Confessions Of A Parochial School Student.

There's something eerie about a school afterhours. Something...forbidden. The corridors seem longer, the shadows darker and the occasional sound magnified. I had never liked the way a school building appeared by night. A locker slammed closed somewhere down the hall and I heard footfalls in the distance. I heard echoing giggles that grew faint as the school steadily emptied. Except for me and a handful of students and teachers.

The hallway I was walking down was empty and the lights flickered overhead, preparing to shut down as an energy saver. I hastened my step, knowing there would be light and another human being with Mr. Lismore's classroom. My need to escape my foolish phobia was enough to cause me to forget, momentarily, all Penny's lunchtime stories.

"Miss. Jacobs," Mr. Lismore glanced up from a stack of papers, his dark brows rising into his hairline. Without a glance at the clock above the blackboard he said in an icey tone, "You are late. Again. Please, take your accustomed seat."

I did so, arranging my skirt that it covered my thighs and waited. I watched him mark papers with a flourish, pausing now and then to chew the cap of his pen. I shifted in my seat, the hard back of the wooden chair painful against my lower back and crossed my ankles under the rungs. I was tired and stifled a yawn, covering my mouth with my hand. How long would I have to sit here? All night?

So, I began to watch him. I studied his movements carefully, though not in such a manner as to draw his attention to me. And as I watched I replayed the incident in my mind that had taken place earlier. Seeing and hearing, once more, the verbal assault on my fellow student. I watched him sucking gently on the pen and heard the hiccupping sobs of his victim...and was once again shocked anew at the sensations raging through me.

God, the memory was even more erotic than the reality. I writhed slightly, trying my best to remain impassive but failing horribly. I wanted so much to touch myself. I was aching. Down there. And damn him. He was so...oblivious. I groaned to myself and wanted to slide under the desk when I realised he'd heard me.

"My apologies for boring you, Miss Jacobs," he said sarcastically, a tiny smirk lifting the corners of his lips, "Perhaps the next time you see fit to arrive late to my class empty-handed you will re-evaluate your decision."

"Y-yes, sir," I said, mentally forbidding myself to behave in any way other than normal.

I watched as he rose from his desk and circled around it. Graceful, agile. His dark blazer was unbuttoned, allowing the white of his shirt to show. Instantly, my eyes traveled downward before I could stop them. Pausing for a heartbeat on the bulge in his dark slacks before quickly rushing onward.

I found myself staring overlong at his shoes. He bore a few chalk-dust smudges but they were impeccibly shined and polished. I watched as he removed his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose before replacing them. Did he seem...out of sorts? No, it must be my imgaination.

"Miss. Jacobs," he began, standing in front of my desk. For a long, pregnant moment, he didn't speak and I waited for him to continue. Finally, he strode back to his desk and ruffled through one of the drawers. Returning to me he placed a folded sheet of paper on the desk in front of me, "You have three weeks to complete the reading list and write a twelve page paper for each book, on what, exactly, each author was attempting to convey."

I opened the paper and gaped to see the list of books he'd written in his rather scrawly cursive down the margin of the college-ruled sheet. I opened my mouth to protest. To say how unfair that was to pile on more work on top of all the other classes and assignments I had to complete!

This wasn't college, it was high school! Granted I'd be graduating this year, but still! I felt tears threaten, but kept them in check. Barely. I knew if I complained he'd only increase the load. I felt my shoulders slump under the mental weight and refolded the paper, adding 'go to the library again' to my list of things to-do over the weekend.

"While you're here, you may as well begin work on the first book. I see you all ready have it with you," his eyes flicked to the book peeking from the opening of my bookbag. I took it out with slightly trembling fingers and opened it to the second chapter. I hadn't gotten far when Vanity interrupted me in the library earlier in the day. I was glad he didn't try to further humilate me by forcing me to read aloud. I knew he'd save that little treat for my assignment.

Oh, how I looked forward to facing his ridiculing sardonic tone mocking me for every mis-pronouced or stuttering word, I thought with a narrowing of my eyes on the printed words before me.

Mr. Lismore allowed me to read in silence for about thirty minutes before clearing his throat, causing me to glance up towards where he perched on the edge of his desk. I realised that he'd been watching me as keenly as I had him not that long ago.

I brushed my hair from my face and dared to meet his gaze. He couldn't be about to give me more work, could he? I prayed not! I would have a complete breakdown if so! Now, if only he'd let me be fore a moment and allow me to bring my whirling mind back into some sembance of order...

"You are free to leave now, Miss. Jacobs," he said, breaking the silence with his perfectly clipped british accent, his voice barely above a whisper. Mr. Lismore never had reason to shout to gain the attention of those around him, as everyone know. I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn't certain how much longer I could stand to be here...and not do something rash. Like fling myself across the room and pin him to his desk.

I bit the inside of my right cheek, tasting the coppery tang of blood, in the hopes that perhaps the sudden pain would distract me from the dull, throbbing ache between my legs. "T-thank you, Mr. Lismore..." I could hardly get myself together as I hurried from the room and around the corner. It felt as if something momentous had occurred and yet...I knew that nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"Hey, how'd it go?" I heard Penny's voice next to me and realised that she'd appeared, in her way, beside me and was walking with me as though we'd planned to meet like this. The truth was, I hadn't asked her to stay after, but Penny often understand and knew what I needed from her before even I did and I was glad to see her, even if I had trouble, just then, showing it. I gave her a look as dark as a storm cloud and she burst into laughter, "Okay, okay! I won't ask! Didn't I tell you so, though?"

I nodded and slung my pack over one shoulder, walking faster towards the double doors at the front of the building. I had my list of books to read in my backpack. I would think about them...later.

Let her believe he was mean to me, I thought, much better than trying to explain the real reason for my current state. I suggested we stop by a local fast food joint and share a basket of fried, unhealthy food. Hopefully, that would get my mind away from Mr. Lismore and certain parts of his anatomy...I doubted it, though.

To be continued...