"I'm out of sight; I'm out of mind. I'll do it all for you in time." —Ed Sheeran.

♡♡

••

There are no words to describe the level of embarrassment Kelly is experiencing. The woman talked down to her as if she were a kid! A little toddler who doesn't understand the basic principles of life. She hates being belittled more than anything in this world. Being called dumb is something she cannot put up with.

Angrier than she has ever felt, she stalks into her designated room and grabs her backpack off the bed.

The stupid tears just keep falling no matter how hard she tries to keep them away. She should be accustomed to people's harsh remarks by now, but they aren't something that one can easily become immune to. They hurt a different way each time.

But she is more pained by the fact that she could not do anything about it. Maybe she could have yelled at the woman or punched her in the face, but she is not ready to be expelled when she hasn't even proven her academic worth to anyone.

So, her plan now is to leave this wretched place and return home. She is too humiliated to stay here any longer, and she doesn't think she'll be able to face that woman again. Or even Mr. Todd.

The man has been on her case all morning; he is the number one reason she is having such a terrible day. He just won't get off her back for whatever reason there is.

She makes her way down the staircase and walks across the premises to get to the main road.

The afternoon wind is crisp and heavy, burning her nostrils and stinging her cheeks with its frigidness.

The street she is walking along is a lengthy stretch, bordered by tall trees on either side of it and a lonely scope with no sign of housings and human life.

She keeps walking for a while in hopes of finding a town soon. Unfortunately, she had fallen asleep during the last half of the journey to the Resort, so she is clueless as to how many more minutes before she arrives at a gas station, at least.

After treading for another ten minutes, she starts to think about how ridiculous and impulsive her decision to leave the resort was. But she was just so angry about Mr. Todd's moody behavior, and then Ms. Smith had to call her to her room and throw salt in her open wound.

Maybe she shouldn't have come on this trip in the first place. This is the one time she wishes she had scored badly on his test.

Stopping at the roadside, she contemplates turning around and walking back, but then a car comes to a noisy stop at her feet.

She jerks and steps away from the tires as a bald man nods to her from behind the wheels. Another male wearing a plaid jersey and a jean cap sits next to him on the passengers' side, his ashy arm splayed over the rusted window ledge.

"Hey, my girl. Need a lift?" The driver is missing a tooth, and Kelly can see the mischievous glint in his dark grey eyes as he quirks his thick eyebrows.

"No, I am fine." She quickly rejects the offer and makes an instant U-turn, heading back in the direction of the Resort. She cautiously watches the car at the corner of her eyes.

"Hey, hold up, sweetie." The man in the Passenger's side climbs out of the vehicle and slams the door.

Without thinking twice, Kelly begins to run away, but the man is swift as he sprints up behind her and grabs her by her backpack, easily pulling her back.

"Let me go!" She demands, wriggling away from him.

"Woah, easy." The driver comes around to stand in front of her, shoving his palms in his dirty jeans. "That's no way to deal with strangers, chica. Didn't your mother teach you the basic manners?"

"Let me go; are you deaf?" She snaps.

The smelly geezer holding the top of her bag lets out a chuckle, and she scrunches her nose at the bad odor of his breath.

"Alright. Hear what. Get inside the car, and we'll be nice." The man missing a tooth suggests.

Not happening. She did not learn martial arts in Elementary school for nothing. Plus, a lifetime of watching Jackie Chan and Jet Li movies taught her a little thing or two.

She uses her elbow to jab the man holding her in his nuts, and he cries out as she releases herself and begins to run off through the woodland area.

"Little bitch!"

Loud, heavy footsteps tramp behind her, but she keeps her gaze ahead as she sprints through the trees at the speed of light. Her thick thighs aren't pulling her back for once, and she's grateful that she paid attention during those track and field lessons. Let the wind carry you, coach Carlton had said.

She keeps running and running until she doesn't hear the two men anymore. Breathing heavily, she looks back to check if all is clear. Her foot gets tangled in a bunch of twigs, sending her pitching over and rolling down a steep landslide and to the edge of a river.

