Hills were common here. Whether near or far, a hill would always greet the eye. The sky was slowly turning grey, covering the town in a shade from the sun. The already setting sun was being covered faster. And though the streets were getting darker and the wind rushed through every available corners; the people felt protected. As if the clouds were a shield, a spell meant to watch over them.
The bus was passing through a road that was shielded by hills on both sides. The town was guarded by them. The hills hadn't been unseen since the bus had entered the locality. While the bus drove forward, the clashing wild wind entered the bus through open windows.
The cold intervals brushing on skin, strangely comforting, seemed to last longer every next moment. Occasionally, the bus would rattle, jerking the passenger because of the uneven road. But that shaking felt rewarding, combined with the humid atmosphere.
In such a relaxing setting, some passengers took naps, while a few conversed. Chuckles and eventual laughs made the bus very homely.
"The last stop is close" the conductor informed the passengers and then continued to converse with the driver.
The natives didn't need to be informed since it was very visible that they were reaching the town. A huge hill, much taller and wider than any they had passed till now, was visible. And it was alarmingly close.
People started to pack things in case the clouds did cry. They shuffled through their seats, making sure nothing was left behind. Some occupied the empty area between the two rows of seats, ready to alight from the bus.
The bus moved slightly faster now, and the hill was also occupying most of her vision. In the creeping night and treading dark, a flash blinked from one of the windows of the bus.
She looked at her phone, which presented a steady image of the hill and blurry trees that were closer to the lens. Satisfied, she tucked the phone back into her pocket. She glanced outside one last time, at the hill.
As she took in the murky scenery, she saw movement on top of the hill. It would have been very normal if it were just a cloud passing by or even a bird diving into the thicket. However, it was anything but common.
She saw a figure emerge on the top of the hill.
After bathing in many showers, under the naked sky, many alluvial platforms had formed on the sides of the hills.
One such platform was at the very top of the hill, which peeked out like a beak of the hill. And at its tip, the figure, a wraith etched against the star-sprinkled sky.
However, in that short moment; for a few seconds, as the bus kept moving forward and the trees blocking her curiosity, hid the view of the hilltop. When it was finally visible, the silhouette was gone.
"Alright. We are here. Everyone, get down." The conductor smacked the bus's flank, notifying the passengers to get out.
With a tingling itch about that shade, she stepped a foot on the dusty road. Though temporary; this town was supposed to be her routine, rest, and home for a month.
---
"Get going! Get going! It's the last bell, you twats!"
Kids rushed, pushing and pulling each other, to fit in the small gate. The last bell would ring in a few minutes. Classrooms were forbidden for late arrival until three laps of the humongous ground were survived.
"Tsk, how lousy are you rats going to be? Form a line and move quicker!" the man spanked the kids, his stick ignoring gender and rage in its way.
His eyes reflected discipline and viewed the kids as little, rabid kittens. With greying hair, his patience with kids had increased. But his nature betrayed maturity, as he had his fun troubling the kids every morning.
The kids would look, and laugh whenever he raged, chuckle whenever other students met the stick. And this made his years of rotting in the same place fun.
Soon, a line formed, and the crowd at the gate dimmed into the grounds.
As soon as the bell rang, he grabbed the rusty handles of the gate and slid them, closing the entry to any latecomer. The gates were about to clank and block entry when a shadow crept on them.
'Aha,...so there IS a latecomer. I was saddened that there won't be a muse for me today.' The teacher looked up, ready to shower some words of wisdom and rules on the kid. But when his gaze captured the face that had dared to arrive late, he sighed.
The man's expressions dimmed, interest faltering with every moment. He opened the gates and looked at the kid.
"Get in. Don't come late again." he had lost count of how many times this scene had played through, for so many years. Every year, every month, he said the exact words and allowed the kid to enter.
During his prime, he had been very critical about this kid. He always scolded him and made him run twice the punishment on the ground. But nothing worked. As he rooted into the school, the kid had become a living failure of his scolding and school rules. And just like other teachers, he gave up too.
He sighed, a breath of worry and hopelessness escaping his mouth. 'It's even his last year in school' The teacher thought as he finally closed the gates.
...
Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a charming face. That was the definition of a prince, sewn on many girls' dreams, with threads of hope.
Leo ticked them all. He had naturally blonde hair, blue eyes that would put the vast sky to shame, looks that screamed elegance and hummed chaos. Any girl would have been head over heels and deep in love with him. Any boy would have sworn to friendship. Only if he wasn't the embodiment of disinterest.
Leo was the 'odd' mannequin of their school; too handsome, way too lifeless. He never talked unless needed. He didn't engage with anyone. Not his classmates, not benchmates. Not even with teachers, for doubts or issues.
It had become a regularity that he arrived late for school. Teachers had given up on reprimanding him, and the students stopped complaining about unfairness and partiality towards Leo a long time ago.
