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.

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

my coat on the rack and proceeded to

him instinctively.  "I like evérything you

replied, "I'm biased like

response and went to

playing smooth jazz and a candle was burning in the middle of the

wine, and a bottle of

rolled my eyes at him and he

to pull the chair nearby

complied and

sat across from and

me, I can

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

can barely handle you sober,"he

glass and said,

raised my grape juice and

admit, lan could make

noticed

I was eating, and he was barely touching his

"Everything okay?"I asked.

"So, how’s school?"he asked.

at almost the

second and noted the awkwardness, before stifling

You're gonna ask me about

him and he just shrugged, "School is just school,

not what I

being so formal today, I don’t understand what's going

moment before continuing,"I just wanna

bit too serious and I felt

on my lip, I cocked my head to the side and gave him

dinner and get right to

gaze was still deadly serious.I decided to come even bolder, I let

his tone was

"What?"

it, please,"My leg fell back to the floor and I let out an

wrong? Did I do something?"I asked

bit,"he said as he reached for my hand, caressing my

think we need it 7

and gentle, and it

was my fourth time in his apartment

and one might

this side

I want this to last, Emma.I want us to last,"he said again and I felt my heart

breathed, "We can talk.What do

hand went to rake his lush jet-black hair, "Like, what's

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

took a deep breath and

done

what? Talk to

beat before saying, "I never

as I gaped at

anyone I wanted to get to know like this.Until