"I keep looking; I keep searching. I need you to be in front, so I feel safe and sound."—CLNGR.

••

The humming of the air conditions blending with the music coming from the concert's sound system drift through the room. Kelly has the blue-inked pen pressed to the corner of her mouth, habitually chewing on it while she scans the fourth question on her history assignment folio.

While most of the student body is getting ready to see The Killer, a young singer, and musician that the school had hired for the concert, she is trapped in Mr. Todd's office, straining her brain cells over the ten questions he gave her to complete. She's inwardly throwing a fit, perplexed that she may not be able to enjoy her Friday evening as everyone else.

The daystar is gradually setting on the outside, its warmth spilling through the windows and creating a cape of coziness over the room; however, that doesn't placate the chilly evening air accompanying it.

Kelly peeks up beneath her lashes at her tutor, who is lounged back in his leather chair, quietly marking test papers with a leg casually crossed over the other. He looks so peaceful and unbothered whilst she is feeling the complete opposite.

As much as she enjoys being around him, she needs to leave soon since she had promised Derrick after homeroom that she would drop by the event.

A loud uproar from the auditorium causes her to jerk her legs impatiently, but the more anxious she grows, the less her brain functions. Now everything on her paper looks like an encrypted cyber language, a series of random symbols and characters with no context.

She taps the edges of her sneakers against the tiles, jiggling her thighs as she mumbles out the question she has been stuck on for fifteen minutes. She loudly pops the pen from her mouth, and Nikolai lets out a sigh and looks in her direction.

"What's wrong with you?" He slants his head back, having reached his quota of her unsettled antics.

She swallows and munches on her bottom lip, playing with the tip of the pen. "The concert..."

"I told you that if you answer those ten questions and get at least eight right, then I would allow you to go, didn't I?"

She nods but then recalls his detests for nonverbal communication and quickly adds an audible response. "Yes, sir...but it's getting late and—"

"And that's on who?" He rests his elbow on the arm of his chair, perching a fist beneath his chin. "That's on who, Kelly?"

She looks down silently.

"That's on you. You just need to finish the assignment. Then you'll be able to attend the concert."

"Okay, sir..."

He refocuses on the batch of papers sitting on his lap, and she continues to stare absentmindedly at the question she's on.

But not long after, he lets out a loud hiss. Kelly peeps up at him anxiously, hoping that the action was not aiming at her. The last thing she wants is to irritate him and lose out on the opportunity to see The Killer.

"Complete rubbish." He mumbles, throwing down a sheet of paper on his desk.

She casts a subtle, brief look at the paper, noticing that it's the quiz they had done in class earlier today, the score at the top being 20% in hasty red-ink and a huge circle around it. She cringes, hoping that he will not decide to mark hers right here. He would change his mind about allowing her to attend that concert.

She clears her throat and does an eeny-meeny-miny-moe decision, circling the first open before moving on to question five.

An ear-splitting cheer comes from the theatre hall again while Mr. Todd conjures up from his seat and makes his way to the bookshelf in the room, slipping a textbook from the tight collection.

"I am finished." Kelly finally announces, and he nods his head curtly while flipping through the pages.

"Give me a minute."

He takes the book with him and comes up behind her. Placing the thick copy on his desk, he rests his palms on either side of her on the table before leaning over her form.

Kelly's eyes widen unnoticeably, a ball forming in her throat as his tie tickles the nape of her neck. She can never get over how great he smells, and her heart rate increases when she feels his warm breath fanning against her forehead.

He silently inspects her answers, and due to impatience, she cranes her neck and slopes her head back to look up at him. "Are they okay?"

He drops his gaze down to her face, and then his eyes trail down to her full, red lips. They appear just as soft as they felt earlier in that dark storage room, and his trousers begin to get tighter against his loins.

He swallows and grips her small head, guiding it back down so that she's eye-level with the sheet. "Eyes on the paper."

"Okay..." She blushes.

