, chuckling, leaving breathless and wanting more.

"You still get excited when I kiss you... I like that."

I gasp when he presses his lips to my neck.

"I want you so badly, want to make you feel good, whenever you're ready of course."

OKAY HE'S TALKING ABOUT DOING IT. ABOUT SEX. HE WANTS TO HAVE SEX.

I want to so badly, my hormones go crazy whenever I'm in his presence, but the thing is, I'm not ready for it. Like at all. I cant even say that three letter word without giggling. I would say that I'm incredibly immature for an 18 year old. It's a mystery how Mr. Malik even finds me attractive, but I guess that when you love someone, age and looks don't matter.

He keeps kissing at the sweet spot on my neck, making m voice come out small.

"Prom day." Is all I can manage to chock out.

He pulls away from my neck to look at me.

"That's next week..." He states with surprise.

"Well. I'm ready for it and I want it to be special..." I bit my lip, hoping I don't sound cheesy and typical.
He smiles at me, lovingly. "That sounds perfect, I'll pick you up from prom... take you back to my place... undress you... kiss every inch of your skin..."

Jesus Christ.

My skin raises with goosebumps with the words that he's whispering to me. Mr. Malik kisses me one last time and smacks my bottom.

"Okay, go to class, I'll see you later."

Just like that, all contact is gone and he nudges me so I'm on my feet. At first I'm disappointed but then I notice his student's filing in.

I catch my breath quickly, adjust my ruffled clothing, and then walk nonchalantly out of his class like I'm just one of his regular students.

Notes