What are you still doing in school?" Mrs. Victoria asked
"I could ask you the same question" I said stopping besides her heaving. After I saw her expression, I answered her respectfully
"Just taking some laps"
"It's late, you should get home" she said zipping up her pink fur jacket. I was so sweaty and hot that I failed to notice that it was getting chilly and cold outside.
"Yeah" I nodded after I checked my watch. It was half past eight.
"Can I walk you home?" I asked putting on my shirt.
"No, you should get home" she shook her head "I'll be taking a taxi"
"Can I walk you to the road then?"
"You are my student, I should be the one walking you home"
"Outside those gates you are just a woman and I'm a man, I can't let you walk alone…I insist" I said seriously. It wasn't about hitting on her, I was just serious about not letting her walk by herself, she was a beautiful young woman and her teaching status wouldn't help her much outside the school gates.
"Okay" she said after some thought
"Can I carry…?"
"Don't push it" she gave me a glare
I smiled as I walked with her to the gate.
Walking to the bus station would take about twenty minutes if she was serious about getting a taxi and not actually walking home. Walking her to the bus stop would mean that I would be taking the longest route home.
"I'm actually hungry" I said when I spotted a food stall
"Aren't you worried that you'll get home late?" Mrs. Victoria asked
"I'm used to the streets" I said "and I will take only some minutes eating, you can also eat if you want Mrs. Victoria"
"You can drop the title now Shane, we are not at school" Mrs. Victoria smiled. The first I have ever seen since I saw her in my early twelfth grade, it kind of reminded me about our near kiss moment.
"After you Victoria" I smiled
"You actually have interesting stories about the fantasy world" Mrs. Victoria said while eating. At first we weren't really talking much but after a couple of bites, Mrs. Victoria started getting talky. She essentially surprised me when she laughed at certain times when I made jokes. During the short moment, we weren't a teacher and a student, we were just young adults eating in a food stall in a romantic night setting, more like a unplanned date. We had lost track of time during our dinner, we just kept ordering food items. I ate most of them but no one minded.
"You would be astonished when I tell you how the demon lord got stabbed on the back by his brothers" I chuckled
"So hurting I guess, right?"
"It felt like being stabbed with needles in your body…" I said
"Like acupuncture?"
"No, like being stabbed in the heart and mind at the same time" I said solemnly reminiscing the memory.
"You are a very convincing story teller, it kind of seems like you lived it" Mrs. Victoria commented
"Uh huh…it's getting late" I said standing up. Mrs. Victoria's face dampened dramatically like I had just ruined a good moment.
She nodded already getting her bag.
"Already paid" I said
Mrs. Victoria looked at me then at the seller who nodded her head to prove my statement.
The bus station was just some distance from the stall and so we walked in silence.
"Uhm, goodnight" I said to Victoria when a taxi pulled over. I debated whether to hug her or not…I ended up shaking her arm awkwardly.