He removes one of his hands to fetch his red-inked pen from the pocket of his shirt. He ticks only four and writes an X beside the remaining. Kelly frowns. No concert.

"You got only four right." He confirms as he walks back to his seat.

She sighs and stares at her lap.

"But I will still allow you to go."

Her head snaps up in a flash. "Really?"

"Uh-huh."

A huge smile stretches her lips while her eyes light up like fireworks on New Year's Eve. Mr. Todd's gaze dips to her mouth again, and he looks away tensely while reaching for the book he had placed down earlier.

"However, we will need to have our tutoring session tomorrow as well. Saturday."

Kelly thinks on that for a minute, then draws to the edge of her chair. "My mom makes me watch my baby sister on Saturdays. Caroline has driving lessons lately, and my brother is hardly home on the weekends."

"Okay." Mr. Todd leaves it at that, but the thought of seeing him tomorrow is just too hard for her to resist.

"You can come to my house." She tells him but sinks into her shoulders immediately after. "Maybe we could do it there..." Her cheeks sheen a bright red, and this doesn't go unnoticed by Mr. Todd. Her complexion has changed so much that it now resembles the red mug sitting on his desk.

He shifts a little. "Alright. I will be there at 1 pm."

"Don't you go to the gym on Saturdays, sir?" She wonders, her brows crumpling together.

"Yes. But I will just go in the morning and come after."

Kelly nods. "Alright..."

"Okay, enjoy the concert." He turns to his desk as a way to dismiss her, but she still sits there, itching her forehead.

He regards her from the corner of his eyes.

"Will you be coming to the concert?" She asks.

"Too noisy."

"Okay." She motions to get up again but sits back down, putting her hands in her lap. She wants to render her gratitude for his saving today in the locker room. She's not sure where her clothes went, but she's happy he was there to return them to her.

Without looking up from the book he's looking into, Mr. Todd speaks, "Weren't you complaining about attending that concert the entire evening? Why are you still here?"

"Um...I just wanted to say...thank you." She says softly.

He stills for a moment before looking over at her. "For what?"

"Earlier. For, um, giving me my clothes earlier...in the changing room." She feels embarrassed thinking about the fact that he possibly got a glimpse of her bra and panties. Although it wouldn't be the first time that he has seen both.

But then she remembers that today, she's wearing the cute brassiere with the black lace mesh awning it, so she has nothing to worry about. She regrets not wearing the sexy panties, though, and prays he hadn't noticed the little Tinker-bells on her sky-blue undies.

"How'd you know it was me?" He leans back and swings his chair to her, giving her his undivided attention.

The concert's stereo is now playing RINI's Aphrodite, and the sweet melody can easily be heard from the office. The sun has also sunken lower in the sky, the golden glow shining on her teacher's face while he waits for her riposte.

"Mm...the bracelet..."

Mr. Todd glances down at his wrist jewelry. He's a man that is fond of body ornaments. Necklaces, earrings, rings—he loves them all.

"And your watch...plus, your hands...I know them."

He tips his head a little. "What do you know about my hands?"

Her heart leaps. "Um...they have this look..."

"What look?" He narrows his eyes curiously.

She flushes and looks down from him. "I don't know..."

Veiny. Strong. Manly.

She can't say those adjectives, so she slugs them down. A silence hangs between them until Mr. Todd uncrosses his legs. She looks up as he rotates his chair from side to side, staring at her quietly.

"Aren't you wondering why I was inside there?"

She nods her head. She was certainly confused, but the fact that he saved her from a dilemma is all that matters to her.

"Peter Carson. What's your relation to him?" He leans back.

Kelly's eyebrows stitch together, wondering what this has to do with him. She hates talking about the egotistic douche.

"He was this boy...that I used to talk to." She says truthfully.

"Boyfriend?" Mr. Todd rolls his head against his headrest, his eyes appearing semi-closed and hazy from the position.

She shakes her head quickly. "No, sir."

