Chapter 3: Eye Contact

Ad-Din looked at Maria and smirked. She wasn't easily bullied after all.

The class turned silent but Karen Kash was the most flustered as she didn't expect the new teacher to speak to her that way. She looked at Maria ready to say something but Maria didn't give her the chance and turned to the board and started teaching. Karen Kash felt humiliated.

Calia chuckled and gave Karen a mocking gaze which further irritated Karen.

....

"Saved by the bell!!''.

Maria heaved a relief the moment the bell rang for the first break session. She had never felt so grateful anymore than that moment she heard the bell ring.

Whoever said teaching a bunch of high school students was easy needs a good thrashing because Maria begged to defy.

Her first lesson was nothing like what she had thought or imagined it would be. It was way all over the place and left her mentally exhausted. The boys didn't pay attention to what was been taught. The girls looked like they were harbouring malice against her. All her fantasies of  having a good time with the students went straight to the mill.

It was more like a battlefield than a class if she were to put it.

What made matters worse was the fact that she knew she was being watched by a pair of green eyes that made her feel like her skin was been burrowed into.

Maria felt the hair on her whole body stand up with every move she made. That pair of green eyes followed her like a hawk on the lookout for a piece of meat.

Maria exhaled and put on a bright, fake smile before turning to face the students. As expected they were looking at her. Maria smiled and said to them "Well, I guess we are done for the day? I will leave you with some likely questions. You can send them to me through the class representative, who is the class representative?" Maria asked.

"That will be me, Miss Lee but I am an assistant to Ad-Din over there" Calia said and pointed at Ad-Din and Maria looked over and met his gaze. She looked away immediately and said to the class.

"Then, have a nice day ahead"

''Yes, Miss Lee'' the students responded.

Ad-Din looked at the new teacher with a half smile. He could tell her smile was a fake one.

Maria quickly wrote the questions down on the board and picked her books on the table. Calia stood up and walked to Maria smiling as she spoke to her.

''Miss Lee, can I help you with that? I have some questions to ask you as well''. Calia said.

Her smile was so genuine that Maria felt she would be sad if she rejected her help so she allowed the girl to take the books from her and led the way.

As they walked out, Ad-Din never took his eyes off Maria. He watched as Calia warmed up to Maria as they walked out. His gaze didn't escape Karen as she felt a sudden overwhelming insecurity watching him. A part of her felt an indescribable sense of loss and anger swelled up deep within her and a ray thoughts ran through her head making her clutch her fist into a tight ball. Her face still maintained a graceful look even though she felt like screaming at somebody.

A ridicule chuckle escaped her mouth and her lips curved into a sinister smile. Even Calia that bitch liked the new teacher.

....

''Miss Lee, you are so pretty and petite. If not for the fact that you are not wearing our uniform, you could pass as a student. Miss Lee, you are not more than 21 are you? You look so young''

Calia asked curiously and smiled. Calia has always been a talkative and warm person who enjoyed making friends with older people. After watching how Maria took her time to teach and explain everything, Calia took a liking to her.

Faced with such an unusual and unexpected question from Calia, Maria didn't know what to say to her. She felt Calia was a good person but there was a rule in the school that teachers were not supposed to have a close relationship with the students hence Maria was sceptical about what to say and what not to say to her. Off course, she was a person who hated to hurt anyone but right at that moment, Maria felt she needed to make the distance clear in order not to create problems for herself.

''I didn't know my age was such an interesting topic to discuss with my student?''

Maria said and the air around them suddenly turned awkward.

Calia felt she had crossed her boundaries and was now feeling ashamed. With a lowered head and gaze she apologised to Maria.

''Miss Lee, I'm sorry for crossing the line. I was just so happy and wanted to get to know you. I started spouting nonsense again''. Calia said "forgive me, I always end up saying unnecessary stuff when I get excited"

''No, is alright. You are right, I am 22 years and a little over 3 years older than you''. Maria said with a smile making Calia to grin happily.

''Miss Lee, I really enjoyed the lesson today and I look forward to more of that. Then, I will leave you to do your work. I'm going back to class''. Calia said and Maria turned and realised they had walked to the door of the staff room.

"En, go ahead. Is time for breakfast, you should go and get something to eat"

Maria said to Calia and took the books from her and entered the staff room while Calia jumped happily back to her classroom.

Maria put her books on her table and pulled the chair out to sit when a male teacher called Arnold Martins walked to her and spoke.

''Hi, Maria. We are going to the cafeteria for breakfast, will you join us?'' Arnold asked and Maria turned to look at him and saw that three other teachers were standing by the side watching with expectant gazes.

Maria felt it would be rude to not accept their kind gesture and agreed with a gentle smile.

''Yes, sure, let me pick my wallet first''.

The teachers smiled at her response. They felt that she might not accept to go with them. Seeing how she didn't refuse and readily agreed the female teachers present started to see her in a new light. They had initially wanted to stay away from her because of her high grades and qualification but now that she didn't refuse to dine with them, then they too didn't want to treat her as an outcast and instead gave her a warm welcoming smile.

Seeing the smiles on their faces, Maria relaxed and calmed down. She pulled the chair back inside and picked her purse ready to go out with them.

Ad-Din was walking towards the cafeteria with Karen behind him when he saw Maria and the rest of the teachers also walking towards the teachers wing of the cafeteria.

Ad-Din instinctively paused and stopped walking. His gaze became increasingly cold as he watched the male teachers walking side by side with Maria. She was all smiles as she chatted with the teachers while walking to the cafeteria.

Ad-Din didn't know why he felt that way. Somehow, he didn't like the idea of seeing the new teacher with any male colleague. He looked away angrily. Since when was he so concerned about the welfare of a teacher? Ad-Din thought to himself that it must be because he was so free lately that was why he had the time to be concerned about what other people did with their lives. She wasn't even someone he was acquainted with.

Seeing that Ad-Din was lost in thought, Karen followed his gaze and saw that he was focused on the new teacher who was going towards the cafeteria with the other teachers.

Karen became disturbed and concerned again. This was the first time she had seen Ad-Din so invested in another person and that person was the new teacher. She didn't understand it. Why would Ad-Din who doesn't even look at the girls in their class be suddenly invested in this new teacher? Her instincts told her that there was more to it than meets the eye. She came back to her senses and saw Ad-Din walking into the cafeteria and she ran along calling his name.

Karen made a mental note to have someone do a check on the new teacher. She was already angry that the new teacher told her off in the class in front of everyone. All the other teachers addressed her with respect but the new teacher did not.

Moreover, she seemed to like Calia who was her nemesis from the start. Anyone who sided with Calia would automatically become her enemy especially now that the boy she liked seemed to be curious about the new teacher.