Teacher's Girl (Aflyingwhale)

EMMaA’s POV

"Girl, where have you been? I feel like I haven't seen you in weeks!"Tiff exclaimed dramatically.

Normally I would call her out for being a drama queen, but she wasn’t completely wrong this time.

Yes, I had been MIA, missing in action, for the past couple of days and I tell my friends where I went.

Not unless I wanted to be interrogated by the FBI.

‘Because yes, I was spending a lot of time with Mr.Hayes —I mean, lan.

"Sorry, I’m just a little busy with...my art portfolio,"I said as I closed my lockers shut.

The last period bell hand rang, but my friends had stopped me before I could leave school premises.

"That thing’s not due until the end of the school year.We still have, like eight months,"Carrie argued.

"I know, but I’ve been feeling very inspired lately.I wanna make sure I got a kickass portfolio, I might even use it for my college application,"

This part wasn't a lie.Spending a lot of time with my art teacher had its benefits.

Any free time I had in school, I'd spend it in the art studio working on my...craft.

After school hours, when I wasn’t in swim practice or cheerleading, I'd head over to lan’s apartment and we'd make more...art.

“Okay,"Tiff eyed me cautiously, 

"You do seem surprisingly happy.You're not hiding anything from us, are you? ‘Cause the last time we saw you was during the dance ar(d you didn't seem so well—"

"That was in the past," I cut her off quickly.

"After the dance, I did some soul searching and now I’ve completely turned over a new leaf,"  Tiff and Carrie exchanged a look before studying my face even further, trying to detect if I was lying."Guys, I'm serious.I'm so over Zach already and I just wanna work on myself for now.Believe me,"

I said reassuringly.

"Well, okay, in that case, I know you don’t have swim or cheerleading today.What do you say we head to the mall?"Carrie asked.

"Oh...actually, I can’t.I promised my mom I'd help her run some errands,"

I paused and noted the disappointed faces of my friends, "But we can hang out on the weekend?"

"Alright, it's a date.Don’t bail on us," Tiff and Carrie agreed finally.

"Absolutely.Now I gotta go.My, uh, mom’s waiting.See you guys"

I waved my hands quickly and disappeared out of the door in a flash.

School was over for the day and I couldn't be more excited. lan had invited me over to his place and he was going to make dinner.It still felt surreal to call him by that name.

I found myself blushing every time I said it out loud.I needed to work on that.

I arrived at his door at exactly 7 PM.

I was wearing my yellow summer dress, even though it was definitely fall, but I just wanted to look cute.

He opened the door and greeted me with his gorgeous mega-watt smile, that smile alone could send me into puddles.

He kissed my cheek, ushered me in, and took my coat.

smells good in here,"It was the first thing I noticed as soon as I got

my coat on the

him instinctively.

"I'm

chuckled at my response and went to set the food on the

a

a bottle of grape juice I assumed he

rolled my eyes at him and he ignored

nearby instead, gesturing

complied and

from and started pouring the

I can handle

my empty glass, waiting for him to pour the wine, but he shook his head and

handle you sober,"he

raised his glass

I raised my grape juice and

on dinner and I must admit, lan could make a mean pasta

I noticed he was being

looking at me as I was eating,

"Everything okay?"I asked.

"So, how’s school?"he asked.

it at almost the

noted the awkwardness,

ask me

at him and he just shrugged, "School is just school, I mean you know, you were

not what

you mean? You're being so formal today,

paused for a moment before continuing,"I just wanna have some dinner

bit too serious and I felt a

head to the

can skip dinner and

smirk or make a funny comeback, but he said nothing this time.His gaze was still deadly serious.I decided to come even bolder, I let my feet graze his leg from

his

"What?"

the floor and I let out

wrong? Did I

Get to know you a little bit,"he said as he reached for my hand, caressing my skin with

think we need it 7 take it slow,"I

and gentle, and it took me by

his apartment and I never saw him like

was always playful, flirty, and one might even say

is this side

us to last,"he said again and I

I breathed, "We can talk.What do you wanna

to rake his lush jet-black

help but smile, "You're really bad at small talk, you know

deep

done this

Talk to girls?"I asked in

beat before

at

to