Birds scatter and croon at the new disturbance as Kelly groans from the hard impact of the fall, her wet and messy hair landing over her clenched eyes.

"Ow. Shit." She struggles to sit upright, grimacing at the excruciating pain in her joint. Her face and clothes are smeared in mud as she gropes her throbbing ankle. "Ow...fuck..."

Scanning the surrounding area, she sees nothing but a wide body of water and greens. Panic settles within her stomach as she has no idea where she is. She shrugs off her bag and grabs her cellphone from it, quickly dialing Derrick's number. It rings a few times before he finally picks up.

"Kelly, where are you?"

"Derrick." She swallows thickly. "I-I think I got fucking lost." She is trying not to panic, but she is scared out of her wits.

"What? Hold on, lost where?"

"The woods. The woodland. I was trying to get home and..."

Her phone vibrates against her ear, and she removes it to see the blinking message at the top of the screen.

"You have got to be kidding me!" She motions to stand up when a searing pain shoots through her foot. Whimpering, she sits back down and lifts her phone higher, trying to get some service. When it is of no avail, she presses her forehead against her arms in defeat.

••

Nikolai feels guilty.

He went a bit too hard on Kelly; he knows that. But it was what he had to do to draw a line between them.

Undoubtedly, she is his favorite student, but that is not something he wants to advertise. Especially since someone else has caught onto the fancy he has taken to her.

Ms. Smith had been right about him losing his job if speculations were to arise among the board at Camber High. He has heard of teachers in the past who had affairs with students and lost their jobs as a result. Lost their entire careers, even. He cannot let that happen to him.

His father has been on his case lately. Pressuring him about his decision to give up on the army and chastising him about his career as a teacher. He wants to prove to the annoying man that his profession is 'much better' than becoming a soldier. That he is quite fine without him meddling in his occupation.

If he were to learn that Nikolai is a part of a teacher-student scandal, he would be the first to give him a severe backlash. Nik wants to avoid all that quandary and lead a simple, quiet life.

Kelly is trouble. Surely, she didn't do anything wrong; he is aware of that, but the problem is with him. He keeps getting aroused because of her.

This morning, when he had returned to his room from the piscina, he almost stroked himself to the thought of her.

He hasn't done that in four months, mainly because he has been too busy with his job. But in the darkness of his villa, he slipped his palm in the darkness of his boxers and groped his length. It was harder than it had ever been; not even both of his hands were able to comfortably cup him.

However, he came to his senses just in time and got up to take a cold shower. He is glad that he did, or he would have felt even guiltier at this moment.

He has to put a stop to whatever has been happening to him lately. It is not healthy for both of them. She's his student, and he's her teacher. He would like to keep it at that.

The door knocks, and he reaches over and presses the buzzer on the wall next to him before focusing back on the screen of his laptop. The door opens as Derrick rushes in.

"Sir!"

"Yes." Mr. Todd keeps his eyes on his computer while taking a sip of his coffee.

"Sir, something happened. I-I think...Kelly..."

He freezes, turning his head to look over at him. "What about Kelly?"

He watches as the boy catches his breath whilst placing his hands on his knees. His impatience kicks in, and he frowns. "Spill it out, Derrick."

"She got lost in the woodland, sir."

"What?"

"She called me and said she was trying to head home, but then she got lost in the woodland and—"

"Shit." Nikolai quickly climbs up from the couch, moving toward the door as an anxious Derrick follows him.

"Weren't she with you?" Mr. Todd questions him.

"No, Sir. I spent most of the day in the theatre room." He sounds guilty. "But I hardly paid attention to her today. This is my fault."

No, it's mine. Nikolai thinks.

"Calm down, we'll find her." He assures the younger boy, but he too feels unsettled about this entire situation.

They begin to descend the staircase, and as they turn the corner, Nik almost bumps into Ms. Smith, who sends him a smile at his presence.

