Back Into Your Arms
Chapter 1
Mel's P.O.V
“It’s the last day of class!” I smiled as I looked at all my students.
“You guys might be wondering what we will be doing today, it will be quite simple. We will be preparing a lovely 4 course dinner that I guarantee you will be using at one point or another in your life. If you want to impress a boyfriend or a girlfriend, an in law or your parents…These are the perfect recipes for you!” I explained to them as I passed out some of the ingredients that we would be using for the dinner.
At that moment, I noticed someone peeping from the window. He was watching me intently. I tried to shrug the awkward feeling away and continued with my lecture.
Before I knew it, class was over. Everyone had amazing food to take home and were taking pictures with me and pictures with their other classmates.
“Ms. Riley, this food is so Instagram worthy, do you have an Instagram? May I tag you?” one of my younger students Todd said to me with phone in hand.
“You may, my username is @thelazychef”
“Awesome! You’re the best Ms. Riley!” he said excited as he walked away face down with phone in hand probably tagging me at that very moment. I looked up and saw the man still standing there looking at me, he looked away as soon as we made eye contact but he wasn’t leaving. I had to put a stop to it.
I hurried over to where he was standing behind the window but he began to walk rapidly towards the door.
“Excuse me!” I yelled after him. I grabbed him by the arm and he stopped immediately.
He turned around and looked at me and then at his arm still being grabbed by me.
His eyes were watering as if my touch hurt him, he looked away pretending to be looking at a poster on the wall.
I was confused by his reaction so I let go of his arm and demanded an answer.
“I’m sorry sir, but I couldn’t help but see you staring at me during my whole lecture. May I help you with something? Would you like to enroll in my next class or are you a stalker? A spy?”
It’s almost like he was mute. He just looked at me stunned, as if I were speaking a foreign language.
He finally spoke.
“I’m- I’m sorry, I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable…I was just observing how you give the class to see if well…I should sign up myself…I just didn’t want to speak with you because then I’d feel obligated to sign up.” He said in a very soft tone to me, still not looking me in the eye.
I nodded.
“Well you shouldn’t feel obligated to sign up but we are starting classes on Monday and I still have open seats, classes are 100 dollars per class, I only teach twice a week for a month, a total of 800 dollars but I do teach an array of recipes and techniques, if you take one of my pamphlets that are over here” I said signaling to the pamphlets on the display, “you can find more information”.
He looked over to the pamphlets and took one, he nodded.
“Alright, thanks and sorry again about the misunderstanding, you have a good one” he said as he turned around and walked out the door.
I didn’t get his name but I wasn’t too sure I wanted to.
He watched me lecture for two hours, he had to be out of his mind.
I made sure to let security know to be on the lookout next time.
As I looked over to my desk I noticed a bouquet of roses that hadn’t been there earlier. No note, no letter. I didn’t know who had left them but they were my favorite color, orange.
“It’s the last day of class!” I smiled as I looked at all my students.
“You guys might be wondering what we will be doing today, it will be quite simple. We will be preparing a lovely 4 course dinner that I guarantee you will be using at one point or another in your life. If you want to impress a boyfriend or a girlfriend, an in law or your parents…These are the perfect recipes for you!” I explained to them as I passed out some of the ingredients that we would be using for the dinner.
At that moment, I noticed someone peeping from the window. He was watching me intently. I tried to shrug the awkward feeling away and continued with my lecture.
Before I knew it, class was over. Everyone had amazing food to take home and were taking pictures with me and pictures with their other classmates.
“Ms. Riley, this food is so Instagram worthy, do you have an Instagram? May I tag you?” one of my younger students Todd said to me with phone in hand.
“You may, my username is @thelazychef”
“Awesome! You’re the best Ms. Riley!” he said excited as he walked away face down with phone in hand probably tagging me at that very moment. I looked up and saw the man still standing there looking at me, he looked away as soon as we made eye contact but he wasn’t leaving. I had to put a stop to it.
I hurried over to where he was standing behind the window but he began to walk rapidly towards the door.
“Excuse me!” I yelled after him. I grabbed him by the arm and he stopped immediately.
He turned around and looked at me and then at his arm still being grabbed by me.
His eyes were watering as if my touch hurt him, he looked away pretending to be looking at a poster on the wall.
I was confused by his reaction so I let go of his arm and demanded an answer.
“I’m sorry sir, but I couldn’t help but see you staring at me during my whole lecture. May I help you with something? Would you like to enroll in my next class or are you a stalker? A spy?”
It’s almost like he was mute. He just looked at me stunned, as if I were speaking a foreign language.
He finally spoke.
“I’m- I’m sorry, I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable…I was just observing how you give the class to see if well…I should sign up myself…I just didn’t want to speak with you because then I’d feel obligated to sign up.” He said in a very soft tone to me, still not looking me in the eye.
I nodded.
“Well you shouldn’t feel obligated to sign up but we are starting classes on Monday and I still have open seats, classes are 100 dollars per class, I only teach twice a week for a month, a total of 800 dollars but I do teach an array of recipes and techniques, if you take one of my pamphlets that are over here” I said signaling to the pamphlets on the display, “you can find more information”.
He looked over to the pamphlets and took one, he nodded.
“Alright, thanks and sorry again about the misunderstanding, you have a good one” he said as he turned around and walked out the door.
I didn’t get his name but I wasn’t too sure I wanted to.
He watched me lecture for two hours, he had to be out of his mind.
I made sure to let security know to be on the lookout next time.
As I looked over to my desk I noticed a bouquet of roses that hadn’t been there earlier. No note, no letter. I didn’t know who had left them but they were my favorite color, orange.
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I'm not a writer, just a person with a lot of ideas. I do not own The Maine, nor do I know them, therefore, the characters might not act or say the things the actual people would say. They are simply what I imagined them to be. Melody Riley is a fictional character and writing a fictional character into the life of these people was a challenge. I tried my best to stay true to the events of the life of John, but of course, my research can only go so far. Hope you guys enjoy the ride!