"Oh." He drums his fingers against the arms of his chair, looking at the ground.

"I used to have a crush on him."

His hands become motionless, and his eyes slide back up to hers.

"But he embarrassed me in front of some kids some months ago..." She mumbles. "At a party..."

"Oh...what happened?"

"He wanted to...sleep with me. I said no, and he told everyone a lie that we slept together." Kelly shakes her head. "He's such a conceited liar. I mean...I've never even kissed someone before..."

Before earlier today that is...

The last part was meant to be a whisper, but Nikolai is much too attentive to miss it. Recollecting their accidental kiss in the storage room, the discomfort in the front of his trousers returns. He sits up quickly.

"I will see you tomorrow, Kelly. Enjoy your concert."

Kelly inwardly frowns. All of a sudden, the concert doesn't entice her. "Would you like my number, sir?"

He looks at her.

"So that you can contact me tomorrow for our session." She clarifies, her stomach lurching at the suggestion.

"Oh, yeah." He reaches for a stick note and jots down his number before handing it to her.

She stares at his beautiful handwriting for a while. It looks so surreal as if it was coordinated by a computer system. How can he form letters and numbers so elegantly while her writing looks worse than baby doodling? Even her little sister writes better.

"Okay, see you tomorrow, sir." She gets up from her seat and grabs her bag from the shoulders of the chair. She walks toward the exit, and Nikolai's eyes follow her until she shuts the door behind her.

He reclines in his chair with a loud sigh before reaching for the pink tube of ointment she gave him earlier today, with little melons and strawberries on it. He gazes at it for a while, allowing his lips to pull ever so slightly at the corner.

••

"Woah, this place is loud!" Kelly can hardly hear herself as students all around them cheer and scream at the top of their lungs.

The auditorium is hot and crowded, and the loud sound system threatens to give her a bad headache. All of the chairs that are usually in the theatre have cleared out, and the room is dark with the glow from the rostrum and students' phone lights offering some redemption.

Her eyes drift to the decorations on the wall by the stage, and she begins to think of her teacher again but quickly flashes the bittersweet reminiscence away.

You could ruin his career...

"Has The Killer perform yet?" Kelly asks Derrick, and he shakes his head, sweat dripping down his forehead like he just got thrown in a river.

"No, so you're not late." He smiles at her before throwing his arm around her neck and roaring behind the palm of his hand.

A local group is now performing, and the kids are trying to boost them up despite their lack of vocal skills.

"Who are they?" Kelly inquires, and he places his lips to her ear.

"Got no idea. Some dudes."

"I can see that much."

Derrick laughs and pats the side of her head before joining the crowd in cheers.

He puts his mouth to her ear again. "Look left. Three o'clock."

Kelly turns her head in the direction to see Gabriella in the crowd across from them, munching on a fudge stick.

"Been watching her all night." Derrick smiles, and she rolls her eyes and fake vomits.

He laughs. "Are you thirsty?"

"Not yet."

"Alright. Gonna get a drink." He squeezes through the crowd and then returns in no time with a cold bottle of 7up.

Kelly glances around the room until her eyes locate a familiar built in one of the scanty rows upstairs. Mr. Todd is standing with a few other staff members. Didn't he say he hated the noise?

To make matters worse, Ms. Smith is right next to him, whispering something in his ear while she chuckles. He smiles just a little and shakes his head at whatever she had said.

Kelly swallows hard and tries to focus in front, but suddenly her heart feels heavy and her orbs have gotten moist. What on earth is wrong with her? She needs to stop.

Unable to control the urge to take another glance, she lifts her head in his direction again. But her eyes widen when she finds him looking back at her. Quickly, she turns her head away and gulps, grabbing the 7up from Derrick's hand and drinking it down fast.

"Woah, take your time." He pats her back and removes hair from her face.

Mr. Todd's jaw grows a bit tighter at this, and he looks away and focuses on the performance as Ms. Smith draws a bit closer to him.