"Nikolai. Where are you heading?"

"Kelly. She got lost in the woods. I need to inform the other teachers." He motions to walk off when she grabs onto his hand.

"She is fine. Just trying to get your attention again. She will come back soon."

Both males scrunch their eyebrows at approximately the same time. Something flashes across Mr. Todd's mind, and he sends Derrick ahead first.

"I'll be right behind you. Go inform the rest of the teachers."

"Yes, sir." He hurries away, and Nikolai turns his attention back to his colleague.

"What do you mean she's trying to gain my attention again?"

She sighs. "She is just trying to get you to notice her; can't you see that, Nikolai?"

"Come to think of it. I saw Kelly crying earlier. She was coming from your wing. Have any idea what may have upset her?" He stares at her firmly, already sensing that she is behind it.

Ms. Smith confirms his thoughts when she lets out an exhale. "What a drama queen. I just had a word with her. Nothing that should have earned her crying. She seems to have an issue with constructive criticism." She tries to hold his hand, but he moves away.

"What did you say to her?"

"Nik—"

"What did you say to her, Ms. Smith?" His tone is much sterner this time.

Guilt takes over her features as she pushes her hair back, blowing her lips out. "I just told her to focus on her schoolwork. I told her to do better this time around. Being dumb is not cute and if she wants a man to—"

"Wow. Wait. Did you call her dumb?" He squints his eyes.

She opens her mouth, then closes it, afraid to reply to the question.

"Did you?"

She sighs. "Yes-yes, I did, but—"

"This is unbelievable..." He runs a hand over his face, and she grabs onto his shoulder.

"But it was just constructive advice; I did not say anything wrong—"

He shrugs her hand away. "I've lost all respect for you."

Her shoulders slump. "Mr. Todd."

"How could you tell my student, my damn favorite student, that she's dumb?" He shakes his head. "For what reason did you do something that despicable?"

"But was I wrong? She doesn't pay attention in class, she talks back to you, and she has no regards for—"

"That does not give you the right to speak to her that way!" He raises his voice, and she cowers away in extreme shock.

"Nikolai."

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. When he reopens them, she is met with the anger and disappointment they hold. "How mature and professional of you. I don't have time for this."

He walks past her, and her eyes well with tears as she watches him leave.

••

"But I see your true colors shining through. I see your true colors. And that's why I love you. So don't be afraid to let them show. Your true colors. True colors are beautiful. Like a rainbow..."

Kelly keeps singing to keep her sanity. Her foot is throbbing like hell, and her heart is racing from the anxiety of being stuck in the woods, with no one but the animals and creatures, and lord knows what else may be hiding behind those trees.

She has tried to move away from the spot, but the ache in her joint is unreal. She is convinced that it got broken. Furthermore, she is too scared to wander out there with an injured ankle; what if the men are still looking for her?

"Just keep singing. Just keep singing." She tells herself. "Show me a smile then. Don't be unhappy, can't remember when I last saw you laughing. If this world makes you crazy, and you've taken all you can bear. You call me up. Because you know I'll be there..."

Tears begin to stream down her cheeks. She cannot contain them. She is cold and scared and wants to go home. She wants to watch movies with her annoying sibling and lay next to her baby sister. She wants to be anywhere but here.

She drags her knees up to her chest and continues to sing between sobs and hiccups. The words sound muffled and jumbled as they pass through her pale lips.

"You with the sad eyes, don't be discouraged. Oh, I realize it's hard to take courage in a world full of people; you can lose sight of it all. And the darkness inside you can make you feel so small."

Flashbacks of when she was younger coast across her mind. Where did she go wrong? At the tender age of five, she was able to recite the alphabet faster than Kevin and could even retell an entire movie from start to finish after watching it only once.

But now she's failing school miserably and probably won't get into a good college at the rate she's going at. She doesn't have a good record at Camber High, to begin with; what on earth would she write on her application form?