Leo walked inside the classroom, his head down, not bothering to look up or ahead. It was like a rehearsed scene. No one crashed into him or he didn't run into anyone. For so many years, it was like a muscle memory for everyone to see him and move aside.
Leo was a very odd person, and the way people described him proved everything just as right. He was famous for being called 'Mute' or 'Dumb Doll' among the students. Many had tried to befriend him, but all failed when he never talked,...ever.
And just like usual, he moved to his seat in the very corner of the room. His seat was always empty, no one caring to go near even.
Leo plopped his bag beside the chair and sat down. Seconds later, he dropped his head on the desk. In just a few seconds, he was snoozing. No one was surprised or approached him. Because, yet again, this was a normal occurrence.
The sun was now shining very brightly, and the warm rays breached the school from every little crack.
Leo's face was covered in the sunlight, which made his hair glow golden. He woke up and turned to the warmth touching him. His eyes squinted. Leo didn't like the warmth.
It felt like his heart couldn't handle the heat. As if he was vulnerable. His eyes watered a bit, so he closed the window, denying the light to cuddle him.
"Hey, did you hear? There's going to be a temporary teacher. They are going to be here for a month, training under Mrs. Ava!!" A boy on the seat beside Leo spoke. He was talking to another boy who had just arrived from the washroom.
"What!? Damn, that's crazy. How do you even know man? Have you started spying on the teachers or something?" Their conversation continued, and so did Leo's sleep.
'It's too bright,...' He mumbled in his thoughts.
"But hey, do you know who it is? Like,...is it a woman?" The excitement in the boy's voice was clear. Other boys joined in on the conversation. And so did some girls.
"Hah, you can't even talk to the younger girls, and you want a female teacher?" A girl mocked the boy. And as they continued to bicker, another chirped in. "We already have many female teachers. It's time some hot teacher comes, you know?" Her voice was brimming with excitement. The boys grumbled, and some even imitated vomiting.
The bickering continued, and Leo couldn't find peace. It was times like these that he missed the clouds. The shower that falls loud enough to quieten anything else.
The chatter continued until the door of their classroom opened with a jerk. The students scattered when the person walked in.
As they got into their seats, the woman stood in front of the class. The boys were overjoyed. It was their dream come true.
"Ah, isn't she...kinda plain?" The boy beside Leo commented. His voice didn't betray his disappointment. He tapped the pen on the bench continuously, as if punishing it for the disappointment.
"What are you even talking about? She is prettier than the girls in our class, at least." The other one replied.
Leo sighed. 'Is it difficult for them to seal their mouth for even a second?' He lifted his head up and then sat straight, resigning from his tardiness. He had accepted it. Today, just wasn't his day.
"Quiet, all of you. We will start with the lecture immediately. I have heard it from Mrs. Ava, and it seems you guys have a lot of syllabus pending." Her voice rang in his ears. Leo turned his head to look, not interested, but curious.
As if, his mind had been jerked to wake up, and drank an entire bottle of wine. When he looked at the woman, what he saw surprised him. 'Not beautiful?' He gulped.
The woman standing at the front of the class was simple. What you would picture a strict teacher to be.
She had a white shirt on, tucked in black pants; plain, clean, and formal. The top button of her shirt was open, collarbones peeking out slightly. Since there was a desk in between, he couldn't see the footwear.
His eyes trailed to her face.
Black silky hair that hovered over her shoulder. Her eyes were sharp, and they commanded. But they felt fresh, properly complementing the green color.
His eyes hovered a second longer on those emeralds and then moved down.
'Tsk...' Leo moved his seat forward. 'What's happening to me?' His skin tickled, blood rushing all over his body as if possessed by her charm. As if the fire had ignited in his stomach, it sent blood boiling down his spine.
Her lips are perfect, was what he saw. A pink shade and plum. As if god had taken extra care not to mess them up. His eyes roamed over her neck, noticing the mole on it. Her skin glistened when the sun's little rays showered on her. The wheatish glow on her body made her look sun-kissed. As if she were made to adore.
'Hah...' he couldn't let out that voice adored by pleasure, so he exhaled within. His legs trembled, a warmth trickling to the lengths of his thighs. He couldn't really point it out, but there was a feeling in his chest that made his body ache. Her every move, every gesture, and every word slithered under his skin.
And when her eyes roamed around the room, they locked on his. And his control collapsed. His hands shivered, and it felt like heat had exited his body. His eyes locked in on her, but his lips trembled to not let them roll back.
His nails dug deep on his thighs, a reminder to not get lost in her eyes,...in her. His hand whipped and rammed the window open. For the first time, he wished to let the sun crash on him.
She looked way too familiar. As if she had touched him at places he couldn't even let others see. Like his dreams, his fantasy. A face he saw in dreams, ones that never left him dry.
"Sorry..." He muttered when the class flinched, a few screamed, and then looked at him. But he dared not look back, for had he done so,...her presence would be overwhelming; for even the sun to burn it away.