Ryan

I could admit to myself that I was nervous. But as I walked through the dark, empty halls of the high school I’d thought I’d never step back inside of after graduating, I was also excited. I had no clue about what would be waiting for me when I got to the classroom Elijah had instructed me to go to through the texts we’ve been sending to each other all day.

I was never a big texter, but there was just something about Elijah that I wanted to be in constant contact with him, even if that meant my fat thumbs got a lot of work.

The halls were eerily quiet; the only light came from the emergency lighting dotted along the walls. Pulling out my phone, I scanned the crudely drawn map Elijah had jotted on one of his diner’s napkins and sent me a photo of. Following Elijah’s directions, I walked up some steps that I remembered led to the language department.

Once I entered that corridor, I no longer needed the map as there was a classroom at the end of the hall with the lights on.

Moving quickly in that direction, I took a breath and let the role Elijah had given me wash over me. Just like the bad boy next door role, I’d thought about it all day; how I would dress—this time, I wasn’t naked—how I would behave, and things I would say and do to pull off the persona.

Stepping up to the doorway, the man seated at the teacher’s old wooden desk caught me off guard. I knew it was Elijah, but like me, he’d gone all out when choosing his outfit. His honey-colored hair was slicked back with a hair product that made his coloring appear darker. His brown tweed blazer even had brown leather patches on the elbows. But my favorite item was the thick, black-rimmed glasses.

I wouldn’t have considered glasses on someone sexy, but on Elijah, they may as well be called ‘fuck-me glasses.’

Pulling the high school student persona back on, I raised my hand and knocked lightly on the doorframe. “Mr. Anderson?” I gentled my voice.

Elijah had been typing on a laptop, but when I spoke, he stopped. I watched as he squared his shoulders before turning to face me. A swell of pride shot through me when I saw his eyes widen and his mouth go slack as he took in my outfit.