Bound To you

Chapter 2

After the last class of the week with Miss Mills (unfortunately, because this Friday was a holiday that ELI didn't care about), the weekend was more confusing than the previous days. ELI even accepted to hang out with Ruby and Killian, but her head was traveling to other places. Killian was having fun with other girls and seemed to have forgotten Miss Mills for a while. ELI wanted this to happen with her too, but a certain someone seemed to never get out of her head.

“Look who's coming, Emms!” Ruby exclaimed and then stood up to hug Graham, August, and Tinker who had just approached their table.

ELI hugged them as well and was surprised when Graham pressed a kiss on the corner of her mouth.

“Whoaaaaa!” Ruby screamed loudly causing everyone in the diner to look at them.

“Ruby, be quiet,” ELI said through gritted teeth. “And Graham? Take it easy, ok? The night is just starting.”

Graham smiled due to those words and sat down beside ELI. “You look beautiful, Swan,” he commented and ELI smiled at the compliment.

At least she had Graham — who was a very kind boy, by the way — to be with her during the night. So maybe with this encounter, she would stop thinking about Miss Mills and her sexy voice? Yeah, probably.

xXx

The next day, ELI woke up in a lighter mood. Last night’s outing had done her some good, after all. She turned to the side and saw Graham by her side sleeping peacefully, and then she realized she was in his bed. Last night had been a night of casual s*x, as usual. And when the morning after came, ELI would rather leave as soon as possible. She hated the morning after.

xXx

It was Monday morning, and thankfully, ELI was still in that lighter mood from the day before. Graham had called her yesterday afternoon, but she didn’t answer and wasn't worried about it. He should have known that things weren't going forward.

At school, after she opened her locker and looked at her schedule, she realized that the first period was Miss Mills’ class.

Oh, f**k.

She wasn't ready for that. She was not prepared under any circumstances to face those piercing brown eyes. But she had nowhere to run. ELI couldn’t miss class just because her teacher drove her mind a bit crazy, right? And to be honest, deep down in her soul, ELI really wanted to look into those chocolate eyes again. She just didn't want to admit it to herself out loud.

When she entered the history room, Miss Mills was already sitting on her chair, reading something in a book. When ELI passed in front of her table, she told herself that she wouldn’t look at the brunette. But that plan became useless when she felt the enticing scent of that fascinating woman.

Did she smell like... apple? Seriously? Who smelled like apple? 

But ELI wasn't complaining, though, because, damn, she loved apples so much.

When the final bell rang and the students were settled in their seats, Miss Mills stood up and greeted everyone with a polite 'Good Morning’. She quickly took attendance and began explaining the content of today’s class and all students — all literally — looked at her. No one was sleeping or pretending to attend class. Their eyes were glazed over the majestic woman in front of them.

ELI was the third person sitting in the middle row with Tinker by her side. She paid attention to the class, her body slouched comfortably on the chair while her eyes observed her teacher: Miss Mills was walking around the room elegantly, with her expensive-looking stilettos clicking against the floor and her hands gesturing slowly while she spoke such intelligent matters. It didn’t take long for ELI’s eyes glance down at those beautiful red-painted lips. The blonde felt like touching those lips that looked so soft, just to feel the captivating texture and prove to herself that she had been right. 

Rika Mills was speaking so passionately about the content as if she knew everything and much more. Miss Mills’ ability to rule was too extensive, and ELI could tell that by just looking at her.

When the class was over, it was noticeable that the students were all extremely sad. They started heading towards the exit one by one, doling out smiles to Miss Mills as she returned it gently. ELI was nearly one of the last people to leave, and the only one that Miss Mills gave the most sincere smile.

xXx

One Month Later

A whole month had passed since Miss Mills started teaching at Boston High. It had been one month of learning and having fun for all the students who decided to take the history class this semester. Miss Mills' classes were all full and there was no space for anyone else.

ELI started studying way harder than she did the previous years, trying to learn even more so she could show off to her teacher. The blonde noticed that Miss Mills began throwing glances in her way sometimes during class. She didn’t know why her teacher was doing that, but she didn’t care much about it. Actually, ELI always got completely lost in those chocolate eyes and she mostly couldn't avert them away quickly as she liked it. She seemed to be hypnotized every time she looked at them. 

One day, Miss Mills gave them a curricular exercise so they could get ready for the upcoming test. ELI got all the answers correct and she was very proud of herself, especially when Miss Mills said: Very good, Miss Swan. Her classmates were now looking at her with some hope that she would get all the answers incorrect. They were jealous of her because she was the only one that ever got compliments from Miss Mills in their class. Miss Mills’ approval was like a prize to win. It was becoming almost a fight between classmates to receive Miss Mills' attention. Almost every student wanted it, especially the stupid boys — including her friend Killian. However, ELI was the first and only person to answer Miss Mills’ questions on the first day, and now the blonde was still the only one who had the courage to answer the teacher orally. ELI was feeling confident about the powerful situation that she had gotten herself in so she decided to learn as much as she could every day. Seeing the bright and proud smile Miss Mills gave her every time she got an answer right was the best feeling ever. She wouldn't let anyone else take her place.

