Christopher Hathoway/Confrontations

## Confront

It was after class, and he asked to speak to Selene about some piece of homework. He waited for the people to leave before closing the door, shutting the blinds.

He rubbed a hand over his face before giving her a soft smile, "I wasn't going to ask," he replied before moving his hand to move through his hair. He needed a hair cut. "You're keeping it, aren't you?"

"Are you sure that's what you want?" He asked, stepping back, placing his arms in the pockets of his jeans, "because if you want a normal life I won't stop you. I get it, I get I might be a one night stand that you suddenly have a connection with. A living connection. I don't want to be someone who wants every string attached to you."

"I don't know," he replied, "I think the party life is something that draws me back once more. The lack of strings. Sounds-" He stopped himself. He was being petty. "My point is, you flirted with Deneris. Heavily. So I'm saying if you want to be with him, that's fine. I don't want to tie you down." He was being sincere.

"Someone sent me a recording, Selene," he whispered after a moment of processing her words, "I don't know if it was Jackson or someone else. But someone knows."

"It was sent anonymously and...I'm an English teacher, not a...hacker," he protested, displaying his palms.

"Well, maybe, I doubt it," he breathed out, looking at the hands, "Charlie's god knows where and Christie's spending her time looking for her. Doubt either of them would have the motivation to do that."

"No, no, I haven't," he replied, "I mean, you talked briefly about me yesterday? Someone could have put two and two together."

"Either way, it's out," he said, taking a deep breath.

"I don't know," he breathed out, "I guess they were trying to make me think you were cheating on me."

"I don't know," he said, his shoulders sagging, "I just don't know. Do you know anyone who would do it?"

"Which Alexander?" He asked, scratching his chin.

"Oh, Martell," he recited and decided not to comment his own opinion on the kid, lest an argument would probably ensue. "I thought you were over Harry?"

He was silent for a moment. He was a teacher and he was about to be dragged back into high school drama. "Of course I do," he replied, "of course I support you."

"I can't fail him, he's not doing that bad in class, I mean, he's not the best either but...I can't fail him for being average," he said, "maybe we should wait. Wait until he does something else."

"Yes but it could not be him," he argued, "it could be someone else. We don't have proof."

"We take care," he replied, "we make sure we're rarely seen together and when we do, we make sure we have an alibi. If they're handing us in, then we need to make sure evidence is on our side."

"I don't know, day by day."

"Of course not," he snapped, flushing, "we just need to be careful we're not seen together. If they have a video of us together at an ultrasound?"

He sighed, "I know," he replied, "just...maybe we should go to a place that doesn't exactly take many people from around here."

He grinned, "no, I'm suggesting Earth."

He tilted his head, "would he mention me?" He asked, "if so...then I say go for it."

His lips tugged, "the horror, the horror," he replied, quoting a book.

He nodded once, "it's most likely the best option," he replied, "and it's private? No calling your parents up? I know most places down there have a policy of privacy."

"Good thing we're loaded, well you are," he amended himself, frowning.

OOC: Charlie :(

"True," he replied.

"Being a royal does have its perks," he conceded, "I am sorry, for jumping to conclusions."

"No, no, about Jackson," he replied, "about the recording."

"I didn't think you were a...why on Earth would I think that?" He asked, baffled, "Jesus, Selene, I worshipped you when I met you. I still do."

"Sue me, I have insecurities," he replied with a lopsided grin, "and I spent so long trying to live by the rules after being the one to make them, you know? I had a moral dilemma when I met you but...I was just insecure."

He met her eyes, "I'm not someone to listen to meaningless gossip," he said as honestly as he could. "I judge people on what I see."

"Don't push me into everyone else in the school, Selene, we've been through too much to start judging each other on stereotypes and rumours," he pressed, "I'm not your friends."

"I never thought of you that way," he said, "never."

"Trust me, it pisses me off when I hear people talk about you," he growled, "only times I bend the whole not punish students for personal reasons."

"Though, I was probably in the right to punish them, considering their language," he mused.

"I'm not going to say," he replied, "but...I thought there was one thing I could rely on between us. Trust."

"Maybe we should start new with each other, forget reputations."

"I don't know how quickly it got around that I like Scotch," he replied, "do you know how many students somehow get their hands on a bottle to give me?"

His face darkened, "I knew I should have deleted that thing and, uh, no. It's mostly females. The men here try with money if they want to bribe me."

"Ha! I don't need to stash anything. I bought the ones at home with my own money and don't think I keep any here."

"It was just the recording," he replied, "is there anyone we know that could track it down?"