I was too stunned to speak. The sincerity in her eyes was overshelming, I didn't know how to turn her down without upsetting her.
Besides, she was willing to believe my absurd story and even help me find a way back to the real world.
"Okay," I whispered, puckering my lips up.
"Are you sure?" she asked, "You're not going to run away or avoid me later? I mean we're roommates, I don't want it to be awkward between us. Especially after what happened before."
"It's totally fine."
"Let me know if you get uncomfortable and I'll stop immediately."
I nodded.
Her lips were just a few inches from mine when a dark voice filled the room making us pull away.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" the voice boomed.
I looked up to see Ms. Duval at the doorway, she looked furious with her gaze on Charlotte. I rushed to explain.
"We were just…it's nothing…" I stumbled over my words when she turned to glare at me.
"It could've been one of the sisters walking in on you. Do you know the disaster it would've caused? If you want to do something as stupid as this then be sure it's not in public." Ms. Duval raged on.
Charlette's head hung low.
"It was my fault, I was the one that asked her to do it," I said. I didn't want Charlotte feeling worse than she already did. "If you're going to punish anyone it should be me."
Ms. Duval's eyes narrowed at me, her whisky eyes darkening. "You want me to punish you?"
Her voice had gone deep and gravy. I blinked severally, already knowing that I'd be regretting those words soon enough. "Yes…"
"Charlotte, go back to class. I'll call you later."
"What of Mary? She didn't do anything. It's all my fault, I shouldn't have—"
"Class. Now."
I watched Charlotte scurry away from the clinic, casting me an apologetic glance before shutting the door after her.
Ms. Duval turned the lock on the door, her attention trained on me during the entire process.
I gulped.
She was wearing a tight burgundy skirt that stopped just above her knees and a black shirt that was tucked into it.
With deliberate steps she stalked towards me, her hips swinging softly. I couldn't look away.
I hadn't realized how tall and intimidating she was until now that I was getting a proper look. I had to strain my neck to look at her when she stopped beside the clinic bed.
"Do you go around kissing anyone who gives you attention?" she asked.
I couldn't tell if her voice had turned breathy and heavy from being angry or—my train of thoughts were cut off when she grabbed the necktie that was a part of my uniform and pulled me closer to her.
"Ms. Duval," I stuttered, unable to form a full sentence with how close her face was to mine.
My eyes filtered to her plump lips, the top one had a cupid's bow.
Kissing Charlotte had been a passing thought, a means to show my gratitude. But with Ms. Duval…our kiss the day before, my first kiss, had been nothing short of phenomenal.
A part of me wanted to do it again.
"What happened to you?" she asked, giving my tie a tug when I didn't immediately respond.
I pulled myself back to the moment. "A classmate punched me for talking back."
The bed dipped with her weight when she sat down. My heart raced when she placed her thumb on my mouth as she examined the bruise.
"What's her name?"
I shook my head. "I don't know."
She removed her finger and I almost cried out in protest. It felt good whenever she touched me. No…these were not my thoughts. It was all the character I'd created.
Unfortunately, with her in front of me, it was hard not to think about it. I bit down on my lip, wincing when I reopened the wound. I could feel a bead of blood start to form.
"I think Mary was getting bullied. It makes the most sense especially with how her classmates treated me when I went to class. Do you think it had anything to do with what happened to her?"
Ms. Duval did not bother with a response. Her eyes were zeroed in on the blood. Crap, I'd forgotten her blood thirsty side. But she'd denied it earlier so I was safe.
Right?
I mean the story wasn't even going exactly as I'd written it.
The hunger that I'm met with when I look at Ms. Duval said otherwise. I moved to clean the blood but she grabbed my hand and pinned it to the bed.
"Stay still."
I did as I was told, holding my breath as she slowly undid my tie. The fabric looked fragile between her fingers.
"What are you doing?" I asked when she held my hands together and started tying me up with it.
She said nothing, the movement practised, like she had done this many times before. She finally looked at me after she tied the last knot.
"Let me help you with that," she whispered before leaning in and pressing her mouth to mine.
I felt her tongue swipe over the bruise, taking my blood with it.
Her breathing picked up pace, but she didn't move, only put her forehead on mine. I could tell she was trying to restrain herself.
Until I opened my big mouth. "I thought you said you weren't blood thirsty, back in your office."
Her hand went to my neck, squeezing a little. "You don't know when to shut up, do you?"
"Was I right? Everything here is a bit different from my book and my memory is failing."
"Is it?" she put her thumb back on my bruise and kissed it. "You smell so good, intoxicating, just like Mary," she whispered.
She must be talking about the one that died.
"You waltzed in here trying to take her place." Her fingers caressed the side of my face, her eyes closed in resemblance. "Same face, same name, same obsession with getting yourself in trouble. Since you're so keen on replacing her, why don't I make it easy for you."
My heart beat loudly against my rib cage. "I don't want to replace anybody, that's not what I'm trying to do. If anything, I want to leave here."
"But your heartbeat says otherwise. You like it when I touch you, don't you?"
I couldn't answer. Instead I leaned in, craving her kiss. She was so close yet out of reach. I craved that warmth, that fire that had burned me when we kissed the first time.
"We have words for a reason darling," she caressed my earlobe. "Use it before I really punish you right here, right now."
Her threats were frighteningly exciting. I've never felt this rush before.
"I want you to kiss me," I finally answered.
She pulled away with a smirk. "Be a good girl and maybe I'll think about it."
I raised my tied hands to touch her face, one that I've described a million times over. Pale skin, whiskey eyes and honey blonde hair to match.
Ms. Duval was the literal depiction of perfection.
"I don't want to see you with Charlotte ever again." Her tone turned sharp and I realized play time was over.
"I can't avoid her, she's my roommate."
Her brows furrowed. "Since when did you talk back?"
I tried to untie myself. "I'm just saying…we're roommates so it's impossible to avoid her. Also, we're in the same class."
"You would've found a way to avoid her," she muttered, but it looked like she was talking to herself and not me. "Something is wrong."
She put her index finger under my jaw and turned my face to the side, scrutinizing me. "Mary would've done whatever I said, no questions asked. No matter how illogical the request was."
"Which Mary are you talking about?"
"Something must've happened between the time you kissed me and ran out of my office, and after they brought you out of the ditch." She untied my hands but didn't stop looking at me.
"In the one week since you got here, all you've done was cling to me. You followed me, even when I was teaching the other classes. At first I thought Mary had somehow come back to life but none of it made sense."
I nodded. "I don't even make sense to myself. How about we look for answers together?"
"What do you mean?"
"In my story, Mary didn't die. I've not even gotten to the end of the story. I also don't understand why there are two main characters. Who's the real one? The dead Mary or Me?"
"Don't refer to her in that manner."
"I'm sorry." I shook my hands free when she was done untying me. "It's just…there should be only one Mary. That's how the story goes. This only makes sense if there's an alternate world and we both ended up in the same world."
Ms. Duval groaned, fishing out a cigarette from her pocket.
I took it from her. "If you help me find out why I'm here then we can figure this out together. I'll go back to my real world and you can go on with your life."
She took it back. "You don't need me, you already have Charlotte."
"Is that why you didn't check on me after I left the isolation room? I mean you promised to stay yet you didn't, I shouldn't expect much from you."
"About that…"
"Don't worry, I'll be out of your hair in no time."
I stood up to leave only to see a splitting image of me standing at the doorway. Same hair, same face, same uniform. I blinked and she was gone.