8

                                    

                                          
The bell rings and a few minutes later the new teacher walks into the room like he's expecting perfect order. 
There's none of the nervousness about him that usually comes with new blood. But this man beckons the students in as if he's known them his whole life and sets about ordering his desk and papers.
He's dressed in a grey suit with a blue tie over a pressed white shirt. From the glow of his skin, he could have stepped right off a plane from the Caribbean. 
Ariella can't deny that the man is indeed hot. He's appealing in that mature, masculine sense. He's certainly the kind of mature, older man she would fall for. 
He's tall and the grey suit cannot hide the toned nature of his chest and legs. Her observations are cut down by the low rumble from the man. When he speaks, much to the surprise of Ariella, everyone falls silent...
"Good morning," he crosses his arms over his chest coolly and looks down at the class. 
Ariella is surprised at how deep his voice is, it's a little deep than Nathan's.
"For those of you who missed class yesterday, my name is Ethan Coleman, your new homeroom and business management teacher. I will be replacing Mister. Hale... Again, here are the rules you will follow when you're in my class. I don't want anyone speaking out of turn and I won't have you speaking loudly, do I make myself clear?" 
His stern green eyes gaze at the class as if their faces have become a sea, a moving mass of nothing he can focus on or care about. And the lesson pours out from him in the same dull pattern. "Now take out your notebooks and prepare to take notes."
Ariella stares at her new homeroom teacher, interested in a teacher for once. Mister. Coleman is pretty young to be a teacher and doesn't seem to mind if he offends anyone either despite how powerful the families of the students here might be.
At some point, Mister Coleman has taken off his jacket and draped it over his desk chair. He's leaning against it, his hands by his sides and supporting him on the desk as he teaches.
His face is expressionless, he looks uninterested and oblivious to his surroundings but even a moment with him reveals that he's everything but those traits. His gaze is always carefully analysing those in front of him and Ariella knows that he's taking in what he could about his environment.
His eyes search the class until they meet Ariella's. She freezes to see him staring intently at her. Ariella waits to be reprimanded, but he says nothing and averts his eyes.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ethan's days at Star Cross Academy have become routine, mind-numbing and perpetually dull. And he's ready to tear someone's head off. 
Two whole months. 
Two. Whole. Fucking. Months. Have passed and there's still no progress on finding the Smith girl he's looking for. There are simply too many of them.
Information on the students and their guardians is hard to access and is in no way available to the teachers, only the principal. And he just can't up and go ask for it without raising any suspicions.
He's all ready to leave. And that's the most frustrating thing, he can't leave even when he wants to... he has to find her at all costs. It's a matter of life and death.
Fuck! This is a major headache. Ethan has hit rock bottom again. He doesn't want to lose hope, but there seems to be no none left at all.
He should be getting ready to leave. He came to Star Cross because of her, if he can't find what he's looking for, then what's the point in staying here any longer and enduring the principal's daughter trying to throw herself at him every damn day.
Nicole Pierce is a nineteen-year-old with caked makeup, large fake boobs and dull platinum blonde hair that looks like it has been dyed too many times. 
Her school uniform has been modified down to near zero. And she's always leaning against his desk after class with her school shirt unbuttoned and her breasts ready to still out, let alone her strong perfume always gives him an instant headache.
Ethan had heard through the grapevine that she had made a bet with her friends that she would get him to sleep with her before the end of the term. But she's very wrong, neither does she take a hint that he's simply not interested and ever will be. 
She's not his type... 
Now thinking of his type, suddenly an image of a raven-haired senior in his class flashes through his mind. Bright blue eyes that'd fix you in ice should you stare at them for too long and a wide sweet smile.
Ariella Smith.
It was at the drop zone that he had first seen her and something about her had him rooted to the spot.
Among all the students there she was the only one he noticed. Upon hearing her laughter, Ethan turned before being paralyzed by the beautiful girl. 
While Miss Hudson was still talking to him, his baffled mind was buzzing and he didn't hear a thing she said, just stared at this one student.
She was in a conversation with a tall, muscular guy. He was carrying her bag as he stared at her with a sweet and gentle gaze. Ethan remembers how angry he was at the thought of the two being in a relationship and then buffed at his irrational emotions.
Ethan shakes his head instantly. He doesn't know why his eyes seem to be obsessed with her, they always seem to catch her and then follow her every movement.
He has never been this obsessed about a woman before, he's fucked a lot of them and then never gives them a second glance. 
But how is this girl different? 
Ethan's not even sure she's the Smith he's looking for. 
He shakes his head. She can't be, there's no way. She's a goodie-two-shoes and a teacher's pet. Straight A's student and everyone's always singing hymns about her in the teachers' lounge.
As far as he knows, Shaun's younger sister is rowdy and a mischief-maker. So there's no way miss goody goody Ariella would be her. 
Though it wouldn't hurt to find out.