22

Professor Garcia's Pov

Adeline slammed the door shut as she waited for me outside. I walked to my car, but quickly stopped in my tracks.

"Why'd you invite me." I ask coldly.

"What do you mean, can't I just see how it's going with my friend once in a while?"

Gritting my teeth, I turn around to face her. She was standing with a smug face, crossed arms, on the porch.

"Don't bullshit me here. You were the one that broke things off because all I was, was a stupid experiment to you-- you were the one that walked away. Now you're trying to get back at me for sleeping with my student's father, who happens to be your boss too?"

She stepped down and came a bit closer to me. "What does Victoria have anything to do with this." She growled, "How was I supposed to know she's your student... I sleep with her dad, not with her, Daniela. Unlike you."

My eyebrows furrow. "What the hell are you trying to accuse me of here?"

"You see, the thing is, I DO have a higher rank than you. I can easily get you fired, or even throw you behind bars" She said, "The way you look at her. The way she looks at you. You stare at her the same way you stared at me when we were together. I know how you look when you're angry, sad, aroused, or well... in love."

"You're sick."

"I'm the sick one?" She scoffed, "Don't make me laugh."

I shook my head before turning around again.

"Stay away from her, Garcia. Or else you'll be in big trouble."

I clench my fist, spinning towards her.

"You want to threaten me now?" I rasped, "I can be just as crazy as you are, remember that. I can fight fire with fire. I'm sure the department will love to hear about your pal, Mike. You know, the one who you always bought drugs from?"

I watched as a lump went down her throat.

I smirked, "I think you're the one that should stay away from her and her family."

There was a knock at my door, dragging me out of my thoughts.

I took a deep breath in, fixing my posture as I lean froward and take a pencil in my hand.

"Come in." I said, and the door opened.

Victoria peeked her head around the door before fully stepping inside with her usual smile. Though, her smile didn't last long as she scanned my office.

She closed the door behind her. "Where's Iris?"

I sighed, standing up as I grabbed the sheets of paper and stacked them neatly on my desk.

"She didn't come." I said plainly, focusing on stacking the papers.

Suddenly, the door burst open and Iris barged inside. Victoria got nudged to the side, grabbing my attention as she lets go of a pissed off groan.

"Yo, yo, what's up?" The girl smirked with a mouth full of food.

She had a subway sandwich in her hands, a lot of sauce that could mess everywhere and some meat and lettuce.

I just rolled my eyes, and leaned against my desk, folding my arms.

"You're late." Victoria scolded her friend.

"All that matters is that I'm here." Iris said with a smug face, closing the door.

I pinch the bridge of my nose, shaking my head.

"Ai esto va a ser un fiasco." I mumble. (Ai, this is going to be a fiasco.)

"Huh?"

I stared blankly at her, wondering why she's taking my class.

"It means that when we're done here, you're going to be able to come with us to Greece." Victoria lied, giving me a death stare.

I was sitting on my chair while Victoria paced up and down behind me at the window.

I went through the little test we gave her friend to do, but she didn't even get half precent.

The problem is that we even guided her through it and helped her.

We played her some videos, and we physically just helped her understand and pronounce some words.

One question being write 'dog' in Spanish, she wrote 'chien' which means dog...

in French.

"This was a waste of time." I said sternly, placing the worksheet down.

"No, no, she's going to get it eventually." Victoria said, panic in her voice.

"The test is in next week, no?" I said, standing up and walking to her while she moves up and down. "The purpose of this trip is the Spanish Olympiad competition, not for vacation. She can't come if she doesn't understand the language."

Victoria continued walking up and down in a line, finger on her chin with her head tilted down as she thinks.

I placed a hand on her shoulder causing her to stop and look up at me.

"You don't even know if you're allowed to go yet. You heard what Adeline said." I said, struggling to say her name.

I let go of her shoulder.

Suddenly, she began sobbing. Her hands came up to cover her face, preventing me from seeing the tears rolling down her cheeks.

My eyes soften and I sigh. "You really want your friend to come with, yes?"

She turned away from me as she still covered her face. I watched her walk to the window, quickly wiping her tears away with the back of her hands.

She sniffed, wrapping her arms over her own body. I could see in the reflection of the window, her puffy nose and red cheeks. Her glossy eyes followed along whatever was happening outside.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, sniffing, "No, I mean... yes, I- I do want her to go, and I want to go too."

I tilt my head to the side, watching her from afar. "Talk to me." I spoke gently, clearly noticing something else wrong.

I watch as her shoulders tense up. "Oh, you know." She shrugged with a sad chuckle, "Adeline. My mom."

I stood behind her, watching her face in the reflection. A single tear rolled down her cheek before she reached up to wipe it away.

"I understand." I said softly.

She turned around towards me, her eyes traveling up until she met mine. I scanned her sad face.