In spite of that, ELI still had no clue of why she was so obsessed with her history teacher. She also didn't know why Miss Mills kept staring mostly at her. The blonde couldn't lie to herself and say that she wasn't liking to have all this attention. It was awesome, to be honest. But for now, she would have to stick with unfulfilled curiosity and study as hard as she could to receive more compliments from Miss Mills.

xXx

After meeting Miss Mills, ELI's insomnia never left her. When she stayed up at night, sometimes she walked around playing the guitar, tried to write decent songs and listened to her favourite artists and bands. There was one day she could barely shut an eyelid during the night, so she decided to start playing piano again. Putting aside the fun of staying up late to do all the things she liked, there was still an annoying problem tormenting her: every time she decided to write a new song, the only person that came to her mind was her history teacher, Rika Mills. And to be honest, her musical writing had improved a lot since she met that woman. ELI was very proud of herself for writing those new pieces.

It was 3:30 pm, and she had just gotten home from school. She had a busy day, barely able to pay attention in class because of her insomnia. ELI felt so tired that instead of going out with her friends as they had invited her, she decided to crash into bed and try to get some sleep.

She woke up at two hours later, and the sky was still alight. ELI slept surprisingly well, and now that she had woken up, Miss Mills was back in her mind again to torment her. And for that reason, ELI realized that she simply forgot that she had a very important assignment due tomorrow at school. She should have known there would be a price if she continually thought about Miss Mills this much.

She went to find her geography book and realized that it wasn't in her backpack.

Shit.

It could only be at school.

xXx

ELI stomped angrily on the sidewalk towards the bus stop, cursing herself mentally for being so off lately. If she had paid more attention to the things she did at school, she would have brought the geography book home. But so many things have been distracting her lately that she thought the whole ordeal was not a choice.

Luckily the bus arrived quickly, and after ten minutes, she arrived at school. The gate was still opened and there was no one at the door, so ELI got in without being questioned. She walked as hastily as possible to her locker and picked up her book. When she turned to leave, a husky voice made her stop:

“Miss Swan?” The brunette had her arms crossed over her chest and an inquisitive look on her face as she stared ELI down.

“Y-yes?” ELI’s voice failed at that moment and she cursed herself for being so stupid.

“Why are you here? The school has finished hours ago.”

“I came to get my geography book.” ELI smiled sheepishly at the curious woman, feeling a little bit embarrassed about being caught even though she wasn't doing anything wrong. “I forgot it in my locker.”

“Oh, I see.” Rika unsubtly gazed at ELI’s body, causing the blonde to fidget slightly as she felt her cheeks getting warm. ELI was wearing the same clothes she had come to school earlier this day: tight blue jeans, a white tank top, and her usual red leather jacket. She was feeling like herself, but the way Rika’s eyes lingered on her body made her shiver.

“Is there a problem, Miss Mills?” ELI asked, but the other woman remained silent, and ELI got even more worried, wondering if she had actually done something wrong for real. “Did I do something wrong?”

Miss Mills shook her head and then flashed the blonde a small smile, causing ELI to sigh in relief. ELI knew that she had to go now, she needed to do her geography assignment. But something inside her made her want to stay more and maybe start a conversation with her teacher. The brunette looked very vulnerable right now, outside of the classroom and that gave ELI a slight boost of confidence.

“Are you alone here?” ELI asked.

Rika gazed at her suspiciously but then nodded. “Janitor Wilton is also here, but he’s outside working in the garden. Well, I feel pretty much alone here.” She looked away and ELI instinctively took a step closer, a coy smile on her face.

“Why do you stay at school till late?”

“Because I am marking my student’s work.”

“Wow. That must be boring stay here all day.”

ELI was feeling like a complete i***t. She couldn't control the words coming out of her mouth, let alone her body’s reactions. She was definitely not good at making small conversation, and the possibility of Rika finding extremely boring was very likely. Besides, Miss Mills looked so gorgeous today wearing this black pantsuit and a long-sleeved white blouse; and her usual crimson lipstick that seemed to be permanent on those kissable lips…

Damn, why was she thinking about her lips? And why, for f**k’s sake, was she thinking that they looked kissable? Miss Mills is a woman, and her teacher, for all things. ELI couldn’t think about this.

“I don’t stay here all day, but is very boring to mark sheets,” Rika answered with a simple shrug, looking a bit amused for some reason.

That only made ELI even more nervous.

