The weekend went by without much incident. Chris worked hard at the restaurant and Sarah took care of his wounds at the end of his shift. Johnny would peek his head in the office and see how he was healing up. The veterans would look on at Chris' back; Johnny would say something like 'How could a kid take that?' and Sarah would tell him that he was a good boy. Chris brushed their comments off, he had blocked out most of the pain as it was happening, choosing instead to focus on something else like how happy he must have been making Cat as he took her punishment. Now he knew better. Now he knew that she was just a sadist, a woman who degraded and used men.
His heart was filled with sorrow. He hadn't seen Leslie outside of school since Wednesday when Cat had whipped him. They had their tryst in the darkroom on Thursday, but he longed to hold her in his arms. He didn't want her to see the marks on his back and think he was a freak. She texted him and asked him if he wanted to go out. He would reply back that he had plans or was feeling tired or Sarah wanted him to come in early. He hated lying to her. Sunday Chris spent his day off hiding in his room, curled up under his blankets, watching TV. There was a knock at his door and his heart skipped a beat as his tattooed lover poked her head in.
"Hey," she said softly, the sound of her voice making him want to melt. "Still not feeling well?" she asked as she entered his bedroom and closed the door behind her.
"Yeah, sorry," he lied, "Sarah's been running me ragged since Thursday and I think I'm fighting off some bug that's going around."
Leslie smiled and lifted the covers, curling up with him. His senses were assaulted with the very essence of her; her scent, her soft skin, the visage of her body as it fit so perfectly within his. He sighed and pulled her closer, the two whiling away the hours in each other's arms.
Chris had drifted off to sleep and awoke to find himself alone. Alone: apparently the theme of the week. He rolled onto his back, the healing welts still causing that now familiar sting.
Monday Chris rode to school, suffered through History and English and quickly darted out of class, avoiding Cat. He ate lunch with Leslie, walked her to her class and then raced to Biology, followed by P.E. class. He ran around the track for a bit, clearing his head of his nagging thoughts about Ms. Callahan. Changing early, he ran to Leslie's locker to wait for her. He offered Leslie a ride home, dropping her off and heading to his own house for homework, dinner and sleep.
Tuesday started off the same. As Chris was about to leave English class, Cat stopped him and delayed his exit. He sighed and waited for the rest of the class to let out before going over to her desk.
"Chris, this Wednesday evening I'm scheduled to do a demo at a club. My previous assistant can't make it. I'm going to need you to do it," she said nonchalantly as she packed up her things. She treated it like she was a magician and he was just supposed to hold some props while she waved a magic wand. Abracadabra! He knew her intentions were to beat him or humiliate him or both!
"I can't Ms. Callahan. I have plans Wednesday night," he lied.
She looked into his eyes with a coldness that chilled him to his soul, "You better cancel them or I'll make your life a living hell. For starters I'll fail you in this class," she threatened. Chris gulped hard, trying the quell the nausea he felt as his stomach churned. He nodded to his teacher and turned to leave. "Meet me at my house at seven sharp! Wear something nice!" she hollered.
He was silent and motionless as he sat with Leslie for lunch. The gears were turning in his head, his brain trying to fathom what his sadistic teacher had in store for him. The bell rang, wrenching him from his thoughts. He grabbed his untouched slice of pizza and moved to get up but a soft hand touched his shoulder.
"What's wrong, Chris?" Leslie's melodious voice asked, her concern genuine. "You haven't been yourself since last Thursday. Was it something I did," she said referring to their rendezvous in the darkroom. He looked at her big doe eyes and her bottom lip jutting out in an irresistible pout and he visibly softened. Chris' mind was still so burdened but he knew she would make him feel better. He grabbed the small of her back and pulled her close, frenching her deeply. He didn't give a shit who saw as he probed her mouth with his tongue in the middle of the cafeteria. He could feel her heart pounding through her chest. He could smell the scent of her perfume. He could taste her sweet mouth.
Reluctantly they both broke the kiss before it escalated into something they'd really get in trouble for. "Leslie, you could never do anything wrong," he professed. The woman blushed pink, her hair matching her face. She pecked him on the cheek and scampered to class. As soon as she was out of sight Chris heard the bell ring. He cursed, threw his pizza away and ran to History class. Thankfully there was a substitute who hadn't yet made it to the G's when calling roll. He slipped in unnoticed and raised his hand when the teacher called 'Chris Gaiten.'
The final bell rang and Chris was once again waiting for Leslie by her locker. She smiled and blushed and he offered to give her a ride home. They left together in his old Toyota, her hand resting comfortably on his thigh as he drove. He loved how she could make everything better with just a touch, a simple smile or a few words of encouragement. He wanted to be so much more for her; a protector, a confidant, a lover.