The first memory I have of my captor is comparable to a CD with a large scratch running down its silvery smooth body; it repeats over and over again in my mind. It was September 1st of last year -- six months and four days ago.
I was not expecting anything out of the ordinary to happen on my first day of senior year at Brunswick High School. Like most suburban schools, mine was especially boring. There were the usual cliques, mostly uninspiring teachers, and of course, a constantly annoyed (perhaps, sexually frustrated?) librarian.
For my senior year, I had decided to take the I-don't-give-a-fuck approach, and kick back by taking the "easy-A" classes. Starting off the day with Art Class 100: Mastering the Basics and ending the school day with sixth hour study hall seemed to be the best way to survive my last year. Admittedly, I was sick of the cafeteria food, the overcrowded hallways, and the same people's parties. There was little to zero variation in Brunswick, and college seemed to be my escape out of there.
Just as I had accepted returning to Brunswick for one more year, I had also accepted that nothing interesting would happenβnothing out of the normal, anyhow. But I couldn't have been more wrong.
Fifth hour astronomy class with Mr. Archer hadn't been my idea, but rather, my friend, Tony's. I remember on the first day of class, Tony and I sat together. He nudged me with his elbow. Glancing his way, I raised an eyebrow as if to ask what he wanted.
He whispered, "Have you heard anything about Mr. Archer?"
"No, he's new, isn't he?"
"Yeah. I don't know anything other than the fact that he's supposed to be dark and gorgeous," Tony said with a smile. Ever since he had come out our sophomore year, he had become extremely forward and open about his sexuality. Homosexuality, Tony always said, wasn't his choice. And he didn't mind flaunting it either. Always dressing in bold colors, Tony was clearly not your captain-of-the-football-team kind of guy.
"Tony, you always believe the rumors. I know you're type, anyway. Young, athletic blondes. Leaner than Abercrombie and Fitch models, but bulkier than soccer players."
"You know me too well," Tony laughed.
"And besides," I continued to say, "Mr. Archer is old. Isn't he like thirty five or something?"
The classroom door opened and the students hushed immediately. Diverting their attention to the door, we watched as our teacher entered the room. My face went white and my heart slammed in my rib cage. This man was gorgeous.
Tony sighed and whispered to me, "You're right. Not my type at all."
But he is mine, I couldn't help but thinking. His eyes reminded me of an illuminated rainforest, greener than I had ever seen. His body was unusually fit for a teacherβor what I imagined a teacher should look like. Nicely dressed in an entirely black suit, he was slightly overdressed for Brunswick High. And his hair was jet black, equally matching his attire. I wondered where he had come from. What had been his previous occupation? Were all of his outfits as stylish as this? My mind buzzed.
"Class," he said, shooting a sharp look at his students, "You can refer to me as Mr. Archer in the classroom, but when the school day is over, please call me Carson." Pacing back and forth along the whiteboard, he spoke for the majority of the hour about how his class would run and his unique grading procedure. That was how I saw him. He was an individual, not a conforming blue collar union member, like the rest of the staff at Brunswick.
He spoke in a manner that intimidated us, but at the same time, as if we were his equals. His voice was smooth and low, and it made me shiver. And sometimes, he would pause, a faraway look glossing over his eyes. Then, he'd snap back into his "teaching mode," and continue his thoughts. It was almost unnoticeable, but I caught him, especially as he was marking attendance.
It happened at the end of class. "Before I forget..." he said, grabbing his attendance folder. And then he ran through the list of names: "Blake Anderson."
"Here."
"Laurie Adams."
"Here."
Eventually, he got to my name. "Madeline Nickles."
"It's Maddy," I corrected him boldly.