The Good Housemaster Ch. 4

"No, sir. My school work is too important. The most important thing in my life."

It's all I can do to keep my jaw from dropping right there in front of my class. The way she's talking... I start to hear mumbling from several of the other ladies. All of them I recognize, including the four who I know best, are looking more concerned by the moment. Pursing my lips, I go to the front and take one more glance at Amelia. She's looking right at me with her notes out in obvious anticipation. Taking a deep breath, I start my lesson. After several minutes of explaining the curriculum for the next few months, I start to admit to myself that I'm not at my best. No matter how hard I try, I just can't get into the proper mindset. I tersely instruct the class to start reading some Shakespeare.

Trying not to be too obvious about it, I watch Amelia closely. She's just sitting there, scanning her book, as if she doesn't have a care in the world. Something's happened. Is it related to our; connection? The strange things that happen when we touch? How isn't she concerned about her mother? I fiddle with a few papers as the class time passes, mostly wasted. I have to do something. As the bell rings, I stand. "I'm sorry, everyone. In our next session, I hope to have more time for proper instruction. Continue reading through the end of scene four for tomorrow. Miss Pritchard. Could you stay for a moment?"

The tall blonde moves aside as the others pass, looking at her. I watch as she stands there almost obliviously, unconcerned about the state of things. As the last student leaves, she steps forward. 

"Yes, sir?"

I look up at her, gauging what I should say. "Miss Pritchard, are you not worried about what happened?"

"Well, yes, but I have more important matters that I must attend to."

I rise, growing angry. "More important than the disappearance of your mother?"

"Well, yes. I can't do anything about that. I must continue my schoolwork, however."

She's talking just like she did at the Halloween party. Very proper. Very precise. Almost by rote. There isn't that feeling I had there, though. Something here is seriously wrong, and I must do something about it. Not really having a plan, I reach over the desk and grab her hand.

THE DARKNESS! It's everywhere! I can still see Amelia. A light is radiating from me and illuminates her dark form. Her body is revealed to me once again, but I'm not concerned about that. Something about her... It's twisting her. Something is holding the young woman tight. I move closer, and her face becomes a mask of fear.

"Don't make me feel it..."

Penelope said that it was this place. Something here that makes you crazy. Could it be that I just have to take her away? Find Penelope and...

"My mother?"

I realize my thoughts are not my own here. Her eyes suddenly harden, and a force pushes at me. So hard I...

...fall against my desk. I stare up at Amelia as my forearm pulses, feeling nearly broken.

"You! How could you?!"

I can barely move, so I place a hand up in defense. Her anger is flooding my senses. "Please, Amelia! We were waiting to tell you!"

"You drove her from here! You ruined my life!"

Amelia flexes her arms, and I see my doom before me. The fire in her eyes blazes, and I'm defenseless. "Please! It's something else! Something here is causing this!"

"What's wrong with you?" She gets a wild look on her face. "I KNOW WHAT'S WRONG! IT'S ME!"

The outpouring of emotion overwhelms my senses, and I sink to my knees. I can feel her anguish radiating from her. With tears streaming, Amelia runs for the door. "Wait..." I call to her back. It's barely a whisper. Oh fuck. I lean back against a leg of my desk, pressing a hand to my temple. Breathing heavily, the pressure I feel dissipates. She's leaving... Pulling myself up, I see several second-year students have halted at the door.

"Are you alright, sir?"

Gathering myself, I straighten my robe. "Yes. Um... Seat yourselves, please."

I'm going after her. I have to explain things more calmly. At least make sure she doesn't run away herself or do something worse. "Remain here, everyone." I take two steps into the corridor and then come up short. Miss Watts stands in my way with that strange smile of hers.

"Is there a problem, professor?"

"Yes. Miss Pritchard just had an emotional outburst in my class. We need to find her..."

"No need, professor. Housemaster Brown has already collected his prefect."

Brown. Wonderful. "I should talk with her..."

Miss Watts tilts her head, looking in my room. "But your class is already here, sir."

I'm growing very frustrated with this woman. "Yes, but..."

"How about I send someone if there is a need for you. Then your students won't be disrupted on the first day."

Blowing my breath out slowly, I nod. Why not?! It's probably the end of my career anyway! Heading back in, I stand and begin yet another lackluster performance for the day. Checking my door every few minutes, no one comes. Every girl can see my obvious distraction as I move from topic to topic with no enthusiasm.

The class finally ends with still no word. The fourth begins, and I listen for the footsteps that would foreshadow a summons. Did Amelia not say anything to them? Biding my time, I wait for lunch to begin. No Amelia or Brown in the Main Hall. What did that mean? I pose a question to the headmaster, but he just shakes his head. No news from the police.

The second half of my day is no better. Steadily, my worries gnaw at me as I try to perform my best for the students. As the final class is about to conclude, I'm nearly beside myself. At the bell, I end up slamming my hand inside a drawer in my rush to get out of there.

"Sir?"

"What?!" It's Preeti. She takes a sudden step back, clearly shocked at my reaction. I wave my hand to lessen the pain. "Sorry, Miss Gupta. What do you need?"

"I was at the office, sir. And..." Her voice becomes tremulous.

"Is this about me? Have I been summoned?"

"No, sir." Her lip trembles. "I was just there, and I heard..."

I stare down at her in growing dread. "Tell me."

"They found Ms. Pritchard's car. It's in the sea, down a cliff south of here."

"No." I make my way back to my desk and sit down before my legs buckle.

"I'm sorry, sir. I know how much she means to you."

"Penelope..." Trying to keep it together in front of my prefect, I look up. "Thank you, Miss Gupta. Could you leave me alone for a minute?"

"Sir." She wipes an eye. "Do you need anything?"

"No. Go ahead to dinner. Close the door behind you."

"Yes, sir."

She does as I bid, and I put my face in my hands. Why? After having found such happiness. A connection that is as rare as I can conceive of. Gone. Without warning. Without an answer. Slowly, the tears come. I can cry here. Out there? I have to show concern. She's just a valued colleague after all; but in the privacy of my mind, I can truly mourn what I just lost.

"There, there. You did try."

I shake my head. "Not enough. I should have told her."

"I did tell you to forget about her."

"You did." Such a deep, commanding voice. "Now I have to live with this."

"Let me help."

I find it hard to think. This is just like the Halloween party. The darkness is back, but there is little I can do about it. It settles over me like an ice-cold blanket.

"Now give me a moment." I feel a grip on my shoulder.

I'm on top of the beautiful blond woman, the car rocking under us...

We're dancing together, not knowing where this will take us...

Her hand on my coverlet, my pulse quickening...

Striding next to the teary blonde on that moonlit night, I promise to support her no matter what...

At the station, as she stands before me, looking brilliant in her blue and white dress...

"Isn't that better?"

I look up and see Brown standing over me. "Better than what, sir?"

He grins. "Quite. We certainly took the winding road to get here."

I blink my eyes. "We're in my classroom, Housemaster."

"Yes, yes. The perfect place to start training you once again. This time to focus on how to properly handle these young women."

"My students?"

"Yes. So you can get everything out of them that you desire."

I nod, realizing he's right. I have to do everything I can for these ladies.

Especially Amelia.