"And now, we have 'The Killer!'" The M.C, a man in fashion spectacles announces, and the auditorium echoes with roars and hoots.

A boy dressed in full black with black shoulder-length hair steps onto the stage along with three other guys. Kelly has to stick her fingers in her ear to save her eardrums from getting destroyed.

"They look so much better on tv." Derrick tsk.

"Good evening, everyone!" The Killer yells into the mic. "Are you ready to have some fun?!"

The crowd bellows.

Songs and singles after singles ring throughout the theatre and students dance and sing along, enjoying themselves.

Except for Kelly. She keeps stealing glimpses at Mr. Todd, who hasn't glanced back in her direction since the first time they made eye-contact. Ms. Smith is all over him, chatting, laughing, and occasionally picking lint off his clothes.

"Thank you all for being here! Now I have a surprise for you guys. I have a new single coming out on Friday, and I will perform it for you guys tonight; you all will be the first ones to hear it! It's called "Where Will My Heart Go!'" The Killer announces.

Kelly gropes her forehead. She wants to go home, her jealous feelings are eating her alive.

The music changes to a soulful symphony, and it immediately worsens her emotions as the young musician gropes his mic, sweat glistening on his forehead.

How do I tell you? How to explain?

These feelings inside me, do you feel the same?

"Fucking hell," Kelly mutters, and a girl standing in front of them looks back at her, smiling.

"I know right, he's a god."

She turns back around, and Kelly shakes her head. She was not referring to the boy on the stage singing out her entire thoughts, but the man that is above her, sitting next to the most attractive woman in all of Camber High.

Woman. Whilst she's just a little schoolgirl. It hurts her. Tonight, she is finally admitting how much it hurts her.

When you look at me, how does it make you feel?

Cause I've been crying myself to sleep. Thinking about you and me.

I look at the stars and see your face. Please stay...

Don't go. I know it's wrong, but don't walk away...

"I wanna go home," Kelly abruptly tells Derrick, and he looks over at her. Frowning.

"Why?"

"I am not feeling well."

Her heart is not feeling well.

Derick turns to her, concerned. "Where does it hurt?"

In her chest.

"I am just tired. I got punished today, plus Physical Education class was tedious, and then my tutoring." She brushes the hair from her eyes, and he nods in understanding.

"No worries, I will take you home." He puts his arms around her and leads her out of the crowd. "I will buy you ice cream; you want ice cream?"

Kelly nods like a toddler. "Yes...chocolate."

Derrick laughs. "Okay. Out of the way, you lovesick idiots! My friend isn't feeling well." He parts the crowd as they traverse through rocking kids to get to the exit.

Mr. Todd's eyes trail them before he diverts his gaze back to the stage.

••

Kelly stares at the white bird-shaped clock sitting on her vanity while chewing on the inside of her cheek. It is Saturday and now 4:20 pm, yet no sign of her tutor. Surely, he hasn't forgotten, right? To her, he does not seem like the type to change plans last minute without notifying the other party.

But then it dawns on her that he did not take her number, but she has his. She figures it would be best to text him first, but there is this silly fear of not wanting to come off too pushy. However, it is her education at the end of the day, and she is worried that something may have happened.

She takes a deep breath and quickly types a message, closes her eyes then press send.

She throws her cellphone on her vanity as if that would hide what she just did before her little sister begins to get restless.

"Alright, alright." She gets up and walks over to where Kayla is lying on her back. Sitting on the bed next to her, she carefully lifts her into her arms. The unsettled toddler chews on her small fist with tears staining her puffy cheeks.

The doorbell sounds from downstairs, and Kelly's heartbeat quickens as she gets up and makes her way down to answer it. Adjusting her sister in her arms, she opens the door to see Derrick.

She's slightly disappointed. Where on earth is Mr. Todd?

"What's up?" Kelly asks, and he reaches out to relieve her of her little sister, pouting his lips and talking to her in a series of baby language. The toddler relaxes in his arms, being quite familiar with him by now.