The blonde didn't know why she had so much interest for this intriguing woman, but something she knew she desired to do right now was to talk more with her, to get to know her. She seemed so fun, then why not? 

“Do you want some company, Miss Mills?”

The teacher laughed but quickly recovered when she realized that ELI wasn't doing the same. “Are you serious, Miss Swan? Do you really want to be here when you could be at your house?” The brunette joked and ELI nodded promptly.

“I don’t have anything to do at home,” ELI lied and Miss Mills’ gaze dropped straight to the book that she was holding.

“What about the geography book?”

“Come on, Miss Mills,” ELI began with a playful tone. “I will help you be less bored.”

The brunette laughed again and ELI realized that sound was music to her ears. She started walking away and ELI followed her. Soon they were in a different room that looked like a private office, so ELI looked around, very interested in the decoration she found there.

“What has captured your interest, Miss Swan?”

“This room. What is it?”

“It’s my office.”

“You have your own office?” ELI asked with disbelievingly.

“Yes.” The teacher smiled smugly. “It’s nice, isn't it?”

“Totally.” ELI shrugged and sat down in front of Rika, who sat on the chair in front of a big wooden desk.

“You did a good performance that day of the drama class,” Rika commented casually, and ELI blushed at the compliment and the reminder of that embarrassing day. “There’s no need to act shy, Miss Swan.” The brunette chuckled, showing a glimpse of those pearly white teeth.

“I just did what you asked me to.” 

Rika nodded and leaned over, putting her elbows on the table, which made her stay closer to ELI. “Why are you the only one who answers my questions in class?” The brunette queried, seeming very curious. “Are you really the only one who knows history in that class?”

“Not necessarily... I think they are just…” ELI paused to take a deep breath, wondering for a second if it was okay to tell her teacher her thoughts. “Maybe a bit afraid of you?” She half questioned, shrugging so she would look less shy.

“Afraid of me?” The brunette asked, a frown forming on her forehead.

“Uh, well, perhaps I used the wrong word. It’s intimidated. You look very intimidating when you’re asking questions. To be honest, on that first day I wasn’t going to answer you, even though I knew the answer to your questions.”

“Huh,” the brunette murmured quietly. “I’ve always known I was a bit intimidating in class, but my other students from my previous schools always answered my questions if they knew the answer.” 

ELI cleared her throat to continue, “Uh, yeah. I guess my fellow classmates went through some rough semesters with boring teachers. Speaking of it, our former history teacher was so awful. He didn’t know how to teach well. And he spat while speaking.” The brunette chuckled at ELI’s description, which made the blonde smile and loosen up a bit. 

“That sounds really awful indeed.”

“I know, right? So, I guess the excuse for my classmates being that way is because those who probably know something, they feel intimidated by you as I felt on the first day. There are some others who slept during most history classes with the former teacher and don’t know anything, for real.” Miss Mills arched her eyebrows at that, but ELI continued either way, “And there are also those boys that are basically assholes. They think they’re better than everyone else but in reality, don’t know much at all, and when there’s a gap, they will always find a way to flirt with you.”

Miss Mills hummed quietly at ELI’s rambling while she stared her down, looking so deeply into her eyes that ELI’s legs became slightly wobbly.

“I’m a bit curious now wondering where do you fit in those descriptions, Miss Swan.” ELI blushed immediately. Goddamn it! What was she supposed to say to that? Say that she wasn’t intimidated by her anymore, because that surely wasn’t true. 

“I guess I… uh, don’t fit in those anymore,” she stuttered, looking down at her hands on her lap. 

“No, you don’t. You are a very good student, Miss Swan. And thankfully, you’re not intimidated by me anymore.”

ELI laughed nervously. “Well, I still am, to be honest. Maybe I’m just braver than the other students?”

“Maybe you are.” The brunette’s hand reached forward and rested on top of ELI’s sweaty one. “But there’s no need to be. I promise I don’t bite.” The teacher winked at the blonde, whose face blushed instantly once again as a weird feeling of anticipation formed in the pit of her stomach. 

ELI swallowed hard, wishing that her face would stop burning. f**k. When did she become so shy? 

Smiling shyly, she said, “Um, thanks, Miss Mills. I appreciate you telling me that.”

“I just want you to feel comfortable in my class.” The brunette rubbed her soft fingers on the palm of ELI’s hand, and then pulled it away. 

They spent the next few seconds in silence while ELI squirmed slightly under the brunette’s scrutiny and that small smile on her face. Thankfully it didn't last long. 

“History is very important to me, ELI,” the teacher started with a soft tone. “It reminds me that every person in the world has a story to tell from the most ridiculous to the best of stories. And I’m also reminded of the past and the mistakes people committed; how life drastically changed for us all.”

“I love history, too. I've always liked it; I just haven't had a brilliant teacher like you before.”

