A Burning Rose: Book One

Chapter 2

Emery



As soon as I saw her sitting in my classroom. My whole world froze. I felt anger rise from within me but I controlled it. My gaze never left her, making sure that she was real and not one of my nightmares. She looked all innocent and sweet but everyone around her doesn’t know what type of person she is.

I left Lakeside high school because of her. I wasn’t going to have my reputation ruined because of a student.

No matter where I go, my attractiveness gets the attention of many women. I am not the man to entertain any of that. They haven’t been approaching me ever since my demeanor changed. I am a cold-hearted person after what happened.

I used to be a kind-hearted man. I came from nothing, we struggled as a family. My father had his small business but it wasn’t as huge as compared to the other businesses out there.

It was a small printing company. My father used to own a library, he spent most of his days reading before he decided to open up a printing company.

I have read a lot of books since I was a kid but what fascinated me was history. My father would always explain to me about it. I had a lot of questions with regards to it. I would be in bed and I would read them. I knew as I got older that I wanted to pursue a career in something to do with history.

As I did my research in high school about what I wanted to do, becoming a history teacher came to my mind. I read more about it and then I decided right then and there that I would do just that.

I got a teaching position at Lakeside high school and I taught there for six years. I loved what I was doing, it was my passion until something happened last year that I left. I applied for the professor position here at Beacon university and I got it at the age of thirty. I thought that I would not face anything like that again. I was wrong, because as I stood in front of this classroom. I was looking at her.

When she left my class in a hurry, I didn’t like that because I like respect. I have rules in this classroom. I am not the nice history teacher that I used to be last year.

I went after her and got her back to class but what changed for me at that moment was when I held onto her wrist and that I felt the electricity. I never touched her before and this is the first time. When she made it known that I shouldn’t be touching her. I was reminded of what happened and let go of her wrist.

We are back in my classroom, she took her books out again, placing them on top of her desk and she refused to look up at me. Why do I even care?

“Let us continue our lesson for the day. Firstly, if you want to leave my classroom, then you ask me first or you can leave my classroom permanently if you find that to be a problem.” I said, keeping my eyes on her. She moved her hair behind her ear as she continued to look down at her book.

I finally took my eyes away from her as I scan the class. The females were watching me with admiration while some were nervous and bored. “Following the July Crisis, the Treaty of Versailles was the most important part of World War 1’s peace treaties. It brought the war between Germany and the Allies to a close.” I said as I paced the front of the classroom, looking at each one of them except her.

“It was signed on the 28th of June 1919. The agreement was signed in the Palace of Versailles. It was five years after Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination, which precipitated the war.” I said.

“Sir, so can you tell us more about the Archduke?” I looked at the student, he was sitting in front of her.

Immediately, my eyes went to her and she was already watching me. It was like there was some sort of shift because I looked into her golden brown eyes, I am being pulled towards her which never happened before in this way. I gaze lower to her lips as she licked them, I swallowed because something is changing in me for her. I cleared my throat and broke eye contact.

“Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria,” the class erupted with laughter. “I know it is a long name, but He was Austria-presumptive Hungary’s heir to the throne. He was Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria’s eldest son and Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria’s younger brother. After Crown Prince Rudolf died and Karl Ludwig died, Franz Ferdinand became the heir presumptive to the throne. It transports you back to when he and his wife Sophie Chotek were assassinated in Sarajevo by a nineteen-year-old Bosnian member named Gavrilo Princip. As a result, Franz Ferdinand’s assassination precipitated the July Crisis, which resulted in Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia.” I took in a deep breath. My mouth was feeling dry.

I went over to my desk, taking the bottle of water. I open it and I took a sip. I can still feel some sort of pull towards her but I will do anything to not get that close to her again.

“I want you all to read through the passage of the Treaty of Versailles until the end of the class period. I will ask questions about it tomorrow.” I state as I took a seat behind my desk.

After what feels like forever, the class was dismissed and I am reading through the next lesson that I will be giving tomorrow. The students were chatting as they left and I saw out of the corner of my eye that someone was standing at my desk. I looked up into her eyes. Immediately, my fences are up.

She licked her lips again. “I wanted to let you know that I will be changing classes,” she said.

“I think that is a very good decision that you made,” I said. She looked down at the lesson that was still in my hand that I was reading. Her decision is for the best.