Maybe that lady was right. She is dumb.

And how audacious is she to have feelings for someone like Mr. Todd? She scoffs at herself. The nerve. He is the total opposite of her. Smart, intellectual, good looking. She doesn't think she's that ugly, but she is not compatible with him at all. They are opposites.

Maybe she should just stay out here, in the forest, forever. It is not like she has a future planned out anyway. What would she be fighting for?

However, the thought of it still makes her cry.

Fuck that. She wants to go home and binge-watch Lee Min-ho's dramas and feast on Cheetos. She doesn't want to stay here forever. She didn't even finish the last episode of Attack on Titans. Fucking hell!

With that and the thought of her family as her motivation, she continues to sing until hopefully, someone comes to get her. Although the phone had lost its signal in the middle of her speech, she managed to tell Derrick the main points. She prays that was enough.

••

Mr. Oliver, Nikolai, and two other male teachers split up in search of her. Nik takes the road while his colleagues separate in different sections of the forest.

"Kelly!" He yells her name in his palms, but all the feedback he receives is chirping birds and windy silence.

The road is empty and quiet, and he fears that something may have happened to her. This is all his fault. He went too hard on her.

He rakes his fingers through his hair as he tries not to panic. However, he isn't doing such a good job. His palms are sweaty, and his eyes have gotten a bit bloodshot. It usually happens when he's overwrought.

She has to be okay. Or he may just lose it.

As he foots it down the road, he takes notice of the fresh tire marks on the asphalt. Then he meets upon a cluster of drained oil that seemed to have diffused from an old car's engine.

Putting his OCD aside, he takes a deep breath and squats down, forcing himself to test the liquid with his forefinger. It is still warm.

He can't help it. He grabs his handkerchief and cleans his finger as his eyes trail to a track of broken sticks and twigs. The trail appears trampled on as though someone had recently used to the area to traverse through. Derrick had said she was on her way home but got lost in the woodland. Therefore, perhaps the oil and the trampled leaves connect to her.

Following his gut and intuition, he begins to follow the path she had set before.

••

Kelly has repeated the song about ten times, yet no one has come to rescue her. The sun has fallen lower in the sky, and the evening air is becoming bitingly cold, causing her teeth to clamp together. She hugs herself and buries her face between her muddy knees.

"I s-see your t-true colors...s-shining t-through..." She is now shivering, and despite wearing two sweaters, she feels as though her insides will become frozen any minute now.

The hunger in her stomach grows more demanding at every second. If only she didn't allow Derrick to finish all her snacks, she would have had something to keep her sugar level stable. If the cold is not enough to kill her, her hunger might.

She heard somewhere once that when you're stuck in cold temperatures, it helps to keep moving. To keep active. So, she begins to rock to and fro as she continues to sing.

True Colors by Cyndi Lauper is her mother's favorite song, and she would sing it to Kelly whenever she was unable to fall asleep at night.

It gives the devastated teen comfort and a spark of hope. Just as how sleep seemed to have been far away whenever her mom would sing the song but yet, it came eventually, is the same way someone will come to find her. She just needs to keep singing.

"I see your true colors. And that's why I love you. So don't be afraid to let them show. Your true colors. True colors are beautiful. Like a rainbow..."

At the back of her mind, the probability of having to spend the night out here is taunting her. The environment is scary, and she wouldn't want to see how spine-chilling it would be after dark.

She has watched too many horror and thriller movies with situations such as these. The casts would either get eaten to death one by one by some strange creature or murdered by a psychotic serial killer carrying a tool. She begins to pipe louder to block the terrifying thoughts out.

"You with the sad eyes, don't be discouraged. Oh, I realize it's hard to take courage in a world full of people; you can lose sight of it all. And the darkness inside you can make you feel so small. Show me a smile then. Don't be unhappy, can't remember when I last saw you laughing. If this world makes you crazy, and you've taken all you can bear. You call me up. Because you know I'll be there..."