Forbidden Kiss

Chapter 8 – Mr. Harris

Zeke’s POV

Hannah was waiting for me as I made my way out of the front door, and we walked to the bus stop. Hennerly was the next main town from ours, it was larger and more central than Canton, and the surrounding villages.

Its school, Hennerly High, was the main high school for them all, although there were a few alternatives slightly further out, it was the easiest option for most. We were the last pick up before we made it to school and would be there in about 10 minutes.

I hadn’t seen much of the lads over the summer, I had been working lot, and we had our own stuff going on, so we spent the journey catching up and messing about.

Hannah sat with the girls and did the same. Although Hannah and I spent most of our time together, and only trusted each other, we never socially excluded ourselves from others. I got on well with most of the guys in my classes.

‘Finally get laid over the summer then Zeke?’

‘f**k off Freddie, as if I’d tell you!’

‘That would be a no then’

‘Ann-Marie was asking after you?’

‘Sure, she was’ I dated her about 3 times and when I kissed her it was like I had got lost in a washing machine, I nearly threw up in her mouth and had to end it.

‘Ok, So she wasn’t, but surely Hannah has told you about Marna?’

‘Huh?’

‘She hasn’t? Maybe Hannah wants you for herself after all then!’

‘What the f**k are you talking about?’

‘Doesn’t your mother tell you off for your potty mouth Ezekiel?’ He emphorsied my full name, knowing it would piss me off. 

Here we go again. They all know my parents, in fact most of their parents are friends with my parents, and although probably not as bad as mine, are not far from it. Lewis was the worst.

‘Unless you want me to start mum jokes, Lewis, I suggest you leave mine out of this’

‘Okay, okay’ he held his hands up in defeat.

‘Seriously though Zeke, Marna really likes you, if you wanted her, you’d only have to say the word’

‘Freddie, I appreciate the sentiment, but actually, I’m good thanks’

Thank god the bus stopped, and we made it to school before we had to continue with that conversation. Marna was lovely, but a girl. Therefore, not my type. I had another entire year of this to get through.

Hannah and I walked to registration together ‘what was all that about?’

‘Marna!’

‘Oh… Sorry Zeke, I should have warned you, but I assumed no contact over the summer would have been enough for her to figure out you weren’t interested. Apparently not’

‘Doesn’t matter, her, Anne-Marie, any of them, it will all end the same’ I shrugged ‘Maybe it would just be easier to tell them’

Hannah’s eyes widen a little, but she tried to hide it.

‘Han, I am kidding! There is no way I would put myself through that. Seriously, I do not have a death wish, and I require a roof over my head!’

‘Yeah, ok, I know, but it must be hard. I don’t know how you do it’

‘At least I have a reason to smile now’ I grinned ‘Hot stuff and I have a date!’

‘f**k OFF’

‘Shhhhh’ I said through gritted teeth as people turned to stare.

‘Sorry… What the f**k Zeke, why didn’t you tell me?’

‘I haven’t seen you! And I could hardly tell you on the bus!’

‘Details!’

We made it to registration, and I managed to fill her in on the conversation.

‘You still don’t know that much about him, like how old is he? What does he do?’

‘He doesn’t know that about me. I could hardly ask him and have him return the question and me say oh, I’m 17 and in high school! I don’t think so’

‘Zeke, you are going to have to tell him at some point’

‘Yeah, I know, but I’ll be 18 soon, that doesn’t sound so bad… and well, I really like him, so I don’t want him to run a mile’

‘He might not, how old do you think he is?’

‘Dunno, people with beards always look older than they are, I think. Looks f*****g fit with it though.’

‘Stop drooling’

‘Can’t help it’

‘He’s got to be about what, 28. Hopefully not more than 30, is 12-year age gap a big deal? does it really matter at all?’

‘I don’t care how old he is, as long as he is mine’

‘I think I preferred you when you weren’t loved up’

‘Shut up’

‘I was joking, I’m happy for you’

The bell rang and we went to first Lesson. We only had English together, Hannah had more free periods than I did because I took an extra A level, so after double English, we had break together and went our separate ways.

After Math’s, I had Physics before and after lunch, and then PE, which was by far my favourite, but the one I took as an addition. At lunch time I considered sending Ezra a message, but with him being at work, I decided against it.

Hannah and I, decided to have lunch in the school's courtyard garden, it was quiet here and not many people bothered coming, but while the weather was nice, we took the opportunity to enjoy the warmth and relative peace.

‘I thought you would have gone to the field to play fottie with the lads’

‘Lower years today, we get only get the field on Thursdays at lunch’

‘Oh, yeah, course. So, you gonna play this year?’

‘It’s just for fun really now, but I enjoy it, so I don’t see why not. Now Mr. Phillips has gone, the new teacher may do things differently, I guess I’ll have to wait and see’

‘s**t, yeah, I forgot he left. So, who’s your new teacher?’

‘Dunno, someone called Mr. Harris, I hope he’s not a d**k’

‘What if he was, you could drop the class, you don’t need it’

‘Yeah, I know, but it’s the only one I really like’

‘Remind me, why exactly did you take a bunch of A levels you don’t like?’

‘Because I find them relatively easy and others don’t, which means I will probably do quite well in them. Plus, I have no idea what I want to do with my life, and they are the most transferable’

‘Right, I forgot you were a child genius. Who finds Math and Physics easy? Ugh. And to think I look at you and think i***t’

‘Most people do, I like it that way, element of surprise’ I winked ‘But seriously Han, less of the child, I am trying to be a mature adult now!’

‘For Ezzzraaa’ she fake swooned.

‘Way to be mature Han, nailing it!’