Another tear rolled down her cheek, but I quickly catch it with my finger. My hand lingered on her cheek as we just stared at each other.

"Tell me about your friend." She said quietly.

Assuming the one who passed, I took a deep breath in and pull my hand away.

"His name was Andrés. He was a foster child, and ran away when he was 12; lived on the streets till 14. My father owned a restaurant, and one day, there was this boy that stole some food. That went on every week until my dad confronted him. But, my dad wasn't angry. He was more... sympathetic. We helped the boy with shelter at our guest room in our home, and that's how Andrés and I grew up together-- he was a brother to me and Luka."

"I'm so sorry." Victoria whispered, eyes tearing up again, "But, that arrow necklace and that arrow tattoo?"

"He did archery when he finally came to school with me. Shooting a bow was the thing he was best at. And, the necklace; he gave me a few days before he committed. The tattoo, the necklace, all in honor of him."

"When did he..."

"12th January 2018... on his 23rd birthday."

Her eyebrows furrow together. "O-On his birthday!?" I almost flinched at her high pitch voice. "That's so sad!" She began crying.

I just stood there, watching her cry awkwardly. She's so emotional today.

"It's fine, Victoria." I said, confused to why she's acting like this.

"No! No, that's so sad! How are you okay, with this... I, I... And how are you so nice to get a tattoo for him. And, and-- and you're just so nice!" She sobbed.

My lips purse together. "What's happening right now." I mumble.

"I'm so sorry." She cried, finally calming down.

I snicker, "Victoria, what's going on?"

She stared up at me with these eyes that had pain inside of them. My amusement fades away, slowly becoming more concerned the longer she stares at me.

She took a deep breath in, closing her eyes for a split second. "The night of the Valentine's dance." She began, "The person who... assaulted me... got arrested for sexual assault on a 18-year old girl behind a bar last night."

My eyebrows furrow lightly. "So you admit it, you were assaulted."

"That's not the point!" She said loudly.

"Me has estado diciendo que lo olvide... ¡que no fue nada! Intenté ayudarte, pero seguías alejándome. ¿¡Ahora finalmente admites que tenía razón y que fuiste agredido!?" (You've been telling me to forget about it-- that it was nothing! I tried helping you, but you kept pushing me away. Now you finally admit I was right and that you were assaulted!?)

She lowered her head down, gulping.

"Ahora agredieron a otra chica ¡Podríamos haber detenido a este tipo si me hubieras dicho quién era!" (Now another girl got assaulted? We could've stopped this guy if you'd just told me who he was!)

Her head shot up to me. "Oh, ¿¡entonces ahora es mi culpa" She yelled. (Oh, so it's my fault now!?)

I scoffed, shaking my head. "Estás cambiando mis palabras, yo solo--" (You're changing my words, I just--)

Suddenly it all clicked me and my lips slowly part. "There was this man on the news, I didn't listen for what he was in for, but I know he just got arrested. His name is Felix Grundling."

She froze, her jaw clenched.

"Is it him?" I ask softly, but my jaw clenches too.

Victoria snapped out of her thoughts and gave a tiny nod. "Elijah Grundling's brother."

My eyes widen each second I process that. I step back, running my hands through my hair.

"For fuck sakes." I whisper.

There was a few seconds of silence, wrapping my head around everything.

Victoria swallowed hard as she looked down to her feet like a toddler being yelled at. She reached down and played with her gray sweatpants' strings.

My heart dropped and my eyes soften. I walk forward until I was in front of her.

She slowly looks up to me as I look down at her.

"I didn't mean to yell." I said, "I'm sorry. I'm just..."

"I'm sorry." She whispers sadly.

Her eyes swelled with tears again and I was scared she's going to start crying again.

I wait a moment so that we're both calm before talking again. "I'm happy he's gone."

Victoria's eyebrows raise like she expected me to say something else, about to scold her. She didn't say anything, which only made tension grow.

Though, it was different tension.

I could finally feel the heat of her body close to mine.

In that moment, something shifted.

Without warning, she stretched herself out towards me and her lips crashed onto mine.

In that moment, my sanity drained out my body, and my hands gripped her waist as she grabbed onto my shoulders.

But, I pushed her back and stared at her in disbelief, but also with something else.

My eyes were wide and already undressing her.

Adeline's voice haunted me.

But, hell, I wanted to have her spread out on my desk.

She was on the verge of crying again.

Victoria stood there in front of me, and stepped back.

She was shaking.

"O-Oh... what have I done. I-I'm so... so sorry I didn't.... I didn't..." She panicked.

If I was going to start panicking too, she would've panicked even more. So, even though I was going crazy in my mind, I remained calm, but took a few deep breaths in.

I was speechless, looking away.

"I- I should go." She whispered shakily, speed walking around me to the door.

Hearing the door close, my eyes shut and I cuss out loud.

"Fuck!"

Today was just a roller coaster of emotions.