Was it too soon to throw compliments at her teacher? ELI just hoped she wasn’t crossing any lines. 

Silence emanated through the room, each woman getting lost in their own thoughts. ELI had never thought about Miss Mills’ reason to teach history. It really impressed her. The former history teacher’s reason for teaching the subject probably had been just turning up to work so he could receive his salary at the end of the month, not to teach the syllabus at all.

“Thank you, ELI,” the teacher said, flashing the blonde a small smile as they remained in a comfortable silence again. 

During the silence, ELI started observing her teacher. She was much closer to her now, so she could easily notice the brunette’s features: Miss Mills had a scar on her upper lip, which someone could think it was a flaw, but no, it was completely beyond that; it was the most beautiful scar ELI had ever seen. It didn’t make her teacher lessbeautiful. Instead, if it was possible, the woman looked even more beautiful with that scar attached to her upper lip. Damn, how can she be this gorgeous? And why was ELI observing her so much? She had never scrutinized a woman so intensely before. 

“ELI.” The blonde heard her name and quickly looked at the teacher’s eyes, instead of her mouth. “What do you think about us studying together?”

ELI was lost for a moment. She didn’t quite understand the question, and the brunette seemed to notice.

“Oh, sorry for not being clear, dear.” Miss Mills chuckled. “I mean, what do you think about me teaching you privately?” ELI widened her eyes a little and continued gazing at Miss Mills completely speechless. “I appreciate your interest in the subject and I've been looking for years for someone who might be interested in me being their private tutor.” The blonde arched her eyebrows at the confession and she was clearly trying to hide her happiness at hearing this idea. 

“Oh, I-I’d love to!” She stammered, feeling anxious already.

The brunette grinned, showing all those beautiful white teeth. “We could study in the library at night, what do you think?”

“I think that’s a great idea. But it won't be a problem for you if we do this?”

“Of course not. I'm just helping a student.” She smiled and stood up. “Shall we start tomorrow at 6 pm?”

“Yes, Miss Mills.” ELI rose and saluted, which made the teacher laugh.

The brunette began to pack her things and ELI wondered why. “Where are you going?”

“Home, dear. It’s time to go home. Time has flown by, Miss Swan.”

“See? I think I should come here more often,” ELI said jokingly. But it wasn't a joke. She would definitely come to school to spend more time with Miss Mills.

They were leaving the building when Miss Mills asked if ELI wanted a ride home. “Hmm... I'm not going to, uh, bother you, Miss Mills?” The blonde asked, being polite.

“No, of course not, ELI. I'm inviting you.” The teacher smiled and hang her black, leather handbag on her right shoulder. “Come with me.”

She walked towards the parking lot with ELI beside her and then came into a halt in front of a Harley Davidson green motorcycle. The blonde gaped at the sight, not knowing what to say.

“What’s wrong, Miss Swan? Never seen a teacher who owns a motorcycle?”

ELI looked at her with wide eyes and her face blushed with embarrassment. “No, I-” the blonde was so surprised she couldn't draft complete words.

“Cut it out, ELI!” The teacher laughed whole-heartedly. “I’m just kidding. My car is right there.” She pointed to the other side of the parking lot.

ELI let out the breath she didn't even know she was holding and smiled playfully. “Wow, Miss Mills. You got me this time.”

The brunette smirked and bit her lower lip, causing weird things to occur in ELI’s body. “What a peculiar taste Janitor Wilton has, isn't it?” 

ELI nodded readily. “Very weird.”

xXx

ELI couldn't believe that she was in Miss Mills’ car. The brunette had a very classy black Mercedes Benz 560, which was so cool and fancy. As soon as she entered the car, Rika turned on the radio and an indie rock band started to play. The teacher raised the volume and started to sing.

The blonde then had time to notice how beautiful her teacher’s singing voice was. It was funny how classy she seemed when she sang… and ELI couldn't stop smiling. It was funny the way that that fancy and intimidating woman sang and behaved around her. And ELI was honestly loving every minute of it. 

Miss Mills drove the car with skill and coordination, speeding every chance she got. ELI could only scream her address because Rika didn't lower the radio nor stopped her melodic singing; and that just made the blonde laugh even more. When they arrived at ELI’s house, the teacher finally lowered the volume and listened to ELI with clarity.

“Thank you for the fun ride, Miss Mills.” Rika smiled and winked playfully at ELI.

That simple wink (again) caused ELI’s body to behave in a way that it was beyond her mind. She felt her breath catch for an instant and her stomach blew with butterflies.

“Not at all, Miss Swan. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She smiled one last smile and left, speeding away in her Benz.

ELI just couldn't stop smiling! What the hell was that? Miss Mills was so amazing! ELI was really liking this new teacher.

That night, ELI didn’t have insomnia. She slept like an angel and dreamed with one majestic brunette in mind.