We laughed all the way to lunchtime registration, and I headed to my second bout of physics for the day.

‘I’ll see you at the bus stop’

‘Yeah, Laters’

As the lesson finished, I went to my locker which was close to the gym and threw in my books before grabbing my PE kit. I didn’t know what the plan was for today’s lesson, but I wasn’t about to go in unprepared.

No-one knew this teacher, and if he was a hard ass, I wasn’t about to be the one to get my ass handed to me for not having my kit with me. As I walked into the changing rooms, the lad's were already getting changed.

‘I guess we are going straight in then’

‘Yeah, he said to get into training gear and meet in in the hall, we had 5 minutes, but now we have about two, so you better be quick’

‘s**t, ok’

I got changed in record time and ran into the hall just behind the rest of the guys.

‘Oh, f**k no’ I swallowed hard; did I just say that aloud.

‘Who said that?’ the harsh tones of Mr. Harris shot my way and as he turned to look me, I dropped my eyes and hoped for the love of God I was wrong.

Silence engulfed the auditorium, and panic set in. Not being completely certain, I couldn’t help but look. Oh f**k, oh f**k, oh holy f**k. Mr. Harris was Ezra. My Ezra. Not anymore it would seem.

With a deep breath, and everyone staring at me, I looked him straight in the eyes as I said ‘It was me Sir’

Calling him sir was more humiliating than Hannah blurting out I was inexperienced. His face was stony cold, and I could never have imagined him to look so fierce. It was hot!

Shit Zeke, stop it, that is not helping.

It was also incredibly intimidating, and I couldn’t read his expression.

‘Name?’

‘Ezekeil Mathews Sir, I prefer Zeke’

‘Mr. Mathews’

Ok, Zeke is out the window it would seem.

‘Yes Sir’

Could this be more humiliating.

’10 laps of the field for swearing, it won’t be tolerated in my class.’

‘What! That will take the entire lesson!’

‘Make it 20, talking back will also not be tolerated, do I make myself clear?’

Silence engulfed the room.

‘Do I make myself clear?’ he said a little louder, but not once did he lose his cool.

A chorus of ‘yes sir’ filled the silence.

‘Good. Mr. Mathews, you may start’

I left the hall and started my 20 laps, which would take longer than the end of the lesson to complete, and as fit as I was, would annihilate me.

Well, at least I now know the new gym teacher is a complete asshole. Hmmm, but a fit one, and I bet… No. Stop. Do not let your mind go there. Too late…

I spent the first 5 laps thinking about how cute he was, and how fierce and hot he looked and the next 5 about what a t**t he was, and how I was just as shocked as he was and how awkward this was. What now?

There is no way he is going to see me now. Or maybe, he would, he seemed pretty keen, and I wasn’t sure I could stay away. My mind was miles away when I heard someone shouting across the field.

I was on Lap 12 as I made it to close to the person at the edge of the field. Ezra, Mr. Harris, stood on the side Iines, clipboard and whistle in hand looking every bit the teacher, hot and gorgeous, but teacher no less.

‘Mr. Mathews’ he said as I neared him.

‘Sir’ I said with gritted teeth.

No one was around, why was he being so formal now, I mean I got it, when we were in class, but no one knew, we didn’t even know, but what was his excuse now? We could at least talk about it like adults.

‘You can stop now. Go and get changed or you’ll miss your bus.’

‘I’m good thanks, you said 20, I’ll do 20. You had better call my mother and let her know I am going to be late, or she’ll have my head on a platter before the end of the night’ and I started to run again.

I needed to let off some steam. I thought I had done a good job of de stressing, but apparently not after that little conversation, I was all riled up again.

I saw him leave the field in the corner of my eye and ignored him as I kept on going.

I was pissed off. I get it, he was shocked. s**t, I was shocked. Yeah, he was probably a little mad, but I didn’t lie about my age, he never asked. I mean, I probably would have lied about my age, but that’s not the point. I didn’t.

He was acting like a total t**t, and I was in no mood to be treated like I was beneath him. A much as I wanted to be beneath him. f**k my adolescent s*x crazed mind. STOP.

I saw him return as I was getting closer to the start line again, I was now about to start Lap 17. He’d been gone about 30 minutes. I was slowing down on my lap times.

‘Mr. Mathews’

‘ZEKE. It’s f*****g Zeke. And don’t worry, I’ll give myself an extra 10 laps for insubordination – even though there is no one here to give a f**k. Just leave me to get on with it’

‘Wait’

‘No’

Aghhhhhh. I was raging, but it just made me keep going. After lap 22 they all just blurred into one, it didn’t hurt anymore, in fact, I felt pretty bloody good. Ezra hadn’t moved, he just kept watching me from the side lines. It irritated me, why wouldn’t he just leave.

At lap 25 I was on the home straight.

‘Zeke’ he almost whispered as I came towards him.

I stopped still and looked at him ‘Sir’

‘Don’t’

‘Don’t want sir’

‘Zeke, please’

‘I like it when you beg, Sir’ oops. It just came out.

I couldn’t help myself. 

When I called him Sir, I was humiliated, but in that moment, realisation dawned, he liked it! The lower left corner of his mouth quivered as I said it, and I needed to know if I was right, so I said it again, and just as I had thought, he did it again, and I knew I had him.

He still wanted me. I was almost sure of it.

‘Zeke’ he said a little firmer.

‘Okay, okay, too much, I’m sorry’

‘Stop now, you have done more than enough’

‘Only 5 laps to go, may as well finish now I’ve started’

‘Seriously, how are you still going?’

‘Oh Sir, that really is a question I am dying to answer, but it may well just get me into trouble again’ I winked as I took off to do my last 5 laps.